Lesson 41

Beginning Prayers:

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

Topic Summary:

• examples of dvivachana
• ktva pratyayaanta avyaya-s 

Home Work:

• Learn the first 4 vibhakti-s of raama shabda in all 3 vachana-s.  Click here for the shabda.  
• Learn by heart, the shloka learnt in today's lesson.
• Bonus - try saying the shabda of some other akaaraanta puMli~Nga word.

Topic Details:

The verse about the crow's nature,

काका आह्वयते काकान् याचको न तु याचकान्
काकयाचकयोर्मध्ये वरं काको न याचकः
- सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार

kaakaa aahvayate kaakaan yaachako na tu yaachakaan
kaakayaachakayormadhye varaM kaako na yaachakaH
- subhaaShitaratnabhaaNDaagaara

Crows call other crows, but a cadger (beggar) never other cadgers. Between a crow and a cadger, a crow is a better choice, not a cadger.

When a crow finds a scrap of food, it makes a lot of noise and draws the attention of all other crows to the food. Obviously when other crows come, the food gets shared amongst all of them. The crow happily shares his find and is satisfied with whatever comes to his share.

Unlike the crow, when a scrounger asks for favors from others, he tries to dodge and deflect other such cadgers, so that he can get the maximum benefit. He wants to get as much from the giver and keep it all for himself!

If one has to compare between a crow and a cadger, isn't a crow much better? Being human, having better brains, he puts it to use in devious manipulative ways. But a bird, with a 'bird brain' (pun intended :), has a larger heart!

There is no delight in owning anything that is unshared! All for one, one for all - is the principle.

काका आह्वयते काकान् याचको न तु याचकान्
kaakaa aahvayate kaakaan yaachako na tu yaachakaan

काक-याचकयोः मध्ये वरं काकः न याचकः
kaaka-yaachakayoH madhye varaM kaakaH na yaachakaH


dvivachanam - 

When we are referring to two things or people the dvivachanam is used.  This is very well seen in the verse below -

वागर्थाविव सम्पृक्तौ वागर्थ प्रतिपत्तये ।
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ॥
- रघुवम्श (कालिदास)

vaagarthaaviva sampRuktau vaagartha pratipattaye |
jagataH pitarau vande paarvatIparameshvarau ||
- raghuvamsha (kaalidaasa)

(I) pray to the progenitors of the universe, paarvatI and parameshvara, who are interspersed like the speech and meaning (themselves), for the attainment of articulation and understanding.

There can be no meaning without speech and there can be no speech without meaning.  When someone speaks, there is a meaning that accompanies it.  One may talk meaninglessly, but his speech always carries a meaning, whether it makes sense or not :).  That means, speech and its meaning, are inseparable!  There is no existence of one without the other.  Once milk and honey are stirred together, one cannot separated out from the other.  Such is the union, camaraderie of Lord shiva and paarvatI.

The author here (kaalidaasa) is praying to be bestowed such inseparable articulation and understanding in the compositions he is about to compose.  This is a opening verse before he wrote the famous kaavya, raghuvamsha (raama's dynasty).

Good speech, meaningful speech is essential at any place, time or era.  Our art of communication with others, as well as ourselves, ultimately determines the quality of our lives!  So, who wouldn't want to be bestowed the best skills from the best of the bests!!

वाक्-अर्थौ-इव सम्पृक्तौ वाक्-अर्थ प्रतिपत्तये ।
vaak-arthau-iva sampRuktau vaak-artha pratipattaye |

जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वती-परमेश्वरौ ॥
jagataH pitarau vande paarvatI-parameshvarau ||


The ktva pratyaya - 
When one action follows the other, this type of avyaya (indeclinable) is used.  Examples are -

गत्वा - gatvaa - after going (having gone)
पीत्वा - peetvaa - after drinking
भुक्त्वा - bhuktvaa - after eating
दृष्ट्वा - dRuShTvaa - after seeing
कृत्वा - kRutvaa - after doing
पठित्वा - paThitvaa - after reading
लिखित्वा - likhitvaa - after writing
दत्वा - datvaa - after giving

This would precede the verb of the action following it.

Until next week, happy learning.

Ending prayer:

•  ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - aum pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam

____________________________________________________