Wednesday, April 21, 2010

the wise and the poet - अवयः केवलकवयः


Those who only play with words are like rams (don't understand the meaning), 
Those who are 'smart' are like parrots (they repeat what they heard).
The true worthy are they who are poets and intelligent, 
people who insult such worthy, are surely animals.

अवयः केवलकवयः कीरा स्युः केवलं धीराः ।
वीराः पण्डितकवयस्तानवमन्ता तु केवलं गवयः ॥


avayaḥ kevala-kavayaḥ kīrā syuḥ kevalaṃ dhīrāḥ ।
vīrāḥ paṇḍita-kavayastānavamantā tu kevalaṃ gavayaḥ ॥ (IAST)

avayaH kevala-kavayaH kIrA syuH kevalam dhIrAH ।
vIrAH paNDita-kavayastAnavamantA tu kevalam gavayaH ॥ (ITRANS)


I saw this apparently ordinary shloka and included here for a few reasons. I don't know the source, since what I was reading too didn't have the source mentioned.

The words apparently look difficult, or at least not in ordinary vocabulary, so I learnt a few new words myself. Check the language section towards the end. But once the word is understood the sentence itself is simple, keeping in line with the simple sanskrit.

There is the beautiful figure of speech of alliteration (anuprAsa al~nkAra / anuprāsa alaṅkāra) here. It will be clear when we break the shloka as follows, with some words in bold and italics:
avayaḥ kevala-kavayaḥ
kīrā syuḥ kevala dhīrāḥ
vīrāḥ paṇḍita-kavayaḥ
tānavamantā tu kevala gavayaḥ ॥ (IAST)

avayaH kevala-kavayaH
kIrA syuH kevala dhIrAH
vIrAH paNDita-kavayaH
tAnavamantA tu kevala gavayaH ॥ (ITRANS)


So it says that those who make verses but don't understand the meanings or have visionary abilities are like rams, no brain inside because of excessive banging of head to make the verse :)

And those who are not necessarily good with wordsmith-ing, merely repeat what they read and think they are smart, are like parrots. Parrots are known to recite whatever they hear. When people asked the way to the home of the famed scholar Maṇḍana Mishra (contemporary of of Ādi Shaṅkarāchārya), people were told that 'the house where the parrots hanging outside in cages are correcting the recitation of the students is his house'. But these parrots surely didn't know the meanings of the words the so perfectly recited.

The truly worthy are those people who have both an analytical mind and a sensitive heart, and can balance the two out. These are the people who can think original as well as put them in words nicely. These are to be cherished by the society. Anyone who would insult such a rare combination is really an animal, gavayaH/gavayaḥ, a variety of cow.

The shloka has a modern bearing on many who profess 'wisdom' in modern times. The words are used in satire as well as different meanings.

Kavi - used to mean a visionary. People wrote in verses for memorization. But the true mettle of a kavi was the vision, the idea. Word-smithing was just a by product of profound mastery on language, grammar, prosody and other shāstra-s. With time, the word 'kavi' started to mean only a poet, wordsmith. Today, in all regional languages of India, it means merely a poet, verse maker.

The requirement of having a vision, or literally 'darshana' (vision of divine, greater than ourselves, for the society, but a vision, some ideal) is no more there. Therefore you have humor poets also, who simply make half vulgar limericks and are stars on TV channels as poets, kavi.

dhIra - Traditionally dhIra/dhīra is one who has patience (dhairya), from which alone comes wisdom. So dhIra/dhīra means a wise person. In this shloka it is used satirically, since a person who thinks himself smart and intelligent by reading the scriptures, shAstra-s/shāstra-s, sciences etc. but has not done anything original of his/her own. Merely, repeating like a parrot. There are many such people today, as there were earlier. Maybe the number of such people who think they are smart is also similar, but I think it has increased more these days, compared to older times, when the label of educational degree was not so freely available as today.

This problem is greatly and almost invariably seen when people explain ancient works, Hindu scriptures, shAstra-s/shāstra-s. To some extent I believe this is true in other religions also, because of which the rigidity has crept in all religions. Where is the problem?

The seers, RiShi-s/ṛiṣhi-s almost always were poets of true sense, were visionaries. Here is a simple analogy.

Have you ever sat and contemplated on some point (need not be high spirituality), and seen a clear picture, solution, reasoning. But the process to get there was long, and you are not able to explain to others exactly what you mean. The words you use are misinterpreted by others, who have not sat patiently thinking the same way that you did. And you feel helpless how you are not understood, even when you are using apparently so clear a language. We are not talking clear cut 7th grade Algebra. We are talking feelings, soft skills, social issues, people issues, visions of unseen.

For example, if you read rAmAyaNa/Rāmāyaṇa or Harry Potter book (yes, it is okay to put them in the same sentence for this example), then you start having imaginations of their world, how a demon looked like or a demonter. But then, you are not able to exactly replicate the vision to another person. Then you go and see the movie or TV serial made on those books, and you feel so cheated. Oh, no! The movie makers had no vision! I could see such wonderful worlds while reading, these guys have no imagination.

What happened? The same words read from the book, transformed differently in the final product.

Now, imagine a more subtle area, of spirituality, religion, social observations. That too, done thousands of years ago. Times have changed, agenda of god-men has changed. Most of the god-men are busy protecting the 'turf' or building 'client' base. I remember the evangelical channels in US so well, and I thought I was missing them in India, and lo and behold, there were the Hindu versions of them, and soon after the originals from US too are being broadcast here, for one's superstitious needs.

How easy it is, not to understand the soul, the real intent of the seers, because we are not imaginative, we are not unbiased, we are not free from modern bombardments of desires and marketing. And the iron grip of things divine, hell and heaven - who can dare argue with the 'robe'?

This has killed the spirit. People are taking literal meanings of metaphors, because that is how it was taught. When will people try to use their own poet within, the seer, the unbiased, divine spark that cares for all, and hates none, has no ego or need to show off, who just observes, and enjoys? And if they don't have that in them, when will they stop 'explaining'?

With the topic itself being what it is, I should humbly apologize for any mistakes in my understanding or vision of this :) or else i may be labeled avayaH or gavayaH myself !

Bring knowledge to life,
Poetry to breathe a vision in you,
That makes you one with all
And not one above all.

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

avayaH = अवयः = plural of ram, male sheep
aviH = अविः = ram, the male wild sheep (avayaH plural)

kevalakavayaH = केवलकवयः = kevala + kavayaH = only poets
kevala = only
kavayaH = plural of kavi.
here kavi is used to mean only a wordssmith, one who plays with words. this is common understood meaning of kavi, whereas the vedic and earlier meaning is not just a wordsmith, but one with a vision.

kIrA = कीरा = parrots
kIrAH = कीराः = parrots (for the kee sound they, the untrained ones, make)
kIrAH syuH becomes kIrA syuH (visarga, H, of kIrAH disappears due to visarga sandhi)

syuH = स्युः = may (they) be [from 'as' of asti]

kevala = केवल = only

dhIrAH = धीराः = intellectual
dhIra = wise, patient, with intelligence
here, dhIrAH is used in its popular sense as 'learned' with a satire in the tone.

vIrAH = वीराः = valorous (plural)

paNDitakavayastAnavamantA = पण्डितकवयस्तानवमन्ता = paNDita-kavayaH-tAn-avamantA
paNDita = one whose paNDA buddhi is developed, reasoning, analytical powers.
kavayaH = poets
here the word is paNDita-kavi as compund word, hence the plural of the word didn't change paNDita to paNDitAH, but only the kavi to kavayaH

tAn = to them

avamantA = neglectors, insulters
mAna = respect, acknowledgement (that you are also someone)
avamAna = neglect
avamanta = one who neglects, disrespects

tu = तु = filler word ,for emphasis

kevala = केवल = only

gavayaH = गवयः = a type of cow
from gau, gavaya is a variety of cow species.


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Monday, April 19, 2010

stay in the present - गते शोको न कर्तव्यो


 
Past is not worth mourning. Don't worry for the future. 
The wise advise [us] to live by the present time. 
 
गते शोको न कर्तव्यो भविष्यं नैव चिन्तयेत् ।
वर्तमानेन कालेन वर्तयन्ति विचक्षणाः ॥

gate shoko na kartavyo bhaviShyaM naiva chintayet |
vartamAnena kAlena vartayanti vichakShaNAH ||

gate śoko na kartavyo bhaviṣyaṃ naiva cintayet ।
vartamānena kālena vartayanti vicakṣaṇāḥ ॥


The past is gone, you can do nothing about it but to learn from it. A grieving period is psychologically understood, but beyond that mourning for the past is only counter-productive. Mourning can be taken to various degrees, worrying, missing, depressed, to a stage when you can't even function normally.

By mourning, you can't change the past.

The future, is not yet here, so what can you do by worrying? What you do is only in the present. what you can do for the future is to prepare for it. That can only happen in the present. And worrying surely doesn't help, just like mourning doesn't help.

By worrying, you can't avoid the future.

The clearheaded (vichakShaNaH), resides in the present, focuses in the present, where actions are performed. They don't day-dream in the future. Sure they see visions of the future and strive to make it better, but not just romanticizing the future or grieving for the past.

This is a practical gem by AchArya chANakya.

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And now the language aspects of the shloka -

gate = गते = in that which is gone
gam = (root verb) to go
gataH = gone, past, as in gata-kAle = in the past (time that is gone)
-e suffix denote 'in'

shoko = शोको = shokaH (shoko due to visarga sandhi) = mourning, mourn, grief

na = न = not

kartavyo = कर्तव्यो = from kartavyaH, duty, that which should be done
(kartavyo due to visarga sandhi)

bhaviShyaM = भविष्यं = future, about/to future

naiva = नैव = na + eva = not also

chintayet = चिन्तयेत् = should worry

vartamAnena = वर्तमानेन = in present
vartamAna = present
-ena suffix for by, as instrument to do

kAlena = कालेन = by time
i.e. by present time

vartayanti = वर्तयन्ति = cause/inspire/(advice) to be
vRit root meaning 'to be, present'
vartati = is present, lives
vartayati = inspires to be, causes to be, advises to be
vartayanti = plural of vartayati
so, wise people advice you to be in present

vichakShaNAH = विचक्षणाः = clearheaded
root chakShuH = eyes.
vi- prefix = special
those with special vision, clear vision, clarity of thought

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Sunday, April 18, 2010

vocabulary revision - words so far

i didn't want to make any post only on language. but after so many posts, i thought it won't hurt to have just one post on words only. i have categorized words by similarity of types (vibhakti wise, and nouns, verbs, etc.) to help see the pattern of word changes.

these are only examples, not generic rules, but it would give you a good idea to guess a new word's meaning with better guesswork :)

in this post and a few more, we will recap all the sanskrit words we have encountered so far. now they will be out of context of the original shloka. see how many you remember, and what they mean. do a little bit of reading old posts and finding how the words were used. these words are from posts from beginning to 18 july 2009, only a handful of posts.

do post your comments, discussions, thoughts that come to mind when you hear the words below.

bhAryA (f.) = भार्या = wife.
mAtA (f.) = माता = mother (similar words in other languages - mader, mater, matri-, mother)
pitA (m.) = पिता = father (pater, patri-, father, papa, padre etc)
bAlaH (m.) = बालः = child, boy
dIpaH (m.) = दीपः = lamp
shakaTam (n.) = शकटम् = cart. shakatikA = small cart, as in the famous mRit-shakaTikam aka mRichhakaTikam (the little clay cart)
vAjinam = वाजिनं = horse
hastinam = हस्तिनं = elephant
durjanam = दुर्जनं = evil person, bad to the core. duH (bad) + jana (person)
viSham (n.) = विषं = poison


by, using as an instrument. common ending suffixes:
masculine = -ena, -naa, -aa,
fem = -yaa, -vaa, -aa,
mRityunA = मृत्युना = by death
pa~nchahastena = पञ्चहस्तेन, पंचहस्तेन = by (-ne) five (pa~ncha) hands (hasta)
dasha-hastena = दशहस्तेन = by ten hands (distance of ten hands)
sahasreNa = सहस्रेण = by thousand
desha-tyAgena = देशत्यागेन = by leaving the country
yena = येन = by whom



tubhyam = तुभ्यं = for you


vinayAt = विनयात् = from vinaya (discipline, humbleness)
pAtratvAt = पात्रत्वात् = from pAtratA (worthiness)
dhanAt = धनात् = from dhana (money)


स्य -sya for masculineneutral; याः - yaaH for feminine
me = मे = of i/ mine (mama)
vyAdhitasya = व्याधितस्य = of vyAdhitaH (ill, diseased)
mRitasya = मृतस्य = of dead (mRitaH)
vRishchikasya = वृश्चिकस्य = of vRishchikaH (scorpion)
makShikAyAH = मक्षिकायाः = of makShikA (fly)
takShakasya = तक्षकस्य = of takShakaH (poisonous snake)
durjanasya = दुर्जनस्य = of durjanaH (evil person)


-e for masc. singular; -eShu for masc. plural;
kesheShu (plural) = केशेषु = in kesha (hair)
pravAseShu (plural) = प्रवासेषु = in pravAsa (times of exile, living away)
gRiheShu (plural) = गृहेषु = in gRiham (homes)
samudreShu (plural) = समुद्रेषु = in samudraH (oceans)
tRipteShu (plural) = तृप्तेषु = in tRiptaH (people who are content)
dhanADhyeShu (plural) = धनाढ्येषु = in dhanADhya (wealthy)
puchchhe = पुच्छे = in puchchhaH (tail)
mastake = मस्तके = in mastakaH (head)
dante = दन्ते = in dantaH (tooth)
sarvA~Nge = सर्वाङ्गे, सर्वांगे = in all parts (sarva a~ngaH)
sabhA-madhye = सभामध्ये = in middle of gathering (sabhA-madhya)
haMsa-madhye = हंसमध्ये = in middle of swans (hamsa-madhya)


notice the change of trailing -I to -i when addressing:
sarasvati = सरस्वति = o saraswatI
varade = वरदे = o varadA
kAmarUpiNi = कामरूपिणि = o kAmarUpiNI



kariShyAmi = करिष्यामि = will do
bhavatu = भवतु = may happen (lat it happen)
chintayet = चिन्तयेत् = should worry
Acharet = आचरेत् = should behave
dadAti = ददाति = gives
Apnoti = आप्नोति = gets
shobhate = शोभते = graces (intransitive, hence -te ending, most common)

adjectives:
ajara = अजर = a-jara = without rust, without aging
amara = अमर = = a-mara = without death, immortal
prAGYaH = प्राज्ञः = wise, intelligent
gRihIta = गृहीत = grabbed
mitram = मित्रं = friend
shatruH = शत्रुः = enemy
vairI = वैरी = competitor
pAThitaH = पाठितः = taught (paThati = studies. adjective is made by pa- changing to pA-)



sadA = सदा = always
cha = च = and
iva = इव = as if
tataH = ततः = from there
vRithA = वृथा = useless, waste
api = अपि = also
yathA = यथा = as [used in pair of as (yathA) this, so is that]



amaravat = अमरवत् = like amara, immortal (adverb made by -vat suffix)


namaH = नमः = bowing
siddhiH = सिद्धिः = accomplishment
vidyA = विद्या = knowledge
Arambham = आरम्भं = starting
artham = अर्थं = meaning, money, purpose
dharmaH = धर्मः = dharma
vinayam = विनयं = discipline, humbleness, training
pAtratAm = पात्रतां = worthiness
dhanam = धनं = money, wealth
sukham = सुखं = comfort
auShadham = औषधं = medicine
vRiShTiH = वृष्टिः = rain
bhojanam = भोजनं = food
dAnam = दानं = charity, giving
bakaH = बकः = crane


try to remember in what context you read these words.
and do post your comments, so i know you read it, and other recap posts will make sense.

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Friday, April 16, 2010

on twitter now!

now we are on twitter as well.

https://twitter.com/PracticalSans
join us there, follow us. it will be fun to do justice to twitter and sanskrit to use only 140 character and still make sense :)

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Thursday, April 15, 2010

expert critics - परवाच्येषु निपुणः

everyone is always an expert at criticizing others. people don't know their own shortcoming, and if they do know, they act ignorant.

paravAchyeShu nipuNaH sarvo bhavati sarvadA ।
AtmavAchyaM na jAnAti jAnannapi vimuhyati ।।

paravāchyeṣhu nipuṇaḥ sarvo bhavati sarvadā ।
ātmavāchyaṃ na jānāti jānannapi vimuhyati ॥

परवाच्येषु निपुणः सर्वो भवति सर्वदा ।
आत्मवाच्यं न जानाति जानन्नपि विमुह्यति ॥


this is a very simple shloka, with simple words as well. we all have faced people who have criticized us, shown our shortcomings. most of these people are those who don't see a mirror before getting out of the house.

it is much easier said than done. why is it so? i mean, we know. we know it so well, we can give a full lecture to others on it for three hours.

there are a few reasons possible -
- we know it, we know it can be done, and the charm of actually doing it is not there anymore. but we have done it many times before.
- we know it, we just don't have the discipline or will power to see through doing it all.
- we don't know it, we want to cover it up.

interestingly, most people fall in the bottom of the pyramid :) the third category.
some one may ask, but why only these categories? some don't even say anything to others, and mind their own business. to that, the answer is, those who don't criticize others and mind their own business are so rare, even tigers are trying to save them! such great people are not seen in our midst, they are already somewhere near the pinnacles of success or peace.

for the rest of us, it is extremely difficult to restrain the tongue.

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -
(this shloka is from mahAbhArata, karNa parva.)

paravAchyeShu = para-vAchyeShu = in talking bad about others
para = other
vAk = root word for speech
vAchya = criticism, censure, reprimand (opposite of praise)
vAchyeShu = in criticizing (-eShu suffix denotes in in masc. and neuter gender)

nipuNaH = expert
sarvo = saravaH = all
bhavati = becomes, is, happens
sarvadA = always

AtmavAchyaM = Atma-vAchyam = self criticism, censure; one's own shortcomings
na = not
jAnAti = knows
jAnannapi = even if knowing
vimuhyati = act ignorant

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Monday, April 12, 2010

the many names of sky



sanskrit has many synonyms for critical words. most of the times, the words, synonyms describe some attribute of the original word at hand.

here are some for sky -

  • dyauH = द्यौः = where there is lightening; from dyut = lightening.
  • abhram = अभ्रम् = one with movement (of clouds). it also means clouds, that move around ; from abhr = to move about
  • vyoma = व्योम = that which covers (like a blanket); from vye = to cover
  • puShkaram = पुष्करम् = that which nourishes (puShTim); by rains, the sky nourishes the earth
  • ambaram = अम्बरम् = covering, clothing; that which covers the earth
  • nabhaH = नभः
  • antarikSham = अन्तरिक्षम् = that which is seen between (the earth and the sky). so technically, antarikSha is space, but is used for sky as well.
  • gaganam = गगनम्
  • anantam = अनन्तम् = without end, limitless
  • kham = खम् =
  • AkAsham = आकाशम्  =
  • viShNupadam = विष्णुपदम् = step of viShNu. viShNu, in his vAmana avatAra, took three steps (trivikrama) and with one covered the earth, with second the sky and didn't know where to put the third step. the benevolent king balI offered his head, so that the king could his promise of charity of 3 space worth of "land".

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Saturday, April 10, 2010

moderation of drinking - किन्तु मद्यं स्वभावेन


किन्तु मद्यं स्वभावेन यथैवान्नं तथा स्मृतम् ।
अयुक्तियुक्तं रोगाय, युक्तियुक्तं यथाऽमृतं ।।


but alcohol by nature is like food (in composition and giving energy). when used inappropriately is for getting disease, when used appropriately is like nectar.

kintu madyam svabhAvena yathaivAnnam tathA smRitam |
ayuktiyuktam rogAya, yuktiyuktam yathA~mRitam ||

kintu madyaṃ svabhāvena yathaivānnaṃ tathā smṛitam ।
ayuktiyuktaṃ rogāya, yuktiyuktaṃ yathā'mṛitaṃ ।।

this interesting shloka is from charaka, the ayurvaidya (doctor of ayurveda) par excellence, author of charaka-saMhitA.

it says that alcohol, which is mainly made from grains or fruits, is essentially, naturally, materially, chemically the same as food in its energy giving ability. but its use is what makes it good or bad.

when used inappropriately, in excess, over the limit, in competition etc, it can be dangerous. but if used moderately, like good wine, it can be like nectar/ambrosia. nice feeling, appetite building and even helpful in digestion. and as modern research will have us believe, it even reduces heart attack (red wine).

why this shloka? well, one of course the language is simple.
second, it gives another aspect in indian life. alcohol is considered so bad, it is one of the sins etc. it is the barrier in spiritual growth.

but we should remember, that life was not synthetic in india, not curbed randomly. alcohol and even meat eating are accepted as things that happen when one is born in the material body (manusmRiti).

food we eat impacts our thinking and subsequently actions. for the ones on the pursuit of truth, brAhmaNa, having a woozy mind is counterproductive. having any habit is slavery of the mind/manas. hence, for a brAhmaNa it is prohibited.
for a kShatriya or other varNa, it is not prohibited. for soldiers, or rajas-dominant people it is accepted. even from forever. even in times of chANakya and before, there were so called alcohol bars, joints, and butcher shops.

but this doesn't mean it doesn't have consequences.

a person on spiritual path should avoid both these, not because they are sin, but because they are detrimental to the spiritual growth by making the mind fickle or woozy.

wine drinking, as compared to liquor was an accepted form even in RiShis and brAhmaNas, though not so easily affordable for the latter.

so where did it start? the prohibition on alcohol? well, the story of kacha and devayAnI has one answer. kacha was sent by the devAs to learn the art of sa~njIvanI (reviving the dead) from shukrAchArya, the guru of daityas.

he accepted the disciple, but the daityas didn't like their enemy learning the secret of their success. so they killed kacha. but because the guru's daughter devayAnI was in love with kacha, the guru revived him. after two failed attempts, the daityas hit upon an idea. they killed kacha, burnt him, mixed his ashes in alcohol and served it to the guru. the guru was happy with the present and drank it all up.

when devayAnI again asked her father to revive kacha, he came alive in his belly. the only way to let him come out was to tear the guru's belly, which would kill him. so guru shukrAchArya taught him the sa~njIvanI vidyA, let him come out, and revive the guru also.

after this, the guru was disgusted, shocked and told the daityas that because of their foolishness, he had to teach kacha the secret. then he declared, that alcohol made his judgment unclear, and hence forth no brAhmaNa should ever drink it.


in another similar shloka, charaka says that "food is like breath (life force), and when used appropriately it is for nutrition, else fatal."

it is good to remember that indian thought and life has not been skewed irrationally. there are different advices for people living in different levels of body/spirit and role in society. it is never "one size fits all."

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

kintu = but

madyam = alcohol

svabhAvena = by nature (natural material composition)
= sva + bhAva + -ena
= self + being + by

yathaivAnnam thathA = yathA eva annam tathA
yathA .. tathA .. goes in pair and means "as this same way that"
= is like annam, food, grain, cereal

smRitam = is said, is remembered (like 'they say')

ayuktiyuktam = a + yukti + yuktam
= without appropriate usage
= yukta = same root as yoga (yuj)

rogAya = for disease
yuktiyuktam = yukti + yuktam
= appropriately used

yathA~mRitam = yathA + amRitam
= like nectar/ambrosia

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

guru - personification of knowledge - ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं



brahmānandaṃ paramasukhadaṃ kevalaṃ jñānamūrtiṃ
dvandvātītaṃ gaganasadṛiśhaṃ tattvamasyādilakṣhyam ।
ekaṃ nityaṃ vimalamachalaṃ sarvadhīsākṣhibhūtaṃ
bhāvātītaṃ triguṇarahitaṃ sadguruṃ taṃ namāmi ॥

brahmAnandam paramasukhadam kevalam GYaanamUrtim
dvandvAtItam gaganasadRRisham tattvamasyaadilakShyam .
ekam nityam vimalamachalam sarvadhiisAkShibhUtam
bhAvAtItam triguNarahitam sadgurum tam namaami ..

ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं
द्वन्द्वातीतं गगनसदृशं तत्त्वमस्यादिलक्ष्यम् ।
एकं नित्यं विमलमचलं सर्वधीसाक्षिभूतं
भावातीतं त्रिगुणरहितं सद्गुरुं तं नमामि ॥



this verse is from guru gItA.
it extols the 'sadguru', the true guru, with the qualities of divine itself. the life transforming effect a guru can have on disciples is well known, whether the guru is good or bad. but, lucky are those who have a true guru.

in this age it is very difficult to find really selfless gurus. the praises in scriptures about gurus, applies to only real gurus. today, people name themselves as 'guru', doesn't mean they have the qualities of a real guru. it is by the deeds, and qualities that a person gets a title of 'guru', not the other way around!

a true guru will never ask you to focus on him/her, but will reflect your attention from himself towards the divine.

i bow to that guru that is -
- divine in the form of bliss (or bliss of divinity)
- giver of the greatest joys
- the only
- manifestation/personification of knowledge
- beyond the dilemma/tussle of the two (joy and sorrow, life and death etc)
- like the sky (protecting, vast)
- indicator (shower) of great truths like 'Thou Are That"
- one
- always
- unblemished and steadfast
- witness to all intellect
- beyond existence or emotions
- beyond the three guNas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

the trailing -m in all is to denote "to so and so ...'

guru, who is, -
ब्रह्मानन्दं = brahmAnandam = brahma + Anandam = bliss of brahman
brahma = brahman
Anandam = bliss
= the bliss of brahman, supreme concept of divinity
= or brahman in the form of bliss (three attributes of brahman - sat-chit-Ananda)

परमसुखदं = parama-sukha-dam = giver of the greatest joy
parama = other worldly, supreme, greatest
sukha = joy
da = giver (masc.)

केवलं = kevalam = the only

ज्ञानमूर्तिं = GYaana-mUrtim = personification of knowledge
GYaan = knowledge
mUrtim =form, body, tangible form

द्वन्द्वातीतं = dvandvAtItam = dvanda + aTitam = beyond dilemma of joy and sorrow
dvanda = (tussle of) two, the vacillation between joy and sorrow
atItam = beyond

गगनसदृशं = gagana-sadRisham = (vast, protecting, fatherly) like the sky
gagana = sky
sadRisham = looks like

तत्त्वमस्यादिलक्ष्यम् = tat-tvam-asyAdi-lakShyam = tat + tvam + asi + Adi + lakShyam
= one who indicates (explains, shows) (great truths like) 'Thou Are That" etc.
tat = that
tvam = you
asi = are
Adi = etc.
lakShyam = indicator (of above)

एकं = ekam = one

नित्यं = nityam = perennial

विमलमचलं = vimalam-achalam = vimalam + achalam = blemishless and steadfast
vimalam = vi (without) + malam (blemish, dirt, etc)
achalam = a (not) + chalam (moving)

सर्वधीसाक्षिभूतं = sarva-dhI-sAkShi-bhUtam = witness (observer) of everyone's intellect (cosmic intelligence)
sarva = all
dhI = intellect, wisdom, thinking faculty
sAkShi = witness, one who has seen with own eyes (sa + akShin)

भावातीतं = bhAvAtItam = bhAva + atItam = beyond existence
bhAva = emotions, state of being
atItam = beyond

त्रिगुणरहितं = tri-guNa-rahitam = without the three forces (sattva, rajas, tamas)
tri = three
guNa = the three types of forces - sattva (purity), rajas (action), tamas (inertia)

सद्गुरुं = sadgurum = sat + gurum = true guru
sat = true (becomes sad- with sandhi rules)
guru = perceptor, heavy, one heavy with knowledge, remover of ignorance

तं = tam = to that
नमामि = namAmi = i bow


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Monday, April 5, 2010

vande padmakarAm prasanna-vadanAm - वन्दे पद्मकरां प्रसन्नवदनां



vande padmakarāṃ prasanna-vadanāṃ saubhāgyadāṃ bhāgyadāṃ
hastābhyāṃ abhaya-pradāṃ maṇi-gaṇair-nānā-vidhair-bhūṣhitām।h ।
bhaktābhīṣhṭa-phalapradāṃ hari-hara-brahmādibhiḥ sevitāṃ
pārśhve pa~Nkaja-śhaṃkha-padma-nidhibhir-yuktāṃ sadā śhaktibhiḥ ॥

vande padmakarAm prasanna-vadanAm saubhAgyadAm bhAgyadAm
hastAbhyAm abhayapradAm maNigaNairnAnAvidhirbhUShitAm |
bhaktAbhIShTa-phalapradAm hari-hara-bhrahmAdibhiH sevitAm
pArshve pa~nkaja-sha~Nkha-padma-nidhibhir-yuktAm sadA shaktibhiH ||

वन्दे पद्मकरां प्रसन्नवदनां सौभाग्यदां भाग्यदां
हस्ताभ्यां अभयप्रदां मणिगणैर्नानाविधैर्भूषिताम् ।
भक्ताभीष्टफलप्रदां हरिहरब्रह्मादिभिः सेवितां
पार्श्वे पंकजशंखपद्मनिधिभिर्युक्तां सदा शक्तिभिः ॥


i bow to the one who has lotus in her hand, has a pleasant happy face, who gives good fortune and destiny, gives refuge (fearlessness) with her hand (posture), who is adorned with lots of gems and other ways, who gives the vrey much desired fruits to teh devotees, is attended upon by viShNu, shiva, brahmA and others, behind whom are lotus, conch and other opulence and who is always with power.

i.e. i bow to goddess lakShmI.

this is there just before the 108 names of lakShmI - lakShmI ashtottarashat nAmAvali or lakshmyaShTottarashatanAmAvalI.

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -
the -Am ending in all words means 'to the so and so'

वन्दे = vande = i praise
पद्मकरां = padmakarAm = to the one with lotus in hand
padma = lotus
kar = hand

प्रसन्नवदनां = prasanna-vadanAm = to the one with a happy face
prasanna = happy
vadana = face

सौभाग्यदां = to the giver of good fortune/destiny
saubhAgya = good fortune
dA = (fem) giver

भाग्यदां = to the giver of fortune/destiny
bhAgya = fortune/destiny
dA = (fem) giver

हस्ताभ्यां = (to the one) with the hands (who ...)
अभयप्रदां = to the giver of fearlessness
bhaya = fear
a-bhaya = fearlessness, protection, refuge
dA = (fem) giver
to the giver of the boon of fearlessness (refuge) by her hand (posture)

मणिगणैर्नानाविधैर्भूषिताम् = to the one adorned with bunch of gems and other various ways
maNi = gems
gaNa = group, cluster, bunch
nAnA = various
vidhi = ways, style
bhUShitA = adorned, decorated

भक्ताभीष्टफलप्रदां = to the giver of desired fruits to the devotees
bhakta = devotee
abhi-IShTa = very much desired
phala = fruit, result
dA = (fem) giver

हरिहरब्रह्मादिभिः सेवितां = to the one served by viShNu, shiva and brhmA and others
hari = viShNu
hara = shiva (the one who takes away, pain, sorrow, life etc)
brahmA = creator, expansive
Adi = etc
sevitA = served by
sevitAm = to her who is ...

पार्श्वे = in the background
पंकजशंखपद्मनिधिभिर्युक्तां = with lotus, conch, padma-nidhi
pa~nkaja = lotus
sh~Nkha - conch
padma-nidhibhiH = by the wealth of padma (?)
yuktA = one who has these (attached, yukta)

सदा = always
शक्तिभिः = with shakti, power
shakti = power, energy


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
Practical Sanskrit. All rights reserved. Check us on Facebook