Sardar Patel visited Junagadh in November 1947 after the state of Junagadh formally joined Indian Union. Jam Saheb and Kakasaheb Gadgil who were prominent citizens of Junagadh accompanied Sardar during this visit. Jam Saheb has recounted his memory of Sardar’s visit to Somanath on 12 November 1947 in the following words:
शीतेनाद्ध्युषितस्य माषशिमिवच्चिन्तार्णवे मज्जतः
शान्ताग्नेः स्फुटिताधरस्य धमतः क्षुत्क्षामकण्ठस्य मे ।
निद्रा क्वाप्यवमानितेव दयिता संत्यज्य दूरं गता
सत्पात्रप्रतिपादितेव वसुधा न क्षीयते शर्वरी ॥
shitenaddhyushitasya mashashimivaccintarnave majjatah
shantagneh sphutitadharasya dhamatah kshutkshamakanthasya me |
nidra kvapyavamaniteva dayita samtyajya duram gata
satpatrapratipaditeva vasudha na kshiyate sharvari ||
Krishna points out in the Gita (3.21) – "यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठः तत्तदेवेतरो जनः" – that people follow the actions of a learned person. Vidyaranya was definitely one such shreshtha whose life is worthy of emulation though impossible for most people. His life has several gems worthy of adoration and emulation.
ಶ್ರೀಮದ್ರಾಮಾಯಣದ ಉತ್ತರಕಾಂಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಸೀತಾಪರಿತ್ಯಾಗವು ಹಿಂದಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಚರ್ಚೆಗೊಳಗಾಗಿರುವ ಭಾಗ. ಉತ್ತರಕಾಂಡವು ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿವಿರಚಿತವೋ ಅಲ್ಲವೋ ಎಂಬುದು ಕೂಡ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಚರ್ಚಾಸ್ಪದವಾಗಿದೆ. ಅದು ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿಗಳಿಂದ ರಚಿತವಾಗಿಲ್ಲವೆಂಬ ವಾದವನ್ನು ಡಿ.ವಿ.ಜಿ. ಅವರು ತಳ್ಳಿ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಾರೆ. ವಾಲ್ಮೀಕಿಗಳ ಉದ್ದೇಶವು ರಾಮಚರಿತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ರಚಿಸುವುದಷ್ಟೇ ಆಗಿರದೆ ಸೀತಾಚರಿತ್ರೆಯನ್ನು ರಚಿಸುವುದೂ ಆಗಿತ್ತು. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ‘ಕಾವ್ಯಂ ರಾಮಾಯಣಂ ಕೃತ್ಸ್ನಂ ಸೀತಾಯಾಶ್ಚರಿತಂ ಮಹತ್’ (೧-೪-೭) (ಕಾವ್ಯವು ರಾಮನ ಸಮಗ್ರವೃತ್ತಾಂತ ಮತ್ತು ಸೀತೆಯ ಮಹತ್ತ್ವಪೂರ್ಣಚರಿತ್ರೆ) ಎಂಬ ಮಾತು ಬರುತ್ತದೆ.
The Sanskrit Podcast hosted by Shoba Narayan and featuring Smt. Vimala Rangachar
How often have you heard this refrain or its variants: Naah! I don’t go to temples. I don’t like going to temples…I mean, there’s no point…all that noise, meaningless mantras and rituals…some are so unhygienic…I believe in God but I’m spiritual…after all, Hinduism is a personal religion and I don’t really need to go to a temple to pray…? How often have you yourself uttered this refrain? Answer honestly.
For several years now, there has been an attempt to distort India’s history, culture, and traditions starting from the Islamic invaders, British imperialism, the missionaries, and more recently, the Marxist historians and so-called intellectuals. This trend continues unabated even to this day.
Panini (पाणिनि) was a grammarian of ancient India. We do not know when and where he lived. 5th century BCE is a safe estimate. Today, the word ‘Panini’ connotes several things, of which the foremost is perhaps a computer-compatible, NASA-approved system of grammar. Over the decades, many learned minds have been engaged in extracting algorithms out of अष्टाध्यायी ('the eight-chapter book'), a treatise on Sanskrit grammar authored by Panini. The world of computers – though advancing at the speed of light – has not benefited from this ‘computer-compatible’ system.