Practical Sanskrit

Saraswati Stuti 6,7 - यया विना जगत्सर्वं

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Without whom the entire world and eternal life would become like dead, the one who is the presiding deity of "knowing", for that Saraswati, salutation, salutation. || 6 ||

Imagine without the ability to grasp, hold, process and communicate what would we be? We are one of the most helpless animals! No claws, canines, camouflage, furry winter coat, super senses, agility, super size - nothing! We are what we are because of our ability to observe, retain, process and derive - that is Saraswati!

(See Saraswati Stuti Shloka 2 for the explanation of grasp, hold, process..)

Without whom the entire world would become eternally dumb (without speech) and like insane, that divinity who is the presiding protector of Speech, for that Vani, salutation, salutation. || 7 ||

Imagine no speech. Just dumb. No speech whatsoever. Just grunts, chirps, screechs like monkeys and birds.

Without speech it will be very insane indeed. All our day passes by listening to people - at office, at home, on TV, on the phone, singing our favorite songs, in movies, in games (rarely to ourselves!). How insane it would be, without speech!

Thanks to Speech, Saraswati, for giving us not only faith, retention, intelligence, but sanity.

See other shloka-s from Saraswati Stuti.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

यया विना जगत्सर्वं शश्वज्जीवन्मृतं भवेत् ।

ज्ञानाधिदेवी या तस्यै सरस्वत्यै नमो नमः ॥६॥

yayā vinā jagat-sarvam śhaśhvajjīvan-mṛitam bhavét ।

jñānādhidévī yā tasyai sarasvatyai namo namaḥ ॥6॥

yayA vinA jagat-sarvam shashvajjIvan-mRitam bhavet ।

GYAnAdhi-devI yA tasyai sarasvatyai namo namaH ॥6॥

yayA = by which
vinA = without
jagat = world
sarvam = entire
shashvajjIvan = whole life
mRitam = dead
bhavet= becomes

GYAnAdhi-devI = presiding divinity (devI) of knowing (GYAna)
yA = one who (fem.)
tasyai = for her
sarasvatyai = for saraswatI
namo = namaH = salutation
namaH= salutation

यया विना जगत्सर्वं मूकमुन्मत्तवत्सदा ।

या देवी वागधिष्ठात्री तस्यै वाण्यै नमो नमः ॥७॥

yayā vinā jagat-sarvam mūkam_unmattavat-sadā ।

yā dévī vāgadhiṣhṭhātrī tasyai vāṇyai namo namaḥ ॥7॥

yayA vinA jagat-sarvam mUkam_unmattavat-sadA ।

yA devI vAgadhiShThAtrI tasyai vANyai namo namaH ॥7॥

yayA = by which

vinA = without

jagat = world

sarvam = entire

mUkam = dumb, speechless

unmattavat = like insane (unmatta)

sadA = always

yA = that which

devI = goddess

vAgadhiShThAtrI = presiding diety of speech (vAk)

tasyai = for her

vANyai = for Speech (vANi)

namo = namaH = salutation

namaH = salutation

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Saraswati Stuti 5 - ब्रह्म-स्वरूपा परमा

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Salutations and salutations to the one who is like Brahma, the Supreme, Illuminating, Eternal, overseer of all knowledge, to Speech. || 5 ||

Knowledge, truth is God, the Supreme, illuminating and eternal. We may find them temporally, but they are themselves eternal.

The brahman (ब्रह्मन् ) is eternal, knowledge is supreme, it illuminates our path through the darkness of ignorance, and once known it is known foreever. Truth doesn't change, its interpretations and applications may change. Science is same, technology can change to suit the people and economies.

She being the divinity of knowledge, presides over all aspects of knowledge. She is like the Chancellor of the University, which has many departments of studies.

Watch out for more shloka-s from Saraswati Stuti coming up.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

ब्रह्म-स्वरूपा परमा ज्योति-रूपा सनातनी ।

सर्वविद्याधिदेवी या तस्यै वाण्यै नमो नमः ॥५॥

brahma-svarūpā paramā jyoti-rūpā sanātanī ।

sarva-vidyādhi-dévī yā tasyai vāṇyai namo namaḥ ॥5॥ (IAST)

brahma-svarUpA paramA jyoti-rUpA sanAtanI ।

sarva-vidyAdhi-devI yA tasyai vANyai namo namaH ॥5॥ (ITRANS)

brahma-svarUpA = one who is like the brahma
paramA = the supreme (fem.)
jyoti-rUpA = in the form of light, illumination (fem.)
sanAtanI= eternal (fem.)

sarva-vidyAdhi-devI = presiding divinity (devI) of all (sarva) knowledge (vidyA)
yA = one who is (fem.)
tasyai = for her
vANyai = for Speech (vANI)
namo = namaH = salutation
namaH= salutation

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Saraswati Stuti 4 - भद्रकाल्यै नमो नित्यं

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Bow to the auspicious Kali daily, and salutations again and to Saraswati, who emanates from the Veda-s, Vedanga, Vedanta and other sources of knowledge. || 4 ||

Kali, is not just the Black One, but the Ultimate Time. And in her auspicious, beautiful form she is the Saraswati. Remember the three goddesses are one Shakti manifesting as three.

Bow daily to that Auspicious Kali and to Saraswati. Which Saraswati? That which flows from the Veda-s, Vedanga, Vedanta ... And you are wondering, there it goes again, all supreme Veda, everything in the Veda is true, divine etc. and nothing else is true.

Wrong. The last bit is wrong. It is not that Veda-s alone contain all truth. Whatever they contain is true, but that doesn't limit truth. So, Saraswati springs forth from these known storehouses of truths, the three V-s but from any other source of knowledge. Here is the acceptance of the simple fact that knowledge is not bound, not limited. It is free flowing, for anyone who can tune into it, receive it. Just like the scientists have been doing at a much rapid rate in the last few centuries. And given the right conditions we find many nations and people of many nationalities have tuned into and discovered much. No restriction on who can receive knowledge.

Watch out for more shloka-s from Saraswati Stuti coming up.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

भद्रकाल्यै नमो नित्यं सरस्वत्यै नमो नमः ।

वेद-वेदांग-वेदान्त-विद्यास्थानेभ्य एव च ॥४॥

bhadra-kālyai namo nityam sarasvatyai namo namaḥ ।

véda-védāṅga-védānta-vidyā-sthānébhya éva cha ॥4॥

bhadra-kAlyai namo nityam sarasvatyai namo namaH ।

veda-vedA~Nga-vedAnta-vidyA-sthAnebhya eva cha ॥4॥

bhadra-kAlyai = for the auspicious kAlI
namo = namaH = salutation
nityam = daily
sarasvatyai = for saraswatI
namo = namaH = salutation
namaH = salutation

veda = the Veda-s
vedA~Nga = the six limbs (a~Nga) of Veda ('education')
vedAnta = the end part (anta) of Veda, the Upanishad-s
vidyA-sthAnebhya = from [other] places (sthAna) of knowledge (vidyA)
eva = also
cha = and

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Saraswati Stuti 3 - नमामि यामिनी-नाथ-लेखालंकृत-कुन्तलाम्

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:37:00 +0000

I bow to the one who has ear-rings adorned with the shine of moonlight, to Bhavani, to the one who is like a river of nectar to extinguish the scorching of this mortal world. || 3 ||

Like any epitome of beauty, her jewelry is also impeccable. Her ear rings have a shade of shining moonlight. Imagine it as a name of a fragrance or of a pearl - 'Shine de Luna' or something equally exotic. She has those ear rings.

She is also Bhavani (bhavAnI), which is the name of Parvati. Bhavani literally means bhavasya bhAryA - the wife of the bhava, the Lord God, that which has happened, formed. Remember, the whole world is imbibed with the divine. First there was the unmanifest, then the manifest - the bhava, that which happened. The power that sustains that, is Bhavani, much like a wife sustains the home.

Here comes the unity in diversity. The three forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are all the same - Adi-puruShu; and the three forms of Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati are all the same - Adi-shakti. It takes all three to have this world function. So Bhavani is used for all three goddesses, in context. But otherwise, it is meant for Parvati.

This mortal world has many troubles, pains and sorrows. Well, there is positive also, but we only remember the powers to be during trouble, be it the police, government or the divine. The scorching pains of this mortal world are extinguished, soothed by the nectar like waters of the river, that is literally - the Saraswati river; and figuratively - the knowledge supreme. Ignorance is the main cause of all troubles and Saraswati removes ignorance.

Watch out for more shloka-s from Saraswati Stuti coming up.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

नमामि यामिनी-नाथ-लेखालंकृत-कुन्तलाम् ।

भवानीं भव-सन्ताप-निर्वापण-सुधा-नदीम् ॥३॥

namāmi yāminī-nātha-lékhālaṅkṛita-kuntalām ।

bhavānīm bhava-santāpa-nirvāpaṇa-sudhā-nadīm ॥3॥

namAmi yAminI-nAtha-lekhAla~NkRita-kuntalAm ।

bhavAnIm bhava-santApa-nirvApaNa-sudhA-nadIm ॥3॥

namAmi = I bow
yAminInAtha = lord (nAtha) of the night (yAminI), the moon
lekhAla~NkRita = adorned (ala~nkRita) with the streaks/lines (lekha)
kuntalAm = to the one who has [such] ear rings
bhavAnIm = to Bhavani, the mother of the world
bhava = this world, that which has happened
santApa = scorching, pains and sorrow
nirvApaNa = for extinguishing, calming, soothing
sudhA = nectar
nadIm = to [such] river

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Saraswati Stuti 2 - या श्रद्धा-धारणा-मेधा

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:33:00 +0000

The one who is Shraddha, Dharana, intelligence, divinity of speech and dear to the Creator Brahma. She is the one who resides at the tongue-tip of devotees and is the giver of inner strengths like control, restraint, calmness, non-violence. || 2 ||

Shraddha is usually translates as faith and then misunderstood as religion. Shraddha is a reverence, respect for something. Like a child should have for parents, a devotee to the divine, a student to the teacher. It does not mean slavery or blind following, but a reverence for things gone before, ancestors who contributed to the world. It is a single word so alien to the modern times of skepticism, questioning for the sake of it and of individualism to the point of solitary self-confinement.

Without sharddha (shraddhA), you gain nothing, you learn nothing. No matter who we are, whenever we have grown, it is because we had some reverence for the person who gave us the growth. Be it eating our dinner with the faith that mother won't harm, or leaning in school that teacher won't tell wrong things. Maybe not the absolute truth, but the best possible truths. When we are driving, we have faith people will follow the rules (at least in the US). If we doubt everything, we will not survive.

Dharana (dhAraNA) is the ability to hold, contain, memory or focus, concentration.

See the sequence - faith, memory, intelligence, speech. When we have faith, then we learn and grow. Then we need the memory and focus to be able to hold what we have observed or learned. With intelligence we need to process that to make it of use, to deduce the future, be it inventions or foresight or forecast. And then, how do we relate it to others? Through speech. Before that, before observing, holding, processing - speech is just babbling. She is the favorite of the Creator Brahma (brahmA).

She sits on the tip of the tongue of devotees. What does it mean? One, that she enables her devotees to be intelligent speakers, communicators, but also that her devotees praise her. Who is she again? Not the four armed, swan riding woman, but she is the ability to observe, grasp, retain, process and communicate. These things make people wise, and wise people always praise these things.

She gives the various personality traits of inner strength. Body strength is one, but the strength of the mind is more amazing and rare. Self-control, self-restraint, forgiveness, purity of thought, not hurting others, not coveting - some of the yama-niyama of Yoga. Wisdom gives that. Intelligence gives that. When people really apply their intelligence without selfish interest, they can see that self-restraint is the only way out. Earlier the choice was limited, today it is limitless, and unless you control yourself with your eating, internet use, mobile use, addiction etc. you are doomed.

Watch out for more shloka-s from Saraswati Stuti coming up.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

या श्रद्धा-धारणा-मेधा-वाग्देवी-विधिवल्लभा ।

भक्त-जिह्वाग्र-सदना शमादि-गुण-दायिनि ॥२॥

yā śhraddhā-dhāraṇā-médhā-vāgdévī-vidhi-vallabhā ।

bhakta-jihvāgra-sadanā śhamādi-guṇa-dāyini ॥2॥

yA shraddhA-dhAraNA-medhA-vAgdevI-vidhi-vallabhA ।

bhakta-jihvAgra-sadanA shamAdi-guNa-dAyini ॥2॥

yA = one who
shraddhA = faith, reverence, respect
dhAraNA = retention, memory, concentration
medhA = intelligence
vAgdevI = divinity of speech
vidhi-vallabhA = dear (vallabhA) to the Creator brahmA

bhakta = devotee
jihvAgra = at the tip (agra) of the tongue (jihvA)
sadanA = one who makes a home (sadana)
shamAdi = shama etc. (shama, dama, dhairya etc.)
guNa = qualities
dAyini = giver

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Salutations to you, O Sharada - नमस्ते शारदे देवि

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:24:00 +0000

Salutations to you, O Sharada, O Goddess, O one who resides in Kashmir.

I pray to you daily, please give me the charity of knowledge. || 1 ||

Saraswati is called Sharada (shAradA), for she is the one worshiped before the onset of winter. During the Navaratri (nine nights of the Goddess), she is the one prayed to in the last three days, just before the onset of winter, or sharad, season. She also resides in Kashmir, from where the original Sarasvati river flowed, along side of present day Indus, and went dry. [So much for the present day political fiasco of Muslim claims over Kashmir !]

Watch out for more shloka-s from Saraswati Stuti coming up.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

नमस्ते शारदे देवि काश्मीरपुर-वासिनि ।

त्वामहं प्रार्थये नित्यं विद्यादानं च देहि मे ॥१॥

namasté śhāradé dévi kāśhmīra-pura-vāsini ।

tvāmaham prārthayé nityam vidyā-dānam cha déhi mé ॥1॥

namaste shArade devi kAshmIra-pura-vAsini ।

tvAmaham prArthaye nityam vidyA-dAnam cha dehi me ॥1॥

Word by word meaning:

namaH = salutation

te = for you

shArade = O shAradA = one who is prayed to on the ninth day of onset of sharad (winter)

devi = O Goddess

kAshmIra-pura-vAsini = O the one who resides in the city of kAshmIra

tvAm = to you

aham = I

prArthaye = pray

nityam = daily

vidyA = knowledge

dAnam = charity, gift, giving

cha = and

dehi = please give

me = to me

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

scissor-faced, कर्तरीमुख, kartarī-mukha

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:07:00 +0000

कर्तनम् (kartanam) = something that has been cut. Even today the word for cloth clippings (as at a tailor shop) or newspaper cuttings are called कतरन (katarana).

कर्तरी (kartarī / kartarI ) = scissors. The modern Hindi word for scissors is कैंची (kai.nchī)

कर्तरीमुख (kartarī-mukha / kartarI-mukha) = scissor-faced.

Kartarī-mukha is a हस्तमुद्रा (hasta-mudrā / hasta-mudrA = hand gesture) in the classical Indian dance of भरतनाट्यम् (Bharatnāṭyam / bharata-nATyam = theatre/dance as per Bharata). The index and middle finger extend out like an open scissor. The dance has many hand gestures, both with one or two hands, apart from the body postures. The highly evolved dance form uses these postures to tell a story extremely well, with well-defined and language of gestures, along with rhythm of the music and footwork of the dance – an overall overload of senses and communication!

The kartarī-mukha gesture can denote – a scissor, separation of couple (viraha), opposition, to indicate the number two, even the corner of the eye (when turned horizontally, as also seen in Western dance moves where the hand is moved across the eye in a wavy fashion).

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

sate hitam satyam - सते हितं सत्यम्

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:29:00 +0000

There has been some questions and confusions about the word sat, the literal meaning. Spiritually, the word can gain many infered meanings like unchangeable, supreme divine etc. Searching the web, there seems to be a lack of the exact understanding of the word and phrase.
Some web links are: Wiki, ethics.wiki, Melindanicity, Ryan, SOYA etc.

But what is the exact meaning of word sat (सत्) and satya (सत्य)? Sometimes it is referred as 'being', sometimes as 'truth' or 'true', sometimes as 'reality'...

What does sate hitam satyam (सते हितं सत्यम्) mean?

sat = सत् is pronounced as 'su' as in 'sum' and a half consonant of soft 't' (French or Italian pasta).

The root verb is 'as' - to be.

asti अस्ति = it/he/she is.

As in saḥ asti (saH asti / सः अस्ति) = He is.

sā asti (sA asti / सा अस्ति) = She is.

Now to signify an act that is going on (present participle), e.g. a student that is reading, a girl that is laughing etc. for parasmaipadī (parasmaipadI / ) verbs (like transitive verbs) a suffix shatṛi (shatRi / ) is used.

For pashyati (पश्यति = sees) -->
pashyat (पश्यत् , neutral),
pashyan (पश्यन् masc.),
pashyantī (pashyantI / पश्यन्ती ,fem.)

For paṭhati (paThati / पठति) (reads) -->
paṭhat (paThat / पठत् , neutral),
paṭhan (paThan / पठन् ,masc.),
paṭhantī (paThantI / पठन्ती , fem.)

For an example of a shloka with this usage, click here.

So, 'as' (अस्) verb means 'to be'. 'asti' (अस्ति) means 'is'.

Applying the suffix, we get 'sat' (सत् - neutral), 'san' (सन् - masculine), 'satī' (satI , सती - feminine) as the adjectives of continuous form = while being.

So, 'sat' indeed means 'that which is being', 'is in the act/state of being', the act of being has not completed yet, it is still going on.

What is truth? That which is.

So 'sat' means 'truth' as well as 'being'.

sat (सत्) is present continuous. satya (सत्य) is formed by using the 'yat' (यत्) suffix (which adds the 'ya' at end) and is used to denote 'that which is worth doing, or that which should be'. The suffix comes in three flavors - -tavya (-तव्य), -nīya (nIya, नीय) and –ya (य).

For example, gantavyam (गन्तव्यम्)= that which should be gone to = destination.

paṭhanīya (paThanIya , पठनीय)= that which should be read (paṭh /paTh / पठ्)

So satya is that which is worthy of being, that which should be.

sat = that which is.

satya = that which should be.

sate hitam satyam (सते हितं सत्यम्) defines satyam (सत्यम्), which is using the -yat (यत्) suffix to 'sat', and it means that which is for the [benefit of, good of, enhancement of] sat (सत्)

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Displaced and disgraced - राजाकुलवधूर्विप्रा

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:10:00 +0000

King, lady, scholar/priest, adviser, breasts,

teeth, hair, men, fingernails - displaced are disgraceful.

rAjA-kulavadhUr_viprA mantriNAsh_cha payodharAH |

sthAna-bhraShTA na shobhante dantAH keshA narA nakhAH || [ITRANS]

rājā-kulavadhūr_viprā mantriṇāsh_cha payodharāḥ |

sthāna-bhraṣhṭā na shobhanté dantāḥ késhā narā nakhāḥ || [IAST]

The shloka appears in the Hitopadesh (hitopadésha, हितोपदेश), when the crow Laghupatanaka (laghu-patanaka, लघुपतनक) tells his friend the mouse Hiranyaka (hiraṇyaka, hiraNyaka, हिरण्यक) that he wants to move from his current home to somewhere else, since he is unable to find much food around.

The mouse in return warns him of when to move and when not to. He says that "A lion, saint or elephant keep moving from place to place, but crows, cowards and animals/deer end up dying when they leave their abode."

There are some things that look graceful only in their own place, not displaced. Here 'place' is also used metaphorically to mean character, integrity, purity as well as literal place.

A king who is supposed to protect and provide for the state, graces the throne. A deposed king who has been defeated does not look very graceful. Being defeated itself means he was unable to defend and win. It also means that the grace of the king comes from his place, the crown and throne.

A lady of good upbringing is respected, graces her status only if she behaves like a lady. If she lets her character loosen, she is not attracting the same respect as before. Once fallen, it is almost impossible to regain the respect.

A 'vipra' (विप्र) is one who is learned, famous, scholar, a priest. One who is in pursuit of truth, who speaks the truth, and is known for his wisdom. It also means a brāhmaṇa (brAhmaNa, ब्राह्मण, the one in pursuit of truth), and one of the duties of a brāhmaṇa is the upliftment of all the sections of the society. If one doesn't stand by the truth, doesn't behave for the good of others (i.e. behaves selfishly) he has fallen from his place of duty and is not respectable. Once losing face, a vipra is never trusted or respected. Priests should not betray their followers, who trust lives and faith with them. Once betrayed the people don't trust the priest again. A priest should be selfless, divinely inclined.

An adviser, a minister (to the king), a counselor who does not give proper advice can cause the ruin of the kingdom or the corporate. A corporate executive fired for misconduct or under-performance doesn't look good at all. A defeated politician or a former politician doesn't exact the same respect or awe as an incumbent one.

A person who slides down from his place of upright character is not graceful. A fallen man is a pitiable thing, a picture of disgrace. Keep your character intact. It is a life long exercise, falling takes only a moment.

These were metaphorical examples. Now for some literal examples.

Breasts are a very visual aspect of the physical beauty of a woman and they have been praised liberally by ancient and modern poets and writers and movie directors alike. But, displaced (sagging) from their natural youthful place, they are not very appealing.

Beautiful white teeth enhance a smile, and are attractive as well as sign of good health and pedigree. They have been compared to flying lines of swans, and white pearls. But, fallen teeth are rarely enticing.

Lot of lover boys have lost their path in the long, black, fragrant, silken tresses of a young damsel, like inspired travelers lost in the dark wraps of the night. But the hair, fallen from the head is not at all inspiring.

There are enough salons to give you a pedicure, polish your nails with Glass Slippers or Adore-a-Ball nail-polish, give it the extra shine that makes you look like a princess. Nails can enhance the beauty of a hand and the overall beauty of a woman. But who wants to see nail clipping lying on the floor?

Somethings look good where they ought to be. Not every change is good.

Knowing this, the wise does not leave his place.

इति विज्ञाय मतिमान्स्वस्थानं न परित्यजेत्

iti viGYAya matimAn_svasthAnam na parityajet [ITRANS]

iti vijñāya matimān_svasthānam na parityajét [IAST]

What it means is that we should know who we are, what we stand for, what we are suitable for in the social role, and do justice to that role, that place. Displaced from our duties, we fall and no one likes one who doesn't fulfill his or her duties.

The wise don't shun from or betray their duties. Displaced, they are disgraced.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

rājā = king

kulavadhūrviprā = lady, priest
kula = family
vadhūḥ = bride
kula-vadhū = bride of a respected family.
vipraḥ = learned people, priests

mantriṇāsh_cha = and advisor
mantriṇāḥ = advisors, ministers
cha = and
mantra = secret
mantraṇā = advising, counselling.
mantri = advisor, minister

payodharāḥ = breasts
payaḥ = milk
dharāḥ = holders

sthāna-bhraṣhṭāḥ = displaced
sthāna = place
bhraṣhṭāḥ = ruined, misguided

na = not

shobhanté = [do] grace (verb, plural first person)

dantāḥ = teeth
késhāḥ = hair
narāḥ = men
nakhāḥ = nails

In many words the trailing visarga is disappearing. For example, narāḥ becomes narā. This is due to the sandhi rule, that a visarga disappears if followed by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th letter of the group.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

New and old - नवं वस्त्रं

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:47:00 +0000

Happy New Year 2012!

New is always good! A new year, new resolutions, new opportunities to pursue old resolutions...

New is always good, be it new clothes on Diwali or Christmas, a new toy or gadget. That is why companies keep releasing new versions of their products like a slow release medicine capsule. Be it the "Pod", or cars, or phones, computers and operating systems. The human need to have something new, the charm of new, is always there.

But somethings are better old, or older. Like a faithful old dog. Or old photographs, bringing alive old memories. Old friends!

Here is a shloka from NitiPradeep (nIti-pradIpa / nīti-pradīpa / नीतिप्रदीप) giving a very practical advice about what is better off as new and what as old.

New dress (cloth), new umbrella, newly turned woman, new house;

everywhere new is praised, [but] servant and grain are [recommended] old[er].

नवं वस्त्रं, नवं छत्रं, नव्या स्त्री, नूतनं गृहम् ।

सर्वत्र नूतनं शस्तं, सेवकान्ने पुरातने ॥

navam vastram, navam chhatram, navyA strI, nUtanam gRiham |

sarvatra nUtanam shastam, sevakAnne purAtane || (ITRANS)

navam vastram, navam chhatram, navyā strī, nūtanam gṛiham |

sarvatra nūtanam shastam, sévakānné purātané || (IAST)

New cloths, either new in construction or new in fashion are always exciting, even new school uniforms. There was a time, not too far back, when the only way you got new dress was to get the piece of cloth, go to the tailor, give your measurement and then every other day check if they are ready or not. What excitement. What anticipation. Now, all it takes is a drive to the mall or the outlet store and get for the whole year, more than what you can even fit in the closet! The charm of anticipation and waiting?

In India where rain and sun are equally forceful, a new umbrella was also exciting. Nowadays new cars have replaced that charm

New date or spouse is also exciting. Though the word used is strī (woman), we can extend it to man or woman. And strī does not mean wife only. It means woman. So 'navyā strī' means a new woman, that is, a girl who has newly become a woman, that is, a young woman. Same goes for the other gender, a young strapping man. So, new youth is exciting. In case of spouse, it is said that the older the better, that is, the older the marriage (not older at time of marriage!) the better it is. With time, trust and memories, understanding are built. Both learn to compromise and understand the difference between fantasy and reality. Expectations are more realistic.

A new house is exciting as well. Transition into a new phase of life. Becoming a home-owner! Earlier, a new house was built when you moved or the joint family became too large. Now, a new house need not be owned but can be rented as well. Regardless, the charm of a new start is there.

Servants who have been serving for long time are loyal, trustworthy and efficient. They don't need training. 'sevaka' can also mean any subordinate, not just a house help. An older employee knows his or her work. Getting a new one will require training. That is why companies want to retain good employees.

'annam' means grain of cereal, like rice, wheat, barley etc. These grains become more digestible if used after a year of storing. We are not talking of cooked food, but raw grain. Grains that are newer than a year are heavier to digest and also gas producing.

Even a decade back, people used to store a year's worth of grain not just in villages, but in towns and cities as well. Large drums were used to store the grain, and periodically it was spread out in the sun in the open to keep it clean. Neem leaves were also mixed in the storage bins to avoid any insects getting in.

Now, thanks to the packaging industry and transportation, you get the flour in 10 different flavors, conveniently packed for you. With the news about how the Indian government stores the grain in its storehouses, one would rather have new grain which goes in the flour mills.

But such is the price of progress.

What else do you think should be new and what should be preferred old?

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

navam = new

vastram = clothing, dress

chhatram = umbrella

navyā = new (fem.)
strī = woman
a newly turned woman, a young woman

nūtanam = new
gṛiham = house / home

The words navam, navyā, nūtanam all refer to new.

sarvatra = everywhere
sarva = every, all
-tra denotes place. For example, atra = here, tatra = there, kutra = where, yatra-tatra = where-there as in "Where there is will, there is a way."

nūtanam = new
shastam = praised

sévakānné = both servant and grain
sevaka = one who serves. servant, subordinate, employee
annam = grain, like rice,, wheat, corn etc.

purātané = [both] old
sevaka+annam = dual, two. so purātanam changes to purātané to reflect the number.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Daily Sanskrit Newspaper - vishvasya vṛittāntam

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:35:00 +0000

We have heard of Sudharma, a daily Sanskrit newspaper running for over 40 years from Mysore.
Now another newspaper Vishvasya Vrittantam (vishvasya vṛittāntam, विश्वस्य वृत्तान्तम्) has appeared on the horizon, started this year from the Sun city Surat (sUrya-pUrataH), it has a little over 200 issues this year as of today.

The newspaper is four pages and covers daily news, stories, sudoku, TV listing and even gossip like how age-defying Frieda Pinto (of Slumdog Millionaire fame)! This is the best part of this newspaper. By giving all sorts of news, actually translations of news, it can be an entertaining source of new Sanskrit readings. After all, Sanskrit is a language, and even daily news can be conveyed through it.

One may think, why are such efforts needed? I mean, it is not as if, these newspapers are going to actually give you breaking news, that you can stop reading Washington Post, Times of India (well, actually that you can stop reading anyways!), Jagran or any other newspaper. You will probably already know the news. But, it gives a wonderful way to practice your Sanskrit. After having read the news in your preferred newspaper, reading it again in Sanskrit will help you figure out the words in context! And who knows, slowly, with time, you may even start speaking it.

The oldest language is not at all dead! While academic works in Sanskrit have been continuously written even to this year, and Sanskrit authors (new works, current living people, not just Kalidasa and Baan) have been honored with Presidential awards, a daily newspaper is a wonderful way to read the language, understand it in context of latest news.

Congratulations to editor DC Bhatt and his entire team for a wonderful job.

You may access the newspaper at: http://www.slideshare.net/PracticalSanskrit/documents
The content is copyright of the newspaper. Practical Sanskrit is only providing a way to put it online.

Here is the latest sample:

2011-12-02 Vishwasya Vrittantam

View more documents from PracticalSanskrit

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Hard work - the best friend. आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:45:00 +0000

Hard work- The best friend.

This one is so obvious, what can one elaborate on this.

People believe in destiny, but destiny is separate from free will. What ever you know, can control, can foresee, can plan for is not destiny. Destiny, as explained by Lord Rama (rAma, राम) when going to forest exile (vana-vAsa, वनवास) is the unknown factor which you could not foresee coming, which gives no indication of coming, and which you could not have controlled (even if you knew) once it came.

So all those who think - "If I am destined to have this or that, I will get it." should wake up from the slumber and do some work to make their sleepy dreams a wake up reality.

Those who think short cuts will work, should remember that the only short cut is through it. You can't avoid work, if you want to progress and prosper.

आलस्यं हि मनुष्याणां शरीरस्थो महान्रिपु ।

नास्त्युद्यमसमो बन्धुः कृत्वा यं नावसीदति ॥

= ālasyam hi manuṣhyāṇām sharīrastho mahānripu |

nāstyudyamasamo bandhuḥ kṛitvā yam nāvasīdati || (IAST)

= Alasyam hi manuShyANAm sharIrastho mahAnripu |

nAstyudyamasamo bandhuH kRitvA yam nAvasIdati || (ITRANS)

Laziness is verily the great enemy residing in our body.

There is no friend like hard work, doing which one doesn’t decline.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

ālasyam /Alasyam =laziness

hi /hi =surely

manuṣhyāṇām / manuShyANAm =of humans
manuṣhya / manuShya = human

sharīrastho / sharIrastho= situated, located in the body
sharIra = body, that which wears out
-stha = situated, located

mahānripu / mahAn_ripu =great enemy
mahAn = great (from mahat)
ripu = enemy

nāstyudyamasamo / nAstyudyamasamo =
na asti udyam samaH = not, is, hard work, like

bandhuḥ / bandhuH = friend

kṛitvā / kRitvA = having done

yam = which

nāvasīdati / nAvasIdati = not (na) sinks (avasIdati)
avasId = to drown, sink, go to ruins.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Qualities are respected everywhere.

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:15:00 +0000

Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. But the real respect and greatness comes from one's own deeds.

Yes, there were times, and in some countries still, when you inherited your father's chair. Even in England, around the time of the World Wars, there were as many as about 20% MPs who were related, uncles-nephews, father-sons etc. Now it is down to single digits.

And, yes it still happens in India's movie industry, politics, and businesses. Be it the Kapoor dynasty in the movies (is it their family business?), or the Nehru/Gandhi family (is it their family business?) or the Ambani-s (yes, it is their family business, but why do they keep fighting after the father died?). People know exactly who is a good actor, leader or business person. And we have seen that happen in US politics too. And people know exactly who is the good one.

Some day it was a birthright, now a days it is called networking. people go to elite schools and colleges not because they have greater education, but a much better networking.

But, legends are not made because of their fathers, or fathers-in-law. They are made by their own deeds. You can have the best networking, but at the end it is your own actions that will make you great. Networking, lineage etc are only helpful instruments on the way, but the success, name and fame depends upon your own deeds.

Lord Krishna (Vaasudeva, वासुदेव ) is worshiped by almost billion people, but no one worships his father (Vasudeva, वसुदेव ). Rama (raama, राम) is worshiped, not his father Dasharatha (dasha-ratha, दशरथ).

Qualities are respected everywhere, father's dynasty is meaningless.

People bow to Lord Krishna, not to his father.

guṇāḥ sarvatra pūjyanté, pitṛivaṃśho nirarthakaḥ |

vāsudévam namasyanti, vasudévam na mānavāḥ ||

guNAH sarvatra pUjyante pitRivaMsho nirarthakaH |

vasudevam namasyanti, vasudevam na mAnavAH ||

There is another verse that goes - The best attain fame by their own name, the medium by their father's name, the average by their mother's name and the worst by their father-in-law's name!

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

गुणाः = guNAH = qualities

सर्वत्र = sarvatra = everywhere (sarva = all)

पूज्यन्ते = pUjyante = are worshiped, respected

पितृवंशो = pitRivaMshao = father's lineage

pitRi = father (from which comes pater, padre, father etc.)

vaMshaH = lineage. (due to sandhi it becomes vaMsho)

निरर्थकः = nirarthakaH = one (-kaH) without (nir-) meaning (artha)

वासुदेवं = vAsudevam = to the son of vasudeva = to kRiShNa

नमस्यन्ति = they bow, salute (respect)

वसुदेवं = vasudevam = to vasudeva (kRiShNa's father)

न = na = not [worship]

मानवाः = mAnavAH = humans

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Shubh Dipawali - शुभ दीपावली

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 04:52:00 +0000

शुभ दीपावली = shubha dIpAvalI = auspicious dIpAvalI / diwAlI

- Let the lamp remove the darkness in and outside of you.
- Start something good this year, a do-able resolve, something that also impacts others' lives positively.
- Don't just remain self centered, but be centered in Self.
- Don't just spend all your time earning money, that you have no time to use the money properly.

शुभ दीपावली = shubha dIpAvalI

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

Good conduct is the supreme virtue - आचारः परमो धर्मः

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:19:00 +0000

For about two thousand years, it seems there is fight about who others bow to in their private moment with the divine. Even when we say the divine is beyond our perception, every 'religion' has a form of the divine, or attributes.

Why does it matter who likes which form? What matters is what is their behaviour, actions, deeds.

Taking an analogy. it is fine to say 'My child is the cutest', but not right to say 'Your child is ugly.' Everyone finds their child to be the best for themselves. Comparison and competition is not what parenting is about, but giving loving care and instilling good values is.

Similarly, you will not get seats in heaven or final liberation by where your blind faith is, but by how you treat others, including humans, animals, plants, environment, earth...

See how the wealthy and powerful are behaving in the largest economies!

If you can't be positive to others, at least be neutral.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

Good conduct is the supreme virtue.
= आचारः परमो धर्मः ।
= āchāraḥ paramo dharmaḥ
= AchAraH paramo dharmaH
(manusmṛiti 1:108)

āchāraḥ = [good] conduct [is]
paramo = paramaḥ (paramaH, परमः) = supreme, beyond all
dharmaḥ = duty, virtue, quality, characteristic

If you note, the visarga after paramaH changes to paramo, but not after AchAraH.

The rule says -
if the first word ENDS in a (short vowel) and visarga H (aH or अः)
and the second word STARTS with 'a' OR 3rd/4th/5th of the group (g, gh, ~N, j, jh, ~n, D, Dh, N, d, dh, n, b, bh, m) OR y, r, l, v, h)
THEN
the visarga becomes 'u', combines with previous 'a' (of aH), and makes 'o'.

If the second word starts with 'a', that 'a' vanishes and an avagraha sign is put.

For example:
yashaH + abhilAShI = yasho'bhilAShI (यशः + अभिलाषी = यशोऽभिलाषी) = fame + desirer

yashaH + dA = yashodA (यशः + दा = यशोदा) = fame + giver (fem.) = foster mother of Lord kRiShNa

manaH + haraH = manoharH (मनः + हरः = मनोहरः) = desiring faculty + snatcher = someone very captivating

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

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

Dashahara, Vijayadashami and Ganga dashahara

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 06:08:00 +0000

The festival of dashaharā, दशहरा or as also written as Dussera, is celebrated on the tenth day of the ashvina अश्विन month. The previous nine days are the Navarātri or the nine nights of the devī, supreme goddess. The day of Dashaharā is also called Vijayādashamī – the tenth day of victory. This is also the day when Rāma killed the evil villain Rāvaṇa - Dashagrīva - the ten necked (and hence headed)

A lesser known fact is the Ganga Dashahara, the birthday of the holy river Gaṅgā गंगा (gaṅgA, erroneously called Ganges in English) in the month of Jyeshtha (June).

There are many stories on her. She descends from heaven to earth upon the penances of king Bhagīratha भगीरथ and gets the name Bhāgīrathī भागीरथी . Her force could not be borne by the earth, so Shiva शिव catches her fall in his matted locks making her controlled river. Even the actual river is called Alakanandā अलकनन्दा when she starts, and later on is called Gaṅgā गंगा .

Another story goes that when Shiva शिव sang, Viṣhṇu विष्णु was so moved, he started to melt. Brahmā ब्रह्मा the creator collected the melting Viṣhṇu विष्णु and put in his kamanḍala कमण्डल (water carrying hand pot), and from that he made Gaṅgā गंगा , and hence she is also called Viṣhṇu-padī विष्णुपदी- coming from Viṣhṇu's feet.

After her descent, she followed Bhagīratha भगीरथ , but strayed in the āshram आश्रम of ṛiṣhi Jahnu ऋषि जह्नु , upsetting his place. The upset ṛiṣhi ऋषि drank her up. Upon Bhagīratha's request he slit his thigh and let her out. Hence her name Jāhnvī जाह्नवी .

She married the Mahābhārata महाभारत king Shāntanu शान्तनु , when she was forced to be earth. There she gives him a son Devavrata देवव्रत, later to be known as Bhīṣhma भीष्म - the ne who made a severe vow (of never marrying or having a progeny).

She is held sacred and its water really have healing properties. (In modern days, pollution is a big problem).

Her vehicle is the makara - a hybrid of gharial (Indian crocodile), fish and other creatures.

She is the remover of sins, pāpa-harā (पापहरा). And incidentally the nine days of goddess flows right into the tenth. Gaṅgā removes the ten sins as prescribed by scriptures, social norms. The ten sins are anthropomorphed into the ten heads of Rāvaṇa – the one who made the worlds howl by his terror. And, here are the ten sins -

[ In the transliteration the - and _ are only for ease of reading. A - separates actual compound words which have not changed due to sandhi (change in vowels and consonants). A _ (underscore) is used only to help pronunciation, it doesn’t separate actual words. The break is in between a long word. For example, “para-dāro_pasévā” here para is a prefix by itself, but ‘dāro’ is not a word at all. ]

1. As per the vidhāna, social/dharmic/moral laws, taking what is not one’s own,

physical violence, and having affair with someone else’s wife

- are remembered as the three sins done by the body.

a-dattAnAm_upAdAnam hiMsA chaiva vidhAna_taH |

para-dAro_pasevA cha kAyikam tri-vidham smRitam || (ITRANS)

--------------

2. Harsh of words and lies and talking ill (slander)

and talking incessantly and irrelevantly

are surely the four types of sins of the speech.

pAruShyam_anRitam chaiva paishunyam chApi sarva_shaH |

a_sambaddha-pralApam cha vA~Nmayam chatur_vidham || (ITRANS)

--------------

3. Thoughts of [taking] others’ wealth, thinking of [others’] harm

and liking for falseness (e.g. rumors)

- are remembered as three sins of the mind.

para-dravyeSh_vobhi_dhyAnam manasA_niShTa-chintanam |

vitathA_bhi_nivesham cha mAnasam tri-vidham smRitam || (ITRANS)

--------------

4. O Ganga, you take away these ten sins of mine.

By which the ten sins are taken away, therefore [she is]

remembered as dashaharā (remover of ten [sins]).

etAni dasha-pApAni hara tvam mama jAhnavi |

dasha-pApa-harA yasmAt tasmAd_dashaharA smRitA || (ITRANS)

So the ten sins are -

Three of the body:
1. Taking what is not given - Raavana, after his almost invincible boon of no defeat, took not just what was given to him, but took what he wanted by force.
2. Violence - He fought, killed many, and even went around the three worlds asking for a good fight, defeating everyone. The Vindhya mountain declined his offer for a fight and said King Vali would be a good match. Violence was in his genes. He terrified the three worlds, and hence he got his name Raavana - the one who makes others cry.
3. Taking to others' wife - He kidnapped Sita, who was married to Lord Raama. That was his biggest mistake. He never accepted that as his fault, and finally paid by his life.

Four of the speech:
4. Harshness of words - Ravana's words were always harsh. He talks harshly to anyone who advices him. He talks harsh to Vibhishana, to Sita, to everyone when he goes around picking fight. His very nature is harsh.
5. Lies - He lies multiple times. When he disguises as a sage and asks for alms from Sita and kidnaps her. When he makes a false head of Rama to convince Sita of Raama's death.
6. Slander - He talks ill of Raama multiple times with impunity. Raama as a human, was the only way he could be killed. In the boon from Brahmaa, he asks protection from Deva, Raakshasa, Gandharva, Kinnara, Naaga etc. and categorically mocks human and animals as being weak as a straw. Ridiculing the greatest of God's creation is what he pays for at the end.
7. Incoherent, incessant blabbering - Speech is precious, prANa breath! He talks on and on about himself, boasting his powers, making no sense at times.

Three of the mind:
8. Thinking of others' wealth - He not only thinks, but loots everyone in three worlds. He takes the city of Golden Lanka from his cousin Kubera, and wealth of all the kings he defeats.
9. Thinking ill for others - He never wishes good for anyone. He thinks,plans and acts hurtful for others in his pride of power.
10. Liking for rumors, myths, fantasy - He misuses his magical powers to create illusion, tries to convince Sita of Raama's death, and has a false fantastic pride.

On this day when Raama kills a ten headed Raavana, the Devi kills the ten sins metaphorically.
And Ganga washes away all sins - if one approaches sincerely. The change of heart is the only way to wash the sins.

Happy Dashaharaa.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.

Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

And now the language aspects -

1.
adattAnAmupAdAnam = a-dattAnAm upAdAnam
= taking what is not given to one (i.e. taking others' things)
a- = without, not
datta = given
dattAnAm = of the given
a-dattAnAm = of the [things] to given [to one]
upAdAnam = charity to self, taking for oneself

hiMsA = violence

chaiva = cha eva
cha = and
eva = only, surely

vidhAnataH = by decree, law, dictate
vidhAna = the law
-taH = from
e.g. kutaH = from where?
ataH = from here, hence, therefore
tataH = from there

para-dAro_pasevA
= para-dArA-upasevA
para- = of other
dArA = wife
upasevA = enjoying, having [immoral] affair.

cha = and

kAyikam = of body (kAyA)

tri-vidham = three way
tri = three
vidham = way, types

smRitam = is remembered, is called, is said, is known.

2.
pAruShyam_anRitam = pAruShyam anRitam
paruSha = harsh
pArushyam = harshness of words

chaiva = cha eva = (see above)

paishunyam = slander

chApi = cha api = and also

sarvashaH = completely, universally

a_sambaddha-pralApam = unrelated incessant talking
a- = not
sambaddha = tied together
asambaddha = untied, loose, irrelevant, disconnected
pralApam = rant, incessant, incoherent talking

cha = and

vA~Nmayam = of speech
vAk = speech

chatur_vidham = four way
chatuH = four
vidham = way, style, type

3.
para-dravyeShvobhidhyAnam
= para-dravyeShu abhidhyAnam
= focusing on others' wealth
para- = of other
dravya = wealth
abhidhyAnam = concentration, focus, contemplation

manasAniShTa-chintanam
= manasA aniShTa chintanam
= by mind thinking of harm
manasA = by mind
aniShTa = not desirable, harmful, hurtful
chinatanam = thinking, contemplating

vitathAbhinivesham = vitathA abhiniveshanam
= liking for false
vitathA = falseness, myth, rumor
abhiniveshanam = adherence, liking for, affection

cha = and

mAnasam = of the mind

tri-vidham = three fold
tri = three
vidham = way, style, type,

smRitam = is remembered, is called, is said, is known.

4.
etAni = these

dasha-pApAni = ten sins
dasha = ten
pApa = sin
pApAni = sins

hara = [do] take away , as in 'please take away'

tvam = you

mama = mins

jAhnavi = o jAhnavI = ga~NgA (gangaa)
of the sage jahnu. jahnu drank her up and let her out of a cut through his thigh.

dasha-pApa-harA = one who takes the ten sins
dasha = ten
pApa = sin
harA = (fem.) one who takes away

yasmAt = from which

tasmAd_dashaharA
= tasmAt dashaharA
tasmAt = from that
dashaharA = remover of ten [sins]

smRitA = one who is remembered (fem.)

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.

Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

You are the last resort, O Devi!

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

शरणागत-दीनार्त-परित्राण-परायणे ।

सर्वस्यार्तिहरे देवि नारायणि नमोऽस्तु ते ॥

śaraṇāgata-dīnārta-paritrāṇa-parāyaṇe ।

sarvasyārtihare devi nārāyaṇi namo'stu te ॥

śharaṇāgata = one who has come (āgata) for refuge (śharaṇa)

dīnārta = the pitiable (dīna) and the one in pain (ārta)

paritrāṇa = complete rescue, protection

parāyaṇé = o one who is the last resort of refuge (parāyaṇā, fem.)

sarvasyārtiharé = o remover (harā) of everyone’s (sarvasya) troubles (ārti)

dévi = o devī

nārāyaṇi = o nārāyaṇī

namo'stu = salutations (namaḥ) be (astu)

té = for you

You are the last resort of refuge for the pitiable and paining people who come to take refuge. You remove everyone's troubles, O Devī,O Nārāyaṇī, salutations be for you.

Happy Navaratri.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

Best words fall short to praise you, O Devi!

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:39:00 +0000

सर्वभूता यदा देवी भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनी ।

त्वं स्तुता स्तुतये का वा भवन्तु परमोक्तयः ॥

sarvabhūtā yadā devī bhukti-mukti-pradāyinī ।

tvaṃ stutā stutaye kā vā bhavantu paramoktayaḥ ॥

sarva-bhUtA yadA devI bhukti-mukti-pradAyinI |

tvam stutA stutaye kA vA bhantu paramoktayaH ||

sarvabhūtā = all (sarva) manifestation, people, world ( bhūta)
yadā = when
devī = goddess
bhukti = consumption (food, needs etc.)
mukti = liberation (of soul from bondage)
pradāyinī = giver (fem.)

tvaṃ = you [are]
stutā = [THE] praised one
stutaye = for praising [you]
kā = what
vā = or, ever, (to indicate what ever could be ..)
bhavantu = can be
paramoktayaḥ = greatest (parama) utterances (uktayaḥ)

When you [who are] devi, are all of manifestation, are giver of nourishment [in this world and] liberation [from this world], are the praised one, [then] for [your] praising, what ever can be great utterances.

That is, devi, you are beyond my ability to find words to praise you. greatest of the great words fall short of praising you. [but even then let me try].

Happy Navaratri.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.
JOIN US IN ONLINE AUDIO-VISUAL CLASSES/SESSIONS.
Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership or Kindle e-book

What do you prefer - money or honor?

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:37:00 +0000

In the opening mantra of īshāvāsya upaniṣhad (IshAvAsya upaniShad / ईशावास्य उपनिषद् ) it says, ‘Don’t greed, for whose is wealth?’ meaning we came without anything and we will leave without anything. Whatever is here, whatever you got, whatever you claim to be yours is of this world – found here and lost here.

What we see in the world economy today, is not because some alien civilization has suddenly stolen our food supply, our workers, factories or fields. It is because of two reasons – lightning fast transactions and greed bigger than the sky of some selfish, soulless bodies! Humans make all laws, and hiding behind laws to allow unfair things to happen is hypocrisy. The wealth misdistribution in the name of free market and ‘you are free to do what you want’ is not good for society as a whole.

How much can one billionaire eat, when thousands go hungry? Everyone has the same small stomach. Will history repeat itself when people will be asked to “eat the cake if bread is not available?”

UBS bank losing US$ 2.3 billion in rogue trading must be the biggest and cruelest joke of capitalism! The US economy meltdown was not because of plague, or riots, or war, but purely by the greedy wealthy playing irresponsibly. Nor is the Greek or upcoming Italian bankruptcy. How can the imperial powers who amassed wealth from all over the globe, now have emptied it all? Whom did they feed? Where did the actual resource go? Money is paper without the resource. You cannot eat dollars, gold or diamonds.

How much money does a billionaire need?

Some people only want money, no matter how.
Some others want money but honorably, they care for what they do.
Yet others only care about doing the right and honorable thing, whether or not money comes as a by-product.

अधमा धनमिच्छन्ति धनं मानं च मध्यमाः ।

उत्तमा मानमिच्छन्ति मानो हि महताम् धनम् ॥

adhamā dhanam_ichchhanti dhanam mānam cha madhyamāḥ |

uttamā mānam_ichchhanti māno hi mahatām dhanam ||

adhamA dhanam_ichchhanti dhanam mAnam cha madhyamAH |

uttamA mAnam_ichchhanti mAno hi mahatAm dhanam ||

Lowly people desire wealth [over respect], average people desire wealth and respect, the great people desire respect [over wealth], for respect is wealth of the great!

This is a wonderful shloka about human psychology as well.

One is reminded of ‘one should not desire respect but deserve it.’ Here, the comparison is not between desire and deserve. Everyone has desires, 'this human is made of desires' - proclaim the Veda-s, and we all know it very well. The question is now, what do we desire?

A lowly person, an adhamaḥ (adhamaH, अधमः) would rather have money than respect, or will even bear some disrespect if it gives money. People do bad things, illegal, sinful, criminal deeds to make money. They are despised by the society, but for them money is more important than respectable life. Some do it so cleanly and with the aid of human made laws that society does not realize or cannot do – bound by laws. Not dharma. Even though one of the meanings of dharma is law, it is law that keep the whole society functioning, not just a fraction of able and powerful but greedy people.

Then there are people who do desire and pursue money, but only if it is in a respectable way, legal, just way. They do pursue money. But they also care about others - are they hurting others, doing something sinful or criminal? Most of us fall in this category.

Then there are those rare souls, who do not desire money. They desire only to do the right thing, good thing, that which is respected by the wise. They care what others think of their deeds, are they doing anything wrong? The money part is only at the need level, surviving level, not at a wanting level. They work just and fair, for the good of all, and the money part is only a by-product. They do not desire money to begin with; it comes to them because of their good deeds.

Given a choice, the lowly person would rather take money than respect, the average person would balance out both (no money, only respect, or vice versa, then not interested), and the great ones, would only see if the deed is respectable, good, just, required and do it even if there is no money!

So, the question is not whether one should deserve or desire respect, but whether one should desire money or respect.

like it? then become a fan of the blog. please rate the post as well.
how can this site be made more interesting, useful? share your comments, use the comment link or the comment box below

and now the language aspects of the shloka -

adhamAH = worst kind (below average) (adhamaH अधमः = singular)
due to sandhi adhamAH अधमाः loses its visarga at the end and becomes adhamA अधमा

dhanam = wealth

ichchhanti = desire (plural) ch as in chime. IAST would write it as icchanti

dhanam = wealth

mAnam = respect

cha = and

madhyamAH = middle, average (plural) people

uttamA = best (uttamaH उत्तमः = singular) people
due to sandhi uttamAH उत्तमाः loses its visarga at the end and becomes uttamA उत्तमा

mAnam = respect

ichchhanti = desire

mano = manaH मानः = respect

hi = surely

mahatAm = of the great (महत् mahat)

dhanam = wealth

like it? then become a fan of the blog. please rate the post as well.
how can this site be made more interesting, useful? share your comments, use the comment link or the comment box below

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

stairs - सोपान

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:21:00 +0000

stairs.
सोपान / sopAna / sopāna
निश्रयणी / nishrayaNI / nishrayaṇī

Seven Falls, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

185 steps going up - very soon you realize that goals are easier to achieve if you are consistent and realistic. Coming down was even more dangerous, with jelly knees :) any mistake and you could wobble down the rest of the stairs in no time.

Went up the 224 steps stairs as well, but totally forgot to take picture of that sign.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.

Write with your own hands and chant with your own voice - the names of gaNesha

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:25:00 +0000

What is the importance of japa? nAma japa? It reinforces the concept, the meaning of the nAma. And yes, it puts you in a kind of trance, making you open to new thoughts, emotions, feelings, experiences.

In this age of internet, typing, "dat 2 lyk dis" in the SMS era, we have lost the joy of the journey, the joy of being, the joy of not going anywhere, just being.

So, this Ganesh Chaturthi, pick the various names of gaNesha that you can find, and - are you ready for this - write these names with your own hand on a paper with a pen or pencil or stylus or a nib-holder or calligraphy pen.

Write these names in devanAgarI (Sanskrit script) or roman (English script), but do it slowly, beautifully, as correctly as you can, engrossed, pondering upon the meaning of each word. Give time to write each name, don't rush it like your term project. This will be as rewarding as preparing the gaNapti statue.

And after you have written them down, now read each name, feel the sound in your mouth cavity, know where the words break and say it properly. Ponder on each name's meaning.

You may also find these posts interesting -
1. gaNesha stotram (praNamya shirasA devam), and
2. meditate upon gaNesha, gaNanAyakAya gaNadevatAya

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi - the fourth day, the day of gaNesha.
Tell your friends to come read the blog or join us on Facebook.

Below is my advance homework, the English version and meaning is in the language section below.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.

And now the language aspects -

om gaNapataye namaH = om salutations for the protector (pati) of the people (gaNa)

om gaNeshavarAya namaH = om salutations for the lord (Ishvara) of people (gaNa)

om eka-draMShTrAya namaH = om salutations for the one with single (eka) tusk (draMShTra)

om vakra-tuNDAya namaH = om salutations for the one with curved (vakra) trunk (tuNDa)

om lambodarAya namaH = om salutations for the one with large (lamba) belly (udara)

om dhUmra-varNAya namaH = om salutations for the one with smoke (dhUmra) colored (varNa) complexion

om siddhi-pradAya namaH = om salutations for the giver (prada) of accomplishments (siddhi)

om vighna-rAjAya namaH = om salutations for the lord (rAjA) of obstacles (vighna)

om umA-putrAya namaH = om salutations for the son (putra) of pArvatI (umA)

om kukShi-stha-yakSha-gandharva-rakShaH-kinnara-mAnuShAya namaH = om salutations for the one in whose belly (kukShi) are situated (stha) yakSha, gandharva, rAkShas, kinnara and humans

om shivA-shoka-hAriNe namaH = om salutations for the remover (hAriN) of sorrow (shoka) of pArvatI (shivA)

om jagajjanma-layonmeSha-nimeShAya namaH = om salutations for the one in whose shutting (nimeSha) and opening (unmeSha) of eyes is the creation (janma) and dissolution (layaH) of the world (jagat)

om tryas_triMshat-koTi-sura-shreNI-praNata-pAdukAya namaH = om salutations for the one at whose sandals (pAdukA) thirty (triMshat) three (trayaH) crores (koTi, 10 millions) gods (sura) line up (shreNI) bowing (praNata)

om phaNA-maNDala-sAhasra-phaNi-rAja-kRitAsanAya namaH = om salutations for the one is [seated] on seat (Asana) made (kRita) by the thousand (sahasra) hoods (phaNa) of the king (rAja) of the cobras (phaNI) i.e. by the ananta, sheSha - the TIME after dissolution, is in whose service, that gaNesha.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.

shrI-gaNesha-stotram - प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:24:00 +0000

This gaNesha chaturthI, let us know the meaning of the gaNesha stotram, with eight shloka-s. The meaning in English is given in almost the same order as the original Sanskrit words.
Enjoy. And do post your comments.

You may also like this post with full words and meanings of the famous

gaNa-nAyakAya gaNa-devatAya

प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं गौरीपुत्रं विनायकम् ।
भक्तावासं स्मरेन्नित्यं आयुःकामार्थसिद्धये ॥ १॥
praNamya shirasA devam gaurI-putram vinAyakam |
bhaktAvAsam smaren_nityam AyuH-kAmArtha-siddhaye || 1 ||

bowing with the head, to the divine, to the son-of-pArvatI, to the vinAyaka

to the devotee-dweller; remember daily, for the accomplishment of long life, desires and wealth ||

प्रथमं वक्रतुण्डं च एकदन्तं द्वितीयकम् ।
तृतीयं कृष्णपिङ्गाक्षं गजवक्त्रं चतुर्थकम् ॥ २॥
prathamam vakra-tuNDam cha eka-dantam dvitIyakam |
tRitiyam kRiShNa-pi~NgAkSham, gaja-vaktram chaturthakam || 2 ||

first to the curved-trunked, and second to the one-tusked

third to the brown-eyed, fourth to the elephant-faced ||

लम्बोदरं पञ्चमं च षष्ठं विकटमेव च ।
सप्तमं विघ्नराजेन्द्रं धूम्रवर्णं तथाष्टमम् ॥ ३॥

lambodaram pa~nchamam cha ShaShTham vikaTameva cha |

saptamam vighna-rAjendram dhUmra-varNam tathAShTamam || 3 ||

fifth to the large-bellied and sixth to the huge

seventh the king of obstacles, and eighth to the smoke-colored ||

नवमं भालचन्द्रं च दशमं तु विनायकम् ।
एकादशं गणपतिं द्वादशं तु गजाननम् ॥ ४॥

navamam bhAla-chandram cha dashamam tu vinAyakam |

ekAdashamam gaNa-patim dvAdasham tu gajAnanam || 4 ||

ninth to the one with moon on the forehead, tenth to the supreme hero

eleventh to the leader of peoples and twelfth to the elephant-faced ||

द्वादशैतानि नामानि त्रिसंध्यं यः पठेन्नरः ।
न च विघ्नभयं तस्य सर्वसिद्धिकरः प्रभुः ॥ ५॥

dvAdashaitAni nAmAni trisandhyam yaH paThen_naraH |

na cha vighna-bhayam tasya sarva-siddhi-karaH prabhuH || 5 ||

these twelve names, one who reads three times a day (morning, afternoon, evening)

there is no fear of obstacles, and lord is his all-accomplisher ||

विद्यार्थी लभते विद्यां धनार्थी लभते धनम् ।
पुत्रार्थी लभते पुत्रान्मोक्षार्थी लभते गतिम् ॥ ६॥

vidyArthI labhate vidyAm dhanArthI labhate dhanam |

putrArthI labhate putrAn_mokShArthI labhate gatim || 6 ||

knowledge seeker gains knowledge, wealth seeker gains wealth

child seeker gains child, nirvANa seeker gains nirvANa ||

जपेद्गणपतिस्तोत्रं षड्भिर्मासैः फलं लभेत् ।
संवत्सरेण सिद्धिं च लभते नात्र संशयः ॥ ७॥

japed_gaNapati-stotram ShaDbhir_mAsaiH phalam labhet |

saMvatsareNa siddhim cha labhate nAtra saMshayaH || 7 ||

by chanting this ganapati stotram for six months, one gets results

and by [chanting for] one year accomplishment is gained, there no doubt here ||

अष्टेभ्यो ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च लिखित्वा यः समर्पयेत् ।
तस्य विद्या भवेत्सर्वा गणेशस्य प्रसादतः ॥ ८॥

aShTebhyo brAhmaNebhyashcha likhitvA yaH samarpayet |

tasya vidyA bhavet_sarvA gaNeshasya prasAdataH || 8 ||

one who offers having written from eight scholars

his knowledge becomes all-encompassing, by the grace of gaNesha ||

You may be having problems in reading the Sanskrit font above, in which please refer to the image below. If you find any differences, please enable your browser to see Unicode fonts properly.

May Lord Ganesha fulfill your sincere and just wishes.
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.

You may also like this post with full words and meanings of the famous

gaNa-nAyakAya gaNa-devatAya

You may also like this post with full words and meanings of the famous

gaNa-nAyakAya gaNa-devatAya

If you liked this post, then consider the following -

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.

Don't downgrade the host economy! - उपजीव्यविरोध

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 05:10:00 +0000

On August 5th 2011 we saw that S&P downgraded the US economy's rating from AAA to AA+
Many jokes were created to make the mood light to match the lightness of many pockets and bank balances. Like, "I didn't know America ran on batteries."

It was a surprise to know that S&P, a McGrawHill division, is headed by a product of a "third-world" economy! Indian born Deven Sharma heads the prestigious S&P. Is it for this day, that he was given the permanent residency and subsequent citizenship by the INS, one may wonder!

Two days back, on August 23rd, 2011, only 18 days after the downgrade, S&P's CEO Deven Sharma is forced to resign. Sure they will say he has some personal reasons or some other politically correct statement.

But what we just saw is a classic example of a Sanskrit maxim - "Don't antagonize the host." We saw similar situation when UN was not giving permissions for an Iraq invasion on pretext of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The former president George Bush threatened to dismantle UN if it was of no use to US! How convenient.

But what to do, after all UN offices are on US soil! Got to listen to the landlord!

Here is the Sanskrit maxim, or nyAyaH.

Do not antagonize the host.
upajīvya-virodha
उपजीव्यविरोध
"The unworthiness of opposing the 'host' (support system)."

There is a popular Hindi saying, "Do not be enemy with the crocodile while you are in the water." [ जल में रह कर मगर से बैर jal mé.n rah kar magar sé bair ] This is at a survival level. People with communist leanings were targeted in the USA, and those with capitalist leanings were unsafe in the former USSR. It is foolish to assume that while you cry foul against the king, you should be allowed to live happily by the same king (or the system). We may think that we have freedom of speech, but it is usually only till the system is not threatened.

The great statesman चाणक्य Chāṇakya’s father चणक Chaṇaka spoke against the corruption in royal treasury and was duly persecuted by the royalty! Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange went against the 'system' and finally had some charges against him and was caught by police. A Canadian professor even suggested that he be eliminated! Imagine, a professor saying that! So, do not make the system your enemy and still expect it to support you.

Metaphorically, it is not good to go against that upon which you depend, for safety, livelihood or any other help. Do not ruin your own support base. If for some real reason you do have to, then consider that source of support no more. Or as Alex the lion warns Marty the zebra in Madagascar, "Do not bite the hand that feeds."

Do not ruin your own support system.

Read more maxims in the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book.

And now the language aspects -

उपजीव्यविरोधस्यायुक्तत्वम्
= उपजीव्य-विरोधस्य-अयुक्तत्वम्
= upa_jIvya-virodhasya-ayuktatvam |
upajIvya = upon which one lives off, depends; host as in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship; that upon whom one depends for livelihood.
virodhasya = of opposition (virodha)
ayuktatvam = a-yukta-tvam = un-worthi-ness.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.

The stealer of butter and hearts!

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:26:00 +0000

The stealer of butter (navanIta-chauram नवनीत-चौरम्) and hearts (chitta-chauram चित्त-चौरम्) ! The terrible two's! Imagine Yashoda's daily irritation - running around this kid who gets in trouble over eating soil, stealing butter, killing demons, and having universe in his mouth! He tests her patience many a times!

He is called the stealer of butter, because butter is the result of all our effort - milking the cow, boiling the milk, making yogurt, churning it, and then from 1 kg of milk you get 50 grams of butter! And that too he steals away! Drat! What is this nonsense? All my effort wasted? I don't get the result? What he is doing is taking your attachment to the the results of your deeds. If you do selflessly, the result will not impact you negatively by causing undue attachment. You can have the result but not the attachment.

What seems like a childhood prank of stealing butter is a big lesson in non-attachment. It is not that you don't a right on the result, you certainly do, but you have no control over getting the result and being affected by it. He tries to free you from the attachment.

How to meet the Supreme Divine?
Meet a little child. Play with him/her. Give it your full attention even for a little while.
Have patience with others, specially the children and elders.
Love and care for others as you love and care for yourself.
Think beyond yourself.
Do your assigned/accepted duty faithfully and to the best of your ability.
Remember all this is transient and you will one day leave all this here, sooner or later.
So, think beyond yourself.

Wondrous are the leelA's of the rain-bearing-dark-cloud-colored (ghanashyAma घनश्याम ), tied-by-the-rope (damodara दामोदर ), killer of kaMsa, madhu (madhusUdana मधुसूदन ), and charioteer of arjuna (parthasArathi पार्थसारथि) , protector of the cows and the earth (gopAla गोपाल), universe is whose form (विश्वरूप).

You are as divine as kRiShNa - दासोऽहमिति

noreply@blogger.com (shashi) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:19:00 +0000

दासोऽहमिति मे बुद्धिः पूर्वमासीज्जनार्दने ।
दा-शब्दोऽपहृतस्तेन गोपीवस्त्रापहारिणा ॥
"I am your servant [dAsaH aham]" - Earlier, this was my thinking for kRiShNa.
dA- word was snatched by Him, snatcher-of-gopI-cloths [leaving saH aham, I am He].

dāso'hamiti me buddhiḥ pūrvamāsījjanārdane ।
dā-śabdo'pahṛtastena gopīvastrāpahāriṇā ॥

dAso'hamiti me buddhiH pUrvAsItjjanArdane |
dA-shabdo'pahRitastena gopIvastrApahAriNA ||

This is a wonderful shloka, that has word play as well as deep philosophy, which is ever more relevant today!

The word play is dAso'ham दासो'हम् = dAsaH aham दासः अहम् = "servant, I am"

And without the first dA- दा-,
saH aham सः अहम् = "He, I am" = I am He (kRiShNa)

The devotee says, "O kRiShNa, janArdana, earlier, when I started my bhakti, devotion, I was of the thought that I am your servant, slave, dAsa!"

That is how bhakti भक्ति starts, surrender of ego. as a slave has no separate entity than the master. So should a traveler on the path of spirituality, have no ego of one's own. One who takes refuge in the Lord, should not have separate thinking, should merge with the Lord.

Even arjuna अर्जुन , in bhagavad-gItA भगवद्गीता chapter 2 says - "I am not going to fight, I would rather beg, I come to thy refuge, tell me what is good for me."

Here it is foolish of arjuna अर्जुन to say I come to thy refuge, I am not going to fight. If you take refuge, sharaNAgati शरणागति, you can't decide on your own then. You have surrendered.

The devotee, continues that - "dA- word was snatched (from dAsaH) by you, O snatcher of gopI-s' cloths, and now I realize that I am you, nothing separate from you".

I was thinking I am nothing, I am your slave, non-entity, but now I realized (with your help) that I am same as you, divine to the core!

There is also some confusion about this episode of kRiShNa lIla कृष्ण लीला , where while the gopI-s गोपी were taking bath in the river, kRiShNa कृष्ण takes away their cloths lying on the bank, and climbs the trees. He gives them only on the condition of them coming out as is - without cloths. To take this in any other light but spiritual meaning, is not just blasphemy but foolishness. For if it was meant to be of any other intent, there were better platforms to do so, than in the lIlA लीला of the divine principle.

kRiShNa कृष्ण was a small boy at that time, and his intent, the metaphor here is to meet the Lord Supreme without any guilt, inhibition or artifical material veils. It is what the original sin of Bible is, eating the fruit of knowledge and becoming aware of their own nakedness.

The gopI-s are symbols of AtmA आत्मा (soul) , that is clad in body and ignorant of true nature, but is attracted towards kRiShNa कृष्ण, the paramAtmA परमात्मा .

So, the one who snatched away the cloths, the external veils of ego, of the gopI-s, also snatched away the veil of the first letter 'dA', and made me realize I am Him. aham brahmAsmi अहं ब्रह्मास्मि = I am brahman.

True bhakti should be this. It should elevate you to the realization that you are as divine as you can be. Even though there is an ocean of 15 gazillion 19 trillion 27 billion and 53 million seven thousand four hundred and eighty one mega gallons of water, a single drop of ocean water is also the same H2O. No difference.

This point of devotion has to be very clearly understood. One must take care in choosing and following a 'guru'. With many modern day gurus, you have to be very careful, for they try to become God, which they are not, not any more than you are. Media's power helps anyone project an image, PR companies are ready to help throw an image of whatever you want to be. In US, we have seen great images projected during election, of godmen, consumer products etc. anything can be mad grand.

So watch out.

When the devotee is same as even kRiShNa, then how is a guru any superior? This is not disrespect to guru, but realization of your own true nature. A guru that doesn't help you with that, or if you don't do it yourselves - then the whole exercise is a farce.

A true guru never wants, attention or even your identity, or money. Yes, you may give a token of appreciation for guru's daily needs, but that is nominal, not millions of dollars! No guru needs that much! Those are entrepreneurs, businessmen who need that much of money, running mega-business or schools, hospitals, social work and amassing tons of moolah on the way. A true guru only wants to help you be able to walk in the right direction with good stamina. He is not going to be with you forever, giving you a piggy back ride to heaven.

You should try to get rid of a guru as soon as possible, which means, gain knowledge, direction, guidance and move on.

Imagine you are on a journey to meet the divine. and on the way there are tourist offices for information. After finding out the direction, modes of transport etc. should you hang around the tourist office forever?

Imagine you go to AgrA to see the Taj Mahal, and you meet a tourist guide. What is important, what the guide is telling you or the actual Taj Mahal? The role of the guide is over when he has told you about the Taj, shown you the Taj. Now it is up to you to enjoy the bliss. And let go of the guide. He has others to guide. And the guide should not delay in showing you the Taj either!

Don't be a parasite or a handicap, to hang around the guru and take all his time. Be kind to others as well :)

But most importantly, wake up, arise, you are divine. Supreme parabrahma परब्रह्म doesn't want you to spend a life of guilt, servitude, nothingness. Do all the good, serving etc. with the realization that you are also the same divine principle. Don't imbalance the balance.

Over attachment to the guru is detrimental to both - gurus have started counting their importance by how many followers they have, which gives them ego. And followers become relaxed thinking - "Guru is there, so why do I have to worry now?" But our scriptures based on which the gurus tell things, say categorically - Only you and you alone can liberate yourselves. You can't outsource that work. Your deeds (karma कर्म ) without attachment will liberate you, your lack of ego, will liberate you, your knowing it will liberate you.

nArada muni नारद मुनि in bhAgawadpurANa भागवद्पुराण warns about the signs of kaliyuga, and one of them is - "In kaliyuga, brAhamaNa ब्राह्मण will be selling their (esoteric) knowledge so it will lose essence, pilgrimage sites will have lot of hypocrites, so pilgrimage will lose essence, fakes will be so many that asceticism will lose essence..."

Focus on the divine, not human.
Focus on the destination, not sign post on the road.
Focus on crossing the river, not building a house on the bridge.

You are divine. Wake up. Get up. Move it.

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.

And now the language aspects -

dAso'hamiti = दासोऽहमिति
= dAsaH + aham + iti = servant/slave + i am + thus

me = मे = my

buddhiH = बुद्धिः
= thinking, intelligence, mind

pUrvAsItjjanArdane = पूर्वमासीज्जनार्दने
= pUrvam + AsIt + janArdane
= earlier + was + in kRiShNa

dA-shabdo'pahRitastena = दा-शब्दोऽपहृतस्तेन
= dA + shabdaH + apahRitaH + ten
= da- word + snatched/kidnapped away + by Him

gopIvastrApahAriNA = गोपीवस्त्रापहारिणा
= gopI + vastra + apahAriNA
= gopI's + cloths + by the snatcher
= by the snatcher of gopI's cloths

Become a fan of the blog. Join us on Facebook.

Read/Buy the book "Attitude Shift - Sanskrit maxims for life and leadership" in print or Kindle e-book and support Practical Sanskrit activities.