________________
SETUBANDHA
57 65. As the commotion of the mountains grew more violent, the long-eyed fish54 disregarded their lives, and abandoned not their river homes; and not even a trace was left of the buffaloes that took shelter in the sandal groves, and were swept away by the (rolling) crystal rocks;55 even as nothing remains of the emerging darkness destroyed by the moon.
66. Some of the mountains tumbled down,56 rent in the middle; some with the encircling rocks dislodged from half of the slopes; and others crumbling under the blows of the apes, with only half of the peaks left.
67. When the peak of a mountain was deemed inadequate,57 Ol' when a mountain had to be supported, because it cracked as it fell, it was discarded even after the effort of uprooting, because it was deficient in weight 58
68. Because of separation from the dejected leader of the herd, the weeping cow elephants shed tears that were hidden by the eyelashes, and regarded the taste of the fresh grass as rank poison.
69. The earth was capable of sustaining the weight of the apes even while it was convulsed,59 because it reposed on the outstretched hoods of the lord of serpents,60 enraged by the uprooting of the mountains.
70. The mountains that stood firm, even when pushed, were broken by the apes in the region of the peaks and along the base of the flanks; while the encircling rocks were dislodged here and there by thumping them with the hands.61
54. Those in the mountain streams. 55. Lit. gem rocks, explained as above by Ramadāsa and Kulanātha. 56. i.e., while being uprooted.
57. Acc. to Kulanātha (Madhava also), 'deemed inferior (to others)'. Krşņa differs. See Extracts.
58. i.e., not strong enough for the causeway. 59. i.e., by the uprooting of the mountains.
60. Ananta is fancied as spreading out its thousand hoods to provide greater security.
61. i.e., parts of the mountains were broken off to facilitate the uprooting. S. 8
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
