SAUNDARANANDA 4.37: Dissonant Vocal Squeezing

ity evam uktash ca nipiiDitash ca
tay" aa-sa-varNa-svanayaa jagaada
evaM kariShyaami vimuNca caNDi
yaavad gurur duura-gato na me saH

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4.37
Thus spoken to, and squeezed,

By her, sounding dissonant, he said:

"I will, my little vixen. Now let me go

Before the Guru has gone too far."

COMMENT:
The suggestion in the first two lines, as I read them, is that there was a kind of dissonance in Sundari's voice, born of the conflict between heart (which wanted to hold onto Nanda) and head (which understood she must not hinder his connection with the Guru), so that only Sudnari's arms but also the sound of Sundari's voice squeezed and pressed Nanda, and pained him.


EH Johnston:
She spoke to him with unsteady voice and embraced him ; and he replied, ' So will I do. Let me go, cruel one, before the Guru is gone too far' .

Linda Covill:
Her voice shook as she spoke, and she embraced him. "I will," he replied. "Now let me go, my little vixen, before the guru has gone too far."


VOCABULARY:
iti: "....," thus
evam: thus
uktaH (nom. sg. m.): spoken to
ca: and
nipiiDitaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. squeezed , pressed , embraced ; pained, hurt
ca: and

tayaa (inst. sg. f.): by her
a-sa-varNa-svanayaa (inst. sg. f.): her sound being not homogeneous/constant
a-sa-varNa: mfn. not homogeneous (as sounds)
sa-varNa: mfn. having the same colour or appearance , similar , like , equal to (gen. or comp.); belonging to the same class of sounds , homogeneous with (comp.)
varNa: m. a letter , sound , vowel , syllable , word ; a musical sound or note (also applied to the voice of animals)
svana: m. sound , noise (in the older language applied to the roar of wind , thunder , water &c ; in later language to the song of birds , speech , and sound of any kind)
jagaada = 3rd pers. sg. perfect gad: to speak articulately , speak , say , relate

evam: so
kariShyaami = 1st pers. sg. future kR: to do
vimuNca = 2nd pers. sg. imperative vi- √ muc: to unloose , unharness , unyoke
caNDi = voc. sg. f. caNDa: mfn. fierce , violent , cruel , impetuous , hot , ardent with passion , passionate , angry ; f. a passionate woman , vixen ; f. a term of endearment applied to a mistress

yaavad.. na: " while not " , " before " , " till "
guruH (nom. sg. m.): the guru, teacher, venerable one
duura-gataH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. gone far away
duura: mfn. far
me (gen. sg. m.): [let go] of me
saH (nom. sg. m.): he