रत्नावलिरिवाऽन्योन्यं नानावर्णकृताङ्गिका । मुक्तावलिरिवाऽन्योन्यं कृतशोभातिशायिनी ॥ ९ ॥
ratnāvalirivā’nyōnyaṁ nānāvarṇakṛtāṅgikā | muktāvalirivā’nyōnyaṁ kṛtaśōbhātiśāyinī || 9 ||
Translation
like a string of jewels, their bodies made many-coloured by one another; like a string of pearls, each surpassing the other in the beauty they lent one another;
Word by word
- ratna
- of jewels
- āvalir
- (āvaliḥ) a string
- iva
- like
- anyōnyaṁ
- by one another
- nānā
- many
- varṇa
- coloured
- kṛta
- made; lent
- aṅgikā
- their bodies
- muktā
- of pearls
- śōbhā
- in the beauty
- atiśāyinī
- each surpassing
Meaning
The images of the necklace (1.29.19) return, now in praise. The sages are like a string of gems of many colours, and like a string of pearls each increasing the beauty of the others. The commentary: they showed in their limbs many colours, and so looked like a heap of jewels. Where the world was a necklace strung on craving, the company of sages is a necklace strung on mutual light. The reader may see the contrast: the same image, one bound by wanting and one joined by shining.