Varadarajastava of Appayyadikshita-14

वरदराजस्तवः (१४ )

मुष्णन् प्रभातसमयेषु मुरान्तकारिन्

अङ्घ्रिद्वयश्रियमहस्करतस्करस्ते ।

यत्प्राप्यते न करभङ्गममुष्य बाल-

मित्रत्वमेव मिषति ध्रुवमत्र हेतुः ॥ ३८ ॥

अ: मुरान्तकारिन् ! ते अङ्घ्रिद्वयश्रियम् अहस्कर-तस्करः प्रभात-समयेषु मुष्णन् कर-भङ्गम् न प्राप्यते इति यत्, अत्र अमुष्य बाल-मित्रत्वम् एव हेतुः ध्रुवं मिषति ।

O Vanquisher of Mura ! When the sun like a thief steals the lustre of your feet in the morning he does not suffer the punishment of hands (rays) being cut off. That is because he is their friend from childhood days (early morning sun).

Notes: The poet plays on the double meaning words कर ( hand,rays of the sun) and मित्र ( friend, the sun)and weaves a metaphor.

अङ्घ्रिद्वयस्य तव सन्ततमन्तरङ्ग-

मम्भोजवर्गमिह योजयति श्रिया यत् ।

उत्कोचदानमिदमुष्णकरस्य  बाल्यात्

तत्कान्तिरत्नचयचोरणतत्परस्य ॥ ३९ ॥
अ: तव अङ्घ्रिद्वयस्य सन्ततम् अन्तरङ्गम् अम्भोजवर्गम् श्रिया योजयति इति यत् इदं बाल्यात् तत्-कान्ति-रत्न-चय-चोरण-तत्परस्य उष्णकरस्य उत्कोच-दानम् (इति मन्ये) ।

If the sun provides lustre to the lotuses which are inseparable associates of your feet, it is as a bribe given by the sun who right from his childhood is engaged in stealing the gems in the form of your feet’s lustre.

Note: The poet refers to the practice of thieves bribing the persons associated with the treasury while stealing a treasure.

भानुर्निशासु भवदङ्घ्रिमयूखशोभा-

लोभात्प्रताप्य किरणोत्करमाप्रभातम् ।

तत्रोद्धृते हुतवहात्क्षणलुप्तरागे

तापं भजत्यनुदिनं स हि मन्दतातः ॥ ४० ॥

अ : भानुः निशासु भवत्-अङ्घ्रि-मयूख-लोभात् किरन-उत्करम् आप्रभातम् प्रताप्य तत्र हुतवहात् उद्धृते क्षण-लुप्त-रागे सः तापम् अनुदिनम् भजति; सः मन्द-तातः हि ।

The sun daily heats up his rays in the fire during nights in order that they may gain the lustre of your feet’s rays and when they are taken out of the fire, they become hot after losing the redness quickly. He is after all the father of a dull-headed.

Note: In the morning when the sun looks red there is not much heat but later it gets hot. The poet exaggerates by saying that the sun puts his rays in the nights in the fire and takes it out in the morning only to find that it retains the redness sought for only for a short time after which it gets hot. To the possible question why the sun should do the same thing daily, the poet says that he is after all the father of a dullard, the planet Saturn, whose movements are slow and thus considered a dullard. Father of a dullard must be a greater dullard ! 

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