Beginning Prayers:
- शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुम् - shuklaambaradharaM viShNum
- सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यम् - saraswati namastubhyam
- गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः - gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH
Topic Summary:
- The very first shloka ever written - आदिकवि's आदिकाव्य's आदिश्लोक! (a re-visit from Lesson 48)
Home Work:
- Learn by heart this very important, milestone of a shloka!
Topic Details:
After sage naarada narrated the raamaayaNa to sage
vaalmIki, the sage went to the तमसा river bank for performing his sandhyaavandana.
He saw a pair of happy krauncha birds. Even as Sage vaalmIki was
delighting in seeing the loving pair of birds, a hunter’s arrow killed the male
bird. The vision of lamenting female bird and dying male bird filled the mind
of ValmIki with compassion and grief. These (seemingly curse) words just emerged
from vaalmIki’s mouth: -
मानिषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।
यत् क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम् ॥
Word translations:-
nishaada - O hunter
tvam – you
pratiShThaam - good reputation
maa agamah - not get
shaashvateeH samaaH - for several years
yat - because
krauncha mithunaat - out of the kranucha pair
ekam - one
avadheeH – (you) killed
kaamamohitam - filled with passion
Thus the verse translates as: -
O hunter, may you not get any good reputation (or may you get ill-reputation) for several years because, out of the pair of krauncha birds, you killed one, when it was full of passionate feelings.
Later that day, Lord Brahma arrived at ValmIki’s ashram and told Valmiki to compose the life-story of Raama. Sensing the mind of ValmIki, agitated due to the fact that he happened to utter a curse earlier, Lord Brahma told him that the words ValmIki uttered are nothing but the play of Saraswati in his mouth. It is not a curse but a mangalavaakyam. It is set in a metric composition (later became popular as shloka) with four lines (paada) of eight syllables each. This verse could be sung beautifully on a stringed musical instrument. This is the first verse in the popular Anushtup chandas or meter. ValmIki was asked to compose Raama kathaa in this meter. Why this verse is not a curse but an auspicious poem? Let’s see…
मानिषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।
यत् क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम् ॥
Word translations:-
nishaada - O hunter
tvam – you
pratiShThaam - good reputation
maa agamah - not get
shaashvateeH samaaH - for several years
yat - because
krauncha mithunaat - out of the kranucha pair
ekam - one
avadheeH – (you) killed
kaamamohitam - filled with passion
Thus the verse translates as: -
O hunter, may you not get any good reputation (or may you get ill-reputation) for several years because, out of the pair of krauncha birds, you killed one, when it was full of passionate feelings.
Later that day, Lord Brahma arrived at ValmIki’s ashram and told Valmiki to compose the life-story of Raama. Sensing the mind of ValmIki, agitated due to the fact that he happened to utter a curse earlier, Lord Brahma told him that the words ValmIki uttered are nothing but the play of Saraswati in his mouth. It is not a curse but a mangalavaakyam. It is set in a metric composition (later became popular as shloka) with four lines (paada) of eight syllables each. This verse could be sung beautifully on a stringed musical instrument. This is the first verse in the popular Anushtup chandas or meter. ValmIki was asked to compose Raama kathaa in this meter. Why this verse is not a curse but an auspicious poem? Let’s see…
maa nishiidati asmin iti maanishaadaH. maa (mahaalakshmi) nishiidati (sits) asmin (in whom) is maanishaadaH (Lord VishNuH). Maanishaada is the sambodhana form.
maanishaada – Oh Lord ViShNu
pratiShThaam - good reputation
tvam - you
aagamah - get
shaashvateeH samaaH - for several years
yat – (due to) that
pratiShThaam - good reputation
tvam - you
aagamah - get
shaashvateeH samaaH - for several years
yat – (due to) that
kraunchamithunaat – out of the raakshasa couple (RavaNa
and Mandodarii)
[krunchaa = raakshasii {kaikasii}, kraunchaH =
krunchaayaaH {kaikasyaaH} putraH, RaavanNaH]
ekam - one
avadheeH – (you) killed
kaamamohitam - filled with lust
As above, mother lakShmI is referred as maa and nishaada means place of residence. Mother lakShmI resides in the heart of Lord viShNu. Thus maanishaada means lakShmIpati, viShNu. The word maa can also be used for mother sItaa. So, maanishaada can mean Lord Raama too.
The verse now becomes,
मानिषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।
यत् क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम् ॥
Thus the translation of the shloka becomes: -
O ViShNu/Raama, may you get reputation for several years because, out of the couple (raavaNa and maNDodarI), you killed one (RaavaNa) who was filled with lust.
Notice that मा निषाद are not two words, मानिषाद just like
माधव = मायायाः धवः (लक्ष्मीपतिः)
Hence, one meaning of the shloka is a curse and another is glorification to Lord Raama! Isn't this so unbelievably beautiful!!
ekam - one
avadheeH – (you) killed
kaamamohitam - filled with lust
As above, mother lakShmI is referred as maa and nishaada means place of residence. Mother lakShmI resides in the heart of Lord viShNu. Thus maanishaada means lakShmIpati, viShNu. The word maa can also be used for mother sItaa. So, maanishaada can mean Lord Raama too.
The verse now becomes,
मानिषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।
यत् क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम् ॥
Thus the translation of the shloka becomes: -
O ViShNu/Raama, may you get reputation for several years because, out of the couple (raavaNa and maNDodarI), you killed one (RaavaNa) who was filled with lust.
Notice that मा निषाद are not two words, मानिषाद just like
माधव = मायायाः धवः (लक्ष्मीपतिः)
Hence, one meaning of the shloka is a curse and another is glorification to Lord Raama! Isn't this so unbelievably beautiful!!
Lord brahma said to sage
vaalmIki that this verse would be the maNgaLa shloka of the epic he would
compose. It would be the very first epic ever composed! Remember,
there was no shloka or poetry form of writing before this! It appears in
raamaayaNa's baala-khaaNDa, 2nd sarga as the15th verse.
The meter (छन्दस्) of the verse is called अनुष्टुप् छन्दस्. The verse of 4 quarters will have 8 syllables each. Not just that the laghu, guru have to follow certain rules as well.
लघु is a syllable that takes one मात्रा कालम् to pronounce
गुरु is a syllable that takes two मात्रा कालम्s for its pronunciation
There are many many meters in poetry. But अनुष्टुप् is the most frequently and abundantly used Chandas. We will see the further intricacies and details required for अनुष्टुप् in further lessons.
Until then, happy practicing.
The meter (छन्दस्) of the verse is called अनुष्टुप् छन्दस्. The verse of 4 quarters will have 8 syllables each. Not just that the laghu, guru have to follow certain rules as well.
लघु is a syllable that takes one मात्रा कालम् to pronounce
गुरु is a syllable that takes two मात्रा कालम्s for its pronunciation
There are many many meters in poetry. But अनुष्टुप् is the most frequently and abundantly used Chandas. We will see the further intricacies and details required for अनुष्टुप् in further lessons.
Until then, happy practicing.
Ending prayer:
- ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् - om pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
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