________________
ARIŞTANÉMI'S SPORT, INITIATION, OMNISCIENCE 253 with his wives and Nemi entered it for bathing-sport, like hansas in Mānasa's water. At once a resemblance to lotuses newly burst open appeared from the faces of Visnu's wives submerged up to the neck in it. Hari himself threw a handful of water on one. She, clever, threw back a mouthful of water, on him. Janārdana had the appearance of a pillar with puppets from the timid women, afraid of the water, clinging to him. Leaping up repeatedly, like waves, the doe-eyed women struck Sārngapāņi on the chest fiercely. The eyes of the doe-eyed women became very red from blows with water, as if from anger caused by the removal of collyrium, their ornament.
One, summoned by Sārngin by pronouncing the name of a rival, beat him with a lotus, like an elephant with an iron club. One approached another whom she had watched for a long time and struck her in the eyes with water lifted up, mixed with lotus-pollen. The doe-eyed women wandered again and again around Sārngin, bringing to mind the beauty of the ballet and the sport of his life as a cowherd. Nemi, unchanged, there at his brother's insistence, played, surrounded by his brother's wives engaged in jests. Saying, “ Where are you going now, brother-in-law,” Hari's wives struck Nemi simultaneously with water struck with the open hand. Aristanemi with Krsna's wives holding in their hands falling masses of water looked like a tree with erect shoots. With water-sports a pretext for making known the touch of women, they embraced Nemi's neck, struck him on the breast, and hung on his arm.
One in sport carried a lotus, like an umbrella, over Sri Nemi, like an umbrella-carrier of the harem. One threw a lotus-stalk around Nemi's neck with a jest, like a wreath on the hitching-post of an elephant. Using anything as a pretext, one struck Nemi on the heart, which had not been struck by Smara's missiles, with a lotus. Prince Nemi, unchanged, let all his brother's wives play for a long time with acts and counteracts. Seeing his brother playing so, Janārdana
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org