________________
SETUBANDHA
20. Fresh and serene, the days, with pools visible at places after showers, assumed a partly dry aspect, as if they had enjoyed a dip in the waters.
21. Having gone through the process of (Yogic) sleep with joy, Vişnu, even though he had not slept, woke up, attended by his consort, the goddess of wealth, who had woken first; and brought anxiety to the Ocean, saddened by his impending departure 21
22. The pure-rayed pearls, the stars, released from the split oyster shells, the torn clouds, shone in the ocean of the firmament, adhering to its coast, the night.
23. The scent of the Saptaparna blossoms appealed to the heart, but the fragrance of the Kadamba flowers pleased no more. The sweet note of the swans lingered in the heart, but not the cry of the peacock, because its time was past.22
24. The rainbow whose place was in the sky, drenched with rain, faded away: it was, as it were, a fresh nail mark given by the departing season of rains on the ample bosom of the regions of the sky, namely, the massive clouds, as a supreme emblem of beauty.23
25. In the thoroughly washed sky, spotless and visible far and wide, the orb of the moon seemed to be close at hand, isolated and clear.
26. Returning after a long lapse of time, the swans24 were confused by the swirling pollen of the flowers.25 Dissatisfied, they flew about on all sides, eager to see the day lotus pools 26
21. Vişnu 'sleeps' in the waters of the ocean during the rains, absorbed in Yogic meditation for the good of the world, and wakes up at the advent of the autumn.
22. Kadamba flowers and the call of the peacock are associated with the rainy season. The time indicated in this and the preceding verses is the passing of the monsoon and the gradual advent of the autumn. Cf. the next verse.
23. Means also 'luck'; here, affection. The imagery is that of a departing husband, leaving a nail mark on the bosom of his wife as a memento of their love. Paohara means both 'cloud' and 'a woman's breasts.
24. The birds are supposed to migrate to the Manasa lake during the rainy season, and return in the autumn.
25. 'night lotus blossoms' acc. to Ramadāsa's reading.. 26. i.e., their favourite old haunts.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
