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CHAPTER VII
THE STORIES OF CELANA'S ONE-PILLARED PALACE, OF ŚRENIKA'S LEARNING THE CHARM FOR TAKING MANGOES, OF DURGANDHA AND ARDRAKUMĀRA
Celana's one-pillared house (1-69)
Then Śrenika played with Celana in water-sports, et cetera, as if they were sewed together with the thread of affection. Every day in secret Śrenika dressed Queen Celaṇā's mass of hair, making combs out of his own hands. He himself, like a hair-dresser, bound her braid with faultless wreaths of flowers just twined by his own hands. He himself, like a painter, painted various decorations on her cheeks with powdered musk. In sitting, lying down, walking, eating, or anything else, the king did not leave her side, just as if he were the harem-guard himself.
One day the cool season began, terrifying with a wind from the north carrying frost, consuming the gardens. Rich people with fire-pots close at hand, anointed with saffron, 167 staying inside the house, passed the season. Poor boys, their hands like ivory, trembling as if from fear, stood in the house-doors, their teeth chattering. At night young men did not take away their lotus-hands, which resembled the staff of a lute with a gourd, from their wives' breasts which were naturally warm.
At that time Śrī Jñata's son stopped there, endowed with all the supernatural qualities, attended by gods and asuras. One day in the afternoon the king went with Queen Cellaņā to pay homage to Vira occupying a samavasaraṇa. After they had paid homage to the holy Arhat, the husband and wife returned and saw an ascetic standing in statuesque
167 7. Saffron is considered heating.
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