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YAŠASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE can be said? Divine and universally honoured as thou art, thy riches can be enjoyed at will by suppliants as if they were all their own! (Book V, p. 177).
Apart from the glimpses of animal life in the account of the seasons, a considerable number of verses is devoted to the description of animals in our work. Verses in praise of horses and elephants are recited by the bards on the occasion of the presentation of the royal horse and the royal elephant to Yasodhara on the eve of his coronation. Elephants receive the first tribute of praise (2. 167–190). For example,
भवेषु दुर्गाणि जलेषु सेतवो गृहाणि मार्गेषु रणेषु राक्षसाः।
#7: falcatuit To çarpaq Pfare anga I 2. 176.
Another series of verses is recited by the keepers on the occasion of the sports of elephants witnessed by Yasodhara (3. 291-318). The poet often succeeds in presenting a life-like picture of the animal.
उचम्भीकृतकर्णतालयुगलः प्रत्यस्तपांसुक्रियः प्रत्यादिष्टकरेणुकेलिरमण: प्रत्यर्पिताम्भोघटः ।
पातुः प्रार्थनया चिराय विस्तानिक्षून् गृहीत्वा करे तिष्ठत्यन्यकरीन्द्रसंचरमनाः कोपव्यथाकीलितः॥ The elephant stands, holding in his trunk the sugarcanes ere long seized at the instance of the keeper. He is rooted to the ground by the frenzy of wrath, his mind fixed on a rival; and the flat ears stand firm and erect. He hath given up playing with dust and renounced the joy of sports with his mate and repelled the pot of water set before him (3. 293). Horses receive their share of praise in 2. 191-208. For example,
कदनकन्दुककेलिविलासिनः परबलस्खलने परिधा हयाः।
सकलभूवलयेक्षणदृष्टयः समरकालमनोरथसिद्धयः ॥ Perhaps more interesting are certain individual verses on other animals. A simple yet faithful description of a dog occurs in Book V:
निर्मासाम्यः कपिलनयनः स्वल्पतीक्ष्णाप्रकर्णः कुक्षिक्षामः पृथुलजधनः पूर्णवक्षःप्रदेशः।
दुग्धस्निग्धप्रवनुदशनः सारमेयो महीशामाखेटाय प्रजवचरणः किंचिदाभुमवालः ॥ The same Book contains the following vivid picture of a huge buffalo:
रकमान्तविलोललोचनयुगः प्रोथप्रतिष्टाननः प्रोत्कूणामविषाणभीषणवपुर्नीलाअनादिप्रभः ।
उत्कर्णः पृथुकन्धरो गुरुखुरः स्थूलत्रिकोरःस्थलः सा मृत्वा कमनीयबालधिरभूच्छागी पुनः कासरः॥ The she-goat, after death, was reborn as a buffalo with a fine hairy
1. His eyes were nimble and fringed with red, and the mouth firmly based on the snout. He resembled a mountain of blue collyrium with a body inade fierce by the horns curved at the extremities. He had erect ears, broad shoulders, massive hooves, and fleshy breast and buttocks ( Book V, p. 224).
Epitaphs on animals do not seem to occur in Kāvga poetry, and the following mournful verses on a favourite peacock and a dog, uttered
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