Mahasannidhanam of Sringeri on translation ...

This is a transcript of a speech in Sanskrit by His Holiness Mahasannidhanam, Sringeri Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Theertha MahasvaaminaH..

तादृशाः सन्ति विषयाः ये भाषान्तरैः अनुवदितुं न शक्यते। तादृशान् विषयान् कथं वा वयं अनुवदितुं पारयामः॥

There are many subjects which cannot be translated and explained in another language through translation.. How can we be capable enough to make such translation?

कालिदासस्य शाकुन्तलनाटके एकः प्रसङ्गः आयाति। 

There is an incident (to illustrate this ) in Kalidasas Drama (Abijnana) Shauntalam. 

शकुन्तलायाः पुत्रः सर्वदमनः इति तत्र प्रसिद्धः अस्ति। 

Shakuntala has a son who is famous as Sarvadamana ( the one who is capable of subduing everything)

अग्रे स एव भरतः इति नाम्ना चक्रवरित्वेन प्रसिद्धः आसीत् यस्य नाम्ना इदं भारतं वर्षं जातम्। 

Later on he became famous by the name Bharatha, who became the emperor. And this Bharatha Varsha obtained its name from that Emperor.

स सर्वदमनः बाल्ये वयसि महान् पराक्रमी आसीत्। 

That Sarvadamana was extremely bold and powerful even in his boyhood

यदा सः पञ्चवर्षवयस्कः आसीत् तदानीमेव सिंहशाबकान् गृह्णन् तेषां वदनानि विस्तारयन् आसीत्।

When he was a boy of just five years, he was capturing the cubs of lions, prying open their mouths

शाकुन्तलस्थं सर्वदमनस्य मुखात् निःस्सारितं वचनमिदम्। जृंभस्य जृंभस्व दन्ताम्स्ते गणयिष्यामि। 

In the Drama Shakuntalam the following words are shown as uttered by Sarvadamana.. 

(He is telling the lion cubs after opening their mouths) Stand Still, Stand Still, Let me count the number of teeth you have.

अत एव सर्वदमन इति सार्थकनामा महर्षिणा कण्वेन तस्य अकारीत्।

It was for this reason that Sage Kanva gave the name Sarvadamana, which was appropriate in every sense (as the boy was really bold and powerful.. he was the victor over all things around )

तादृशं सर्वदमनं दृष्ट्वा आश्रमवासिनः अहो अयं नितरां दुष्टोऽस्ति अत्रत्यान् सर्वान् अपि सत्त्वान् अयं पीडयति।

(Shakuntala and Bharatha the Sarvadamana were residing in the hermitage of Sage Marichi) The occupants of the hermitage, watching the naughty Sarvadamana exclaimed.. “Oh, this boy is so tough and naughty, he is putting to torture all the animals here”

इति कृत्वा तस्य क्रीडार्थं मृण्मयं एकं मयूरं आनीय तस्मै ददुः आश्रमवासिनः।

So deciding,( and in a bid to divert the boy’s attention) the inmates of the hermitage brought the clay doll of a peacock to the boy and gave it to him for playing.

तद् मृण्मयं मयूरं दृष्ट्वा काचन आश्रमस्था वदति भरत शकुन्तलावण्यं पश्य॥ 

Seeing that clay peacock some lady of the hermitage, tells the boy, Bharatha, see the beauty of this bird.. see the Lavanyam(beauty) of this Shakunta(bird)

शकुन्तः इति पक्षिणः नामः।

Shakunta is the name of the bird

तस्य लावण्यं पश्य इति शकुन्तलावण्यं पश्य॥

The boy is asked to see the beauty of the bird, by the words Shakunta Lavanyam Pashya..

शन्कुन्तलावन्यं पश्य॥ शकुन्तला इति तस्य मातुः नामाक्षराणि आगतानि। Obviously, Shakuntala is the name of the boys mother . The letters in the name of his mother Shankuntala occurs in the sentence "Shakuntalavanyan pashya"

तद् श्रवणानुपदं स कथयति। 

So when he hears about Shakunta lavanyam, he thinks of his mother Shakuntala 

मम माता कुतः॥ 

He asks, Where is my mother

शकुन्तला इति अक्षरचतुष्टयश्रवणेन तस्य मातुः स्मरणं आगतम्।

In fact, on hearing the four letters Sha kun ta la, the boy is reminded of his mother. 

मम माता कुत्र इति ब्रवीति।

So he is asking about his mother 

कस्माभिः इदम् अस्माभिः भाषन्तरे अनुवदितुम् शक्यते।

Who can translate this situation into another language and( bring in the same effect )

शकुन्तलावण्यं पश्य इति भाषान्तरे अस्माभिः अनूद्यते चेत् तस्य मातुः स्मरणं कथं आयाति? तथा नायात्येव। 

When we translate the sentence "shakuntalavanyam pashya" to another language ( see the beauty of the bird.. would be the translation) how can the boy get the memory of his mother (Shakuntala)?

No such memories can be evoked in translation

अतः केचित् विषयाः तादृशाः अस्माकं सम्स्कृतभाषायां सन्ति ये सर्वेथैव अनुवादकैः अनुवादेषु आनेतुं न शक्यन्ति॥

Therefore, it has to be noted that there are some subjects in our Sanskrit Language whose meaning and sense cannot be brought out effectively by any translator or through any translation..