66-67] PADUMĀWATI. 33 these to sport, that I have lost a necklace from my hand ? When I return home, all will ask me what hath happened, and with what answer shall I man- age to gain entrance to my house?' Her shell-like eyes filled with tears, which fell as though they were a shower of pearls. Her friends cried, O simple Kõkila, where was there ever water without air commingled with it? Why dost thou weep so at losing thy necklace ? Search for what is lost until thou find it.' They all began to search, diving and diving together. Some came up with pearls in their hands, and some with only cockle-shells. 67.4 Said the lake, What I have desired, that have I found. A philoso- pher's stone hath touched me down to here. My waters have become clear with the touch of their feet, and, seeing their beauty, have I too, become beautiful. My body hath become fragrant with the odour of a sandal breeze. It hath become cool and its fever is extinguished. I know not what breeze hath brought this fragrance, my condition hath become pure and my sins have disappeared.' Immediately he gave up the necklace; and, as the damsels took it, the moon-face smiled. The lilies bloomed at beholding the digit of the moon, and a glory shone where'er it was seen. Each received the image (in its heart) which it had longed for, and the moon-faces all appeared re- flected in them as in a mirror. As the lotuses saw her eyes, their bodies in the water became pure like them. When the swans? saw her smile (their forms became pure white), and when the jewels and diamonds saw her teeth, they became all bright and glorious. 1 Here we have a rare occnrrence of a post-position preceding, instead of following its noun, sai hátha, for hátha sai. Compare note 9, p. 43. 2 i.e., one who hath a voice sweet as that of a Cuckoo (kökila). 3 i.e., one can always remain longer under water than one would imagine. 4 The MS. Ia inserts two stanzas here, which serve as an introduction to this one. According to them Padmavati laments the loss of the necklace, and her friends to comfort her call upon the lake (called only here samāda, ocean) to give it up. The stanzas are evident interpolations. 6 Down to its inmost depths. A philosopher's stone converts everything it touches to its own substance: hence, the pure bodies of the girls had converted the lake to purity. 6 In stanza lxv Padmāvati is named the moon, and the companions the stars. 7 A pun on the word haṁça, swan, and has'nā, to smile. 8 The poet makes each peculiar virtue of the lotuses, the swans, and the diamonds in the lake, due only to some virtue of Padmavati, and borrowed from it. 5
