Author:hari

The fourteenth day of the war began with Droṇa arranging the Kaurava army in the śakaṭa-vyūha formation within which he arranged the army in the padma-vyūha and inside that created a sūcī-vyūha. At the front of the sūcī, he had arranged Kṛtavarma, Kāmbhoja, Jalasandha, Duryodhana, Karṇa, and along with these heroes, thousands of other warriors; behind all of them stood Jayadratha. Droṇa himself stood at the front of the śakaṭa.

The day’s battle began.

ಋಷಿಕುಮಾರ ಋಷ್ಯಶೃಂಗ ಹೆಣ್ಣನ್ನೇ ಕಾಣದೆ ಬೆಳೆದವನು. ಅವನು ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿಗೆ ಬೈತಲೆ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೆರಳು ಹಾಕಿಕೊಂಡ ಹೆಂಗಸರನ್ನು ಕಂಡಾಗ ಅವರ ಹಣೆಯೇ ಎರಡು ಪಾಲಾದಂತೆ ಭ್ರಮಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅದನ್ನು ತುಂಬ ಚಮತ್ಕಾರಕವಾಗಿ ಮಹಾಭಾರತ ಹೇಳುವ ಪರಿ ಹೀಗಿದೆ:

ದ್ವೈಧೀಕೃತಾ ಭಾಂತಿ ಸಮಾ ಲಲಾಟೇ (೩.೧೧೨.೯)

I have mentioned earlier[1] that Karpura Srinivasa Rao was one of the founding fathers of Karṇāṭaka Sāhitya Pariṣad. In any activity beneficial to the nation, he would always make himself counted.

The Debauchery of the Art of Dance

Ahalyabai Holkar

Like Sawai Jai Singh, the other warrior who toiled for the cause of Sanatana Dharma during the period of the downfall of the Mughal Empire was the ideal woman Ahalyabai Holkar. Before her were women like Jijabai (Shivaji’s mother) and Yesubai, the wife of Sambhaji, Shivaji’s son. Sambhaji who was caught and imprisoned by the Mughals did not convert to Islam despite the horrific tortures he endured, and finally died a martyr. After his death, Yesubai instead of giving the throne to her young son, Sahu, displayed magnanimity by giving it up to her brother-in-law, Rajaram.

BhagavadGeeta

A popular dhyāna-śloka (benedictory verse) for the Bhagavad-gītā is as follows:

bhīṣma-droṇa-taṭā jayadratha-jalā gāndhāra-nīlotpalā

śalya-grāhavatī kṛpeṇa vahanī karṇena velākulā |

aśvatthāma-vikarṇa-ghora-makarā duryodhanāvartinī

sottīrṇā khalu pāṇḍavai raṇa-nadī kaivartakaḥ keśavaḥ ||[1]

 

The Pāṇḍavas crossed this great war-river –

I shall narrate my recollections of certain public institutions in Bangalore. I have written elsewhere about political institutions.[1] I will reminisce about socio-cultural organizations here.

Ranade Society

One of the oldest among the institutions that sprung up for the upliftment of society and culture was one by name Ranade Society.

The next morning Duryodhana told Droṇa, “Ācārya, although Yudhiṣṭhira came as close as the eyes could see, you failed to capture him. Therefore it appears like you consider us as the enemy; even if the devatas were protecting him, if you put your mind to it, you could have captured him. It was you who was delighted and granted me the boon and now you’re drifting from your word. The noble ones should not dampen the hopes of those who have taken refuge in them.”

 

ಯದ್ವಿಜ್ಞಾನಮಹಾವ್ಯೋಮ್ನಿ ಕ್ರಿಯತೇ ತಚ್ಚರಾಚರಮ್ |

ತಸ್ಮೈ ಜ್ಞೇಯದರಿದ್ರಾಯ ನಮೋ ಭಾರತವೇಧಸೇ ||

(ವರದವಿದ್ವಾಂಸನ “ಜ್ಞಾನಪಂಜರ”ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನ)

(ಯಾರ ಅನುಭವಜನ್ಯಜ್ಞಾನವೆಂಬ ಮಹಾಕಾಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಕಲಚರಾಚರಗಳೂ ರೂಪಿತವಾಗುವುವೋ ಅಂಥ ಭಾರತಬ್ರಹ್ಮನಿಗೆ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ. ಆ ಕೃತಿಯೂ ಅದರ ಕರ್ತೃವೂ ನಮ್ಮ ಪಾಲಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಯಲು ಮತ್ತಾವುದನ್ನೂ ಉಳಿಸಿಲ್ಲ.)