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72
ŚRNGĀRAMAÑJARIKATHA
feudatories, twelve mandalesvaras, thirty-six royal houses, seventytwo forest lords, twenty-four Kārvațas, twenty-one Konkaņas and people of thirty-six ports. Of that king, who by his valour had subjected the circles of kings and had conquered all the feudatories, there was a famous courtesan named ASOKAVATI, who was very rich and was the one abode of beauty, youth and graces. All the feudatories gave everything to her ....... and looked up to her expectantly. She' accepted everything from them and gave it to a feudatory called CHADDALAKA. He was dearer to her than her life and was also a favourite in the king's court. She had mastered the world-famous sword-dancing.
Once in winter when nights were very cold and it was impossible to sit outside ..... (67) king SAMARASIMHA, seated in the middle of the pleasure pavilion, giving seats to those desirous of seeing the dance-performance, sent for ASOKAVATI. (In the winter) when intolerable autumnal sun became a little bearable; when the net-work of the beads of perspiration from the cheeks of the protectress of rice-fields is removed; when the wind is laden with particles of snow; when swarms of bees are attracted towards the buds of the śyāmā-creepers after giving up the ponds of kuvalayas whose beauty were destroyed by snow flakes; when the lotus-ponds without the Autumn looked like the women separated by their lovers, with the lustre of the lotus-faces faded, with bare stalks as ornaments, bearing paleness in the form of the flakes of snow on the water, and being free from the sports of love; when the Fish-bannered one, on seeing his quiver of arrows exhausted after breaking the hearts of the separated lovers, tied the fresh sugarcanes as bows to conquer the world, which (sugarcanes) were as charming as the cheeks of the young Kerala women; when in the pleasure-mansions, the hair of the doe-eyed women which were fragrant with the fresh maruvaka flowers and whose shine was doubled with the fragrant oil inferred from its perfume, enchanted the minds of all the loverlorn persons; when the couples desired the warmth of kunkuma having given up the anointing of the sandal paste which was cherished in autumn; which brought about the delicious touch of the breasts of the beloveds which were scented with the constant application of the slightly burnt ghanasāra, and which were fully perfumed with the kālāguru; when the lovers constantly resorted to the fire of pleasures; when the wind was heavy with particles of thick frost fallen on the borders of the clusters of partially open kunda-buds appearing to be their smiles of wonder on seeing the bees leaving the priyaka flowers, whose honey-juice had been exhausted, and quickly alighting on the Howers of the priyangu creepers; when in the whole world loving couples had taken to the vow of Ardhanārīśvara as their limbs were in close embraces.
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