Thursday, December 30, 2010

happy new year 2011 - नववर्षाभिनन्दनम्


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Without effort your skills are useless - अगच्छन् वैनतेयोऽपि

अगच्छन् वैनतेयोऽपि पदमेकं न गच्छति
= agachchhan vainateyo'pi padamekam na gachchhati
= not moving, even the [mighty] garuDa doesn't move a step.


The eagle is a fast bird. Just like a rabbit is a fast hopper. Remember the hare the tortoise story?

But their talent is of no use, if they don't use it. An eagle though can surpass a mouse in no time, will not have moved a single step, if it sits perched on the branch. To succeed, it has to take the flight, it has to move.

The toughest thing is usually to take the first step. Once that is done, half the battle is won.

'garuDa' गरुड is the son of 'vinatA' विनता , and hence is called 'vainiteya' वैनितेय . He is the king of the birds, and a vehicle of Lord 'viShNu' विष्णु and is known for his speed. Because of him Lord Vishnu can move from anywhere to anywhere in no time!

But even the might garuDa गरुड, the golden winged suparNa सुपर्ण , will not moved an inch while it is still perched on the branch. There is no substitute to the first step.

Similarly, mere wishing won't make things happen. You have to work at it. Procrastination or wishful thinking doesn't do any good. Else no one would have to do anything. They could simply wish and viola!

In the hare and the tortoise story too, as soon as the hare sleeps, the tortoise starts to win. And surely he does win at the end.

The full shloka goes :
गच्छन् पिपीलिको याति योजनानां शतान्यपि |
अगच्छन् वैनतेयोऽपि पदमेकं न गच्छति||
= gachchhan pipIliko yAti, yojanAnAm shatAnyapi |
agachchhan vainateyo'pi, padamekam na gachchhati ||
= a moving ant goes even a hundred yojana; even the [fast eagle] garuDa doesn't move a step when stationary.

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And now the language aspects -

अगच्छन् = (adj) while not moving
This is one of the ways to denote 'while doing something', and they are treated as adjectives of the do-er.
e.g. "Don't read while eating.", here, 'while eating' is khAdan खादन्.
Similarly, 'gachchhan' गच्छन् means - while moving. with the a- prefix it is the opposite.
hence, 'while not moving'.

There are other rules, but mainly the -an -अन्, -aan -आन्, -maan -मान् suffixes are used.
In some cases, for feminine forms, the verb in third person, plural is used with a long -I (-ee) -ई ending. e.g. gachchhantI गच्छन्ती, pibantI पिबन्ती, vadantI वदन्ती etc are valid words (the ending is NOT short -i) which are feminine adjectives meaning she while going, drinking, speaking etc.

वैनतेयोऽपि = vainateyaH + api = son of vinatA (garuDa) + even/also

पदमेकं = padam + ekam = step + one

न = not

गच्छति = goes

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!




सत्य = satya = truth
श्रद्धा = shraddhA = reverent faith
प्रेम = prema = love
शान्ति = shAnti = peace

Four pillars of happy society.

Sometimes, those who stand for something, are made to stand by it themselves, or carry the burden of their truths on their shoulders.

And those who stand by their revealed truths, live forever; while those who test them come and go.

Wishing Jesus a very Happy Birthday,
and to others - enjoy the paa'teee!
Merry Christmas!

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

worryfree bliss - द्वावेव चिन्तया मुक्तौ

द्वावेव चिन्तया मुक्तौ परमानन्द आप्लुतौ |
यो विमुग्धो जडो बालो, यो गुणेभ्यः परं गतः ||

dvAveva chintayA muktau, paramAnanda Aplutau |
yo vimugdho jaDo bAlo, yo guNebhyaH param gataH ||

bhAgavat purANa 11.9.4


Only two are free of worries and drenched in bliss - one who is ignorant, innocent kid or one who has transcended beyond the manifest (a realized soul).

To see the first one, the innocent ignorant kid, check the video below:


The one who knows not, is happy.
The one who has known it all, and gone beyond the duality, multiplicity, seen the one in all, all in one, is also blissfully happy. The former just came from that source, the latter is going to go there. Bliss.

It is this world, that adds to the worries, to the ones who have been 'dirtied' by this world. Worries like
- Will it rain/snow today?
- Why is her shirt whiter than mine? What detergent is she using?
- Why has s/he not responded to my SMS yet? Is s/he seeing someone else?
- Will wikileaks leak something about me?
- How is the traffic going to be today?
- Why don't they reduce the menu choices at the fast food to just one and make it really fast?
- Will there be enough money for a 3G scam in India?
- Will the US economy get better enough to afford another mortgage kind of scam?

If you have forgotten how you were happy some day, watch the video above. Maybe when you were young, there were no remote cars, at least not when I was a kid that age! But that is irrelevant. Kids always find something, even a cardboard box, to be happy. After all, it is all in the mind - happiness and sorrow. And NOT in the things.

When we forget the difference between wants and needs, we start looking for happiness in things - like when getting a 'beige' iPad, that no one else has! (Yeah, I know, they haven't made that shade for consumer market yet, only I have the custom colored toy!)

So, live a bit, laugh a bit, learn a bit. Learn to unlearn, unlearn the worrying, the worries. Worries beyond the basics - food, cloth, roof.

Your true nature is indeed to be happy. Remove the heavy cloak of worries and ego, and find yourself!

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

the adjectives match in vibhakti and vachana, and is easily seen here -
dvau muktau Aplutau.

द्वावेव dvAveva = द्वौ dvau + इव eva = two only

चिन्तया chintayA = by worry

मुक्तौ muktau = two free

परमानन्द paramAnanda = parama + Ananda = ultimate bliss

the words before sandhi are paramAnande Aplutau. due to sandhi, the 'e' drops and becomes paramAnanda Aplutau

आप्लुतौ Aplutau = two drenched

यो yo = yaH = that which

विमुग्धो vimugdho = vimugdhaH = one who is mesmerized, oblivious of everything else

जडो jaDo = jaDaH = ignorant. (also means foolish, less intelligent, non-living)

बालो bAlo = bAlaH = child, kid. (specifically boy, generally a child)

यो yo = yaH = that which

गुणेभ्यः guNebhyaH = away from/beyond guNa, forms, qualities, (of matter, people, differentiation)

परं param = other (side of differentiation)

गतः gataH = one who has gone

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Four degrees of pronouns - एतद् etad इदम् idam अदस् adas तद् tad

There are four degrees of pronouns, based on proximity.

एतद् = etad = this (very close);
इदम् = idam = this (close);
अदस् = adas = that (away);
तद् = tad = that (not present, i.e. in absentia).

These are root words, their forms in three genders go very similarly.

masc.
एतद् = एषः एतौ एते
etad = eShaH etau ete

इदम् = अयम् इमौ इमे
idam = ayam imau ime

अदस् = असौ अमू अमी
adas = asau amU amI

तद् = सः तौ ते
tad = saH tau te


fem.
एतद् = एषा एते एताः
etad = eShA ete etAH

इदम् = इयम् इमे इमाः
idam = iyam ime imAH

अदस् = असौ अमू अमूः
adas = asau amU amUH

तद् = सा ते ताः
tad = sA te tAH


neutr.

एतद् = एतत् एते एतानि
etad = etat ete etAni

इदम् = इदम् इमे इमानि
idam = idam ime imAni

अदस् = अदः अमू अमूनि
adas = adaH amU amUni

तद् = तत् ते तानि
tad = tat te tAni


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Don't axe your good projects - आम्रं छित्त्वा कुठारेण

आम्रं छित्त्वा कुठारेण निम्बं परिचरेत् तु कः |
यश्चैनं पयसा सिञ्चेन्नैवास्य मधुरो भवेत् ||
Amram chhittvA kuThAreNa, nimbam paricharet tu kaH |
yash_chainam payasA si~nchennaivAsya madhuro bhavet ||

Who after cutting a mango tree, should take care of a Neem tree (i.e. no one)? Whosoever may water the Neem tree even with milk, indeed the Neem doesn't become sweet.


Mango

Neem



In the epic rAmAyaNa रामायण, kaikeyI कैकेयी had asked for her boons. Exile to rAma राम, throne to bharata भरत. The king, dasharatha दशरथ was unconscious, his charioteer sumantra सुमन्त्र too fell unconscious. All the ladies and residents of the palace were wailing.

When sumantra सुमन्त्र regained consciousness, he was very angry. Rubbing his hands together, clenching his teeth, with red eyes, he started to torment kaikeyI कैकेयी with his word-arrows. Among the many things he said, was this.

Here he compares dasharatha's दशरथ decision to enthrone rAma राम as the mango and to give throne to bharata भरत plus exile to rAma राम as nimbam निम्बम् (Neem tree). No matter how much you pour milk in the Neem tree, it doesn't acquire sweetness.

Similarly, when starting a project, task, if it is a bad intentioned project to begin with, no amount of masking, faking, misleading PR stunts will make it a good project. Some day, sooner than later, the scam will be exposed, the illness of the project will be out. And as Vidura विदुर warns, when the secret of one bad project done with illegal means come out, then come all other that were done with the same illegal wealth. One may see that happening in the current political news-sphere in India or US or world, 2010 seems the year of the scamsters.

The leaves of Neem are very similar to that of a mango tree, the fruit of Neem is similar to that of a mango when it starts out. Mango grows to be a luscious sweet pulpy juicy big fruit, Neem fruit remains small and very bitter.

The Neem is a very medicinal tree, and its benefit as a medicinal tree is NOT under dispute or criticism. It is only the sweet and bitter characteristics of the fruits being compared. This in no way should make Neem a villain!



Mango

Neem

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

आम्रं = Amram = [to] mango [tree]
used as object in the sentence (dvitiyA vibhakti)


छित्त्वा = chhittvA = after having chopped, cut down
छित् chhit = to cut
-त्वा -tvA suffix to indicate 'after having done so and so'


कुठारेण = kuThAreNa = by axe
kuThAra = axe
-eNa suffix to indicate instrument, by (third vibhakti)


निम्बं = nimbam = to Neem tree
used as object (see Amram above)

परिचरेत् = paricharet = should serve
char चर् verb = to walk about
pari-char = to walk around, as in taking care
pari-charyA परिचर्या = nursing, taking care of

तु = tu = word meaning 'pray tell me!' (used for emphasis)

कः = kaH = who

यश्चैनं = yash_chainam = and who, to this
यः + च + एनम् = yaH + cha + enam = one who + and + to this
यः yaH = one who
एनम् enam, comes from etad एतद् ('this', used for very close by thing)
for the second vibhakti (to this), both etam एतम् and enam एनम् are used.

पयसा = payasA = by milk
पयस् payas = milk
payasA = by milk, using milk (instrument, third vibhakti)

सिञ्चेन्नैवास्य = si~nchennaivAsya = should water (as verb), not, indeed, of it
सिञ्चेत् + न + एव + अस्य = si~nchet + na + eva + asya
सिञ्चेत् si~nchet = should water (as in watering a plant)
न na = not
एव eva = indeed (used for emphasis, has many shades of meaning)
अस्य asya = [fruit] of it

मधुरो = madhuro = sweet
मधुरः madhuraH = sweet
संधि sandhi makes the -aH to -o

भवेत् = bhavet = should become, becomes


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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Monday, December 13, 2010

Take from the known to the unknown - अरुन्धती-प्रदर्शन-न्यायः


The Ursa Major constellation is called the saptarShi सप्तर्षि (sapta-RiShi सप्त-ऋषि) or the seven sages. The second star from the tail-tip is Mizar which represents vasiShTha वसिष्ठ. It is a double star, and the faint star next to it is called Alcor, which is 'arundhatI' अरुन्धती (that which unblocks). To show this faint star arundhatI, one first points out the Ursa Major, then its tail star and then the faint arundhatI star.

After the wedding ceremony, one of the first rituals is for the groom to show the arundhatI star to the new bride as an ideal of marital harmony. Since the star is faint it is shown in steps from the most visible stars to the smaller one.

It is even said that one who can't see the star with naked eye, will soon be dying. This is held even in Japanese culture. And in Arabic cultures also, it was used a test of sharp eyesight.

What are the practical inferences from this?

In teaching someone, or showing a way, this method of going from the known to the unknown works much better.

Lead from the known to the unknown. Whether it is the new joinee at the company, a student at school, or your child - when explaining a new or complex concept, start from what is known to the other person. Build up on that step by step and take them to your vision, or the goal or the answer as the case may be.

When ‘selling’ new policies or programs, to employees or clients, start from what they know, and lead their path to the green pasture you are ‘selling’. Along the way, show how it is possible to traverse the path or implement the policy and what the benefits will be.

Change meets resistance of the unknown. If you remove the unknown factor, make people understand the journey and destination, they are more willing to travel with you.

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and now the language aspects -
arundhatI = one that unblocks (the path?)
rundh = to block, choke

pradarshana = show
dRik = to see
driShya = view (noun) as in "what a view!"
darshana = seeing of something/one
pra-darshana = to show, to put up a show, show off
pra-darshanI = exhibition, trade show

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(c) shashikant joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

stable fame and prosperity - संयमात् प्रतितिष्ठति

The start of any long term and stable prosperity and fame is in a good deed, a beneficial project. Be it for a company or for society at large, or at home. Be it a business person thinking or a politician. We are of course not talking about selfish spectrum scandals, which may bring prosperity in short run, but legal action, infamy in the long run.

When prosperity and associated fame starts pouring in, it is increased, fed, nourished by the maturity of mind, intelligence. Which finds new ways to create holistic and win-win-win situations that compound the prosperity.

But it starts to gain roots (in one's endeavors) when one shows skill, expertise, dexterity - of resourcefulness, management, innovation, efficiency, domain knowledge etc.

But when does it not just start, increase, take root but establish permanent (for the time being) camp? That happens when one learns and practices saMyam संयम self-restraint. When one controls one's urges, whims, petty wishes. When one has discipline. Discipline to do the work, which is required, even if it is not 'interesting' or 'challenging' as sometimes people with high

श्रीर्मङ्गलात् प्रभवति प्रागल्भ्यात् संप्रवर्धते |
दाक्ष्यात्तु कुरुते मूलं संयमात् प्रतितिष्ठति ||

shrIr_ma~NgalAt prabhavati, prAgalbhyAt sampravardhate |
dAkShyAt_tu kurute mUlam saMyamAt prati_tiShThati ||

śhrīr_maṅgalāt prabhavati, prāgalbhyāt sampravardhate ।
dākṣhyāt_tu kurute mūlam saṃyamāt prati_tiṣhṭhati ॥

Prosperity happens by good deeds, increases by maturity [of intelligence], takes root by skill/cleverness, and establishes by discipline.
This is from Vidur Neeti 3:51.

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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

shrIr श्रीर् = shrIH श्रीः = wealth, prosperity, fame
shrIH became shrIr (H -> r) dues to visarga विसर्ग sandhiH संधिः

ma~NgalAt = ma~Ngala मङ्गल (मंगल) = auspicious, good, beneficial
-At suffix = from
= from auspicious [deeds]

prabhavati = comes from
bhava भव = to be
prabhAva प्रभाव = influence
prabhavati = gets influenced by, comes from

prAgalbhyAt = maturity
pragalbha प्रगल्भ = mature of mind
prAgalbhya प्रागल्भ्य = maturity of mind
-At suffix = from maturity

sampravardhate = increases very much
vardhan/vRiddhi = (n) increase
vardhate = increases
sam- pra- prefixes add to its magnitude - completely, verily increases

dAkShyAt = from dexterity, skill
dakSha दक्ष = skillful, dexterous (even the word dexterous seems derived from dakSha)
dAkshya दाक्ष्य = skillfulness (adj)
-At suffix = from skillfulness

tu = used for emphasis

kurute = does, makes

mUlam = base. root.

saMyamAt = from control
saMyam = control, self-control
-At suffix = from self-control

prati_tiShThati = fully establishes
tiShThati = stays, stays put
prati- completely, well, fully establishes itself


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Friday, December 3, 2010

Time is insurmountable - कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः

Time devours all things, Time kills all that are born.
Time is awake while all else sleeps, Time is insurmountable.

- Vidura in Mahabharata

Everything that is created will be destroyed, sooner or later. This destruction is actually transformation. It is only destruction of external form. Otherwise, it is mere transformation. Be it on earth, by simple forces of nature like earthquake, volcano, water erosion, even mighty oceans are shaken, Grand Canyon is created, new islands are formed in the middle of oceans. At celestial levels, stars are born and die, galaxies collide.


Everyone that is born, has to die. That is the eternal truth expressed in Upanishads, Gita as well as modern expression - 'Tax and Death spare none.' No matter who - God incarnate, minor gods, son of god or messenger of god, all have gone from the earth in the physical form.

A young mother once went to Buddha with her dead baby, pleading him to give the baby life. No amount of reason seemed to work on her motherly attachment. So Buddha told her to get some rice for the life-ritual from a house where none had died. The desperate mother went to each and every house of the village, but to her horror, there was not a single house where no death had happened.

The immortality we hear of is not of the form, but of the soul.

When all else sleep, be it people, dogs, godhead, or even creation after the annihilation, time never stops. The huge serpent on which viShNu विष्णु lies is called 'ananta' अनन्त or 'sheSha' शेष . ananta means without end, and time has no end. sheSha means remainder, time is what is left when all else is gone. While we rest, time keeps moving.

Time is in essence nothing but change. And change is the only constant out there. And the great lord of lord (devAdhideva देवाधिदेव, mahA-deva महा-देव ) shiva शिव is the personification of change. And hence it is called mahA-kAla महा-काल - the great Time.

The last part in itself is quoted instead of the whole shloka. 'kalo hi durati-kramaH' - time is inevitable, insurmountable.

There are so many observations about this inevitability of time, that it is like a list of cliches -'Time and tide wait for none. Time heals. You get nothing before time, or more than destined (samaya se pahale aur bhAgya se adhika kisI ko nahI.n milatA - समय से पहले और भाग्य से अधिक किसी को नहीं मिलता ).
This shloka is said by Vidura (vidura, विदुर) to the king Dhṛitarāṣhṭra (dhRitarAShTra, धृतराष्ट्र) in Mahābhārata (mahAbhArata, महाभारत) Strī Parva (strI parva, स्त्रीपर्व) verse 2.22

कालः पचति भूतानि, कालः संहरते प्रजाः |
कालः सुप्तेषु जागर्ति, कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः ||

kālaḥ pachati bhūtāni, kālaḥ saṃharate prajāḥ |
kālaḥ supteṣhu jāgarti, kālo hi duratikramaḥ ||

kAlaH pachati bhUtAni, kAlaH saMharate prajAH |
kAlaH supteShu jAgarti, kAlo hi duratikramaH ||


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and now the language aspects of the shloka -

kAlaH = time

pachati = digests

bhUtAni = that which have materialized - things, living beings etc.
bhava = to happen, to be
bhUta = that which has happened. even the word for past tense is 'bhUta kAla' भूत-काल
it is also used for all creation that has happened. e.g. pa~ncha-mahA-bhUta पञ्च-महा-भूत are the basic five elements of creation - air, earth, fire, space and water.

kAlaH = time
saMharate = kills, takes back
prajAH = that which has been born.
it is also used to denote the subjects, citizens.
from root word jan - to give birth

kAlaH = time
supteShu = in sleep. while everything else is sleep.
jAgarti = wakes, is awake

kAlo = kAlaH (kAlo due to sandhi)
hi = surely (for emphasis)
duratikramaH = duH + ati + kramaH = difficult to trespass = insurmountable, can't be defeated/passed/violated. i.e. the flow and laws of time can't be broken.



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