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"Observing in a mirror the outward marks of love's enjoyment (on her person) and at the same time seeing behind her own image that of her lover seated behind, what reactions did Pārvati not show out of her timid shyness ?”
Kuntaka quotes it to illustrate a variety of samyệtivakratā (beauty of concealment) by the use of pronouns. In this variety a very tender subject does not allow of any elaborate description of its actions or gestures but shines uniquely by the device of concealment. In this marvellous verse the poet uses the expression "kāni käni" to suggest the unique excellence of Pārvati's reactions. These reacrions are so varied and beyond words for the sudden awareness of her lover's presence when she was observing in the mirror the tooth-bites, nail-marks, etc., inflicted on her person by her lover in the course of love-sports, embarasses her greatly and adds to her timid shyness and nervousness. She bent her head, closed her eyes and did a number of other things to hide her sense of shyness and shame.
Incidentally, another verse illustrating the bashfulness of the inexperienced heroine, Pārvati, may be considered :
शूलिनः करतलद्वयेन सा संनिरुध्य नयने हृतांशुका । तस्य पश्यति ललाटलोचने मोघयत्नविधुरा रहस्यभूत् ॥12
"In private, with her garment taken off, she closed Siva's two eyes with her two palms; but, as his third eye on the forehead continued looking at her unclothed beauty, she had her efforts failed and she became absolutely helpless."
In this verse Kālidāsa beautifully portrays Pārvati's bashfulness and her feeble or vain efforts to prevent Siva from observing her nude beauty.
The poet of a Prākrit gātha depicts Pārvati facing a similar situation. He however shows how Pārvati (with cleverness natural to women) overcomes the embarassing, situation; the gäthä runs as follows:
TE-af-f67-f3i UT-ET-GE3--0T37UT-ETCH रुहस्स तइअ-णअणं पव्वइ-परिचुंबिअं जअइ ॥3 [ifa-afe-ea-faca--
f t-76-777-TUTTET I रुद्रस्य तृतीय-नयनं पार्वती-परिचुम्बितं जयति ॥]
"When Siva divests her of her garment during amorous sport, Pārvati (instinctively) closes Siva's pair of eyes with her two tender palms (and simultaneously) kisses his third eye (on the forehead) which really triumphs.”
The import of the gåtha is : Although in the present gäthä, the third eye is to be closed in common with the other two eyes and although as eye it is equal to the other two eyes, the third eye (of Lord Siva) alone is victorious in so far as it is closed with a kiss of Pārvati. The verb 'Jayati' (triumphs) in the gātha has a striking beauty which can be felt by sensitive readers : 'Blessed or fortunate indeed is the third eye as it was honoured with Pārvati's kiss and therefore is far superior to the other two eyes.
12 Kumāra VIII 7 13 Gāthā-sapta-sati V 75
