A History of Sanskrit Literature c21.s9.3.2

c21.s9.3.2

by the whiteness of her robe which vied with the swans, she resembled the autumn when they return home; she conquered all the assembled kings as did the edge of Paraçurāma’s axe; with the cane wand which she bore she resembled the Vindhya forest land, and she seemed none other than the guardian deity of the realm in human shape.’ We would no doubt be unjust to Bāṇa if we held that he did not realize the humorous side of these exaggerations, just as he no doubt saw the comic aspect of the putting of his tale into the mouth of a parrot, and enjoyed as much as we should his remark on Skandagupta: *nṛpavan̄çadīrghaṁ nāsavan̄çaṁ dadhānaḥ*, ‘with a nose as long as his sovereign’s pedigree,’ which has been solemnly censured by unimaginative stolidity.