140 8.64 "See Parvati, the sky-surface with by-new-moon rays broken-dense-darkness^ seems like Lake MSnasa, elephant-feast-dirtied, (then) clear." Cf. the lake metaphor in 8 37. Manasa is a sacred lake whose waters are dark blue Here, therefore, the earlier metaphor may be reversed: the darkness would be the clear blue waters, the moonlight the churned up sand. But the time element is against this: the water was dirty (densely dark) but is now clear (full of moonlight) 8067 "With moon-beam-engendered-flowing moon -istone !- water-drops 1 beloved i i the mountain awakens at the wrong time the peacocks sleeping in slope-trees " The moon-stone, called "beloved of the moon" is Sanskrit as a magnet is called "beloved of iron," is said to ooze liquid when touched by the rays of the moonc The resulting drops awaken before dawn the peacocks who live in the tree tops (cf. 8.36). 8.68 "See, 0 beautiful one, how the moon's curiosity is aroused for pearJ-necklace- forming with-throbbing-rays in the wishing counting tree-peaks." — Wishing trees are magic trees which grow high in the mountains; precious jewels and cloths grow on them. According to one reading, the moo^s rays are hands which try to count necklaces growing on the trees; according to one which Mallinatha prefers: "As someone might string a pearl necklace with a fine dark string, so the moon seems to be about to make a pearl necklace with ^pearls' formed by his own rays in between the leaves of the trees, the dark string being formed by the shadows of the leaves of the tree." 8.69 "From the high-low-portion-quality of the mountain, the moonlight with darkness seems like a rutting elephant with ashes applied in various streakso" Indian elephants are decorated with designs made of brightly colored ashes on their dark skins 8.70 "The water-lily, as if unable to bear the with- sighing -swallowed blooming gulping moon-light-liquid, suddenly, re leas ing-bee-clamor, bursts 'blooms to-the-stem "