75] PADUMĀWATI. 37 CANTO VI. THE BIRTH OF RATNA-SĒNA. 75. Citra-sēnal was King of Citra-pura (Citaur), who built a fortress and a castle, decorated as a picture. In his line was born the illustrious Ratna-sēna. Blessed was the mother that gave birth to such a boy. Pandits calculated according to the lore of body-marks and looked upon him. They gazed on his beauty and found his special stellar conjunction. Said they, 'In Ratna-sēna, have many gems taken bodily form. Brilliant is his form as a jewel. On his head gleameth the precious stone (of good fortune). A thing glorious as a gem is written as his mate. Glorious will they be, as the sun and moon together. As the bee is distraught apart from the jasmine, so will he be for her, and become an ascetic. To Sim hala will he go, and there obtain her, and having become successful in his quest, to Citaur will he bring her. E'en as Bhāja 6 enjoyed delights; e'en as Vikrama7 founded an era, so will he. Thus having tested Ratna, the jewel, like jewel-testers, did they write down all his marks. 1 Some Mss. have seni. See p. 15, note 2. 2 Citaura is a corruption of Citra-pura, the picture-fort. We shall henceforth use the more familiar name of Citaur. 8 Ratna means 'jewel.' 4 Throughout the poem, the comparisons of Ratna to a diamond, and of Padmavati to a ruby are of frequent occurrence. 6 Or perfected in spiritual knowledge. There is a double meaning here. 6 Bhoja was the celebrated king of Dhāra in Málwâ, in whose reign (about the 10th or 11th Century A.D.) the civilization of India is traditionally said to have reached its culminating point. 1 Vikrama or Vikramāditya, -see page 9, note 2. The well-known sambat-era is referred to him. is considered the height of glory to be the founder of an era, and such eras are temporarily founded at the present day. For instance an era is used by some people dating from the Poet Hariccandra of Benares, who died the other day. It is called the Hariscandra-sambat.
