Yasastilaka and Indian Culture

Author(s): Krishnakant Handiqui
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur

Page 78

4. YASASTILAKA AS A PROSE ROMANOS
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निर्गमम, अनिलभृतभस्त्राध्मातजठरम् ,......अग्निलवितस्थाणुगणनोरुकम्,......अघसंघातमिव दुरीक्ष्यम्, अमङ्गलस्थानमिव नितरामुद्वेजनीयम् , अखण्डमण्डूरकुलमिव मनुष्यरूपेण परिणतम् , अखिलमिव वैरूप्यमवचित्य वेधसा निष्पादिनम्.......
The account of the regiments of Yasodhara's army has more than a literary interest, and is full of important details throwing light on the composition of old Indian armies. It is one of the most remarkable descriptions not only in Yasastilaka but in Sanskrit literature as a whole (chap. III, p. 461 etc.):
निटिलतटपट्टिकाप्रतानघटितोद्भटजूटम् , उत्कोशकिंशुकप्रसूनमजरीजालजटिलविषाणविकटमेकराणामृगमण्डलमिव, कर्तरीमुखचुम्बितामूलश्मश्रुबालम् , उद्भिद्यमानमदतिलकितकपोलं पीलुकुलमिव, किरिमणिविनिर्मितत्रिशरकण्ठिकं महामण्डलावगुण्ठितगलनालमान्यमीशानसेन्यमिव, आकुफणिकृतकालायसवलयकरालकराभोगं बालबिलेशयवेष्टितविटपभागं भद्रश्रियामोकह
देशोत्तम्भितासिधेनुकम् अहीश्वरानुबद्धमध्यमेखलं मन्थानकाचलमिव, आवडणोत्क्षिप्तनिबिडनिवसनं सकौपीनं वैखानसवृन्दमिव, अनेकाङ्कनामसंभावनोद्ग्रीवाननम्, आत्मस्तवाडम्बरोड्डमरमागधोत्कर्णितवदनम्, ऊर्ध्वनखरेखालिखितदेहप्रासादं देव इदं विहितविविधायुधवर्तनौचित्यं दाक्षिणात्यं बलम् ।
“Sire, this is the Deccan regiment practised in the use of diverse arms. The luxuriant tangle of the hair of the men is tied up with cloth bands around their foreheads. Conspicuous by the horns carried by them, entwined with sprays of fullblown Palāśa flowers, they look like a troop of rbinoceroses; and with the tips of their knives coming up to the roots of their beards, they resemble a troop of elephants with the cheeks dotted with flowing ichor. They are wearing triple necklaces made of many-coloured beads, and look like Siva's troops, awful on account of their necks being enwrapped with Mahāmandala serpents. They have the forearms enveloped with iron bracelets worn up to the elbows and resemble a thicket of sandal trees with the branches entwined by young snakes. With their daggers fixed about the centre of the waist, they resemble the mountain wherewith the gods churned the ocean, with its central slope encircled by the lord of serpents (Vāsuki). With their thick loin-cloths tucked up as far as the thigh-joints, they look like a crowd of religious mendicants wearing kaupina. They are looking up on hearing the many laudatory poems, and stand with upturned faces, as they listen to the minstrels loudly reciting exuberant panegyrics in their honour. Their bodies are scratched all over with upward lines of finger-nail marks."
___ इतश्च पर्यन्तखर्षितकुन्तलतयार्धमुष्टिमितमस्तकमध्यकेशम् , अतिप्रलम्बश्रवणदेशदोलायमानस्फारसुवर्णकर्णिकाकिरणकोटिकमनीयमुखमण्डलतया कपोलस्थलीपरिकल्पितप्रफुल्लकर्णिकारकाननमिव, समुत्कर्षितसुक्कचिबुकजङ्खाग्रभागरोमलोमशम् , अहरहःप्रमार्जितदशनप्रकाशपेशलवदनतया प्रदर्शितखकीययशःप्रसूतिक्षेत्रमिव, अनङ्गग्रहपरिवेषवर्तुलदन्तक्षतक्षपितभुजशिखरम् , अनवरतक्षरत्क्षपारसरागरक्तशितिशरीरतया कजकिंजल्ककलुषकालिन्दीकल्लोलकुलमिव, मायूरबहातपत्रप्रभाश्यामिकासंपादितगगनगारुडोपलकुट्टिमच्छायम्, दरदद्वापाटलफलकान्तिकुटिलकरितटोल्लासलालसकर संध्याघ्रगर्भविभ्रान्ताभ्रियसंदर्भनिर्भर नभ इव. देव, इदमने कदोलिकाविलं दामिलं बलम् ।
“This, Sire, is the Tamil regiment provided with numerous litters. The men have a mere handful of hair on the crown of their heads owing