the king heaps a lot of praise on a fellow and coolly orders his beheading too.

 

नमन्नपि हरिर्हन्न्यादाश्लिष्यन्नपि पन्नगः।

विहसन्नपि वेतालः स्तुवन्नपि महीपतिः॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रुचे १४३० राजतरङ्गिण्याम्

namannapi harirhannyādāśliṣyannapi pannagaḥ।

vihasannapi vetālaḥ stuvannapi mahīpatiḥ॥

indiśce spruce 1430 rājataraṅgiṇyām

The lion attacks the elephant assuming a bowing position and kills it. The snake encircles the victim as if embracing and injects poison too. The evil spirit vetala attacks people with a loud laugh.

Moreover, the king heaps a lot of praise on a fellow and coolly orders his beheading too.

𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧

 

अभिमानवतां ब्रह्मन्युक्तायुक्तविवेकिनाम्।

युज्यतेऽवश्यभोज्यानां दुःखानामप्रकाशनम्॥

इन्दिश्चे स्प्रूचे ३५४६ राजतरङ्गिण्याम्

abhimānavatāṁ brahmanyuktāyuktavivekinām|

yujyate'vaśyabhojyānāṁ duḥkhānāmaprakāśanam||

indiśce sprūce 3546 rājataraṅgiṇyām

𝐎𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

𝐈𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚

𝐊 𝐯 𝐚

ब्रह्मन्, oh revered one, युक्त proper, appropriate अयुक्त improper, inappropriate विवेकिनां who discern, who distinguish अभिमानवतां who possess dignity, self-respect, self confidence अवश्य essential, that cannot be avoided भोज्यानां दुःखानां sorrows that have to be suffered अप्रकाशणं non revealing, concealment युज्यते befits

पलायनैर्नापयाति निश्चला भविव्यता

पलायनैर्नापयाति निश्चला भविव्यता।

देहिनः पुच्छसंलीना वह्निज्वालेव पक्षिणाम्॥

राजतरङ्गिणी ७-२२२

palāyanairnāpayāti niścalā bhavivyatā|

dehinaḥ pucchasaṁlīnā vahnijvāleva pakṣiṇām||

rājataraṅgiṇī 7-222

A very significant statement found in Kalhanas Rajatarangini

============

The fate which is adamant and unchangeable, will not move away from us just because we try to run away.. The fate just remains with us like fire that had ignited the tail of a bird..

============

The fate, what is ordained for us will land us up in situations which may not give us peace and comforts.. By instinct we would try to run away from such situation..

But what is happening for us is a reality.. a play of fate.. We cannot run away from it.. and the unhappy incidents would not be undone or wiped off just because we run away, or pretend that nothing bad is happening or we just close our eyes..

The dictates of fate are just like the fire which has ignited the hind feathers of a bird.. The fire would not be put off just because the bird takes flight.. In fact, the fire would burn with greater intensity.

If we try to face the vagaries of fate with some courage instead of just running away from realities of life, the situation might stabilize and the clouds that marred our life might move away, and we may become normal once again..

But if we run away from situations, we would lose all the advantages, and we would lose our self confidence, and we would be branded as cowards and escapists even if we survive with some injuries..

But if we stand firm, take the trouble by the collars and fight with it .. we would feel great.. if we succeed to ward off the trouble.. and even if we go down succumbing to fate after a courageous fight, we would leave great glory behind us..

The heroes.. who died fighting are looked up with equal respect that is given to the winners.. The one who ran away unable to face a situation is always considered as a second rate one..

In Bhagavat Gita the Lord tells Arjuna the same thing..

अकीर्तिं चापि भूतानि कथयिष्यन्ति तेऽव्ययाम् ।

सम्भावितस्य चाकीर्तिर्मरणादतिरिच्यते ॥ ३४ ॥

भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः ।

येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् ।।३५।

bhagavat gita Chapter 2 Sankhya Yoga

akeertim chaapi bhUtaani kathayishyanti te avyayaam

sambhaavitasya cha akeertir maranaadatiruchyate..

Bhayaad ranaaduparatam mamsyante twaam mahaarathaaH

yeshaam cha tvam bahumato bhootvaa yaasyasi laaghavam..

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

Arjuna, when you take flight like a coward because you are afraid to execute your duty as a warrior, all the people around will talk about you in scandalous and sarcastic terms. Your fame will take an abysmal plunge downwards. And for an honourable person such scandal and infamy is worse than death itself..34

Arjuna, If you run away from the battle ( battle of Mahabharata or battle of life) the respected personages and heroes all would look at you with insulting eyes.. You would appear puny and insignificant in the eyes of people who all rightly looked up at you as a valiant hero..35

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

So, what is to happen will happen.. We can try to fight back and try to survive.. Alternately we can perish in all glory and honour..

But to run away from situations is utter cowardice.. and it is unbecoming of any person with some honour left in him,

regards..

have a nice day

k v ananthanarayanan

boomerang

योऽयं परापकरणाय सृजत्युपायं

तेनेव तस्य नियमेन भवेद्विनाशः।

धूमं प्रसौति नयनान्धकरं यमग्निः

भूत्वाम्बुदः शमयेत् सलिलस्तमेव॥

कल्हणस्य राजतरङ्गिण्याम्॥

A great quote from the great Rajatarangini.. the first historical work in Sanskrit from the Kashmirean poet Kalhana.

============

Meaning

A person who fabricates a device or thing or hatches plans for the destruction of others would in all probability face his destruction and doom by that very device..

The fire spews out very dark smoke to make the people around blind.. but the same smok raises in the sky, converts itself into water bearing cloud and pours itself as water that would extinguish the fire..

==============

This is a lesson given to us by nature..

If we wish ill for others, that wish may be fulfilled or not, but surely that wish will turn against us, will return to us and cause damage and destruction for us....

A fellow who wields a sword will in all probability have the sword cutting his own throat or chest and face death..

=============

Word analysia

यः who

परापकरणाय to cause destructio to others

अयं उपायं which trick or device

सृजति creates

नियमेन usually

तेन एव only by that

उपायेन device

तस्य his

विनाशः destruction

भवेत् happens

यं which

नयनान्धकरं making the eyes blind

धूमं smoke

अग्निः the fire

प्रसौति gives birth to

स एव धूमः that very smoke indeed

अम्बुदः सलिलं water flowing from the clouds

भूत्वा become

तमेव अग्निम् that very fire

शमयेत extinguishes..

============

Namaskarams

K v ananthanarayanan

rare or even impossible...

सख्यं कारणनिर्व्यपेक्षमिनताहंकारहीना सती

भावो वीतजनापवाद उचितोक्तित्वं समस्तप्रियं।

विद्वत्ता विभवान्विता तरुणिमा पारिप्लवत्वोज्झितो

राजत्वम् विकळङ्कमत्र चरमे काले किलेत्यन्यथा॥

कल्हणकृते राजतरङ्गिण्याम्॥ ८-१६१

sakhyaṁ kāraṇanirvyapekṣaminatāhaṁkārahīnā satī

bhāvo vītajanāpavāda ucitoktitvaṁ samastapriyaṁ|

vidvattā vibhavānvitā taruṇimā pāriplavatvojjhito

rājatvam vikaḻaṅkamatra carame kāle kiletyanyathā||

kalhaṇakṛte rājataraṅgiṇyām|| 8-161

A great quot from Kalhanas Rajatarangini.. This work is famous in Sanskrit literature and Indian History as the first authentic record in Indian History.. the work deals with the Royal Dynasty in Kashmir.. at the dawn of Christian Era..

The meaning of the Sloka

===================

The occurrence of the following are indeed very rare.. well near impossibilities..

Friendship or show of friendship without any reason, expectation..

Being a master of boss without arrogance and dominance.

The chaste nature of a lady which would not attract scandal some day or other

Capacity to say things in the proper place and in the proper manner

A person being popular and acceptable for all the people for a long time

Possession of great knowledge and erudition

State of being very rich in resources.

Existence in a state of youth with all vigour and vibrancy

And the state of being in control and power as a king till one dies..

One can be at the peak of happiness and popularity for some time..But to sustain such popularity for long time is indeed impossible..

Our minds are fickle.. The minds of all around us are fickle,.

Nature is fickle.. Time is fickle..

So neither nice things nor not so nice things continue for ever..

If we remember this, we can avoid a lot of heartbreaks

easy to appoint inefficient hands, but how to bring in efficiency?

कर्तुं पदव्यां योग्यानां अयोग्यान् प्रभवेन्न कः।

तेषां गुणैस्तान् संयोक्तुं न शक्यं कारणैरपि॥

कल्हणकृते राजतरङ्गिण्यां ८-१६३७

kartuṁ padavyāṁ yogyānāṁ ayogyān prabhavenna kaḥ|

teṣāṁ guṇaistān saṁyoktuṁ na śakyaṁ kāraṇairapi||

kalhaṇakṛte rājataraṅgiṇyāṁ 8-1637

A thought-provoking quote from Kalhana's Rajatarangini

It is about deploying persons with right eligibility in proper places..

The sloka when translated would read

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

Who does not have the power to appoint a person lacking eligibility to a position which requires persons with adequate capacity?

However, no tricks or manipulations would enable one to cultivate such abilities befitting the learned ones to the unfit ones

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

If the boss, or government or any employer is prepared to appoint a person to a position for which he is not suited and eligible, they can do it, if they are pleased..

But mere appointment would not fetch for the employee the qualifications he really requires..

And the person, the boss and the government all might face the consequences sooner or later..

However, this happens too many times in this unequal social set up..

analysis

कः who

योग्यानां पदव्यां in positions earmarked for eligible persons

अयोग्यान् ineligible persons

कर्तुं न प्रभवेत् could appoint, could give position

परन्तु but

बहुभिः कारणैः अपि even with many actions or manipulations

तेषां योग्यानां those eligible persons

गुणैः virtues and qualifications

तान् अयोग्यान् those ineligible

संयोक्तुं न शक्यं not possible to endow with ( eligibility and qualification)

കര്‍തും പദവ്യാം യോഗ്യാനാം അയോഗ്യാന്‍ പ്രഭവേന്ന കഃ।

തേഷാം ഗുണൈസ്താന്‍ സംയോക്തും ന ശക്യം കാരണൈരപി॥

കല്‍ഹണ   കൃതേ രാജതരങ്ഗിണ്യാം ൮-൧൬൩൭

ചിന്തയ്ക്ക് വെല്ലുവിളി നല്‍കുന്ന ഒരു ചോദ്യം,  കല്‍ഹണന്‍റെ രാജതരംഗിണിയില്‍ നിന്ന് .
 ഉചിതമായ സ്ഥാനങ്ങളില്‍ യോഗ്യത ഉള്ളവരെ മാത്രം  നിയോഗിക്കണം  എന്ന കാര്യം ഇവിടെ അടിവരയിട്ടു പറയുന്നു.

 ഈ ശ്ലോകത്തിന്‍റെ പരിഭാഷ താഴെ പറയുന്ന പോലെ ആയിരിക്കും

ഒരു യോഗ്യതയും അര്‍ഹതയും ഇല്ലാത്ത ഒരു വ്യക്തിയെ ,  അത്തരം  പരിചയവും അറിവും അത്യന്താപെക്ഷിതങ്ങള്‍ ആയ ഒരു  സ്ഥാനത്ത് പോലും  നിയമിക്കാന്‍  ആര്‍ക്കാണ് കഴിയാത്തത് ?
പക്ഷെ അങ്ങിനെ നിയമിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ആള്‍ക്ക്   യോഗ്യരായ ആളുകള്‍ക്ക് വേണ്ട കഴിവും അര്‍ഹതയും  ബഹുമാന്യതയും നേടികൊടുക്കാന്‍  അങ്ങിനെ നിയമിക്കുന്ന ആള്‍ക്ക്  എന്തൊക്കെ തന്ത്രങ്ങള്‍ പ്രയോഗിച്ചു ശ്രമിച്ചാലും ഒട്ടും സാധിക്കുകയില്ല.

രാജാവോ സര്‍ക്കാരോ അല്ല വേറെ ഏതെങ്കിലും മുതലാളിയോ വിചാരിച്ചാല്‍  ഒരു കഴിവും  അര്‍ഹതയും ഇല്ലാത്ത ആളെപ്പോലും  തങ്ങളുടെ കീഴില്‍ ജോലിക്ക്  നിയോഗിക്കാന്‍ കഴിയും.

പക്ഷെ  അത്തരം  നിയമനം കൊണ്ട് മാത്രം  നിയമിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ആള്‍ക്ക് വേണ്ട യോഗ്യതയും കഴിവും ഒന്നും   സ്വയം വന്നു ചേരാന്‍ പോകുന്നില്ല.

അത്തരം വിഴുപ്പുഭാണ്ഡങ്ങളുടെ  ഉപദ്രവവും ശല്യവും  അവരെ ജോലിയില്‍ നിയമിച്ച  ആളുകള്‍ക്ക്  ഇന്നല്ലെങ്കില്‍ നാളെ  ഒരുപാടു സഹിക്കേണ്ടി വരും

ഇതോരു ദുഃഖ സത്യമാണ്.  പക്ഷെ ഇത്തരം അനര്‍ഹങ്ങളും അനുചിതങ്ങളും ആയ നിയമനങ്ങള്‍ നമ്മുടെ സമൂഹത്തില്‍  ഒരുപാടു   സംഭവിക്കുന്നു.  

words do wonders...

धत्ते श्रियं सृजति कीर्तिमघं लुनीते

मित्रत्वमानयति हन्त विरोधिनोपि।

यात्यध्वभिः प्रतिपदं सुमनोनुकूलैर्

गौः कामदुक्कमिव नापहरत्यनर्थम्॥

कल्हणकृते राजतरङ्गिण्याम्॥७-७८९

dhatte śriyaṁ sṛjati kīrtimaghaṁ lunīte

mitratvamānayati hanta virodhinopi|

yātyadhvabhiḥ pratipadaṁ sumanonukūlair

gauḥ kāmadukkamiva nāpaharatyanartham||

kalhaṇakṛte rājataraṅgiṇyām||7-789

A great quote from the classic.. Rajatharangini of Kalhana.. From Taranga or chapter 7

The slokam underlines the universal effectiveness of sweet and sensible words..

Is there any misfortune or catastrophe that cannot be removed or avoided through sweet and sensible words.. which are like the divine wish yielding cow.. Kamadhenu herself..?

Sweet words pave way for great wealth and prosperity.

Sweet words provide great fame to the one who uses them

Sweet words remove almost all sins

Sweet words create cohesion and friendship even between arch enemies

Sweet words, like the Kamadhenu, provides us benefit in every step where they are present.

Here the sweet words.. GauH.. are compared with the divine Cow.. GauH means word and GauH means cows too.. and by that word we can infer the greatest of the cows Kamadhenu too.

The divine cow would bless us with fortune, with fame, would remove sins, and in every step she takes, she would provide blessings and benefits for all who follow her.. She the great Mother..

The poet tries to indicate that all that mother Kamadhenu the divine cow would provide us could be provided to us by sweet and and sensible words, properly applied..

Wrongly used, wrongly spoken words cause most of the damage in this world.. everyone knows.. But then almost everyone thinks it is his privilege to use bad words..

We can afford to fare better.. and make ourselves and the world too much more livable

Note

Indian lore believes that there is a great tree Kalpakavriksha, and there is a great cow.. Kamadhenu.. who would provide for all the wishes of the people on earth.. They would give us anything that we pray for..

Actually.. the tree represents agriculture and the cow represents the cattle wealth.. and the idea is that these two activities, when followed with enthusiasm and sincerity would yield us almost anything that we require.

all become equal in disgrace....

all become equal in disgrace....

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तिर्यग्भिस्त्रिजगज्जयी परिभवं लङ्केश्वरो लब्दवान्

प्रापाशेषनृपोत्तमः कुरुपतिः पादाहतिं मूर्धनि।

इत्यन्ते बहुमानहृत्परिभवः सर्वस्य सामन्यवत्

तत्को नाम भवेन्महानहमिति ध्यायन् धृताहङ्क्रियः॥

राजतरङ्गिण्याम्॥

tiryagbhistrijagajjayī paribhavaṁ laṅkeśvaro labdavān

prāpāśeṣanṛpottamaḥ kurupatiḥ pādāhatiṁ mūrdhani|

ityante bahumānahṛtparibhavaḥ sarvasya sāmanyavat

tatko nāma bhavenmahānahamiti dhyāyan dhṛtāhaṅkriyaḥ||

rājataraṅgiṇyām||

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The above sloka is from the Classic Rajatarangini of Kalhana from Kahsmir ..

The work is considered to be a classy Kavyam and an authentic soruce text for History.. of India and Kashmir of the period covered by the poem 

The slokam extracted stresses the futility of ego or sense of self importance harboured by people.

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Meaning 

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The conqueror of the three worlds, the master of Lanka, finally fell, being defeated by monkeys, who are just animals 

The best among the kings, and a ruler with no peers, the leader of the Kurus Duryodhana, suffered a kick on his head from his cousin Bheemasena, as Duryodhana lay fallen finally hit on the thigh by the mace of Bhima

Yes, even those who consider their own ego and status as the most valued quality and possession fall in disgrace just like all other ordinary people.

If eveyone just thinks well about this, then no one would ever think that he is a very important person and would get bloated up with ego and sense of exaggerated self importance

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त्रिगत् जयी conqueror of the three worlds 

लङ्केश्वरः the Master of Lanka, Ravana 

तिर्यग्भिः by animals 

परिभवं लब्धवान् got defeated in battle

अशेषनृपोत्तमः best among the kings, who never had a rival कुरुपतिः the leader of the Kurus, Duryodhana 

मूर्धनि on the head 

पादाहतिं प्राप suffered a kick 

अन्ते in the end 

सर्वस्य for all

सामान्यवत just like ordinary people

बहुमान हृत् परिभवः defeat of the ego which is stored in a high state of respect in the mind

इति ( एव भवति) thus happens 

तत् (विचिन्त्य) if one considers that fact well

को नाम who 

अहं महान I am great or superior 

इति thus 

ध्यायन् thinking 

धृताहङ्क्रियः भवेत् would become filled with ego?