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241
SIXTH INCARNATION AS APARĀJITA
actors looked like characters (themselves) who had come, because of dramatic actions, conveyed by expressions, et cetera, properly portrayed. 303
Story of Kanakaśrī (146-333)
When the king, chief of the prudent, had seen this dramatic art, he considered the two slave-girls to be jewels in the ocean of existence. Then the king entrusted his daughter, named Kanakaśrī, to the fictitious slave-girls for instruction in acting. When they had seen the maiden, who had reached youth, whose face was like a full moon, eyes like a frightened doe's, lips like ripe bimbas, neck like a conch, arms like lotus-tendrils, breasts like golden pitchers, waist slender as the middle of a thunderbolt, navel deep as a tank, hips resembling a sandy beach, thighs like a young elephant's, shanks like a doe's, hands and feet like lotuses, whose body was immersed in the water of loveliness, endowed with sweet speech, whose body was soft as a sirīșa, the fictitious slave-girls showed her again and again with gentle words and taught her thoroughly the dramatic art with modes of expressionall of it, including the catastrophe.804
In the midst of the drama the slave-girls sang at length praises of long-armed Anantavirya, because of beauty, courage, et cetera. Kanakaśrī asked, "Who is this superior man about whom you sing constantly, girls?" The fictitious slave-girl, Aparajita, smiled and said: "Fair lady, in this province there is a large city, Subha. Its king was Stimitasagara, an ocean of virtues, a sun in splendor. He, noble-minded, had an elder son, the sole abode of good breeding, Aparājita, unconquered by his enemies. Anantavirya was the younger son, but not inferior in spotless virtues, who surpasses Kandarpa in beauty, who splits the knot of insolence of his enemies. He, liberal, keeping his promises, considerate of those who have come for
808 145. See I, n. 235.
804 152. The fifth sandhi (division) of the drama.
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