Poetry / Kavit -- on Love and/or on the Shri Gods

[Aupmanyav]

".. they measure out twelve chalices of Soma."
RV 10.114.3-5, Griffith's translation.

Verse after coming to Central Asia/India. At one time they measured only eight chalices. (I have not understood the verse completely. Will think about it, later).

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Verse after coming to Central Asia/India. At one time they measured only eight chalices. (I have not understood the verse completely. Will think about it, later.

Wait, by Central Asia, are you including the area around present-day tajikistan? If yes, then maybe I might not be completely descended from mleccha-s. Not that it matters, just asking...

 

[Poeticus]

Coming back on track:

"Still I remember my beloved’s face
Gleaming with pearls of sweat and saffron’s gold;
The abundant moisture and her wandering eyes
All the fatigue of love’s fulfillment told.
No brighter does the full-faced moon appear
When from Eclipse’s jaws she frees her sphere."​

Bilhana​

 

[Poeticus]

"Sweet maid, you perform a singular feat
With the archer's bow.
You pierce hearts without arrows,
But with strands of your beauty."​

Bhartrihari - Sweet Maid​

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Coming back on track:

"Still I remember my beloved’s face
Gleaming with pearls of sweat and saffron’s gold;
The abundant moisture and her wandering eyes
All the fatigue of love’s fulfillment told.
No brighter does the full-faced moon appear
When from Eclipse’s jaws she frees her sphere."​

Bilhana​

Boring, this is much better :
[youtube]jUJE2pKCBIQ[/youtube]

மாயனை மன்னு வடமதுரை மைந்தனைத்
தூய பெருநீர் யமுனைத் துறைவனை
ஆயர் குலத்தினில் தோன்றும் அணி விளக்கைத்
தாயைக் குடல் விளக்கஞ் செய்த தாமோதரனை
தூயோமாய் வந்து நாம் தூமலர் தூவித் தொழுது
வாயினால் பாடி மனத்தினால் சிந்திக்க
போய பிழையும் புகுதருவான் நின்றனவும்
தீயினில் தூசாகும் செப்பு ஏல் ஓர் எம்பாவாய்.

Translation:
The elusive son of blooming North Mathura;
Riverman de facto of grand Yamuna pure;
Appear'd in Ayar tribe a glow lamp and
Brought sanctity to mother's womb;
If we reach pure, shower fine flower and
Worship Him, Damodara the Lure;
With song in lips, mind engross'd,
The sins committed deliberate or inadvertent
In the past, present and future entire
Shall be burnt a refuse in bonfire;
Prithee, listen and consider, our damsel.
- Thiruppavai Pasuram 5 Maayanai Mannu

 

[Aupmanyav]

Wait, by Central Asia, are you including the area around present-day tajikistan? If yes, then maybe I might not be completely descended from mleccha-s. Not that it matters, just asking ..

Not just Tajikistan but all the rest of countries too - Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran.

Must read Bilhana in Sanskrit.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

Thank you for your post, Satya. I don't think your post was off topic at all. In fact, it has been very much on topic. I sure do believe that the Sama Veda has everlasting, blissful, highly sophisticated poetry, that is of divine value. Thank you for taking the time to post some very awesome verse from this eternal Shruti. If you have more, please do post.

I really enjoyed the one about Vena.

And, I would like to share one of my favorite verses on Soma. It comes from the Rg-Veda. You may have heard of it before:

"We have drunk Soma and become immortal;
we have attained the light, the Gods discovered.
Now what may foeman's malice do to harm us?
What, O Immortal, mortal man's deception?"​

R.V.8.48.3​

Your welcome, here is one from the South, the Sacred kural.

8. LOVE
1. Is there a bolt that can avail to shut up love ?
The trickling tears of loving eyes would tell it out.

2. All for themselves the loveless spend ;
The loving even their bones for others give.

3. The link of soul and body, say the wise,
Is but the fruit of man's own link with love.

4. Love doth the trait of tenderness beget ;
That, too, begets true friendship's priceless worth.

5. The bliss of earth and heaven the blessed gain,
The learned say, is rooted in a loving life.

6. The foolish say, Love helps the good alone
But surely 'tis a help 'gainst evil too.

7. As the sun's heat burns up all boneless things,
So Virtue doth burn up all loveless things.

8. To live the home-life with a loveless heart
Is like a withered tree flowering in barren sand.

9. To those who lack the inward means of love
What use is there in any outward means ?

10. The living soul subsists in love ;
The loveless are but skin and bone.


110 FURTIVE LOVE
1. Two are the looks of this damsel with dark eyes :
One look gives pain, the other pain-balm is.

3. She looked, and looking, drooped her head ;
And so she watered love's young shoot.

4. I look at her, she looketh on the ground ;
I look away, she looks and shyly smiles.

10. When eye to eye doth speak with answering look,
What need is there for any spoken words ?

The translator of the Kural (above texts) provides a illustration from the Kambar's Ramayana in Tamil of the first meeting of Sri Rama and Sita, and the connection of the "Dark Eyes", while commenting on the "Furtive Love" poem, but does not provide a reference, I have not read the Kambar Ramayana and this is the only quote in my archives from this Ramayana, i thought i post it, maybe someone can search more from the kambar

So stood that maiden of rare loveliness,
And eye caught eye and each the other ate ;
As quiet they stood, minds into one were fused ;
The hero looked at her and Sita looked at him.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I want to quote Tulsi das "Gira anayana nayana binu vani" (How can I describe the beautiy of Rama. My eyes have seen him but they do not speak, my tongue can speak but has not seen him.) Also want to quote the beautiful bhajans of Mira, a daughter of my place (She was the daughter of the Chief of Merta, which was a part of the earstwhile state of Jodhpur in Rajasthan). And, of course, the naughty Jayadeva.

 

[Poeticus]

"A bard am I, my dad's a leech (physician),
mother lays corn upon the stones.
Striving for wealth, with varied plans,
we follow our desires like kine.
Flow, Indu, flow for Indra's sake."

(R.V.9.112.3)​

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

I'mma revive this thread with these verses from the mohachUDottara...
kapAlapAshakhaTvA~Nga kheTacharmA~NkushAnvitam|
eka~nchApadharaM tadvatsusAritamathottaram||
bhavyA brahmAhariskando nandI kAlAdayashchaye|
vIkShyamANAH shivaM nR^ityaM bhR^i~NgI kAryogrataH sthitaH||
mAlAkhaDgabhR^ito ye tu siddhA yakShAdayastathA|
bAhyasthAchcha prakartavyA nR^ityeshaH kathitastava||
tridhA viShNuM pravakShyAmi vAsudevaM dvivAhukaM|
prochyate lakShaNantasya samAse naiva suvrata||
sunAsasu kapola~ncha sa ratna mukuTojvalam|
lalATa tilakopetaM shyAmaM pItAmbaraM hare||

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Oh, and there's also this verse from the bhAgavatam which, while not necessarily poetic, beautifully stresses devotion to viShNu:

विप्राद्द्विषड्गुणयुतादरविन्दनाभ पादारविन्दविमुखात्श्वपचं वरिष्ठम्।
मन्ये तदर्पितमनोवचनेहितार्थ प्राणं पुनाति स कुलं न तु भूरिमानः॥७.९.१०॥

viprAddviShaDguNayutAdaravindanAbha pAdAravindavimukhAtshvapachaM variShTham|
manye tadarpitamanovachanehitArtha prANaM punAti sa kulaM na tu bhUrimAnaH||7.9.10||

"I regard a shvapacha [chaNDAla] whose mind, words, endeavors, material qualities, and life are fixed upon the Lord to be more excellent than a vipra [brAhmaNa] who possesses the twelve qualities (of a brAhmaNa) but is disinclined to the lotus-feet of lotus-navelled Lord [viShNu], for he (the chaNDAla devotee) purifies his family, but not the ritualistic brAhmaNa who considers himself great."

 

[Poeticus]

"Salutations to the Lord of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu;
Salutations to Surya the Sun-God,
Who (by his power and effulgence)
Is both the illuminator and devourer
Of all and is of a form that is fierce like Rudra."

Aditya-Hrdaya-Stotram; verse #19​

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

Aditya-Hrdayam-Stotram

It can be written as AdityahR^idayastotram or as AdityahR^idayam, but not as AdityahR^idayamstotram.
Edit: Also, it's generally accepted that the AdityahR^idayastotram is a latter interpolation into the text, as the rAmAyaNam clearly establishes harisarvottamatva (which is evident when the text states "adhikam menire viShNuM devAH sa R^iShi gaNAH tadA dhanU rudraH tu saMkruddho videheShu mahAyashAH"). While one could say that it was because he considered himself a human (AtmAnaM mAnuShaM manye rAmaM dasharathAtmajam) and hence worshiped sUrya out of weakness, he still would not consider sUrya to be the lord of viShNu, as it does not make sense for the creator of a being (see: chandhraMA manaso jAtaH chakShosUryo ajAyatha mukhAdindrashchAgnishcha prANAdvAyurajAyatha) to view that which he created as lord.

 

[Poeticus]

It can be written as AdityahR^idayastotram or as AdityahR^idayam, but not as AdityahR^idayamstotram.

On a side note:

You don't have a lot of friends, do you? ​

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

On a side note:

You don't have a lot of friends, do you? ​

I do have a lot of friends, although it's like 11:32 PM here and I'm bored 'cause I'm studying for a Chemistry exam.

 

[Poeticus]

"Vishnu, mighty giver of dwellings,
along with Mitra and Varuna
sing Your praises, O' Indra!
and Your company of Maruts
are in exhilaration!"

R.V.8.15.9​

 

[Poeticus]

Coming back on track:

"May the wind blow healing hither,
Kind, refreshing to us in the heart,
May it extend our lives."

"Wind, you are to us a father
And a brother, and our friend,
So equip us for life."

"And if, Wind, there in your house
A store of immortality is laid,
Give some to us, that we may live."​

R.V.10.186.1-3​

 

[Sees]

This is a really beautiful piece

Coming back on track:

"May the wind blow healing hither,
Kind, refreshing to us in the heart,
May it extend our lives."

"Wind, you are to us a father
And a brother, and our friend,
So equip us for life."

"And if, Wind, there in your house
A store of immortality is laid,
Give some to us, that we may live."​

R.V.10.186.1-3​

 

[Poeticus]

This is a really beautiful piece

Thank you. I'm glad you like this revelation from the Shri Rg-Veda. :bounce

Perhaps you may like this as well:

"When your spirit goes
Far away, to Yama son of Vivasvant;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far way, to the sky, to the earth;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to the four-cornered land;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, in the four directions;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to the foaming sea;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to the gleaming lights of the distant slope;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to the waters, the plants;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to the sun, to the dawn;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to the lofty mountains;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to all this world;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to still farther distances;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live.
When your spirit goes
Far away, to what has been and what is to be;
Then we turn it back to you,
Here to dwell, to live."​

R.V.10.58​

 

[Jaskaran Singh]

"Vishnu, mighty giver of dwellings,
along with Mitra and Varuna
sing Your praises, O' Indra!
and Your company of Maruts
are in exhilaration!"

R.V.8.15.9​

This is referring to his upendra/vAmanAvatAra (as the veda-s do multiple times), yet the focus of the veda-s is praise, not on lIlA-s (which is what the purANam-s are meant for), so it obviously would not be so detailed in that regard. In addition, praise does not always imply worship; regardless, indra is clearly dependent upon viShNu in the phrase "yadÁ te víShNur ójasA trÍNi padÁ vichakramé Ádítte haryatÁ hárI vavakShatuH," whereas there is no scenario where viShNu is dependent upon indra.