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[ 73. 10.
auspicious drums beating; who was surrounded by royal persons, sitting in stately chariots beautiful with the hosts of flag-cloths dancing in wind; for whom the trunk road was extremely blocked by the groups of the damsels of the harem clever in the ways of beautiful dances; who mounted on the elephant which was decorated white; who was surrounded by princes Mrgankasena and Amarasena, like the flower-weaponed god surrounded by spring and autumn; and who was seen with affection by town-damsels standing on the terraces of palaces;- came to the marriage-pandal sportingly. He was held at the door by extremely white cloth and was asked the conventional present by elderly women who held the materials of reception. [73] Then, with eyes blooming under the influence of joy he descended from the stately elephant giving more than what was asked for. His brow was beaten with gold pestle with the jewelled band. Then the bride-groom was led to the pandal-compound-controlling the crowd of the people-by the damsels whose duty was to arrange the meeting ( between him and the bride ).
Where the bride, with her face covered by the white and nice silken garment, stood, like the moon-lit night in which the disc of the moon is covered by the autumnal cloud. ( 154 )
The female friends made to him amorous banterings which were not against ( civility ); and then they asked him for the conventional present to open the contours of the face of the bride. ( 155 )
Then he smiled a little and said "O, that is perti
