Sanskrit Quiz - 5

भारतीय-ऐतिहासिक-कथासु पञ्च जनाः एव मृत्युदर्शनात् परं जीवन्तः आसन् इति प्रसिद्धम्। के ते?

In Indian mythological stories only five people are famous for being alive even after meeting death. Who are they?

Send the answers to aarathi.bala@gmail.com

शास्त्रं वदति -33

Saastram speaks – 33

प्रियो भवति दानेन प्रियवादेन चापरः ।

मन्त्रं मूलबलेनान्यो यः प्रियः प्रिय एव सः ॥

priyo bhavati dänena priyavädena cäparaù

mantram moolabalenänyo yaù priyaù priya eva saù

In this world, people remain dear to us either by receiving gifts or by our pleasing words and can also make them dear to us by the force of ritual recitation of verbal charm or spell. But people who genuinely like us will always be close to us.

दानेन- by gifts, प्रियो भवति- are close, च - and, प्रियवादेन- by pleasing words, अपरः-Others, मन्त्रं मूलबलेन – by the magic spell, अन्यः - others, यः प्रियः one who is close, प्रिय एव सः – will always be close.

We can relate ourselves to each and every verse of the text vidura neeti

शास्त्रं वदति- 32

Saastram speaks – 32



यान्ति न्यायप्रवृत्तस्य तिर्यङ्कोऽपि सहायताम् ।

अपन्थानं तु गच्छन्तं सोदरोऽपि विमुञ्चति ॥

yänti nyäyapravåtasya tiryaìkopi sahäyatäm

apanthänam tu gacchantam sodaropi vimuïcati


If a person walks in the path of dharma even the animals would support him. But if he adopts the path of adharma, then his own brothers will desert him.

न्यायप्रवृत्तस्य- One who walks in the path of dharma or righteousness, तिर्यङ्कोऽपि- even the animals, (This word refers to animals as they go horizontally).

सहायताम् यान्ति – go for help , अपन्थानं तु- in the adharma way, गच्छन्तं- goes, सोदरोऽपि- even his own brothers, विमुञ्चति- leave.

The story of rämäyaëa will be the correct example for the above verse.Räma followed the path of virtue, hence the monkeys helped him. rävaëa adopted the wrong path so he lost the support of his own brother.


Sanskrit Quiz- 4 (Answers)

Sakuntala, Anasuya, Priyamvada, Gowtami.



शकुन्तला , अनसूया , प्रियम्वदा , गौतमी



These five are the female characters from kaalidasa's Abhignyana sakuntalam .

शास्त्रं वदति-31

Saastram speaks- 31

(This sloka is the continuation of the previous sloka)


सोऽस्य दोषो न मन्तव्यः क्षमा हि परमं बलम् ।

क्षमा गुणो ह्यशक्तानां शक्तानां भूषणं तथा ॥

soasya doño na mantavyaù kñamä hi paramam balam

kñamä guëo hi açaktänäm çaktänäm bhüñaëam tathä



That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration, as, forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong.


सः – That man(who has a forgivable nature) , अस्य- for him, दोषः- this fault or defect न मन्तव्यः- should nor care or consider, हि- because, क्षमा- forgiveness, परमं- great, बलम् – power or strength, हि – but, अशक्तानां- for an incapable or a weak person, क्षमा- forgiveness, गुणो- is virtue or a quality, शक्तानां- for capable people or for strong ones, क्षमा- forgiveness, भूषणम् is an ornament (that embellishes or brightens their character)


क्षमा शस्त्रं करे यस्य दुर्जनः किं करिष्यति’ – ‘What can a wicked person do to him who carries the weapon of forgiveness in his hand.’

शास्त्रं वदति-30

Saatram speaks- 30


एकः क्षमावतां दोषो द्वितीयो नोपलभ्यते ।

यदेनं क्षमया युक्तमशक्तं मन्यते जनः ॥ (47)



ekaù kçamavatäm doñaù dvitéyo nopalabhyate

yadenam kçamayä yuktam açaktam manyate janaù



The above verse is from ‘vidura neeti’



There is only one defect in forgiving persons—‘the quality of forgiveness present in them is wrongly assumed as incapability by others’.



क्षमवतां- a person who is of a forgivable nature, एकः- only one, दोषो- defect , द्वितीयो-second , नोपलभ्यते- is not to be seen, क्षमया युक्तं - with the quality of forgiveness , एनं- him, अशक्तं- incapable , मन्यते-assume, जनः people


.

But, great men never bother or even consider the words of those inferior men. As they very well know that the ‘positives outweigh the negatives’.

Sanskrit Quiz- 4

The letters are jumbled here:


श अ प्रि गौ कु न य त न् सू म् व मी त या दा ला


Clue: These are the four female characters from kaalidaasa’s famous drama.


Send the answers to gai1876@gmail.com