Another (!) Subhashita search (the trouble with ali)

[Roland Steiner]

On 26 Nov 99, at 8:00, Jan Brzezinski wrote:
> [...]. Now can anyone help with vaa.na? What makes an "arrow"
> characteristic of a sevakaadhama?

Sorry for responding so late. My guess regarding this is: In
"Sriihar.sa´s Nai.sadhacarita 12.98 arrows ("sara) are compared
with enemies, both of which, once let loose (mukta), have no
return (na punarniv.rtti.h). By analogy, perhaps, bow and arrows
could be compared with a master and his servants. Moreover,
an arrow can be called tyaktagu.na.h which can be understood
as a "sle.sa or double entendre: ``something which has been
released from the [bow-]string (gu.na)" or ``somebody who has
abandoned [his] virtues (gu.na)" (cf. Jalha.na´s
Suuktimuktaavalii 8.24). Consquently, a bow might be called a
gu.navat (``possessing a string" or ``possessing virtues"), which
could evoke the idea, that an arrow which is being shot is leaving
his ``virtuous master".
Further: in the "Si.supaalavadha 9.41 (and elsewhere) the word
"siliimukha is used in the sense of ``bee" and ``arrow" in a
"sle.sa. Therefore, it is perhaps not by chance that in your stanza
bees and arrows are mentioned side by side.

With best regards,
Roland Steiner