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21. It withstood the waters of the sea with its base, and caused the anger of the lions, knocked down by the cascades at the top. It was crowned with a garland of planets, and wore a wreath, the orb of the moon resting upon its peaks.
22. Its summit towered over the moon. The streams in its caverns were windless and calm. It dispelled darkness with its flanks rich in gems; and the deer lay sound asleep on the slabs of gold.
23. Pierced and tossed by the elephant (with its tusks), the tiger turned back and pounced on the former's temples; while the lustre of the gems on the hoods of the serpents, asleep in the cavities, issued forth like a jet of water.
24. The slopes, rich in gems, seemed to bristle with thorns, like nettles, on account of the incessant sea spray;18 and the lion roared, riding on the elephant's head, with the pearls19 stuck in its claws.
25. The woods on the mountain, heavily pressed by the clouds and then released, were sodden with rain, with the white scarves hanging from the celestial creepers 20 drying and fluttering in the breeze.
26. Overrun by the waters of the sea, the streams, partly uprooting the moist leaning trees on the banks, and laden with flowers, ran shallow over the crystal slopes.
27. With the wind-swept cascades on the summit, the mountain cleansed the mouths of the horses of the Sun's chariot, which were full of froth, and partly moistened the reins.
28. The moon, resting upon its extensive summit, and touched by the flames of the plants blazing at night, clearly showed its stain, the deer, as if its inner surface was covered with soot.
18. The reference is to sea-water that has dried. In verse 41 the poet refers to the salt taste of hardened sea spray,' Here, the salt crust formed by sea spray on the slopes of the mountain is likened to small thorns. The Greek verb epantheo, to bloom, be in flower, was likewise used of a salt crust forming on a surface, as in Herodotus II.12.
19. i.e., the pearls inside the head of the elephant mangled by the lion, The reference is to the belief that an elephant's head contains pearls.
20. Explained by Krşņa as the branches of the all-giving Kalpa trees, See 14.74.
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phant mangled by the lion.
20. Exnás to the belief that an elephant
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