Canto 2 - The city of Anahillapataka

[Full title: English translation of the Vasantavilasa, Canto 2: The city of Anahillapataka]

[The second canto is devoted to a description of city of Anahillapataka, 27 its big gold-knobbed temples, its palace-like buildings, its magnificent fort and the ditch around it, and the Durlabharaja Tank.] There is a well known city by name Anahillapataka. It is superior even to heavenly Amaravati, Indra's capital. Here in Goddess of Wealth out of greed to enjoy her stay, there does not quarrel with her traditional rival Viz. Goddess of Learning. 28 It had very lofty mansions. It had gold-coloured temples shining all round. The King of the city was sustaining the whole world. Hence serpent Vasuki holding the earth on its head became wonderstruck as to how anyone being can on the upperside of the earth hold it.29 There were tall monastaries and they were deriving away the Sun by their waiving flags with these words: "In this city the darkness is removed by the lustre of golden pitchers; why do you torment by your heat?"30 The waiving flags flying over tall tops of the temples cast their reflections in crystal-clear floors and the serpent-eating peacocks take them to be serpents and striking their beaks at the hard floors get them broken.31 Verily, darkness knows how to behave at proper times. It knows that it should always play the role of a follower to light. Hence in this city darkness in the form of dark hair is behind the moon-like faces of beautiful maidens. 32 Having seen during nights, the

151 figures of monkeys on the jewel-decked floors, the frightened ladies mistake the jewels to have fallen from their broken necklaces and hence take their hands to the chests. 33 The sleeping-chambers are surrounded by walls made of crystals. Hence when the wife sleeps with her face turned away from her husband, because of her reflection in the opposite wall, I guess that she is facing only her husband. All round there appear reflections of the husband and wife in the sleeping chamber. Hence thinking that there is no privacy there, the beloved does not rush to her passionate husband for love sports. The tops 34 35 of the mansions are too high; hence, clouds fear of stumbling over them and falling down. So, during nights they carry lamps of lightning to 36 brighten their paths. The courtesans appear as sandal-trees. As sandal-trees are embraced by bhaujangas (serpents) so too courtesans are embraced by bhujangas(paramours). Those trees attract bees by their pleasing fragrance; they attract gallants by their coquetry, eager to drink their lips. Trees possess Pallavas (sprouts); they possess Pallavas (passion).37 Even though cupid is cut to pieces here by the instruction of monks and by meditation on sacred Mantras, he is again made whole by beautiful ladies by the jingling sound of their anklets. 38 Terraces full of moon-stones due to the moon-light falling on them ooze out currents of water; it appeared as if they were weeping being frightened by the dark-spot of the moon being reflected in them. 39 During day-time, statues erected for sport inside the houses absorb Sun's ray and produce fire kindled by the sun-shine. It appeared as if they

152 wanted to purify due to the touch of the dark spot of the moon during the previous night. 40 Green gems have been infixed in the walls of the houses and their rays fall on the floors of the house-yards; and sportive deer descend upon them thinking the rays to be the green sprouts of Yava-grass. Hence because of their beautiful eyes they appeared as moon-like faces of beautiful ladies. 41 Here the moon falls on the jewel-decked house-yards in the form of his reflections, as if to beg pardon of the maidens from whose beautiful faces he has robbed a little bit of beauty and charm.42 Again the reflections of the moon are seen in the jewels on the walls. It appeared as if he entered during night the chambers of the maidens by piercing through the walls to steal the brilliance of the faces of the maidens who are never visible to the Sun.43 In that city, the buttocks of the courtesans, as wide as the sea-shore, blocks the eyes of the people from the vision of the other worlds; and the burden of their breasts pulls down their high and noble births. 44 The city of Anahillapataka had jewel-decked towers and as a result it appeared as tall-peaked Mount Meru. In the city there are royal roads which appeared as the paths of the chariot of the Sun. The city appeared as the earthly form of the head of Lord Siva ; the royal roads were like lines separating the hair; the avenues of trees were like matted hair and the surrounding fort-wall appeared as the serpent round Siva's head. 45 1

153 ! The great fort-wall had a vast ditch full of water and was high as if reaching the sky and it had been annointed with white chunam. Hence it appeared as if wearing blue cloud-like cloth beneath, and sky-blue cloth upwards and thus dear to Lord Visnu. 46 The reflection of the fort-wall falls in the surrounding wide-ditch and it appeared as if serpent Sesa had come their to lie down to make a bed for Lord Visnu, a bed for Lord Visnu, thinking the ditch to be the milky-ocean. The ditch was like the ocean which had come over there to protect its daughter, fickle-minded Goddess Laksmi who was residing inside the city. 47 There is a lake in front of the city and it is called 'Durlabharaja". It is too expansive. Its water is crystal-clear. The city is reflected in it as it plays the role of a big mirror.48 Its beauty is superior to that of Bhogavati and Amaravati. The lake in front of the city which has conquered the splendour and prosperity of all other cities appears to sing its greatness through the lotuses playing the role of mouths and the humming 49 of bees acting as sweet songs. 49

Footnotes for Canto 2:

Anahilavad patan was already founded serveral centures before the decline of Bhinnamala, in V.S.802, i.e, in 746 A.D, by Vanaraja a chief of the Cavada clan. On the site of an old village Lakharam on the bank of the river Sarasvati in North Gujarat" . - Dr. B.J.Sandesara, LITERARY CIRCLE OF MAHAMATYA VASTUPALA AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO SANSKRIT LITERATURE, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1953, P. 8.9. 28) anahillapatakamiti prathitam puramasti nirjitamahendrapuram | kalahayate na saha saradaya kamala'tra vasarasalobhavati ||1|| 911 29 ) upari sthitena bhavata jagati kathamuddhrteyamativasukina | iti yatra bhupamabhidhatumana iva bhibhrtah pracuracaityamisat ||5|| 30 ) iha satakumbhamayakumbharuca timiram nirasi kimu tapayase | iti yatra caityanivahah paratah kurute ravim taralaketukaraih ||6||

31 ) pratibimbitah sphatikabhumitate surasadmanam taralaketupatah | grasanaya pannagadhiya milatam dalayanti cancumiha sarpabhujam ||6|| 32 ) samayajna eva malini'pi tamahprasarah sada yadanucaripadam | iha kaminivadanasitarucamurarikaroti karbaribhisatah ||11 || kurute ri 33 ) manikuttimasphalitamrksaganam prasamiksya yatra nisi bhirujanah | trutitatmaharagulikabhramato hrdayam nibhalayati hastatalaih | |13|| 34 ) abhimanya yatra nisi vasagrhe sayita paradukhatayapi vadhuh | sphatikagrabhittigatabimbataya krtasammukheva dayite dayitam ||13 || 35) pratirupakani manibhittimaye prasamiksya nasti raha ityahaha ! | madanature'pi dayite dayita tvarate na yatra nisi kelikrte ||15 || ci 36 ) atitungavesmasikharaprakaraskhalananipatabhayatah paritah | klim nisi yatra yanti vilasattadito dhrtadipika iva ghana nabhasi ||17|| 37) sukhasaurabhabhramamilanmadhupah parito bhujangaparirambhayujah | panayosito malayasailalata iva yatra bhanti dhrtapallavakah ||16 || 38 ) munidesanavacanamantrapadairvikalikrto'pi satatam madanah | iha padanupurajhanajjhanitaih pramadajanena sakalikriyate || 22 || 216

39 ) yatranuratram kila niskanankah sucarucandaropalacandrasalah | pratisphalaccandrakalanka bhitibhrto rudantiva galajalaughaih ||28 || 40 ) suryatapodyotitamahni cahni suryasmamayyo grhasalabhanjyah | sankrantadosakaralaksmadosavisuddhihetoriva sadhayanti || 26 || gra 41 ) nibaddhanilasmamasukhajalayavanragra sadhiya'vatirneh | kridamrgairyatra vadhumukhendumrgairivaraji grhajiresu ||30 || 42 ) yatra dvijanam patireti ratnagrhajiresu prativimbadambhat | vadhuriva prarthayitum mukhendulavanyalaksmilavahantakaram ||31 si 43 ) kusimivankam kalayannisinduryatra praticchandataya maninam | - bhittvaiva bhittih pravisatyasuryampasyanganasyadyuticauryahetoh | | 32 || 44 ) runaddhi yasminparalokavisam payodhivelavipulo nitambah | samunnatam gotramadhahkaroti vaksojabharah panakamininam || 38 || 45) anantaratnisadiviryadattervibhati kutairiva ratnasanuh | yadantaralesu lasanti rarapatha rathadvana ivosnarasmeh ||36 || simantabhrdrajapathairjatabhrtkutavalibhih kalitam ca rajna | prakarasesahiparitamurvirupasya murddheva yadastamurteh || 40 || 217

218 sa 46) vaso'dharam varidharam vasinah prakasamakasamatottariyam | sudasitangah sumahananalpah salo'sti jisnupranayi yadiyah || 42 || 47 ) angikaroti prativimvatangah salo yadiyah parikhapayontah | vaikunthasaiyarthamupagatasya vardhibhramehipaterabhijnam | | 44 | | niksipya yasyantarativalolam vadannasavatmanusutam viveki | etadbahihsthah parikhamisena samraksativambunidhih sadaiva || 45 || 48 ) yasyagrato durlabharajarajasari visalam sphatiko jvalambhah | krodikrtai tatpratirupamucchairadarsa lilamurarikaroti || 46 || 49) bhogavatito'pyamaravatito'pyativa ramyam vahato'sya laksmim | bici karo dancitaphenavitairniruttitaniva sarah karoti || 48 | vinirjitasesapurasriyo'sya purah purobhagagatasthadagah | mahasyamamye jamukhairasankah sthitina srrngirutagirvilasaih 146 || bhoja stau