15. Ingudi.

A tree, commonly called Ingua, or Jiyaputa, from the fruit of which oil was extracted, which the devotees used for their lamps and for ointment.  One synonym for this tree is tapasa-taru, ‘the anchorite’s tree.’

16. Bark-woven vests.

Dresses made of bark, worn by ascetics, were washed in water, and then suspended to dry on the branches of trees.

17. By deep canals.

It was customary to dig trenches round the roots of trees, to collect the rain-water.

18. My throbbing arm.

A quivering sensation in the right arm was supposed by the Hindus to prognosticate union with a beautiful woman.  Throbbings of the arm or eyelid, if felt on the right side, were omens of good fortune in men; if on the left, bad omens.  The reverse was true of women. 19. The hard acacia’s stem.

The Sami tree, a kind of acacia (Acacia Suma), the wood of which is very hard, and supposed by the Hindus to contain fire.

20. The lotus.

This beautiful plant, the varieties of which, white, blue, and red, are numerous, bears some resemblance to our water-lily.  It is as favourite a subject of allusion and comparison with Hindu poets as the rose is with Persian.

21. With the Saivala entwined.

The [S’]aivala (Vallisneria) is an aquatic plant, which spreads itself over ponds, and interweaves itself with the lotus.  The interlacing of its stalks is compared in poetry to braided hair.

22. Yon Ke[s’]ara tree.

The Ke[s’]ara tree (Mimusops elengi) is the same as the Bakula, frequent mention of which is made is some of the Puranas.  It bears a strong-smelling flower, which, according to Sir W. Jones, is ranked among the flowers of the Hindu paradise.  The tree Is very ornamental in pleasure-grounds.

23. Would that my union with her were permissible.

A Brahman might marry a woman of the military or kingly class next below him, and the female offspring of such a marriage would belong to a mixed caste, and might be lawfully solicited in marriage by a man of the military class.  But if [S’]akoontala were a pure Brahmani woman, both on the mother’s and father’s side, she would be ineligible as the wife of a Kshatriya king.  Dushyanta discovers afterwards that she was, in fact, the daughter of the great Vi[s’]wamitra (see note 27), who was of the same caste as himself, though her mother was the nymph Menaka.

24. I trust all is well with your devotional rites.

This was the regular formula of salutation addressed to persons engaged in religions exercises.

25. This water that we have brought with us will serve to bathe our guest’s feet.