Dear Patrick, Might it not be, more simply, that he seemed like a (formerly) full moon that was now waning? There need not be an astronomical contradiction.
best, Matthew On Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 14:45, Patrick Olivelle via INDOLOGY <[[email protected]](mailto:On Sun, Sep 7, 2025 at 14:45, Patrick Olivelle via INDOLOGY <<a href=)> wrote: > Dear All: > > Aśvaghoṣa in his Saundarananda (5.53) compares Nanda’s shaven head to the > full moon in the “bahulapakṣa”, which I take to be the kṛṣṇapakṣa. But, as > far as I understand, there is no full moon in the dark fortnight of the > month. Am I missing something in this simile? Is he saying that the full > moon, it it appeared in the dark fortnight, would have looked as pathetic as > Nanda’s shaven head? Thanks for any input. Here is the verse: > > nandas tatas tarukaṣāyaviraktavāsāś cintāvaśo navagṛhīta iva dvipendraḥ / > pūrṇaḥ śaśī bahulapakṣagataḥ kṣapānte bālātapena pariṣikta ivāvabhāse // > > With best wishes, > > Patrick > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
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