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TILAKAMANJARI OF DHANAPALA
and expansive occupied by circles of gold ewers emitting out tassels of sheen.'
Paintings :
According to Dr. Pratipāla Bhatia Dhanapala's Tilakamañjarī contains very useful and interesting references to technical terms used in this art (i.e. painting) as well as the conversations of princes and painters and Chitrācāryas. Painting as an art and a pastime has been referred to in case of Meghavahana. He kept scanning the whole day long having given up all other avocations, the images of the princesses endowed with matchless charms, bestowed on him or brought as gifts to him through regard, having painted them on the picture canvases by the skilled painters deeming that he was susceptible to women.3 Madirāvatī has been described as the superior painting brush made of gold in the form of her beauty. The picture-canvas (of Tilakamañjarī) brought for the first time before Harivahana by Pratihārī (Vajrargalā) was exquisite (Divya) and was wrapped in the hem of her upper scarf. It was an ambrosia for the eyes. On that picture-canvas was seen portrayed a painted puppet (or a doll) assuming the garb of a maiden. Being an expert of that art he for long deliberated over the glamour of her physical charms. And intermittently he continued looking at her braid of tresses, Moon-face, sprout like lower lip, eye-cups, soft throat, protuberant breasts, middle portion i.e. waist, the circumference of the orbs of her navel, posteriors, pillar-like thighs, lotus feet etc. Harivahana has been called as skilled in (lit. gone past ) the arts and lores such as dance, music and
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1. आलोक्यमानविविधध्वजच्छत्रचामरोड्डामराभिरनेकपर्याणपीठपर्यंककंकटकिरीटगभीभिर्विहार कालोपयुक्तवस्तुनिक्षेपक्ष माभिरुभयतो विशालगम्भीराभिः शालाभिरुपशोभमानबाह्यकक्षान्तरम् आरोपितानुरुपरलपर्याणेर्गरुडोरूकुरङ्ग वक्राङ्गबर्धिण प्रमुखाकारधिरिभिर्विधावलकृतैदर्शनायात विद्याधरवधूवाहनाविशेषरशून्यमध्यमप्राकारगोपुगद्वारम्..... अभंगुरप्रासाददीर्घिकाकुण्डजलमण्डपैरखण्डितम्... उदंशुकांचनकलशचक्राक्रान्तविकटोदग्र कूटैस्तुषारगिरिशिरोभिरिव लग्नस्फारवज्राग्निविस्फुलिंगैरदभ्रसरलार्जुनसालगुप्तिभि: सप्तभूमैः कुमारीपुरप्रासादैः परिक्षिप्ततार्श्वम्... तिलकमंजरीमन्दिरमपश्यम् । TM. Sm. ed. pp. 370, 372.
2. Paramāras p. 348.
3. कदाचिदङ्गनालोल इति मत्वा निपुणचित्रकारैश्चित्रपटेष्वारोप्य सादरमुपापनी कृतानिरुपातिशयशालिनीनामवनिपाल कन्यकानां प्रतिविम्बानि परित्यक्तान्यकर्मा दिवसमालोकयत् । Ibid Vol. I p. 75.
4. ज्येष्ठवर्णिका रूपजातरूपस्य | Ibid Vol. I p. 82.
5. उपरितनवसनपल्लवप्रान्तसंयतं चित्रपटमुपनिन्ये. Ibid Vol. II p. 332.
समन्ततः
तथा तत्क्षणमेव विस्तारिते पुरस्तात् तत्र.... कन्यकारूपधारिणीमेकां चित्रपुत्रिकां ददर्श । Ibid Vol. II p. 1. विममर्श च अस्याः शरीरावयवसमुदायचारुतामतिचिरम् ।
अनुपरतकौतुकस्य मूहुः केशपाशे मुहुर्मुखशशिनि, मुहुरधरपत्रे, मुहुर्मध्यभागे मुदुरूरुस्तम्भयोः मुहुश्चरणवारिरुहयोः, कृतारोहावरोहया दृष्ट्या तां व्यभावयत् । Ibid Vol. III pp. 1-2.
