Musa paradisiaca (Banana)
| A tall herb with aerial pseudo stem dying after flowering, leaves simple, long, oblong, narrowed do base; flowers compound in spadix, drooping, bracts conspicuous, dull brown, falling off in succession; fruits berries in several clusters, golden yellow colour on ripening. Flowering-fruiting major part of the year. (Ashok Sheth (Ed.). 2005 The herbs of ayurveda vol.3 Gujarat : Ashok Sheth. p786) |
|
तस्यास्तीरे रचितशिखरः पेशलैरिन्द्रनीलैः क्रीडाशैलः कनककदलीवेष्टनप्रेक्षनीयः । मद्गेहिन्याः प्रिय इति सखे चेतसा कातरेण प्रेक्ष्योपान्तस्फुरिततडितं त्वां तमेव स्मरामि ॥ ७४ ॥ On the bank is a play-hill, the summit of which consists of charming Indranīla sapphires, その岸辺には、眩いインドラの青い宝石[インドラニーラ]が頂をなす |
It is the bank of the Mānasa lake in Alakā, the Yakṣa’s hometown. The combination of the dark bluey cloud and the shining thunder reminds the Yakṣa of the wife’s favorite play-hill with sapphires and golden bananas. |
|
वामो वास्याः कररुहपदैर्मुच्यमानो मदीयैर् मुक्ताजालं चिरपरिचितं त्याजितो दैवगत्या । संभोगन्ते मम समुचितो हस्तसंवाहनानां यास्यत्यूरुः सरसकदलीस्तम्भगौरश्चलत्वम् ॥ ९३ ॥ Or her left thigh would shake like a milky finger of a fresh Kadalī; あるいは彼女の左の、私の爪あとから解放され |
The cloud has reached the Yakṣa’s wife, and he is imagining what sort of response would his wife show. The metaphoric use of banana stem for the thigh perhaps implies the hidden-ness of it (that it is covered by cloth), as the banana stem too is covered by banana skin. Only the husband who uncovers it knows the fairness of it. |
(c) Tomomi Sato 2013
Plants of Meghaduta 