Reading Diary B: Maya's Skill

I thought the description of Maya's palace that he built for the Pandava brothers was breathtaking. I have heard of Maya from The Ramayana, but this description of his skill was even more intricate. Look at the way Buck describes the tree of lights Maya put by the front door "Its leaves were cut from thin sheets of emerald and beryl, with veins of gold. Its tall trunk and long branches were encrusted with every known jewel, and from it came the fragrance of high mountain forests". This is just ONE tree in the whole palace. There were ponds that were so still people fell into them, and crystal floors so flawless that people paused as if they were made of water. What a wonderful palace to live in. I just wish Buck had included Duroydhana's envy of the palace as in the shorter version.
Srikrishna offers mayasura to build a palace to Pandavas
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