पद्मावत में नख शिख वर्णन

बरनौं माँग सीस उपराहीं । सेंदुर अबहिं चढ़ा जेहि नाहीं॥

बिनु सेंदुर अस जानहु दीआ । उजियर पंथ रैनि महँ कीआ॥

कंचन रेख कसौटी कसी । जनु घन महँ दामिनि परगसी॥

सुरुज किरिन जनु गगन बिसेखी। जमुना माँह सुरसती देखी॥

खाँड़ै धाार रुहरि जनु भरा । करवत लेइ बेनी पर धारा॥

तेहि पर पूरि धारे जो मोती । जमुना माँझ गंग कै सोती॥

करवत तपा लेइ होइ चूरू। मकु सो रुहिर देइ सेंदूरू॥

कनक दुवादस बानि होइ, चह सोहाग वह माँग।

सेवा करहिं नखत सब, उवै गगन जस गाँग॥2॥

Translation by Sir G.A. Grierson and A.G. Shirreff

Item- the parting of her hair yet untouced by vermillion[5]. Pure white shineth it as though it were a shaft of light beaming bright upon a path through the night[6]. 'Tis like unto the bright line left by gold upon the [black] touchstone; 'Tis like the lightning flashing through the clouds. 'Tis a bright sunbeam shining across the sky; 'Tis the shining stream of the Sarasvati in the midst of the [black torrent of the] Yamuna. Pink is it like an ensanguined sword-edge; [slightly unevent is it] as though it were a saw laid upon the braids. On it lieth a string of pearls white as the stream of the Ganges amid the Yamuna[7]. At this holy confluence there thus lieth ready the saw for cutting the devotee in two [who sacrificeth himself that, perchance], she may take his blood and use it for vermillion [8]. It is gold perfect in all its qualities, and longeth for its flux[9]. The stars and planets are is slaves. It is the Galaxy shining in the skies[10].

Notes:

5. The Mang (Skt. Marga, or path) is the parting of the hair. Vermillion is first put upon it when a girl is married and she uses it during her married life. The flat folds of hair on each side are termed patiya. When a topknot is worn it is called jura. The ends of the patiyas and of the hair hanging down behine are tied into three braids (beni). When these three are twisted together at the back of the head, the coil is called choti. These three benis are known a tribeni. When a woman is separated from her husband she ties her hari on one beni instead of three (Compare Valmiki Ram. v 65,14). When a woman becomes a widow she washes the vermillion out of the parting of her hair, and never applies it again.

6. The night, of ourse, is the two black patiyas on each side of the parting.

7. The Ganges and Jumna meet at Allahabad. There also is said to flow the Sarasvati by an underground channel. The three streams unite and form the tribeni (Compare Note 5 above). Each has waters of a different colour. The Ganges water is plain to every eye for some way below the confluence. The Jumna (Yamuna) waters are much darker.

8. This is an elaborate comparison between the parting of the hair and the Prayaga or confluence of the three rivers (with a pun on the two meanings of tribeni). At this confluence a saw is supposed to be laid down. Its object is for the devoted lover to sacrifice himself with it, so that his blood may supply the vermillion of her parting, and thus make her a married woman. This is a reference to the true confluence (tribeni) at Prayaga (i.e. Allahabad). According to tradition a saw was kept at this holy place, wherewith devotees cut themselves in two in order to obtain final emancipation. The action was considered so meritorious as one, and the self-sacrificers were considered so holy, that large crowds used to attend these dreadful functions, the women anointing the partings of their hair with the blood the victim in the hope of obtaining long and happy wedded lives. It is said that Shah Jahan put a stop the practice by destroying the saw. The parting of the hair is compared to a saw because its edges are slightly jagged.

9. Here again there is a pun. Sohaga means both the flux which is added to the gold to enhance its brilliancy, and also happy married life, (saubhagya). Regarding the gold of twelve colours see 9(2) 4, note (5).

10. The Galaxy is the Ganges flowing in Heaven; which, of course, the stars and planets worship.
Grierson reads ka sari barnak dieun; Shukla ka sarvari tehi deun. The meaning is much the same.