Lesson 35

Beginning Prayers:

• शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
• सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam 
• गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH 

Topic Summary:

• Revision
• Vocabulary
• Riddle

Home Work:

• Practice, practice, practice - all the lessons covered so far
• Pick up small verses from any texts and try to decode them, without peeking into the meaning
• Read some short stories, if you come across any
• Come prepared with this year's lessons for next year, when the lessons switch to a higher gear

Topic Details:

This is the last lesson, before breaking for summer vacation.  Let us test our knowledge of understanding words and verses, with a prahelikaa (riddle).


न तस्यादिर्न तस्यान्तं मध्ये यस्तस्य तिष्ठति ।
तवाप्यस्ति ममाप्यस्ति यदि जानासि तद्वद ॥
na tasyaadirna tasyaantaM madhye yastasya tiShThati |
tavaapyasti mamaapyasti yadi jaanaasi tadvada ||

Solve this प्रहेलिका (prahelikaa - riddle).

After splitting the composite words (sandhis), it could be read as -

न तस्य आदिः न तस्य अन्तं मध्ये यः तस्य तिष्ठति ।
तव अपि अस्ति मम अपि अस्ति यदि जानासि तत् वद ॥
na tasya aadiH na tasya antaM madhye yaH tasya tiShThati |
tava api asti mama api asti yadi jaanaasi tat vada ||

It has a 'न' in the beginning, 'न' in the end.  In between sits a 'य'.
You have it too, I have it too, if you know it, say it!

If the clues are put together, the word comes out to be 'नयन' (nayana)!  नयन means 'eye'.  It starts with a 'na' and ends with a 'na', has a 'ya' in between.  You have it and I have it too.  That would be an eye!  That is the answer!


Until we meet again, happy practicing!

Ending prayer:

•  ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - aum pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam

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Lesson 34

Beginning Prayers:

• शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
• सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam 
• गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH 

Topic Summary:

• Revision
• subhaaShita regarding a student's characteristics

Home Work:

• Learn by heart, raama shabda.  Try to extend and apply the shabda to 3 other masculine gender nouns
• Write 3 shloka-s, that you can identify the case along with simple meaning

Topic Details:

Before we break for summer, it is good for a student to revise the learning through out the year.  The below verse helps describe the characteristics of a good student.  What is required to be a good student and what traits he should avoid, is described best in this subhaaShita

सुखार्थि वा त्यजेद्विद्या विद्यार्थि वा त्यजेत्सुखम्
सुखार्थिनः कुतो विद्या कुतो विद्यार्थिनः सुखम्
- महाभारत, उद्योग पर्व

sukhaarthi vaa tyajedvidyaa vidyaarthi vaa tyajetsukham
sukhaarthinaH kuto vidyaa kuto vidyaarthinaH sukham
- mahaabhaarata, udyoga parva

सुख अर्थि वा त्यजेत् विद्या विद्य अर्थि वा त्यजेत् सुखम्
sukha arthi vaa tyajet vidyaa vidya arthi vaa tyajet sukham

सुख अर्थिनः कुतः विद्या कुतः विद्या अर्थिनः सुखम्
sukha arthinaH kutaH vidyaa kutaH vidyaa arthinaH sukham

If one is a seeker of pleasures, he should give up vidyaa, if he is a seeker of knowledge, he should fore go comforts. For the one longing for comforts, where does knowledge come from? For the one desirous of knowledge, where do comforts come from?

Convenience and scholarship do not go hand in hand... If one goes east, the other goes west, apparently! One who is longing for learning and knowledge cannot afford to have comforts too. A student should work towards learning more and more every minute of the day. His thoughts and deeds should always be oriented towards achieving a higher goal. Only then, can one be called a true student.

The call here is for the seeker of knowledge, to give up comforts. If one wants to indulge in pleasures, then he might as well give up his quest for knowledge.

Let's get learning!

Ending prayer:

•  ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - aum pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam

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