#SanskritAppreciationHour - 24.10.14 from Nalopakhyāna (Mahabharata) - Damayanti's Swayamvara - taken by Rohini Bakshii
Today's Sanskrit hour is by Rohini Bakshi. Recording these sessions in this blog allows me time to go back at leisure and learn, reflect. Read the story of Damayanti's swayamvara!
Sat Sri Akal & welcome all to today's session of #SanskritAppreciationHour. After Diwali I thought a Mahabharata story might be refreshing!
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
We did some verses from Nalopakhyāna about two years back and a lot of the newcomers may not have seen these (pre-storify days!) @gansbox
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
Nalopakhyāna or the sub-story of Nala is found in the Vana parvan of the Mahabhārata. It is related by बृहदश्व to give आश्वासन to युधिष्ठिर
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
>> who is understandably dejected having just lost his entire kingdom and been exiled to the forest. Is there anyone more unfortunate than>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
>me? He wants to know. So the good sage relates the story of Nala to him. Today's verses relate to the svayamvara of Damayanti and her>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
interaction with the devas. So beautiful is this princess of Vidarbha, that even the devas Indra, Agni, Yama and Varuṇa decide to come along
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
They all take the form of Nala, so that she might choose one of them. Now Vidarbha, for those who don't know corresponds to the modern>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
districts of Amravati and Nagpur. So this story goes out to all the smart and beautiful women of this area :-) #SanskritAppreciationHour
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
The verses can be found starting fm 3.54.11 of the Critical Edition. Local rescensions may vary marginally.So there she is garland in hand>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
यं यं हि ददृशे तेषां तं तं मेने नलं नृपम् (उन में से जिस जिस को [दमयंती ने] देखा उसी को नल सोचा)
सा चिन्तयन्ती बुद्ध्याथ तर्कयाम् आस भामिनी
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
यं यं हि indeed who-so-ever ददृशे [she] looked at तेषां among them तं तं each one मेने [she] thought नलं नृपम was king Nala (Note: लिट्)
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi ददृशे is not correct, right? Shld be ददर्श ।
— गुरुप्रसादः (@bangalorehuduga) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi ददृशे from दृश्-कर्मणिप्रयोगः लिट् लकारः उ-पुरुषः एकवचनम् no?
Like ददृशे-ददृशिवहे-ददृशिमहे
@bangalorehuduga
— Hari Tirumalai (@haritirumalai) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi मन् धातो: कर्मणिप्रयोगे लिट्-लकार-उ-पुरुष-एकवचन-रूपम् "मेने" इत्येव खलु | @bangalorehuduga
— Hari Tirumalai (@haritirumalai) October 24, 2014
सा she भामिनी radiant lady, चिन्तयन्ती thinking बुद्धय having perceived, अथ then तर्कयामास deliberated (note periphrastic perfect तर्कयामास)
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
कथं नु देवाञ्जानीयां कथं विद्यां नलं नृपम्
एवं संचिन्तयन्ती सा वैदर्भी भृशदुःखिता
श्रुतानि देवलिङ्गानि चिन्तयामास भारत #Damayanti #Sanskrit
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
And how did she deliberate? She's got 5 identical chaps in front of her, and she can't tell them apart. Quite a predicament in a svayamvara!
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
एवं in this manner सा वैदर्भी that one of Vidharbha भृशदुःखिता greatly afflicted संचिन्तयन्ती pondering >>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
Note that चिन्तयन्ती and संचिन्तयन्ती are feminine present participles giving the English sense of *ing; thinking, pondering. #Grammar
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
कथं नु देवान् जानीयाम् how are the devas to be known कथं विद्याम् नलं नृपम् how is Nala to be discerned? #SanskritAppreciationHour
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
श्रुतानि देवलिङ्गानि the marks pertaining to devas तर्कयामास (she) considered भारत O King (युधिष्ठिर) Note the neuter plural देवलिङ्गानि &
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
भारत here is a vocative for युधिष्ठिर, as you recall, the story is being told to give him home in his dark hour...
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
Her thoughts: देवानां यानि लिङ्गानि स्थविरेभ्यः श्रुतानि मे
तानीह तिष्ठतां भूमावेकस्यापि न लक्षये
सा विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनः पुनः
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
यानि those देवानां लिङ्गानि marks of the devas स्थविरेभ्यः from aged men श्रुतानि मे I have heard तानि those (signs) इह भूमौ here on earth
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
तिष्ठतां of those that stay एकस्य अपि न लक्षये of even one is not to be seen. I.e she has heard from elders that the marks of the devas>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
cannot be seen in anybody who dwells on this earth, in her loka. #SanskritAppreciationHour. So now what is she to do? How to recognise Nala?
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
सा विनिश्चित्य बहुधा विचार्य च पुनः पुनः शरणं प्रति देवानां प्राप्तकालम् अमन्यत
वाचा च मनसा चैव नमस्कारं प्रयुज्य सा #SanskritAppreciation
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
सा पुनः पुनः विचार्य बहुधा विनिश्चित्य च She having thought about it again and again in many ways, firmly resolved>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
[सा] अमन्यत She thought प्राप्तकालम् the right time has come शरणं प्रति देवानां to take refuge with i.e. turn to the devas [for help].
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
Now we'll skip a few verses - the epics can take there own sweet time to get to the point :-) ...
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
She appeals to the devas& they,recognising her nobility and love for Nala, reveal themselves.And we learn of the signs that distinguish them
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
सापश्यद् विबुधान् सर्वान् अस्वेदान् स्तब्धलोचनान्
हृषितस्रग्रजोहीनान् स्थितान् अस्पृशतः क्षितिम् #SanskritAppreciationHour
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
सा अपश्यत् she saw विबुधान् सर्वान् all the gods अस्वेदान् not sweating (without sweat) स्तब्धलोचनान् with fixed (unblinking) eyes>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
सा अपश्यत् she saw विबुधान् सर्वान् all the gods अस्वेदान् not sweating (without sweat) स्तब्धलोचनान् with fixed (unblinking) eyes>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
So that's how you tell a deva from us beings. They don't sweat (so no Axe or Lynx required :-)) and they don't blink - and there's more>>
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi Just to note, स्वेद etym.origin of sweat :)
— Hari Tirumalai (@haritirumalai) October 24, 2014
हृषित-स्रग्-रजोहीनान् garlands un-withered and without any dust स्थितान् अस्पृशतः क्षितिम् seated/standing without touching the earth.
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
So their garlands remain ever fresh, and no dust settles on them. Most importantly, they kind of float a bit -bodies don't touch the ground.
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi this स्थितान् अस्पृशतः क्षितिम् "without touching the earth" is interesting. Was this how Hiranyakashipu was tricked?
— Shefaly (@shefaly) October 24, 2014
And how does the handsome Nala compare to these divine beings? (A bit much I thought that they should try to take his bride!!!)
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
छायाद्वितीयो म्लानस्रग् रजःस्वेदसमन्वितः
भूमिष्ठो नैषधश् चैव निमेषेण च सूचितः #SanskritAppreciationHour #Nala #Mahabharata
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
छायाद्वितीयो the other, with a shadow म्लानस्रग् रजः with a dusty garland स्वेदसमन्वितः full of perspiration (how unromantic!!)
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi Should be withered garland, dust and sweat युक्तः as opposed to हृषितस्रक् ।
— Ranga (@samjignyasu) October 24, 2014
भूमिष्ठो seated on the ground नैषधश् चैव निमेषेण च सूचितः Nala-नैषध identified or recognised by the blinking of his eyes. #SanskritHour
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
And true to her word and her love, despite the fact that Nala is not a deva, she chooses him as per her vow to marry him:
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
सा समीक्ष्य she having perceived/seen ततो देवान् those devas पुण्यश्लोकं च and Nala भारत O King (Yudhishthira) [पुण्यश्लोक=Nala]
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
नैषधं वरयाम् आस भैमी धर्मेण भारत - O King, she chose (in marriage) the king of the Nishadas. भैमी is an epithet of Damayanti like वैदर्भी
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi वरयामास no? लिट्
— Sandeep Nangia (@SNChd) October 24, 2014
@SNChd yes and these are the two components वरयाम् + आस split it to explain the periphrastic to beginners. vR>varaya+aam+aasa
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@SNChd Not sure what you mean. But maybe the answer is in here http://t.co/GPeiz46jDm
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi @SNChd
This is allowed in this लिट् form
— Ranga (@samjignyasu) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi ओह्, भैमी-धर्मः, भैमीस्मृतिः are informal names used here for the Indian constitution...
— Sud (@sudarshanhs) October 24, 2014
@RohiniBakshi @sudarshanhs Damayanti was daughter of Bhima, the king of Vidarbha. Hence she is called Bhaimi.
— Sandeep Nangia (@SNChd) October 25, 2014
That, brings us to the end of today's session. Hope you enjoyed it, &now you can identify devas if they're lurking in your svayamvara :-)
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
Have a brilliant weekend, and continue to enjoy the festivities. See you all next week with more #SanskritAppreciationHour. Ciao for now!
— Rohini Bakshi (@RohiniBakshi) October 24, 2014
