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7. YASASTILAKA AS AN ANTHOLOGY OF SANSKRIT VERSE
A strong wind sweeps along, conveying sprays of water, and enhancing the beauty of the Ketaki groves. It makes the rows of Kutaja trees burst into bloom, and destroys the gaiety of Mallika blossoms, and makes the young Kadamba trees gay, and brings joy to Kandala flowers (3. 393).
प्रोत्सालयन् करटिनां करपुष्कराणि रन्धोद्धुरध्वनितकीच ककाननान्तः । उद्गापयन् मधुकरीर्नवनीपलना वातः प्रवाति शिखिताण्डव पूर्व रङ्गः ॥
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The wind blows, a prelude to the dance of peacocks, making the bees, seated on the fresh Kadamba blossoms, sing. It quickens the movements of the fore-ends of elephants' trunks; and makes the interior of the bamboo groves echo with loud sounds coming through the holes ( 3.394 ) .
The pleasures of the rainy season are recounted again: शमाः कामप्रकामाः सुकविकृतिकथा दोहदा वाग्विवादाः सौधोत्सङ्गाः सभोगास्तरुणतरुदलोल्लासकान्ता दिगन्ताः । यस्मिंश्चासारधारिस्रवदनणुकणश्रेणिसाराः समीराः सोऽयं मोदाय राजन्न भवति समयः कस्य पर्जन्यजभ्यः ॥
Sire, who is not delighted by this season of rainclouds? Now the women burst with passion; literary quarrels take place centering round topics in the works of worthy poets; the palaces are equipped with the joys of life; the regions of the sky look charming with the gay beauty of the young leaves of trees; and the breezes are laden with thick sprays of water issuing from heavy showers ( 3.401 ).
The plight of the animals in the deepening gloom of the rainy season with its floods and storms is touchingly described:
मेघोद्रीर्ण पतत्कठोरकरकासारत्रसत्सिन्धुरे परप्लावित कूलपादप कुलक्षुभ्यत्सरित्पाथसि । अम्भश्चण्डसमीरणाश्रयशिवा फेत्कारताम्यन्मृगे काले सूचिमुखाप्रभेद्यतिमिरप्रायः क्षपासङ्गिनि ॥ भूयः पयःप्लवनिपातितःशैलशृङ्गे पर्जन्यगर्जितवितर्जितसिंह पोते । सौदामनीतिकलितसर्वदिक्के के देशमाश्रयतु डिम्भवती कुरङ्गी ॥
The elephants are frightened by showers of ever falling rough hailstones hurled by the clouds. The waters of the rivers heave with the trees on the banks swept away by the current. The deer languish as the jackals howl on account of violent rainstorms. In such a season when the nights are dark as pitch, where will the hind take shelter with her young? Now, the mountain peaks are hurled down by heavy floods; the lion cubs are frightened by the rumble of the rainclouds, and the regions of the sky made lurid by flashes of lightning (1.65-6 ).
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Winter scenery and the joys of the season are described in the following verses: इथूलासिनि सस्यशालिनि खरं शेफालिकोत्फुल्लिनि क्रौञ्चोन्मादिनि कुन्दनन्दिनि घनाश्लेषाङ्गनापादिनि । भास्मन्दिनि वातवाहिनि हिमासारावसन्नाङ्गिन काले कामिनि दीर्घरात्रिघटिनि प्रादेत् कृती कोऽध्वनि ॥ तत् स्वयमेव कामिषु निशि स्त्रीणां घनालिङ्गनं यत्रायं स्मरकेलिकामितसमायामवियामागमः । यत्रार्द्रा कफालिभिः परिचितः सद्यःस्रुतोऽसौ रसः प्रीत्यै कस्य न स क्षितीश्वरपते प्रालेयकालोऽधुना ॥
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