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7. YASASTILAKA AS AN ANTHOLOGY OF SANSKRIT VERSE
The citizens are nurtured on the myth of Fate, and the minister is the son of a blacksmith's wife. And there is a poet in the drama, Taruṇīlīlāvilāsa by name ; he is Brhaspati himself in forceful composition ( 3. 125 ). मृल्लोष्टचेष्टः क्षितिपः स्वभावात् सुदुष्टचेष्टः सचिवश्च यत्र । शुभाशयस्यापि सुमेधसोऽपि क्षेमः कुतस्तत्र भवेज्जनस्य ॥
'How can even a man, honest and intelligent, be happy in a realm where the king is, by nature, like a clod of earth, and the minister a perfect villain?' (3. 126 ).
151
शिष्टावासः कुतस्तत्र दुर्मन्त्री यत्र भूपतौ । इयेनैश्वर्यं तरौ यत्र कुतस्तत्रापरे द्विजाः ॥
'How can the good live under a king with a wicked minister? How can small birds live on a tree where the mastery belongs to a hawk ? ' ( 3. 127 ).
दुर्मणि नृपसुतात् सुमहान् स लाभः प्राणैः समं भवति यन्न वियोगभावः ॥ सूनाकृतो गृहमुपेत्य ससारमेयं जीवन् मृगो यदि निरेति तदस्य पुण्यम् ॥
When a person is not deprived of his life by a prince with a wicked minister, it must be reckoned a mighty favour. When a stag comes out alive, after entering the dog-guarded house of a butcher, it must be due to his religious merit (3. 130).
Kavi-kaumudi-candra declares:
अहिवलयितमूलः पादपः केन सेव्यः श्रयति क इह शिष्टः शल्यसंग तडागम् । विषकलुषितमन्धः कस्य भोज्याय जातं कुसचिवहत भूतिर्भूपतिः कैरुपास्यः ॥
अविवेकमतिर्नृपतिर्मन्नी गुणवत्सु वक्रितग्रीवः । यत्र खलाश्च प्रबलास्तत्र कथं सज्जनावसरः ॥
Who can resort to a tree that has a serpent coiled round its trunk? What wise man enters a tank with thorns in it? Who ever partakes of poisoned food? Who can serve a king whose welfare is marred by a villain of a minister? How can the good have any scope in a realm where the king lacks in discernment, the minister turns his face away from those who have merit, and villians are in power? (3. 131-2).
Two verses are attributed to a poet named Vidagdhamugdha, but they depend for force upon double entendre, and can be appreciated only in the original.
पजवने लक्ष्मीर्विपिने विजयो हुताशने तेजः । तपने च परं मण्डलमवनिपतेर्भवति दुःसचिवात् ॥ खड्गेषु परं कोशः शेषायां तण्डुलाः करे पर्व । चतुरङ्गेषु च तत्रं दुर्मत्रिणि भवति भूपस्य ॥ Nitinetra mentions the characteristics of a wicked minister: राज्यवृद्धिस्ततोऽमात्याद्यो न कुक्षिंभरिः स्वयम् । अत्ति स्थाल्येव चेद्रतं भोक्तर्भुक्तिर्भवेत् कुतः ॥ यः स्याद्भुजगवद्भूयो बहिरीक्षित मोहितः । तं खादन्ति न किं नाम लञ्जिका इव सेवकाः ॥ The prosperity of a kingdom can be enhanced only by a minister who is not greedy. How can the owner eat if the cooking-vessel itself eats
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