SAUNDARANANDA 7.30: Another One Bites the Dust

dvaipaayano dharma-paraayaNash ca
reme samaM kaashiShu veshya-vadhvaa
yayaa hato 'bhuuc cala-nuupureNa
paadena vidyul-latay" eva meghaH

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7.30
Dvaipayana, again,
while having dharma as his chief object,

Similarly enjoyed a woman at a brothel in Kashi;

When her foot struck him,
with its trembling ankle bracelet,

It was like a cloud being struck by a twist of lightning.

COMMENT:
One can imagine the headline: VEDA SCHOLAR IN KASHI SEX ROMP SHOCKER.

It is a fine point, but vadhvaa in line 2 means a woman, a female human being -- who wasn't a prostitute when she was born, and most likely wasn't either in her sickness, aging and death.

The city referred to here as Kashi, which corresponds to the modern Varanasi, is also called by that name in the brief account of the Buddha's career in Canto 3: Having instructed many people at Kashi and at Gaya / As also at Giri-vraja, / He made his way then to the city of his fathers, / In his deeply compassionate desire to include it. (3.15)


EH Johnston:
And Dvaipayana, who was devoted to religion, dallied with a harlot in Kashi, who struck him with her foot with its jingling anklet, just as a cloud is struck by a flash of lightning.

Linda Covill:
And Dvaipayana, though oriented to the dharma, enjoyed a prostitute in Kashi, and he was struck by her foot with its tremulous anklets like a cloud is struck by a twist of lightning.

VOCABULARY:
dvaipaayanaH (nom. sg.): m. " island-born " , N. of vyaasa (author or compiler of the vedas)
dharma-paraayaNaH (nom. sg. m.): having dharma as his principal object
dharma: dharma, the Law, religious duty, etc
paraayaNa: n. final end or aim , last resort or refuge , principal object , chief matter; ifc. making anything one's chief object , wholly devoted or destined to , engaged in , intent upon , filled or occupied with , affected or possessed by
ca: and

reme = 3rd pers. sg. perfect ram: to delight , make happy , enjoy carnally ; to play or sport , dally , have sexual intercourse with (instr.)
samam: ind. in like manner , alike , equally , similarly
kaashiShu (loc. sg.): f. " the splendid " , N. of a celebrated city and place of pilgrimage (the modern Benares )
veshya-vadhvaa (inst. sg. f.): by a woman engaged in prostitution
veshya: n. neighbourhood ; n. a house of prostitutes , house of ill fame ; n. prostitution (veshyam with Caus. of √ vah , to be a prostitute)
vadhu: f. (fr. √ vadh = vah) a bride or newly-married woman , young wife spouse any wife or woman

yayaa (inst. sg. f.): by who
hataH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. mfn. struck , beaten , smitten
abhuut = 3rd pes. sg. aorist bhuu: to be
cala-nuupureNa (inst. sg.): by a trembling ankle braclet
cala: mfn. moving , trembling
nuupura: mn. an ornament for the toes or ankles or feet , an anklet

paadena (inst. sg.): by her foot
vidyul-latayaa (inst. sg.): by a winding flash of lightning
vidyut: f. lightning (rarely n.) , a flashing thunderbolt (as the weapon of the maruts)
vi- √ dyut: to flash forth
lataa: f. a creeper , any creeping or winding plant or twining (the brows , arms , curls , a slender body , a sword-blade , lightning &c are often compared to the form of a creeper , to express their graceful curves and slimness of outline)
iva: like
meghaH (nom. sg.): m. " sprinkler " , a cloud