Literature

Characteristics of Yuga and the Wheel of Time

Kathāmṛta - 79 - Śaśāṅkavatī-lambaka - The Story of the Elephants, The Story of Vāmadatta, and The Story of Mṛgāṅkadatta

अव्याद्वो विघ्नविध्वंसकीर्तिस्तम्भमिवोत्क्षिपन् । करं गणपतिः क्रीडालीनभृङ्गाक्षरावलिम् ॥ [Let the deity, Gaṇeśa protect you, he plants his trunk like a...

Characters of the Mahabharata: An Introduction to DVG's Monograph

Critical Appreciation of Prahasanas - Part 14

We quote the translation of  the verse uttered by Yamapuruṣa as rendered by Lockwood and Bhat to further the discussion. श्यामां प्रसन्नवदनां मधुरप्रला...

Kathāmṛta - 78 - Velā-lambaka - The Story of Candrasāra and Velā

नमताशेषविघ्नौघवारणं वारणाननम् | कारणं सर्वसिद्धीनां दुरितार्णववारणम् || We pray to the elephant faced Ganeśa, who removes all traces of torrents of obst...

Critical Appreciation of Prahasanas - Part 13

A discussion about scriptural authority follows. Finally the fundamental question of the utility of learning itself comes up. Parivrājaka patiently explains eve...

Kālidāsa - 2

Let us have a look at the dialogues before and after this verse. A minor character expresses concern that Kālidāsa might lose face if his play is performed disr...

Kathāmṛta - 77 - Śaktiyaśo-lambaka - The Story of the parivrājakas of Kaśmīra and Pāṭalīputra

The following night Gomukha narrated this story to entertain Naravāhanadatta– A great muni resided in Dhāreśvara. He addressed his disciples, ‘If any of you ha...

Śūdraka, Kālidāsa

               After introducing the major characters, Śūdraka has gone on to describe the...

Kathāmṛta - 76 - Śaktiyaśo-lambaka - The Stories of Unchaste Women and Fools

Early next morning, the three men began their journey. After travelling for several hours, they came by a pond and rested there until the sun went down. At nigh...

Critical Appreciation of Prahasanas - Part 12

Lockwood and Bhat in their introduction (page 10) use this conversation where Parivrājaka punishes Śāṇḍilya as an example to prove that Parivrājaka himself isn’...

Kathāmṛta - 75 - Śaktiyaśo-lambaka - The Stories of the Fools

A poor man once found a bag of gold coins. While he could have gone elsewhere, he foolishly sat down at the same place and started counting the coins. In the me...