HP 0-0 invocation and qualities of hitopadesh

invocation to lord shiva, for blessing at the start of a project:

सिद्धिः साध्ये सतामस्तु प्रसादात्तस्य धूर्जटेः ।
जाह्नवीफेनलेखेव यन्मूर्धनि शशिनः कला ॥ ०-०

siddhIH sAdhye satAm_astu prasAdAt_tasya dhhorjaTe |
jAhnavI-phena-lekheva yan-moordhani shashinaH kalA ||

[the] deeds (siddhiH) of good people (satAM) bring fruits (sAdhye) by the grace of (prasAdAt) that shiva (tasya dhUrjaTe) [mahAdeva, lord of lords], on whose forehead the crescent moon (shashinaH kalA) [adorns] like the surf (phena) of (the river) gangA (jAhnavI) [ganges!]

siddhaH = accomplished
siddhiH = accomplishment. in special sense, there are eight specific siddhiH.

in hanumAna chAlIsA, there is one verse that says:

अष्ट सिद्धि नव निधि के दाता ।
अस वर दीन जानकी माता ॥
ashTa siddhi nava nidhi ke dAtA |
asa vara deena jAnakI mAtA ||
(remember, 'a' is short 'a' as 'u' in butter, trailing 'a' is NOT 'aa' )

i.e. hanumAna is the giver of eight siddhi and nine treasures, such is the boon that mother sItA (jAnakI - [daughter] of janaka) gave him.

jAhnavI = of the RiShi jahnu

---

श्रुतो हितोपदेशोऽयं पाटवं संस्कृतोक्तिषु ।
वाचां सर्वत्र वैचित्र्यं, नीतिविद्यां ददाति च ॥ ०-१

shruto hitopadesho'yaM pAtavaM saMskRitoktiShu |
vAchAM sarvatra vaichitryaM, nItividyAM dadAti cha ||

this (ayaM) hitopadeshaH (hitopadesha) [when] heard (shrutaH), gives (dadAti) expertise (pATavaM) in speaking (uktiShu) sanskrit (saMskRita), variety (vaichitryaM) of talk (vAchAM) everywhere (sarvatra), and (cha) practical knowledge (nIti-vidyAM).

shruti (श्रुति)= that which is heard [in the presence of the guru]
(also the 'veda's, because they were only heard in direct
shrutaH = that which has been heard [in class from guru, not read alone]
hita = benefit
upadesha = advice
paTu (पटु) = expert; vAgpaTu (वाग्पटु)= orator, expert at speaking
chitra (चित्र)= varied (a picture), vichitra = specially varied
vid = root of 'to know'; many word form from this
atra = here; kutra = where ; yatra ... tatra = where ... there
anyatra = else where
sarvatra = every where


so this hitopadesha when heard, will not only give you expertise in speaking sanskrit, it also gives you practical wisdom and variety of topics to discuss, never a dull conversation.

this is the main aim for me to start this blog, and to start with hitopadesha.
hitopadesha is an adaptation from pancha-tantra, and when it came out in 11th century, it became a staple textbook for starting students, since it ws made extra simple but the shloka standard was kept high enough, from many varied sources - best of both worlds.

hope you will enjoy this ride.

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