कुसुमे कुसुमोत्पत्तिः श्रूयते न च दृश्यते।
बाले तव मुखाम्भोजे कथमिन्दीवरद्वयम्॥
इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे ७०९ शृङ्गारतिलके
kusume kusumotpattiḥ śrūyate na ca dṛśyate|
bāle tava mukhāmbhoje kathamindīvaradvayam||
indiśce sprūce 709 śṛṅgāratilake
A beautiful girl wonders.. "We have heard that a flower can grow from another flower.. But such a phenomenon is not ever seen"
The poet replies.. "Oh comely girl, you have a very beautiful face, as lovely as a lotus, and within that face shines two dark eyes, shining beautifully like a pair of black lotuse (black lillies)"
This slokam was known to me for sixty years. But I could not trace its source. Today I chanced to read a compilation of gnomic couplets of Sanskrit, published in German.. Indishche Spruce. There the source is mentioned as Shringara Tialaka. Further reference led me to find that This Shringara Tilaka is a work by Rudrata or Ruyyata.. Have To read in detail..
Of course, popular legend has it that the first line of the Slokam was put to Poet Kalidasa as a Samasya, and the great master filled in the the query with the second line.
Some variants of this slokam also could be seen
Analysis
कुसुमे in a flower, within a flower कुसुम उत्पत्तिः germination, growing of (another) flower श्रूयते is heard of न च दृश्यते but not seen बाले oh young gire तव your मुख face अम्भोजे( attractive like) lotus इन्दीवर blue lotus (in the shape of two beautiful eyes) द्वयं pair कथं how come