And between the two there existed an enviable affection like that of brothers.
Now Sārasvata, who through his mother's power was at the very outset of youth gifted with the full treasure of the sciences, conveyed it undiminished in the form of words to his dear confidant and loving twin-brother Vatsa. When Vatsa took a wife, he made for him in that same neighbourhood a mansion endearingly named The Pinnacle of Delight[1]: he himself, assuming the hermit's staff, black antelope skin, bark dress, rosary, girdle, and matted locks, went to join his father, the ascetic [44].
From Vatsa there proceeded a prolific stock like Ganges purifying, noised abroad through the growing fame of the school established by its founders, upheld on the Almighty's head, deep in the lore of all arts, honoured of great saints, potent to shake its foes, stretching far over the earth's surface, stumbling not in its going[2]. Wherefrom were born home-dwelling sages named Vātsyāyanas, devoted to Çrauta lore yet assuming not the false muttering of cranes, vowed to the 'Cock' rules of fasting yet free from the ways of cats, averse to worldly pretence, bare of all wily, deceitful, guileful or boastful intent, discarding hypocrisy, trampling on dishonesty, tranquil in nature, free from sudden change, reluctant in heart to reprove others, cleansed from darkness by detachment from the three colours[3], shaken clear of desire by deep thought, wavering not in soul, devoted to their followers, at rest from all the doubts of different schools, openers of all knotty points in the sense of books, poets, [45] eloquent, without envy, fond of charming speech, skilled in clever wit, versed in urbane ways, connoisseurs of dance, song and music, never surfeited with tradition, compassionate, pure through truth, honoured of the good, with hearts melting with a dew of
- ↑ This is probably the name of Bāṇa's home.
- ↑ The adjectives are all made by means of puns to apply both to the race and to the Ganges. This paragraph is full of untranslateable puns.
- ↑ Varṇatraya 'the triad of colours,' red, white, and black, is a synonym for the material world: cf. Çvetāçv. Upanis., iv. 5. The pun is on varṇatraya=three castes and andhas=(1) darkness, (2) food. 'Their food pure through avoiding the three castes.'
