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ŚṚNGARAMANJARIKATHA
frequently snapping their backs with the tails because of the fear of flies; when the bog had dried and worms resorted to the cracks; where the middle of the lakes having little water in them had become swampy; where herds of deer, resting in the shades, ruminated at intervals due to sloth brought about by the heat of the morning sun; when on account of the humming bees concealed under stones it seemed the trees were grunting out of helplessness being exhausted by the heat; when the thirsty fawns with their eyes closed a little due to tiredness were running here and there with their necks and ears raised up being attracted by the mirage spreading all round in the lower grounds due to the heat of the rays of the sun; when some families of monkeys silently sitting on the branches of the trees, distressed by the fatigue produced by their own fickle movements, were dragging on the midday drowsiness by falling down (from the trees), their bodies languid due to the help. lessness on account of the languor of sleep, were getting up again and climbing (the trees); when herds of wild boars, as black as pounded collyrium, with their darkness, doubled by mud, who due to the fear of the sun frequently rolled their tawny red eyes which looked like glow-worms in the mass of darkness, were taking resort in the thickets of mustā on the sides of the ponds; when the birds, afraid of being drowned in the hot particles of dust entering the joints of the wings abandoned the paths and hid in the hollows of aged trees, when the directions were coloured variously by particles of grass burnt in the forest conflagration resembling iron spikes (in the hearts) of the travellers produced on account of separation from their truly loved sweet-hearts; when the sky was laden with the rustling uprooted particles of the barks of trees; when the wind was blowing hard and was resonant with the screeching of crickets constantly mixing with...., which (wind) brought coolness to itself when tormented by the rays of the sun, with the particles of water emitted by crickets in every wood; (50) which was hot and long like the sighing of the directions who were tormented by the pain of separation from the Spring; which was fragrant with the pollen of the swinging arjuna flowers and which swept away pieces of dung.
54
(During such a summer) one day, the two, travelling thus reached the Vindhya forest of terrifying splendour. Which (forest) was stretched from the eastern to the western mountain; which was rendered beautiful by the trees that bore the greenness resembling the brilliancy of the peacock, which (trees) had their trunks surrounded by bees due to the fragrance of the rut transferred to them by the scratching of the temples of the intoxicated elephants, whose roots intermingled with flowers as the branches were broken because of the swings of creepers made by the sylvan deities, whose
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