16 PADDMAWATI. [28-30 main branches and trunks 1 of the jack trees, the jack fruit ripen, and fair appeareth the barhal* to him who looketh. The khirni^ ripeneth, sweet as molasses, and the black wild plum,* like black bees (among its leaves). Cocoanuts ripen and ripeneth the khurhur;*" they ripen as though the orchards were in Indra's heaven. From the Mahua* doth such sweetness exude, that honey is its flavour, and flowers its scent; and in these princes' gardens are other fruits, good to eat whose names I know not. They all appear with nectar-like branches, and he who once tasteth them remaineth ever longing for moi-e. Areca' and nutmeg, all fruits, are produced there luxuriantly. On every side are thick gi>oves of tamarinds, of palmyras, and of date-palms. 29. There dwell the birds, singing in many tongues, and sporting joyfully as they look upon these nectar-branches. At dawn the honey- suckers are fragrant, and the turtle-dove cries out ' 'tis thou and only thou. The emerald-parroquets^ sportively rejoice, and the rock-pigeons cry Imrktir, and fly about. The hawk-cuckoo i" crieth for its beloved, and the skulking warbler shouteth tuhi khl. Kuliu kuhu ever crieth the cuckoo, while the kino'-crow 'i speaketh in many tongues. ' Tyre, tyre ' crieth the milkmaid- bird, 1* while the green pigeon'^ plaintively telleth its tale of woe. The pea- cock's cry i-a IcU soundeth sweet to the ear, and loudly caw the crows. Filling the orchards, sitteth every bii-d that hath a name, and each praiseth the Creator in his own tongue. 30. At every step one cometh upon a well or reservoir,'* adorned with seats and steps. Many are the springs scattered about, one named after every holy place of pilgrimage. Around them are built convents and temples, where devotees sit in austerity and mutter prayer. Here are gi-eat saints,!* Sannyasius, devotees of Rama, and Masavasins ; Mahecvaras, I The jack frnit grows only on the sterna and main branches of the trees, not on the younger shoots.
- Arfocarpus lahoocha, Eoib., A sweet-acid fmit, yellowish red and nearly round.
8 Mimusops hexundra, Roxb.
- Eugenia jamiolana, L,
6 Ficus cw7ii«, Ham. 6 Bassia latifolia, Roxb. I Gui and supuri are varieties of the areca or betel nnt. 8 Its cry is eka-i til-h'i, ' one alone, only thou.' 9 The sarau is a bright green parroquet. 10 The Papihd or Hawk-cuckoo, {Hierococcyx varius, Tahl) is not a sparrow-hawk as the dictionaries say. Its cry is piwpiu, ' beloved, beloved.' The ordinary native tradition is that it Siiys j>~' kaha ' where is my beloved.' It is the ' Brain-fever bird' of Anglo-Indians. II The Bhrrijaka or Racket-tailed Drongo (Dissemtirus paradiscus, L.), is not a sparrow- hawk, as the dictionaries say. It is a sort of king-crow, it is an excellent talking-bird. 12 The maharl is said to be a bird like the mahokhd (ciiculus costancus, Roxb.), but smaller. Its cry is dahi, dahi, ' tyre, tyre,' and hence it is also known as gwaliul or ahirini i.e. milkmaid. 13 The cry of thehdril or green pigeon (crocopus phcenicoptcrus, Latham) is ha hdrigai ' alas I have lost.' It lives in the various fig trees of India. It is said never to rest on the ground. When it descends to drink, it sucks up water, from a short distance aloft, through a straw. When it dies, it falls to the ground with its feet in the air, rather than allow them to touch earth. 1* A bdwari is a largo masonry well with steps leading down to the water. 16 Many of the sects mentioned iu this list are described in Wilson's Religious Sects of the Eindds. The Commentary also gives a full account of them. Sannydsins (W. p 32) consider themselves dead to the world and go through a funeral ceremony in their life
