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SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
acquired by modesty (lit. silence). Her dignity sprang from her quietude. Her vicinity was constantly attended by her virtues that had their decorations assuming the garb of personal attendants. She had attained to the utmost height of over lordship and had attained to height of virtuosity. She was immune from lack of veracity and could never dream of the association of a wanton woman. Even though she had no progeny she was always nursed in his lap by her husband. She was the crest-jewel of the entire seraglio.'
She has been depicted as a devoted wife who takes every act of her husband to be one in which she owes her duties as a co-sharer as to its performance. That is why she says
"Revered lord; I do not want to stand in your way when you have started to achieve accomplishment in the act of obtaining progeny, but I want to make a request. Just as by you, so also by me the deities deserve to be propitiated; why should you take to sylvan abode having left me alone here; I dare not stay here derelicted by you even for a moment2 etc.
The employment of plural in case of addressing of the venerable names or elderly persons has been described by Dhanapāla as a common practice in the family life of Kañci. People, however, did not take to glib talks in achieving their selfish ends from others.3
Referring to the marital tie of Taraka and Priyadarśana daughter of Jalaketu Dhanapāla makes it manifest that as husband and wife both of them developed a deep sense of conjugal felicity from their very date of marriage. Taraka took to all types of skilful cajoleries and tit bits that had their charm multiplied with the physical charms of that lovely maiden. He took to all types of wheedling artifices in order to amuse her and keep her in good humour. He did not superimpose his dignity of superiority complex upon her. He would take to momentary fits of gaiety and displeasures appearing at will. He would take to untimely but agreeable modes of restraints and releases being waited upon by his blooming youth day in and day out. He
1. परमशुद्धिशालिना शीलेनालंकृता, शीलसहचारिणा रूपेण विनयवता यौवनेन सौभाग्यसंगिना लावण्येन मौनकलितेन कलाकौशलेन प्रशमभाजा प्रभुत्वेन निपुणसेवकैरिव गृहीतनिजनिजालंकारै: गुणैः सततमुपासिता... परां कोटिमारूढा स्वामिभावस्य सर्वदासत्त्वे स्थिता, असत्यमुक्ता स्वेप्नेऽप्यजातस्वैरिणीसङ्गा, निरपत्या सततमुत्सङ्गेन लालितापत्या, समस्तान्तः पुरशिरोरत्नभूता मदिरावती नाम देव्यभवत । TM Vol. I pp. 82-83.
2. आर्यपुत्र सन्तानकार्यसिद्धये तव प्रस्थितस्य नाहं प्रतिपन्थिनी, किञ्च पुनरिदं विज्ञापयामि यथा तव तथा ममाप्याराधनीया देवता एवं च कस्मात् परित्यज्य मामेक एव व्रजसि वनम् .... न च त्वया विरहिता मुहुर्तमपि स्थातुं ... TM Vol. I pp. 96-97.
3. बहुवचनप्रयोगः पूज्यनामसु न परप्रयोजनाङ्गीकरणेषु TM Vol. III p. 172.
