Conversational Sanskrit

For eons, the hindu marriage has been held up as model for stability. Yet increasingly, the hindu wedding ceremony is increasingly seen as the epitome of excess and conspicuous consumption embedded in Bollywood inspired dance, music and couture. Ironically, solemn ceremonies of marriage are often relegated to the background because few understand the words uttered and fewer seem to care. This is a travesty because at its core, the Vedic wedding is a dialogue between the bride and the groom, of soaring poetry, of solemn commitment, an initiation to the highest level of friendship, all spelt out in unflinching detail. In a previous post in 2016, I summarized the key rituals of a Vedic wedding. I will focus in this post on saptapadi.  First the verses सप्तपदी  , स्त्री, सप्तानां पदानां ममाहारः । (“द्विगोः ।” ४ । १ । २१ । इति ङीप् ।) इति व्याकरणम् ॥ विवाहाङ्ग सप्तपदी गमनं यथा । ततो जामाता प्रागुदीचीं गत्वा बधूं सप्तमिर्म्मन्त्रैः सप्तमण्डलिकासु सप्तपदानि नयेत् । बवृश्च दक्षिणपादं ...

The taking of the hand in marriage: The most important sacrament of the Hindu wedding Of the seven core Vedic rituals that constitute a Hindu wedding, the most important is paaNigrahaNam or the taking of the bride's hand in marriage. Manu, the lawgiver, emphasizes the central role of the  paaNigrahaNam  in the Hindu wedding in the Manu Smriti पाणिग्र्हणिका  मन्त्रा नियतं दारलक्षणम् | तेषां  निष्ठा तु  विज्ञेया विद्वद्भि: सप्तमे पदे || 1️⃣ शब्दार्थ (शाब्दिक अर्थ) पाणिग्र्हणिका मन्त्रा  – पाणिग्रहण के मंत्र नियतं  – निश्चित रूप से दार‑लक्षणम्  – पति‑पत्नी (गृहस्थ) बनने का लक्षण / चिह्न तेषाम्  – उन (मंत्रों) की निष्ठा  – पूर्णता, दृढ़ता, अंतिम स्थापना तु  – ही / ही तो विज्ञेया  – जानी जाती है विद्वद्भिः  – विद्वानों द्वारा सप्तमे पदे  – सप्तपदी के सातवें चरण में 2️⃣ भावार्थ (सरल अर्थ) पाणिग्रहण के मंत्र यह बताते हैं कि वर‑वधू पति‑पत्नी बनने की प्रक्रिया में प्रवेश कर चुके हैं, लेकिन  विवाह की वास्तविक पूर...

 Kanyadan: The giving of the daughter in holy matrimony There is much controversy about this rite. Is a bride mere chattel for her father to give away to whom he pleases? Whither agency and autonomy for an accomplished young woman? There is some substance in this angst. It is also true that society has been and largely remains patriarchal. I share the meaning of the phrases uttered during kanyadan. I share them not as an apologist for patriarchy but in the hope of providing some understanding that kanyadan was no mere gift, but a father's highest religious duty, one to ensure the perpetuation of dharma,  “In faith, with the divine as the witnesse, he gives his daughter for the salvation of his ancestors,  righteous conduct in society, and the continuation of the human race. For the duration of the ceremony, the groom is assigned the role of mahavishnu and the bride mahalakshmi, his eternal consort. When the goddess of prosperity, abundance, and auspiciousness is given to ...

 भ्रमर न्याय:  भ्रमर = the bee न्याय: = maxim The bee only takes nectar from everywhere. Similarly the wise person only takes good from all, no bitterness, anger or evil. Thus is the maxim of the bee

  घट्ट-कुटी-प्रभात न्याय घट्ट= toll कुटी=cottage प्रभात = dawn न्याय=maxim The maxim of the toll cottage at dawn A Businessman wants to avoid paying toll, so he rides his cart all night in a ciRcUitoUs roUTe hopes of avoiding paying toll. When dawn breaks, he notices that his cart is right in front of the toll gate. Despite his strenuous effort to avoid something he ends up at what he was trying to avoid. This is the maxim of the toll booth at dawn

Here is an example oF clever wording of a boon वृद्ध कुमारी वाक्य न्याय वृद्ध  = Old कुमारी = unmarried woman वाक्य =statement न्याय=maxim An old unmarried woman asks a boon thus: पुत्रा मे बहु-क्षीर-घृत्म् ओदनं  कांचन-पात्राभ्याम् भुञ्जीरन् पुत्रा =sons मे = my बहु= a lot OF क्षीर = milk घृत्म्  = ghee ओदनं = rice कांचन= golden पात्राभ्याम् = from two vessels भुञ्जीरन् = may they eat The olD woman cleverly asks the boon, " may my sons eat out of two golden vessels rice mixed with ghee. The boon if granted would mean 1. make the woman young ( and fertile) again 2. she will marry 3. She will have sons 4. Her sons will have plenty of nourishing food 5. They will be rich eating out of two golden vessels each Pretty Good in five word boon! pretty clever

Of the seven core Vedic rituals that constitute a Hindu wedding, the most important is paaNigrahaNam or the taking of the bride's hand in marriage. Manu, the lawgiver, emphasizes the central role of the  paaNigrahaNam  in the Hindu wedding in the Manu Smriti पाणिग्र्हणिका  मन्त्रा नियतं दारलक्षणम् | तेषां  निष्ठा तु  विज्ञेया विद्वद्भि: सप्तमे पदे || The taking of the hand is undoubtedly the mark of wifehood, the culmination ( of the wedding ceremonies) is understood by the learned in the seventh step. This underscores the central nature of the taking of the hand and the seven steps to the Hindu wedding ceremonies.  So much so that the husband is referred to as the पाणिगृहितृ  (pANigrahItRu) or the taker of the hand. Notably, these two are among the seven elements of the wedding ceremony which are described by all the ancient authorities. Notably, saptapadi is different from the circumambulation of the fire, also ...

 The story of Shakuntala as seen through the eyes of the great painter Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma is one of the greatest Indian painters. He has many firsts to his credit, a member of the Royal family of Travancore in modern day Kerala (the current royals are his direct descendants), the first to extensively use oil paintings , the first to make his paintings accessible to the common man by setting up the first lithograph press in India. His greatness transcends these firsts. He was the first to give form to and introduce to the world, the traditional Indian concept of feminine beauty, of proud and confident women draped in the most elegant, form fitting Indian sari and jewelry. He brought to life in his paintings, the great nayika and nayaka, the heroines and heroes in the Indian tradition, epics and literature, in a very human, relatable form. His rendering of the subject and the access through his lithographs meant that since the late nineteenth century, Indians have seen t...

  कण्ठ-चामीकर न्यायः कण्ठ+ throat/neck चामीकर  gold (necklace) न्यायः While a bangle in the hand doesn’t need any mirror to be seen, a necklace around the neck surely does need external help to be admired and appreciated. We may forget we have it around our neck, or we are simply not reminded of its beauty and it may slip our mind totally. We cannot see our own necklace around the neck; someone has to point it out. Similarly, we do not know our own true self, our strengths (and weaknesses). Others are true mirror of our self. They can see us as a separate entity, without the subjective baggage we carry about ourselves. Use that as feedback to realize our strong and weak point. This is used when someone doesn’t realize one’s own worth – as in our hidden talents, true potential, which a guru, mentor or coach may. The same happened with Hanumān in the great epic Rāmāyaṇa, where due to the curse of ṛiṣhi-s for his childhood pranks, he forgot he had any super powers until Jāmbvān r...

उष्ट्र लगुड न्याय  उूंट को उस लकडी से मारा जाता है जो उसकी पीट में वह स्वयं लादता है The rule about beating the camel with the stick which it carries on its back. For e.g., , In an argument when you use the argument of the opponent to defeat him the उष्ट्रलगुडन्याय is operational

 पिष्ट पेषण न्याय पिष्ट= पिसा हुआ पदार्थ ( आटा/मैदा), flour पेषणम् = पीसना, grinding पिसी हुई चीज को फिर ( बार बार) पीसना 'एक बार कही बात को दोहराते रहना'  The axiom of grinding that which has already been ground (flour) Fruitless argument and analysis. We all agree that on WhatsApp ( with the exception of this wonderful group) पिष्टपेषणन्याय applies! Enough of this पिष्टपेषणम् , enjoy the day.

 अरण्यरोदन न्याय अरण्यम् = जंगल रोदनम्=रोना जंगल में रोने के समान बात। जहाँ कहने पर कोई ध्यान देनेवाला न हो। The axiom of crying in the forest, where there is none to hear or care. One can use it in the context of the futility of complaining when there is none to listen. Last week at the ASH meeting I thought of this in another context. Sickle cell disease is considered by some to be milder in adivasis. Quite literally, I wondered, was this a case of अरण्यरोदनन्याय? In the absence of health care access, who would hear their cries of pain in the forest? जंगल में मोर नाचे किसने देखा? It also made me realize that you can apply an aphorism/ axiom in different contexts

 कूप मण्डूक न्याय कूप=कूंआ, well मण्डूक=मैंडक्, frog कूंअे के मैंडक् की दृष्टिकोण बस कुअें तक ही सीमित है। ईश्वर की अपार सृष्टी असकी कलपना के पार है The frog in the well cannot contemplate or imagine the immense universe beyond the narrow confines of its well.  This कूपमण्डुकन्याय axiom lends itself to many applications

 काक दन्त परीक्षा न्याय काक= कौआ, crow दन्त=दांत teeth परीक्षा= गिनना, examination/counting कौवे के दान्त गिनना , व्यर्थ का काम The maxim of counting crow’s teeth, an excercise in f utility I hope we never have to apply काकदन्तपरीक्षान्याय at work, ever.

 काक तालीय न्याय काक= कौआ, crow तालीय= ताड का फल्, palm fruit कौआ ताड के पेड पर बैठता है, उसी समय पेड से एक फल गिरता है, यद्यपि दोनों घटनाओं  मे कोई सम्बन्ध नहीं है। संयेगवश घटी दो घटनाओं को कार्य-कारण सम्बन्ध ठहराने का दृष्टान्त काकतालीयन्याय मे होता है The maxim of the crow sitting and the palm fruit falling describes one event coincidentally followed by another though there is no causal link. This logical fallacy of attributing causality to successive but unrelated events, I.e “ after this, therefore because of this”, is described in the Latin phrase “ post hoc ergo propter hoc” used in short as “post hoc”

अतिपरिचयादवज्ञा सन्ततगमनादनादरो भवति । मलये भिल्लपुरन्ध्री चन्दनतरुकाष्ठमिन्धनं कुरुते ॥ शार्ङ्गधरपद्धतिः   नीतिपद्धतिः  -  ८९ atiparicayādavajñā santatagamanādanādaro bhavati  । malaye bhillapurandhrī candanatarukāṣṭhamindhanaṃ kurute  ॥ पदच्छेदः अतिपरिचयात्, अवज्ञा, सन्ततगमनात्, अनादरः, भवति, मलये, भिल्लपुरन्ध्री, चन्दनतरुकाष्ठम्, इन्धनं, कुरुते । तात्पर्यम् अतिपरिचयः उपेक्षायाः कारणं भवति, पुनः पुनः गमनेन अनादरः भवति । मलयपर्वतप्रदेशे वसमाना भिल्लस्त्री श्रीगन्धस्य काष्ठम् इन्धननिमित्तम् उपयुङ्क्ते । English meaning Excessive familiarity breeds contempt, going repeatedly (to someone else's house) causes disrespect. On the Malaya mountain, the tribal housewife uses sandalwood as fuel! Familiarity breeds contempt. The bhil woman has no knowledge of the real world value of sandalwood, but she sees it as ready source of fuel wood. She sees the sandalwood so often so she has no appreciation of its qualities, anymore.

  अग्निशेषम् ऋणशेषम् शत्रुशेषम् तथैव च |   पुन: पुन: प्रवर्धेत तस्मात् शेषम् न कारयेत् ||   अग्नि=आग   =  fire  शेषम्  = बचा हुआ = remnant of ऋण  = क़र्ज =debt    शेषम्  = बचा हुआ    =remnant of शत्रु  =दुश्मन्। =r enemy   शेषम्   = बचा हुआ =remnant of तथैव च     = सब समान हैं = are similar  पुन: पुन: = बार बार = again and again प्रवर्धेत = बड़ते ही रहतें हैं= will keep growing तस्मात्  = इसलिये = therefore  शेषम् = इन्हें = these  बचा हुआ=remnant of न कारयेत्  = न छोड़े = never left यदि कोई आग, ऋण, या शत्रु अल्प मात्रा अथवा न्यूनतम सीमा तक भी अस्तित्व में बचा रहेगा तो बार बार बढ़ेगा ; अत: इन्हें थोड़ा सा भी बचा नही रहने देना चाहिए । इन तीनों को सम्पूर्ण रूप से समाप्त ही कर डालना चाहिए। If a fire, a debt, or an enemy continues to exist even to a small extent, they will grow again and again; so do not let any one of these remain and eliminate them completely =

अश्वं नैव गजं नैव  व्याघ्रं  नैव च नैव च  | अजापुत्रं  बलिं  दद्याद्देवो  दुर्बलघातकः   ||                     -  सुभाषित रत्नाकर (स्फुट) भावार्थ -   देवता को घोडे की  नहीं , हाथी की  नहीं और व्याघ्र  की भी बलि नहीं दी जाती है और केवल  बेचारे बकरे की ही बलि दी जाती है  |  सचमुच देवता भी  दुर्बल प्राणी के लिये ही घातक सिद्ध होते हैं | Ashvaam  naiva  gajam  naiva vyaaghram naiva  cha. naiva cha. Ajaaputram  balim dadyaaddevo  dutrbala-ghaatakah. Ashvam = a horse.   Naiva =no.    Gajam = an  elephantt. Vyaghram = a tiger.    Aajaputram = son of a  she-goat. Balim = sacrificing an animal as an offering  to God. Dadyaaddevo = dadyaat + devo.    Dadyaat =is given. Devo = the God.    Durbala = weak.   Ghatakah = deadly. i.e.   For animal...

सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन् सततम् प्रिय वादिनः | अप्रियस्य च पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः || ३-३७-२ Ravana was the mighty king of Lanka. A great scholar and a great warrior he had subdued Kubera the lord of wealth and had conquered Shani, a.k.a Saturn the producer of obstacles, who served as his slave and footstool. Ravana was the foremost devotee of Siva and was blessed by Siva with enormous powers. Ravana had a hundred wives, foremost amongst them Mandodari ( she with a narrow waist) who epitomized beauty and all that was the best in womanhood. Yet, this man with everything had taken a fancy to Sita the wife of Rama. At the time, it was widely known that Sita's husband Prince Rama was none else but an incarnation, an Avatar of Lord Vishnu who arrived on earth to rid the earth of the evil of the Rakshasha demons. His wife Sita, who was miraculously discovered as an infant buried in a field that was being plowed was clearly Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi the goddess of untold and infinite...

  Speak the truth. Speak what is pleasing Do not speak the truth that is not pleasing Do not speak an untruth because it is pleasing This is the eternal truth This is from Manu the lawgiver.  Can we indeed live by this rule? सत्यं ब्रूसात् प्रियं ब्रूयात्   नब्रूयात् सत्यमप्रियं   प्रियमनृतं च एष धर्मः सनातन