BEST READS IN SANSKRIT

Sanskrit is an ancient language with vast literature.  There are books for all age groups and to cater the needs of different interest. 

                                                     

*For beginners books like Varnamala - Infant reader 1,2,3 and 4 titled Baladarsa, Prathamadarsa, Dvitiyadarsa and triteeyadarsa which were written by T.K.Ramachandra Iyer and published R.S.Vadyar & Sons, Palghat, Kerala.  Books like VibhakthiVallari, Balabodhinee are published by Samskrita Bharati, TamilNadu.

                                            

*For Children, Stories of Mahabharata, Ramayana, Pancatantra are available in Sanskrit in a children’s fdriendly mannaer titles like Balamodinee, baalavatika are published by Samskrita Bharati, TamilNadu.

*For Poetry lovers, books like KumaraSambhava of Kalidasa, Yadavabhyudaya of Vedanta Desika, Sisupalavadham of Magha, KrishnavilasaKavya of Sukumara, MathuraVijayam of GangaDevi are published by Chowkhamba Samskrit Publishers, Varanasi.

*Prose books like Bana’s Kadambari, Dandin’s Dasakumaracarita and Neelakanta Dikshita’s Sivaleelarnava are published by Chowkhamba Samskrit Publishers, Varanasi.

* The Best collection of Subhashitani can be found in the books like Bhartruhari Subhashita, Desika’s Subhashitaneevi, SundaraPandya’s Neetidvishstika are published by Chowkhamba Samskrit Publishers, Varanasi.

*Devotional books like BhagavadGita, Narayaneeyam, Saundaryalahari, Padukasahasram, Different Sahasranaamams published by The Little Flower Company (Lifco) Chennai.

*Philosophical books like SriBhashyam, SriMadhvaBhashyam, SankaraBhashyam on Vyasa’s Brahmasutrani published by Chowkhamba Samskrit Publishers, Varanasi.

*For Dancers books like NatyaSaastra, AbhinayaDarpana are can be helpful.

*For Music Lovers, books like Dikshitar keerthana, Tyagaraja keerthana, Svati Tirunal keerthana will be useful.

* For astrology and astronomy books like AaryaBhatiyam, BrihatSamhita, Mahabhaskareeyam are available.

These are the few books of Sanskrit literature which can definitely make a good read at any point of time.  Books like AshtangaHrdayam and PatanjalaYogaSutram are well known and widely read by people across the world.  Researchers and scholars are making optimum use of Sanskrit books to get to know about the origin of any branch or subject.

                                                  

श्रीमदष्टलक्ष्मीस्तोत्रम्

           

          भार्गवीं भाग्यदां वन्दे वरलक्ष्मीं शुभां रमाम् ।

          श्वेतध्वजाम्बुजैर्युक्तां चादिलक्ष्मीं चतुर्भुजाम् ।। 1।।

          षाड्गुण्यपरिपूर्णां त्वां षड्भुजां शर्मदायिनीम्।

          शङ्खचक्रधरां वन्दे धनलक्ष्मीं    दयामयीम्।। 2।।

          अष्टाम्बुजकरां भक्त-कष्टनष्टविनाशिनीम्।

          इष्टधान्यप्रदामीडे धान्यलक्ष्मीं धनुर्धराम्।। 3।।

    क्षीरार्णवसमुद्भूतां महैश्वर्यप्रदायिनीम्।

    पशुभाग्यप्रदां देवीं गजलक्ष्मीं प्रणौम्यहम्।।4।।

    सुकराम्बुजषट्कां च कलयामि कृपाजुषाम्।

    अङ्के विन्यस्तबालां त्वां प्रजालक्ष्मीं व्रजेऽनिशम्।।5।।

    धनुर्हस्तां दयापूर्णां शौर्यधैर्यप्रदायिनीम्।

    द्विचतुष्ककरां वन्दे वीरलक्ष्मीं शुभावहाम्।।6।।

    सर्वार्थसाधिकां वन्दे सर्वोपद्रववारिणीम्।

    तापापहां जयां लक्ष्मीं तालपत्रादिधारिणीम्।।7।।

    सर्वावयवसौन्दर्यां सर्वभूतहितप्रदाम्।

    सर्वदा भावये लक्ष्मीं सर्वसौभाग्यदायिनीम्।।8।।

    अष्टलक्ष्म्यष्टकं स्तोत्रं इष्टदं चार्थिनां कृते।

    नवरात्र्युत्सवारम्भे सौम्यनारायणोदितम्।।9।।   

                                             

பழங்கால பாரதத்தில் குழல்கணைகள் - பாகம் 1

 

आयुधानि = ஆயுதங்கள் முக்கியமாக இரண்டு வகைப்படும்.  ASÇm!  = அஸ்த்ரம் என்றும் zSÇm!  =

ஸஸ்த்ரம் என்றும் அழைக்கப்படுகின்றன. அஸ்த்ரம் மற்றும் ஸஸ்த்ரம் என்றால் என்ன ?

ASyte i]Pyte yÄu mNÇyNÇai¶iÉí tt!,  ASÇ< tdNyt> zSÇ< Ais-kuNtaidk< c yt!.  zu³nIitsar> . 4.7.181.

ASyte i]Pyte #it  (As+ Aò+n! ) = ASÇ<  அதாவது எறியப்படுவது அஸ்த்ரம் என்றும் zSyte iD*te #it

(zs! +Aò+n! ) = zSÇ<  அதாவது பிளக்கக்கூடியது ஸஸ்த்ரம் என்றும் பொருள்படும்.

Aw ctuivRxmayuxm!, muKtm! AmuKt< muKtamuKt< yNÇmuKt< ceit.

என்று mhi;R visó ர்தனது xnuveRds<ihta வில்  muKtayuxங்கள் 

pai[muKtain  yNÇmuKtain  அதாவது கையால் விடப்படுபவை  மற்றும் இயந்திரங்களால் விடப்படுபவை என இருவகைப்படும்.  சக்ராயுதம் முதலானவை முக்தவகை அதாவது கையால் செலுத்தப்படுபவை அல்லது விடப்படுபவை  

என்றும்  கத்தி முதலானவை அமுக்தவகை அதாவது இயக்கப்படுபவை என்றும்,  ஈட்டி முதலானவை முக்த – அமுக்தவகையைச் சார்ந்த்து என்றும் பீரங்கி மற்றும் துப்பாக்கி போன்ற குழல்வகைகள்  இயந்திரங்களைக்கொண்டு விடப்படுபவை என்றும் குறிப்பிடுகிறார்.  கையால் விடப்படுபவைகளைத் தவிர நாகாஸ்த்ரம், வாயவ்யாஸ்த்ரம், ப்ரஹ்மாஸ்த்ரம் முதலிய மந்த்ரங்களை உச்சரித்து எறிபவை என்றும் நாலிகம் அதாவது பீரங்கி மற்றும் துப்பாக்கி போன்ற குழல்வகைகள்  இயந்திரங்களைக்கொண்டு இயக்கப்படுபவை அல்லது விடப்படுபவை என இரண்டுவகையான அஸ்த்ரங்கள் இருக்கின்றன.

                                                  தொடரும் ....,         

Dramatic Skills of Bhasa - Part IV

4. kaÂukIy>  kaÂukIy>  means a chamberlain.  Actually  kÂuikn!  is 

the correct form. kÂuk< ySy AStIit kÂukI, - He one who wears a 

long robe.  He is generally represented as wise old man who 

employed with the king and in the ladies’ harem.

5.  AakazÉai;tm! >-  ik< ävI:yevimTyaid ivna paÇ< ävIit yt!,

                         ïuTva=nuKtmPyek> tTSyat! AakazÉai;tm!.

According to  xnÃy> the author of  dzêpkm!  who defines dramaturgy   AakazÉai;tm!  is a stage-technique.  In this, a character 

on a stage use to address some-one who was not actually introduced.  

He continues to pretend  to listen the answer of the absent one and 

he repeats the same for the benefit of the audience.

In dUtvaKym! ,  duyaeRxn> pretends to see ivk[R> and  v;Rdev>  who are not 

actually introduced in the stage.  Both of them are supposed to be 

on the way to the council-chamber.  Éas>  continues this stage technique AakazÉai;tm!   till the arrival of  k&:[>  in the court of  duyaRexn,  

He pretends to invite each and every one who are his gurus, 

supporters, friends and brothers.  In this same idea,  sudzRn> 

the weapon of Lord k&:[>   arrived the stage on the call, he invites 

all other co-weapons of lord k&:[>  and send them back to their abode. 

Éas‘s Theatre

Éas> called his theatre as s¼Itzala,  He never used the such as 

naq(zala naq(m{fp naq(veZm àe]ag&h etc., to denote theatre.  s¼Itzala 

would obviously a music hall.   

There is further proof to show Éas‘s stage techniques for the guidance 

of the actors such as rwveg< inêPy  (having acted speeding up the chariot) ; rwadvtIyR  (having acted getting down from the chariot); pu:papcy< naqyit 

(acts plucking of flowers);  pir³My (having walked about the stage);Aakaze 

(speaking loosing towards the sky); àivZy ( having entered); %pivZy 

(having seated);AaTmgtm! (to himself); in:³My àivZy (having gone out 

and again entered); Apnyit (removes);  punivRcayR(having thought again);

Conclusion:

It is indeed a very imaginative use of simple stage direction is keenly 

given by Éas> which are not differed from Ért>,   The possibility of 

stage directions and techniques are fully explore and skillfully 

exploited for the dramatic purpose in the plays of Éas>.

(This is a lecture given by me at Stella Mary's College for women, Chennai.)

Dramatic Skills of Bhasa - Part III

Now I am going to highlight some characteristic features of SanskritDrama.

1.  naNdI :-   Any drama should begin with  naNdI,  naNdI  means Benediction.  In this, the author invokes the favourite deity to 

seek the blessing  by which he can be away from the impediments.

AazIvRcns<yuKta inTy< ySmaTàyuJyte, deviÖjn&padIna< tSmaÚaNdIit kIitRta.

nNdiNt samaijka devaí ASya< àyuKtayaimit naNdI.

naNdI  is very important and inevitable though the prayer 

was performed as  pUvRr¼ i.e.,  before starting the dramas.  

The importance of  naNdI  once again emphasized thus -  

AwRt> zBdtae vaip mnaKkaVyawRsUcnm!,  Éas’s  naNdIZlaek s are 

very famous and beautiful .  He use to convey the main theme 

of the chosen play.  Eg., in mXymVyayaeg   >-   

payaTs vae=survxUùdyavsad> padae hre> kuvlyamlof!gnIl>,

y> àae*tiSÇÉuvn³m[e rraj vEdUyRs'³m #vaMbrsagrSy.

In dUtvaKy   >-      pad> payadupeNÔSy svRlaekaeTsv> s v>,

                        VyaivÏae nmuicyeRn tnutaènoen oe.

2. sUÇxar>  -  naq(aepkr[adIin sUÇimTyiÉxIyte, 

                 sUÇ< xarytITyweR sUÇxarae  ing*te.

                 Avxay àyaeKta c yaeKt¨[amupdezk>, 

                 naq(gu[g[aepet> sUÇxarae=iÉxIyte.

sUÇxar>  means Stage-Manager.  He knows all the rules and regulations of dramaturgy. Which are suggested by  Értmuin> in his naq(zaSÇm!,  He comes in the stage and perform  naNdI  and in  Éas‘s plays he use to conduct  Swapna  also.

3. Swapna   :-   Swapna  means prologue.  The introduction of 

any play is called with the term Prologue.  

kwavSTv<zSwapnat! Swapna, kaVykItRn< va naq(a<z< va àkaznm!.

The stage-Manager is introducing the play, and its author to the 

audience ina brief and effective manner. Éas>  is the only play-write  

who use to render it in brief.

                                                                          to be continued .....