9 
1873.] Rdjendralala Mitra —Spirituous Drinks in Ancient India. 
cushions spread under umbrageous vineyards.* A passage in the Kumar a 
Sambhava, of the same author, extols a crystal palace on the Himalaya 
as so exquisite as to he best adapted for a drinking hall.f Drinking 
must have been common in high circles to justify this comparison. Elsewhere 
drinking halls, as specially reserved apartments in a palace, are frequently 
mentioned. 
Kalidasa is also lavish in his references to drinking by women of quality. 
In the Raghuvansa, he makes Aja bemoan the loss of his wife, Xndumati, 
by this apostrophe: “ Plow will you, dear one of wine-reddened eye, who 
have quaffed delightful liquor from my mouth, drink the mist-befouled water 
which I offer with my tears.Adverting to a practice of making Vakula 
trees (Memusops elengi) flower by gargling wine on them, the same author 
says : “ Sprinkled over with arrack from charming faces, the blossoms partook of 
the character of the liquor. ”§ Again: “Liquors, which excite delightful re¬ 
creation, overcome by their bouquet the aroma of vakula flowers, never break 
the current of enjoyment, and are friendly to Cupid, the ladies drink with 
their husbands.”|| Again, “ The ladies in private drank highly exhilarating 
liquor from the mouth of Agnivarna, and he on his turn blossomed like the 
vakula by drinking of arrack from their mouths.”^[ 
In the Kumcira Sambhava , Rati, mourning the loss of her lord Cupid, 
says :—Rice liquor, which causes the reddened eyes to roll, and speech to get 
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