Rajput Painting, Being an Account of the Hindu Paintings of Rajasthan and the Panjab Himalayas from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Century v2.c19.501

v2.c19.501

Let's re-verify the exact words from the bleed-through. Wait, let's read the lines carefully upside down/mirrored: Line 1: "Swayamvara of Damayanti. Damayanti is attended by her" Wait: "ted by her" is at the left! Wait, reading backwards: Line 1 (bottom-most in the upside-down view, which is top of the paragraph): "Swayamvara of Damayanti. Damayanti is attended by her" -> wait: "maidens on a horse, where suitors are assembled." Let's trace: "Swayamvara of Damayanti. Damayanti is attended by her" "maidens on a horse, round where suitors are assembled." Wait: "maidens on a horse, where suitors are assembled." Let's look at the first line of the block: Rightmost word: "Swayamvara" Then "of Damayanti." "Damayanti is attended by her" Next line: "maidens on a horse, round where suitors are assembled." "A maiden on her right carries the garland to be placed on the" "welfer, and with her-turned servant. Seen a suitors supposed" -> wait! Wait, look at: "...neck..."? "placed on the neck, and with her four-turned..." Ah! "four-turned" -> "four-faced"!! Wait: "four-faced Brahma, seen a..." -> Let's reread with context of Nala and Damayanti: The four gods (Indra, Agni, Varuna, Yama) took the form of Nala! Wait, Brahma? Let's read: "placed on the" "neck, and with her four-turned..." -> "four-faced"? Wait, let's read letter by letter from the image: "to be placed on the" "neck, and with her four-faced... Brahma who..." Wait, let's flip the image mentally: Line 1: "Swayamvara of Damayanti. Damayanti is attended by her" Line 2: "maidens on a horse, round where suitors are assembled." Line 3: "A maiden on her right carries the garland to be placed on the" Line 4: "neck, and with her four-faced Brahmā(?)..." Wait, let's look at Coomaraswamy, *Rajput Painting*, Plate LXII! Yes! Coomaraswamy, *Rajput Painting* (1916), Vol. 2, Plate LXII! Let's find the exact text of Plate LXII in Coomaraswamy's *Rajput Painting*: Plate LXII: "SWAYAMVARA OF DAMAYANTI" "Damayanti is attended by her maidens on a horse, round where suitors are assembled. A maiden on her right carries the garland to be placed on the neck, and with her four-faced Brahmā, who... The procession approaches Nala, who sits to the left, in front... Devas and Siddhas... Unfinished drawing, partly coloured." Let's check Coomaraswamy's text: "Swayamvara of Damayanti. Damayanti is attended by her" "maidens on a horse, round which suitors are assembled." (round which or round where) "A maiden on her right carries the garland to be placed on the" "neck, and with her four-faced Brahmā who sits..." Wait, let's read the verse: It's Milman's translation of Nala and Damayanti! "As with serpents Bhogavatī, the wide hall was full of kings," "As mountain caves with tigers, with the tiger-warriors full." "So Damayanti in her paced entered on that stately scene," -> "in her pride entered on that stately scene" or "in her grace"? "With her dazzling light attracting every eye and every soul." "O'er her lovely person gliding, all the eyes of those proud kings" "Were fixed—there motionless, as preyed as they gazed upon the maid." -> "there motionless, enraptured, as they gazed upon the maid." Let's check the Milman lines: "Yet, as they proclaimed the Rājās (by his name was each proclaimed)" "In dismay saw Bhīma's daughter, in their form the same," "On those forms, all undistinguished each from each, the gods and king," "In her doubt Vidarbha's princess Nala's form might not discern," "Whichever form she gazed on, him her Nala still she thought."