September 2023
Note
sapta-daśādhyāya-gaḻoḻ
Vistarisida dharma-tattva-gaḻan-īgaḻ saṃ- ।
kṣiptadi peḻvaṃ guru tan-
nāpta-sakha-vyāja-diṃde loka-hitārthaṃ ॥ 1 ॥
For the benefit of the world,
on the pretext of his friend
The Guru now briefly
Explains the principles of dharma
That he described in chapters seventeen.
karma-sumārcana-vidhiyaṃ
ḍharmada nija-para-hitārtha-saṃskāragaḻaṃ ॥
nirmaman-adhidharmateyaṃ ।
nirmalinada yajña-dāna-tapagaḻa...
Māgha
In the second canto of Śiśupālavadha, the poet Māgha uses ideas from various sciences to support his arguments on polity. It is appropriate that he has included literary aesthetics as well. A few observations in this section are worth noting:
बह्वपि स्वेच्छया कामं प्रकीर्णमभिधीयते।
अनुज्झितार्थसम्बन्धः प्रबन्धो दुरुदाहरः॥(2.73)
It is easy to whip up incoherent statements one after another as per one’s whim. However, to create a...
Though Rāghava was the elder of the two, he immediately accepted the advice of Lakṣmaṇa, recognising the essential truth the latter had spoken. Accordingly, the brothers went ahead searching for Sītā in all possible places. They spotted the illustrious Jaṭāyu, as huge as a mountain peak, drenched in blood. Immediately, Rāma told Lakṣmaṇa, “Sītā has been undoubtedly devoured by this creature. This is certainly a rākṣasa, who roams around in the...
Jānaśruti (Chāndogya)
Once there lived a noble king called Jānaśruti. His practices were rooted in dharma and always involved in dāna. He had arranged daily santarpaṇa in his palace. He also had built chatras all over his kingdom. His fame knew no bounds. He had all the merit required to attain the brahmajñāna. Only thing lacking was a good guru.
Scorching summer. To avoid the heat Jānaśruti would sleep on the terrace. One night as he was...
Let us now reflect a little upon its meaning.
1.Om
tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ |
pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satatam brahmavādinām ||
BG 17.24
"The votaries of Brahma perform yajña, dāna and tapas after uttering Om".
We have discussed the meaning of Om in the eighth chapter under "Omityekākṣaraṃ Brahma." Om has three constituent units of a + u + m. When considered separately, they can be construed as representing either the...
मर्त्यानां वियद्विहारवाञ्छा चिरनिरूढैव। विहायसि विहरन्तं विहङ्गवृन्दं वारं वारं पश्यत्सु मानवेषु डिडयिषा समुत्पन्नेति जीवविकासवादिनो विद्वांसो मन्वते। प्रायेण गतेषूपशतेषु वर्षेषु लिप्सेयं शक्यसाध्या समभूदिति तन्त्रज्ञानेतिहासाद्विज्ञायते। परं भौतशिल्पवैचित्र्याणां प्रागेव कल्पनाजगति विहरद्भिः सुकविभिः काङ्क्षेयं वागर्थमाध्यमेन साधितेति साहितीविदामपरोक्षम्। काव्यमार्गमनुसरन्त्यो नृत्यचित्रशिल्पाद्याः कलाश्च मानवस्य गगनगमनतर्षं स्वेन स्वेन...
As she was being carried away by Rāvaṇa, Sītā was stricken with misery. With her eyes red with anger, she said, “You don’t appear to feel ashamed for performing this ignoble deed. I’m sure it was you, a vicious coward, who contrived to get my husband away by resorting to the illusion of a deer, so that you can carry me off. You even struck down the brave creature that tried to save me. You have displayed wonderful prowess, O vilest of rākṣasas!...