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VAJJALAGGAM
[ 220
feeding on thorny shiubs at will and to his heart's content), start up painfully in his mind.
221) Those mountain-peaks (hill-tops), those sprouts of Pilu shrubs, those Karira buds-all these merriments (pleasures) of the desert- oh camel, say, how can you get in this forest?
222) Oh camel, what are you looking at, lengthening out again your neck which is already long? How possibly can you get the arid desert (here), when fate is averse (adverse)?
223) Oh foolish (simple) camel, why is it that you are not taking even a small cluster (mouthful) (from the Pīlu.shrub), and are refraining from even tasting it, drying up the tips of hundreds of Pilu-shrubs with your protracted, warm and copious sighs?
224) Do not feel distressed, oh you camel, with uplifted neck, but keep yourself alive by grazing on (eating) something (i.e. any kind of grass or leaves that you may chance to get). How possibly can there be trees tall enough for you, in this desertplace which grows only the thorny cactus shrubs?
225) Oh friend, the camel, shaking his neck (by way of disapproval and disgust), throws (spits) out of his mouth, after having tasted, whatever comes within the reach of his tongue and whatever he thinks (sees, finds) to be somewhat good at first sight, trying in this way hundreds of shrubs (or trees).
226) Oh camel, that particular creeper was not so far obtained even by other lean (emaciated) camels. What means this obstinacy of yours, that you remain engrossed in thoughts about the Vindhya mountain (even in the presence of that creeper)?
25. The Section on the Mālati flower (or creeper)
227) Oh Mālati, whose floral juice (honey) deserves to be adored all over the world, due to separation from you, the swarm of bumble-bees has been so emaciated that it looks like a swarm of mosquitoes (or gnats).
228) Oh Mālati-bud, whose emanations of fragrance are over-abundunt, go on progressing in your development; let the
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