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SETUBANDHA
73 returned to the sea, their faces drenched and cooled by the spray from their trunks.
9. The mouths of the rivers (entering the sea), made turbid by the broken trees, with the white foam mingling with their astringent sap, became grey with dust as the waters surged over the banks.
10. Tossed about on the raging sea, portions of the flanks of the Malaya mountain joined the flanks of the Mahendra, and sections of the Mahendra joined the slopes of the Malaya, with the herds of elephants crushed by the waves).
11. The broad and white expanse of the beach, with the surface rippled by the slowly receding waters, and thickly studded with pearls, looked like the (while and spotted) slough of Väsuki.5
12. The masses of water that had been flung up by the impact of the mountains (on the sea), and were visible for a long while as they descended back from the sky, again stirred up the sea that had been disturbed and calmed down.
13. The lord of the apes (Sugrīva) then spoke, fixing his eyes on Nala;6 while his bejewelled stone seat cracked as he rested his massive buttocks on his left hand, upturned and outstretched.
14. The apes are worn out. The earth hath only a few remote mountains left. But the causeway is not visible. Let not Rāma's mighty bow be bent again.?
15. 'Wine, the young moon, nectar, the goddess of wealth, and Pārijāta, the best of trees, together with the Kaustubha gem: is all this of lesser value than the causeways that the Ocean doth not grant ito despite his promise? 10
4. i.e., as a result of the sea dashing against the incoming streams during the disturbance.
5. The great serpent used as a rope by the gods and demons while churning the ocean with the Mandara mountain.
6. One of the apes, a great architect. 7. i.e., to chastise the ocean, as described in Canto V. 8. i.e., is the causeway more important than all these? 9. i.e., does not allow it to be built.
10. The idea ts, during the churning by the gods and demons, the ocean had given up wine, nectar etc. even without any promise; so it is unlikely
S. 10
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