[INDOLOGY] Aśvaghoṣa

[Rosina Pastore]

Thank you for your message. I’m officially away and will have limited access to internet until 16th September.

On 7 Sep 2025, at 15:41, Rosina Pastore via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

Thank you for your message. I’m officially away and will have limited access to internet until 16th September.

On 7 Sep 2025, at 15:12, Дмитрий Комиссаров via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

Dear Prof. Olivelle,
It seems to me that since this moon in the stanza is illuminated by the "young" rays of the sun (with which the color of the monastic robe is compared), the moon must be hanging above the horizon as dawn begins, which occurs in the phase when the moon is no longer just full but has begun to wane.
Best regards,
Dmitrii Komissarov

вс, 7 сент. 2025 г. в 15:53, Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info>:
Dear Patrick,

Might it not be, more simply, that he seemed like a (formerly) full moon that was now waning? There need not be an astronomical contradiction.

best,
Matthew



On Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 14:45, Patrick Olivelle via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
Dear All:

Aśvaghoṣa in his Saundarananda (5.53) compares Nanda’s shaven head to the full moon in the “bahulapakṣa”, which I take to be the kṛṣṇapakṣa. But, as far as I understand, there is no full moon in the dark fortnight of the month. Am I missing something in this simile? Is he saying that the full moon, it it appeared in the dark fortnight, would have looked as pathetic as Nanda’s shaven head? Thanks for any input. Here is the verse:

nandas tatas tarukaṣāyaviraktavāsāś cintāvaśo navagṛhīta iva dvipendraḥ /
pūrṇaḥ śaśī bahulapakṣagataḥ kṣapānte bālātapena pariṣikta ivāvabhāse //

With best wishes,

Patrick




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