A History of Sanskrit Literature c21.s9.3.4

c21.s9.3.4

*çapāmy āryasyaiva pādapaṅ-* *susparçena yadi parigaṇitair eva vāsaraiḥ sakalacāpacāpaladur-lalitanārapaticaraṇaraṇaraṇāyamānanigaḍāṁ nirgauḍāṁ na karomi medinīṁ tatas tanūnapāti pītasarpiṣi pataṅga iva pātakī pātayāmy ātmānam*, ‘By the dust of my noble one’s feet I swear that, if I do not within a measured tale of days make the earth without a Gauḍa and cause it to resound with the fetters on the feet of kings made haughty by the elasticity of their bows, I will hurl myself, worthless as I shall be, like a moth on to a flame fed of oil.’ Even in the death scenes of Harṣa’s mother and father epigram must prevail: Prabhākaravardhana thus addresses his darling boy: *mahāsattvatā hi prathamaṁ avalambanaṁ lokasya paçcād rājajīvitā. sattvavatāṁ cāgraṇīḥ sarvātiçayaçritaḥ kva bhavān kva vaiklavyaṁ? ‘kulapradīpo’ sīti divasakarasadṛçatejasas te laghukaraṇam iva. puruṣasiṅho’ sīti cauryapaṭuprajñopabṛṅhita-parākramasya nindeva. kṣitir iyaṁ taveti lakṣaṇākhyātacakra-vartipadasya punaruktam iva. gṛhyatāṁ çrīr iti svayam eva çriyā gṛhītasya viparītam iva*, ‘Magnanimity is the mainstay of this world, next royal blood. How incompatible is weakness with thee who art the first of the magnanimous, endowed with every perfection? Shall I call thee lamp of our line? That were almost a making light of thee whose brilliance matcheth the sun. To call thee lion of men is as it were a censure to one whose prowess is manifested not alone in heroism but in keen intelligence.