Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c10.242

c10.242

and dressed in white robe. Her developed breasts are firm, her waist is thin. Her navel is deep, she has the shine of gold. Her tresses are strings of clouds, her face is the full-moon, in which dance her eyes like those of a fawn and in which shine her teeth like a row of pearls. She wears be-jewelled ornaments, of incomparable beauty. Venus says to Cupid—‘Be sure do not forget me, if you please.’ Her patterned beauty, lights up the four quarters: she plays on a vīnā, reposing in a meadow. The strings of the vīnā, shine like the rays of effulgence, discoursing melodious music with the sweet fifth note (G). She practises the form of the melody in her improvization, by hearing the melody, birds and animals are moved to tears. Absorbed in the song, the fawns dance before her, without fear. The melody of Toḍī belongs to the Septa-tonic variety, and its structure is made up of the notes sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni. In the abode of the note Sa(C) it is counted with the winter season, its songs are sung after the first quarter of the day.¹