THE HARMONY OF VIRTUE

V. 9. Skeleton Notes on the Kumarasambhavam315are all astray in their rendering of this word, even Mallinath renderingiSqricÒa (sthiracittÀ) while Avachuri and C. give mainnI (mÀninÈ)and sai.mana (sÀbhimÀnÀ), meaning proud, ambitious which is ludicrouslywrong. mnIzI (manÈØÈ) can mean nothing but wise, intellectual,a thinker. The wisdom of Parvati lay in her choice of a time,hence Kalidasa's use of kdaict( (kadÀcit) which at first seems awkwardand vague, but in relation to mniSvnI (manasvinÈ) takes forceand body. The wisdom is further specified by mnorqD"(manorathajÜaÕ). The commentators take this as meaning “knowingof her desire to marry Hara”, but this was very old news to Himalayaand there would be no point in recording his knowledge here;V.'s explanation “for he who does not know the desire, does not givehis consent”, is inexpressibly feeble. mnorq (manoratha) means herenot her desire for Siva but her desire to practise austerity as a meansof winning Siva. Parvati wisely waited till the news of this intentionhad travelled to her father and he had time to get accustomed to itand think it over. If she had hastily sprung it on him his tendernessfor her might have led him to join Mena in forbidding the step, whichwould have been fatal to her plans.AasÞs%I (ÀsannasakhÈ): The Avachuri absurdly says t$Sq(taÒastha), a mediating friend. Mallinath is obviously rightAaPts%I (ÀptasakhÈ), a friend who is always near one, i.e., apersonal or intimate friend. Cf. AasÞpircairka (ÀsannaparicÀrikÀ).mu%en (sukhena): Mallinath takes £pay (upÀya) “by means of herfriend” and quotes Amara.tp"sma/ye (tapaÕsamÀdhaye): Mallinath says tpoinymaq|(taponiyamÀrthaÌ), and the commentators generally follow him.Apte also takes smai/ (samÀdhi) = penance (meaning, of course,austerity), religious obligation (?), devotion to penance. I failto see why we should foist this sense on smai/ (samÀdhi). Thereis none of the passages quoted by Apte in support of it whichcannot be as well or better translated by concentration. Here wemay take as a Dwandwa-compound “austerity and concentration”or even better in accordance with Sloka 2 tpoi." sma/ye (tapobhiÕsamÀdhaye), “concentration to be gained by austerities”.See Excursus.Ayact (ayÀcata): only AaTmne Àtmane, having the middlesense “to ask for oneself”. Notice the skilful use of compoundsin this verse getting its full value out of this element of thelanguage without overdoing it like Bhavabhuti and other latewriters.