Strict vegetarianism

This little vignette revolves around an unnamed sramana (श्रमण) – an ascetic following a non-Vedic way of life such as Jainism or Buddhism (in fact, these non-Brahminical belief systems are collectively called sramanic traditions). These sramanas would usually live in monasteries (the word sramana is cognate with ashram), and would swear to lead a life of celibacy and mendicancy, with dietary restrictions peculiar to their faith. Below, you will see how one such ascetic adheres to his vow of abstinence from meat even in the face of extreme temptation.

Devanagari text:

श्रमणः श्रावकवध्वाः सुरतविधौ दशति नाधरं दत्तम्|
मदिराक्षि मांसभक्षणमस्मत्समये निषिद्धमिति||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

zramaNaH zrAvakavadhvAH suratavidhau dazati nAdharaM dattam|
madirAksi mAMsabhakSaNamasmatsamaye niSiddhamiti||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: While the ascetic was engaging in intercourse with a disciple's wife, she offered him her lips so that he might bite them. But he refused, saying, "O lady with intoxicating eyes! In our order, the consumption of flesh is prohibited."

Source: This verse in the above form can be found in the 19th/20th century Subhashita Ratna Bhandagara (सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार) which I referenced in this post. A slightly different version exists in Suktimuktaavali (सूक्तिमुक्तावली), the same 13th century anthology in which I found this couplet. In place of श्रावकवध्वाः सुरतविधौ (zrAvakavadhvAH suratavidhau), this older version reads श्रावकवृद्धासुरतविधौ (zrAvakavRddhAsuratavidhau) "during intercourse with the aged female disciple", but I think this is a copying or printing error. Moreover, निषिद्धम् (niSiddham), "prohibited", is replaced by its synonym विरुद्धम् (viruddham).

A candid confession

Today's offering is a tiny tale about how a lack of opportunity and resources can compel a man to take matters into his own hands. It might be considered by many to be in poor taste; nevertheless, it has found its way into at least two of the most celebrated Sanskrit anthologies of all time, as an example of humor (yes, it was regarded as art):

• as verse no. 2216 of the Subhaashitaavali (सुभाषितावलि) compiled by Vallabhadeva (वल्लभदेव) in 10th century Kashmir (see this post), and
• as one of the couplets in the chapter on comedy in the Subhaashita Sudhaanidhi (सुभाषितसुधानिधि), "a repository of the nectar of good sayings", ascribed to Saayana (सायण), the famed scholar of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century.

Quite disappointingly, the author is unknown. All we can say with any degree of certainty about this composition is that it is at least a thousand years old. 

Devanagari text:

रण्डाः पाषण्डिभिर्व्याप्ता भर्तृभिः कुलयोषितः|
वेश्या द्रविणमिच्छन्ति वयं करपरायणाः||¹

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

raNDAH pASaNDibhirvyAptA bhartRbhiH kulayoSitaH|
vezyA draviNamicchanti vayaM karaparAyaNAH||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: Licentious women² are surrounded by scoundrels, wives of respectable families are protected by their husbands, prostitutes want money – hence, I am loyal to my hand.³

1 The second half of the version quoted in the Subhaashitaavali reads वेश्या धनिनमिच्छन्ति च्छात्राः करपरायणाः (vezyA dhaninamicchanti cchAtrAH karaparAyaNAH), which translates to "prostitutes desire rich men, (male) students are loyal to their hands.^↩

2 The poet uses the word रण्डा (raNDA) which, as Monier Williams notes, is "a term of abuse in addressing women, a slut", and is cognate with swearwords applied in many modern Indic languages to (female) prostitutes, promiscuous women, and widows. In Sanskrit, it was usually not used for a sex worker because prostitution was a legitimate profession (although perhaps not a respected one) in many principalities, but referred to other women engaging in what would be deemed sexual misconduct.^↩

3 The original reads "we are hand-loyal"; however, the plural form of the first-person pronoun was (and is) sometimes used by a poet to refer to himself or herself only.^↩

Signs of aging

In today's quote, an aging poet documents his daily struggles.

Devanagari text:

आपाण्डुराः शिरसिजास्त्रिवली कपोले दन्तावली विगलिता न च मे विषादः|
एणीदृशो युवतयः पथि मां विलोक्य तातेति भाषणपराः खलु वज्रपातः||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

ApANDurAH zirasijAstrivalI kapole dantAvalI vigalitA na ca me viSAdaH|
eNIdRzO yuvatayaH pathi mAM vilokya tateti bhASaNaparAH khalu vajrapAtaH||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: The grey streaks on my head¹, the wrinkles on my cheeks², and my loosening teeth do not dampen my spirits. What definitely hits me like a thunderbolt, however, is a doe-eyed damsel spotting me in the street and reverently addressing me as father.³

Source: Subhashita Ratna Bhandagara (सुभाषितरत्नभाण्डागार), "a treasury of gems of good sayings", an anthology of over 10,000 couplets, available here. There seems to be some disagreement on the identity of the compiler as well as the date of compilation (the date of publication might be as late as 1952!). More importantly (and unfortunately), the compiler provides no information on the authorship or antiquity of the snippets quoted.  

1 The original reads आपाण्डुराः शिरसिजाः "palish strands of hair."^↩

2 The author uses the word त्रिवली "a collection of three folds of skin" which usually refers to three horizontal lines formed by folds of skin a little above a woman's navel, seen as a mark of great beauty (take a look at this Chola bronze figure of Kali to get an idea); the use of this word to denote facial wrinkles caused by old age is undoubtedly facetious.^↩

3 The verse says तात which literally means father but can be used as a term of address for any older respectable man.^↩

A simple way of life

This little nugget of wisdom must have been the outcome of a lifetime of varied experiences and deep reflection. 

Devanagari text:

प्रपायां पीयते वारि सत्त्रागारेऽपि भुज्यते|
सुप्यते देवसदने यभ्यते यत्र लभ्यते||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

prapAyAM pIyate vAri sattrAgArepi bhujyate|
supyate devasadane yabhyate yatra labhyate||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: One should drink water at a free water dispensing station¹, eat at a charitable eatery², sleep in a house of worship³, and enjoy intercourse wherever it is available.

Source: This is the 2317th verse quoted in Subhaashitaavali (सुभाषितावलि), "A series of good sayings," compiled by the 10th century Kashmiri scholar Vallabhadeva (वल्लभदेव) who is primarily known for his commentary on Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha. It appears that the anthologist has ascribed this couplet (and a few other comedic snippets) to one Maya (मय) but the relevant text is ambiguous and no information is available on this author. 

I think it is safe to assume that this quote comes from a satirical work where it was spoken by a kuTTanI (कुट्टनी: the female manager of a house of prostitution) or a viTa (विट: a man about town who is usually of noble birth but has fallen on hard times) or a similar character typically used as a mouthpiece of depravity in Sanskrit literature and drama. A satire would often be prefaced with a disclaimer clarifying that the aim of the work was to prevent the spread of debauchery in society by reducing purported transgressors to butts of ridicule. This is how humorists would often get away with writings such as the above, and there's no telling what they were actually thinking when they penned these lines. As they say, many a true word is spoken in jest. :)

1 The word used by the poet is prapA (प्रपा) which, according to Monier-Williams' Sanskrit-English dictionary, has the following meanings: a place for supplying water, a place for watering cattle or a shed on the road-side containing a reservoir of water for travellers, fountain, cistern, well. Synonyms in Sanskrit and other Indic languages include pAnIyazAlA (पानीयशाला), pAnIyazAlikA (पानीयशालिका), jalasattra (जलसत्त्र), and derivatives thereof. Historically, wealthy members of royal, aristocratic, and merchant families in many principalities of South Asia would set up these prapAs at public locations for the benefit of thirsty travelers and domestic animals. It was considered an act of great merit, and anyone found guilty of vandalizing such a site would be fined heavily.^↩

2 The word sattrAgAra (सत्त्रागार) used here, along with its synonyms sattrazAlA (सत्त्रशाला), sattragRha (सत्त्रगृह), pratizraya (प्रतिश्रय) etc., refers to a hall where free food was served, especially to Brahmins, religious mendicants, and indigents.  The word sattra (सत्त्र) originally denoted a particular Vedic sacrifice but was later generalized to cover a wide variety of religious ceremonies, charitable acts, and public works (such as asylums and hospitals). This practice still survives in the form of annachatras (अन्नछत्र) and free prasAda (प्रसाद) distributions organized by several Hindu temples and organizations as well as langars (Hindi: लंगर) or free-for-all communal meals offered by followers of Indo-Persian Sufism (see also Langar Khana), Sikhism, and the Ravidassia and Balmiki belief systems.^↩

3 The word used in the original is devasadana (देवसदन), "abode of God / gods." Why is sleeping in a house of worship recommended? Presumably because the peaceful ambience is itself soporific (of course, depending on the faith group to which the establishment belongs), and sleep can be passed off as meditation so that others would not think to disturb you.^↩

The life of an academic

Today's quote needs no introduction.

Devanagari text:

तावद्विद्यानवद्या प्रभवति विदुषां तावदाचारधारा तावद्गाम्भीर्यशौर्यमधुरमधुरिमाडम्बरो वाग्विलासाः|
यावत्पाकाधिकाराकुलितकुलवधूप्रेषितापत्यवक्त्राद्धे बाबू नास्ति तैलं न च लवणकणेत्यादिवाचां प्रचारः||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

tAvadvidyAnavadyA prabhavati viduSAM tAvadAcAradhArA tAvadgAmbhIryazauryamadhuramadhurimADambaro vAgvilAsAH|
yAvatpAkAdhikArAkulitakulavadhUpreSitApatyavaktrAddhe bAbU nAsti tailaM na ca lavaNakaNetyAdivAcAM pracAraH||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: A (male) scholar's impeccable learning, his consistently flawless conduct, his composure and prowess, the unencumbered sweetness, volubility, and playfulness of his speech – all prevail until the moment he hears from the lips of his offspring, dispatched by his frantic wife from the kitchen, words such as "Hey Babu¹! We are out of (cooking) oil, and do not have a single grain of salt."

Source: Vidyakara Sahasrakam (विद्याकरसहस्रकम्), the source of the couplet quoted in my first post. This anthology was compiled in the early part of the 19th century. So the above verse might not be too old by Indian standards, but it is safe to say it was penned about two centuries ago.

1 In many modern Indic languages, babu (बाबू) is a term of address for one's father, father-in-law, or any respectable man; variants include baba (बाबा), bawa (बावा), bapa (बापा), bapu (बापू) etc. (see Wikipedia article on the title babu). This is an interesting example of a vernacularism in later Sanskrit literature.^↩

Expressions of joy

The blossoming of the Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) at daybreak, that of the hairy water-lily (Nymphaea pubescens) after sunset, and the rapturous dance of a peacock with its beautiful plumage fanned out as the first monsoon clouds sweep across the sky are popular tropes in Sanskrit literature. In fact, they have been resorted to by so many authors for well over two millennia and so many times by each author that the presence of at least one – and sometimes all three – of them in any literary work that describes mirth and merriment, usually at the occurrence of a highly anticipated event, hardly deserves a comment. The unnamed composer of the following couplet, however, has used all these clichés together in a refreshingly unique way to express their feelings about an important professional group. 

Devanagari text:

दृष्टे रवौ सरसिजं कुमुदं हिमांशौ नीलाम्बुवाहनिबिडे गगने शिखण्डी|
प्रायस्तथा न हि वहन्ति विकासलक्ष्मीं व्याधौ यथा धनवतो भिषजां मुखानि||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

dRSTe ravau sarasijaM kumudaM himAMzau nIlAmbuvAhanibiDe gagane zikhaNDI|
prAyastathA na hi vahanti vikAsalakSmIM vyAdhau yathA dhanavato bhiSajAM mukhAni||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: The lotus unfurls in all its glory¹ whenever the Sun is seen; so do the water-lily when the Moon rises, and the peacock when the sky is densely overcast with dark clouds. But, more often than not, all of the above pale in comparison to the beaming faces of physicians when a rich man falls ill.

Source: Suktimuktaavali (सूक्तिमुक्तावली), literally "a pearl-necklace of splendid utterances", an anthology of Sanskrit poetry, compiled in 1257 CE and attributed to one Bhagadatta Jalhana Deva (भगदत्तजल्हणदेव). However, it is believed that the compilation was actually accomplished by the scholar Vaidya Bhaanu (वैद्यभानु) or Bhaskara (भास्कर) at the behest of Jalhana, minister to King Krishna of the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri that ruled a large part of peninsular India for nearly five centuries.

So the anthologist who decided to include this doctor joke in his compendium was himself a member of the physician caste (Vaidya), and presumably one that could take a joke really well. But what is truly amazing is that, even in the 13th century (or earlier), there were people as trusting and respectful of the healthcare system as some of my friends and family today!

1 The expression that the poet uses to describe these outbursts of joy is वहन्ति विकासलक्ष्मीं which literally translates to "they carry the beauty of blossoming." Yes, it does not translate very well.↩

Hello!

Haasyarasa (हास्यरस)¹, a word in Sanskrit and many other Indic languages, roughly translates to comedy. In this blog, I will quote humorous snippets from Sanskrit literature, and perhaps also from the literary corpora of a few other related Indic languages, for your reading pleasure. Although it is easy to find collections of profoundly philosophical and didactic Sanskrit quotes online, I personally feel that the genre of comedy has been seriously neglected by most lovers of the Sanskrit language. This is rather unfortunate, I think, because jokes, witticisms, satires, and parodies can provide insights into the way the authors and their contemporaries actually lived and thought like no other piece of writing. So, here's my humble attempt at bringing to light a more jovial, flippant, and sometimes shockingly vulgar side of a linguistic tradition that is generally known for its devotional, heroic, and romantic creations.

As an example of what to expect here, I present to you this lovely little gem, which is remarkable for its universal and timeless appeal.

Devanagari text:

सिंहनक्रगजभल्लपन्नगाः सन्दशन्तु बलिनो न दुःखदाः|

किन्तु मां व्यथयते पिपीलिका चाण्डकोशतलमध्यदंशिनी||

Harvard-Kyoto transliteration:

siMhanakragajabhallapannagAH sandazantu balino na duHkhadAH|

kintu mAM vyathayate pipIlikA cANDakozatalamadhyadaMzinI||

– Anonymous

Loose translation: Let mighty lions, crocodiles, elephants, bears, and serpents attack² me. They cannot cause me any suffering. What really hurts me, however, is an ant³ sinking its pincers right into the middle of the bottom of my scrotum.

Source: Vidyakara Sahasrakam (विद्याकरसहस्रकम्), an anthology of 1000 Sanskrit couplets composed by several authors (mostly scholars from Mithila (मिथिला)), compiled mainly by Vidyakara Mishra (विद्याकरमिश्र) in the 19th century. Sadly, the author's name is not mentioned, and I have no information on the date of composition either.

1 From haasya (हास्य), laughter or amusement, and rasa (रस) which, in this context, refers to a sentiment such as passion, anger, fear, or suchlike (altogether nine are recognized) prevailing in a work of art or literature.^↩

2 The word used in the original verse is saMdazantu (सन्दशन्तु) which literally translates to 'let them all bite together or seize with their teeth' (Monier-Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary)^↩

3 pipIlikA (पिपीलिका) translates to 'a female ant' or 'the common small red ant' (Monier-Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary)^↩