SAUNDARANANDA 13.5: Untaintedness of a Lotus-Leaf

padma-parNaM yathaa c'aaiva
jale jaataM jale sthitaM
upariShTaad adhastaad vaa
na jalen' opalipyate

= - = = - = = -
- = = = - = - =
- - = = - = = =
- - = = - = - =

13.5
And just as a lotus-leaf

Is born in water and remains in water,

But neither above nor below

Is sullied by the water,

COMMENT:
Once again, as in 12.33-35, a certain order is observable in the progression of the metaphors used.

In the previous verse, the glimmering of gold is a purely physical phenomena in the sense that reflection of light does not involve any chemical reaction; whereas the tendency of gold not to be tarnished or tainted through contact with oxygen or with acids that might be present in dirt, is a chemical phenomenon.

In this verse, the waterproof attributes of a lotus leaf, like the ones growing in the pond that I can see from my desk here in the front room of this house in Aylesbury, are a bio-chemical phenomena.

EH Johnston:
And just as the leaf of a lotus, though originating in the water and growing in it, yet is not stained by the water either above or below;

Linda Covill:
and just as a lotus-leaf originates in water and remains in water, but neither from above nor from below is it stained by water,

VOCABULARY:
padma: lotus
parNam (accusative): leaf
yathaa: just as
ca: and
eva: (emphatic)

jale (locative): in water
jaata: produced, arisen, originated
jale (locative): in water
sthita: remaining

upariShTaat : ind. (as an adverb) above , from above
adhastaat: from below
vaa: or

na: not
jalena (instrumental): by water
upalipyate = 3rd person singlular, passive of upa-√ lip: to defile , besmear (esp. with cow-dung) , smear , anoint