Abhisara - the Tryst Notes

Upagupta, the disciple of Buddha, lay asleep in the dust by thr city wall of Mathura.

Lamps were all out, doors were all shut, ans stars were all hidden by the murky sky of August.

Whose feet were those tinkling with anklets, touching his breast of a sudden?

He woke up startled, and the light from a woman's lamp fell on his forgiving eyes.

It was Vasavadatta the dancing girl, starred with jewels,

Clouded with a pale blue mantle, drunk with the wine of her youth.

She lowered her lamp and saw the young face, austerely beautiful.

'Forgive me, young ascetic,' said the woman,

'Graciously come to my house. The dusty earth is not a fit bed for you.'

The young ascetic answered, 'Woman, go on your way; When the time is ripe I will come to you.'

Suddenly the black night showed its teeth in a flash of lightning. 

The storm growled from the corner of the sky, and the woman trembled in fear.

A year had not yet passed.

It was eveing of a day in April, in the Spring. The branches of the wayside trees were full of blossom.

Gay notes of a flute came floating in the warm spring air from afar. 

The citizens had gone to the woods for the festival of flowers.

From the mid-sky gazed the full moon on the shadows of the silent town.

The young ascetic was walking in lonely street,

While overhead the love-sick koels uttered from the mango branches their sleepless plaint. 

Upagupta passed through the city gates, and stood at the base of the rampart.

What woman lay at his feet in the shadow of the mango grove?

Struck with the black pestilence, her body spotted with sores of small-pox,

She had been hurriedly driven away from the town to avoid her poisonous contagion.

The ascetic sat by her side, took her head on his knees,

And moistened her lips with water, and smeared her body with balm.

'Who are you, merciful one?' asked the woman.

'The time, at last has come to visit you, and I am here, Vasavadatta,' replied the young ascetic. 

Abhisara - the Tryst Notes

Abhisara - the Tryst Notes

Explanation

1st Stanza:

Upagupta, who is a young ascetic and follower of Buddhism, was laying asleep on the ground near the city wall of Mathura.

It was late at night as all lamps had already died out and the doors to the houses were shut. It was not possible to see the stars if one look above as they were obstructed from the view by the dark clouds, which covered the sky. The month was of August. 

The light sound of tinkling can be heard which is similar to that of anklets (a type of jewel worn by women on feet). Upagupta suddenly felt someone's feet landed on his chest. He was startled as he woke up, but he was not angry. It is uncommon for an ordinary human to remain calm, but Upagupta was an ascetic who has long gained control over his emotions.

The light from the woman's lamp was falling on his eyes, which were forgiving and tranquil.

2nd Stanza:

The woman was Vasavadatta, a dancing girl, who was wearing severals jewels despit it being late at night and no one being present to see her. She was wearing a pale blue mantle ( a peice of loose clothing worn over cloths in old times). Her decorations and clothing showed that she was a woman who was extremely proud on her beauty as there is no need to wear jewels at night.

When she lowered her lamp, she saw the plain yet beautiful face of the young ascetic. She asked for his forgivness and asked him to come to her house as according to her the dusty earth was not a fit bed for him.

The young ascetic told the woman to go on her way, when the time is right he will come to visit her.

At that moment lightning flashed through the sky as if foreshadowing that something bad will occur. 

The sound of the thunder growling through they sky made the girl tremble in fear. 

3rd Stanza:

After some time from the previous encounter, it was evening of a day in April, during the Spring season. The branches of the trees on the roadside were bloomed with fruits and new leaves. 

A pleasant and happy sound of a flute can be heard in the warm air of spring month from a distance. The citizens had gone to the forest to celebrate the coming of Spring season.

The full moon can be seen in the sky from the roads of the silent town whose residents had gone to the forest. 

The young ascetic was walking in the lonely street while the sound of koels can be heard from the mango branches. 

Upagupta passed through the city gates, and stood at the base of the rampart (city wall).

There he saw a woman laying by his feet in the shadow of the mango grove (a small group of trees).

The woman was struck with a fatal disease which was contagious in nature. Her body was covered in sores (infected part of skin) of small pox disease.

She was forced by the citizens to leave the town because of her contagion (contagious disease).

The young austere sat by her side and took her head on his knees. He moistened her lips, which were dry, with water. Then he applied a balm on her body. 

The woman asked "Who are you, merciful one?" To which he replied "The time, at last, has come to visit you, and I am here, Vasavdatta".

Conclusion 

At the end we could see that Vasavdatta was abandoned by her belovers who once admired her beauty after she lost it due to the disease. 

Previously, she was filled with pride of her beauty but her pride was shattered when she was no longer loved by the citizens and her beauty was no longer with her. This teaches us that once outward beauty does not retain forever and it is the inner beauty of soul that remains forever. This is also mentioned in the poem as the young ascetic who did not had any experience clothing or jewels was described "austerely beautiful" because of the inner beauty of his soul.

The young monk helps Vasavdatta when no one else come to her and lead her to the path of enlightenment. 

The significance of month and season

The poem begin in the month of August in the night of murky sky which symbolizes Vasavdatta and her pride that covers her heart.

With the coming of Spring, the sky is clear as with coming of Upagupta, the false pride of Vasavdatta is cleared and like the clear sky, her inner self is clear too.