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Amorous description of the aquatic sports are found in many a Sanskrit work. Kalidasa, for instance, describes the aquatic sports of Kusa and the women of his royal harem, in his Raghuvamsa In Bharavi's 'Kiratarjuniyam' there is a portrayal 49 of the water-sports of Gandharvas and Apsaras. Magha, in his 50 Similarly, Sisupalvadhaa describes the aquatic sports of Yadavas with their wives. 51 In the present campu, the description of aquatic sports does find an important place but the description is restrained. In many Sanskrit works, this description some times finds itself on the verge of obscenity since details such as that of snatching away under-garnments, embracing under water etc, are colourfully depicted. For instance, in Gangadevi's Madhuravijayam, the satisfaction derived from aquatic sports by Kampana Kampana and his beloved ladies has been equated to that derived from sexual pleasure 52

93 In the first place, the poetess describes the bevy of the ladies of the royal harem. She says that the bevy of the finehipped ladies of the king's seraglio, whose hearts were eager to frolick in water, reached the vicinity of the pleasure-pond. Their luxuriant hair had the fragrance of various flowers. They garments in a careless fashion whence had donned their upper they were slipping. Kesara flowers striking against worn had become They were wearing beautiful garlands of between their pairs of breasts which were one another. The sandal-pastes that they had muddy with their perspiration which had been produced by their profuse and continuous hot-breaths. had Secondly the poetess depicts the pond. The trees that had 53 grown on the banks of the pond were reflected in its water and shed leaves that were floating on the surface of the water. The poetess compares this mass of leaves to the fire, plunging into the pond on account of being unable to bear the excess of heat. One of the eight forms of Siva is the water. Referring to this, the poetess says that by means of the exceedingly swelling waves of its water, the pond was giving the impression of his garland in the form of the excellent serpent which he wears around his neck. The pond contained full-blown white lotuses and swans were flying over these Lotus buds. Flocks of cakravaka birds were swinging on its rising waves. 54

94 Further, the poetess imagines that the waving of lotus-plants due to wind was, as if shivering with the excess of cold of water. She also gives beautiful comparisons to the hums of bees, the buds of flowers and the rows of throns. Thereafter, the ladies, holding golden syringes in their hands and also tender flowers and leaves collected from the garden, commenced the water sport. In describing the play of the ladies, the poetess has adopted a very lucid style. A verse reads thus: " When a lady dived into (the lake), having splashed face". 55 the lotus-like face of another with water, the latter, as if out of retaliation, threw water on the lotus mistaking it for her The queen is also a participant in the aquatic sports". The king threw lucid water on the ridge of the mountain like breasts of the queen. (On striking against them) it was broken into atoms and assumed the form of of the moonlight of her face (moon)". 56 The plunging into and then emerging from the waters of the pond, the queen shone like a lighting seen inside the cloud. The poetess then describes how, after being washed by the waters of the pond, the damsels revealed their natural charm. She says that by the pairs of tapering, rediant thighs of the fair ladies, clearly visible on account of their wet silken petticoats stick-

95 ing to their bodies, ecclipsed the beauty of the plantain trees. From their braids of hair, hanging against their bimba-like hips, water was dripping and their lower-lips were shivering because of cold. The poetess concludes the description of the aquatic sports saying "On emerging from the pond, charming ladies, with their bodies adorned with numerous decorations, appeared to be the beauties of the pond, gone to the bank, after leaving the 57 water, made turbid by their long sporting in it".