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1/29/12

Lesson 25

Beginning Prayers:
  • शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
  • सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam 
  • गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH 
Topic Summary:
  • Expansion of vocabulary
  • Practice of concepts learnt
  • Understanding 2 subhaashitaas based on the concepts learnt
Home Work:
  • Write alphabet from अ 'a' -- ह 'ha'.  
  • Vocabulary building - learn 5 new verbs and use them in sentences 
Topic Details:
Today, we will learn a couple of subhaaShitaas which are not only simple, but convey a profound meaning, like subhaaShitaas always do!

1.
काकः कृष्णः पिकः कृष्णः को भेदः पिककाकयोः
वसन्तकाले संप्राप्ते काकः काकः पिकः पिकः

- कुवलयानन्द

kaakaH kRuShNaH pikaH kRuShNaH ko bhedaH pikakaakayoH
vasantakaale saMpraapte kaakaH kaakaH pikaH pikaH
- kuvalayaananda

Crow is black, nightingale is black... what's the difference between the two. Come spring, a crow is a crow, a nightingale is a nightingale.

In appearance, a crow and a nightingale aren't very different. A crow is black and so is a nightingale. How can we tell the difference? It doesn't matter... Come spring, the difference automatically becomes evident! While a nightingale sings melodiously, a crow, well..., crows. The crow can hang out with the nightingale, try to eat like him or fly like him. These would be external imitations. But the true nature of a nightingale is its sweet voice. That is unimitable by a crow.  (A crow is special in its own way and contributes in ways he was made for!)
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2.
हंसः श्वेतः बकः श्वेतः को भेदः बकहंसयोः
नीरक्षीरविवेके तु हंसो हंसः बको बकः

haMsaH shvetaH bakaH shvetaH ko bhedaH bakahaMsayoH
nIrakShIraviveke tu haMso haMsaH bako bakaH

A swan is white, a stork is white. What's the difference between the swan and the stork? When it comes to the knowledge of water and milk, a swan is a swan and a stork is a stork.

Allegory says that, a swan has the capability of separating milk from water. If a bowl of milk and water is offered, it is supposed to have the ability to take only the milk particles and leave behind, the water! The stork obviously doesn't posses this skill. He might look like a swan, be with a swan, fly, walk or act like a swan. But it doesn't make him a swan.
__________

In both the above shlokas, the metaphors of birds (crow-nightingale; stork-swan) are given to people.  We have to be who we are. It doesn't do much good if we talk, walk or pretend like someone else... Each and every being is precious on this earth and God made each being with a purpose. The roles of 'others' are already taken..., by other people, obviously :). The only person left to be taken is - ourselves! Let's be ourselves instead of pretending to be someone, who we are not.

External appearances don't make the difference, what's inside is all that matters!
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Coming to the meanings of the words -

kaakaH - crow
kRuShNaH -  black
pikaH -  nightingale
ko - kaH (visarga sandhi) - what
bhedaH -  difference 
pikakaakayoH - between nightingale and crow
vasantakaale -  when spring time
saMpraapte - arrives
haMsaH - swan
shvetaH -  white
bakaH - stork
bakahaMsayoH -  between the stork and the swan
nIrakShIraviveke -  in the knowledge of water and milk
tu - however

Happy practicing!

Ending prayer:
  •  ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - aum pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
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1/22/12

Lesson 24

Beginning Prayers:
  • शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
  • सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam 
  • गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH 
Topic Summary:
  • Review of previous lesson
  • Applying some concepts learnt
  • Building vocabulary
  • Solving a riddle
Home Work:
  • Build your vocabulary via reading or searching online.  Learn and write 5 new words in Sanskrit that you did not know before.
Topic Details:
After learning quite a few concepts in the language, now is a good time to take a temperature of your learning.  It is a good time to revisit and revise some of the old lessons.  That will serve as a good reminder as well as get a better understanding of the topics dealt so far.

We can do so by solving the below प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - riddle).

वृक्षस्याग्रे फलं दृष्टं फलाग्रे वृक्ष एव च ।
अकारादि सकारान्तं यो जानाति स पण्डितः ॥


vRukShasyaagre phalaM dRuShTam phalaagre vRukSha eva cha |
akaaraadi sakaaraantaM yo jaanaati sa paNDitaH ||

If we split the words, it would mean as below -

vRkshasya - of the tree (6th case)
agre - on top of (7th case)
phalam - fruit (1st case)
dRShTam - seen
phalaagre - on top of the fruit (7th case)
vRukSha - tree (1st case)
eva cha - so also (avyayas)
akaaraadi - begining with 'a'
sakaaraantam - ending with 'sa'
yo - yaH becomes yo (visarga sandhi) - he who
jaanaati - knows (verb)
sa - saH becomes sa (visarga lopa sandhi) - he
paNDitaH - a wise person.

Based on these meanings, one can be called a wise person if he answers the riddle with
अनानस  (anaanasa) - pineapple

The picture below should make the riddle more clearer :).









Until next lesson, happy practicing.

Ending prayer:
  •  ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - aum pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
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