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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 18, 2020 10:52:42 GMT -6
By reflection he saw he had no head, And double stars a livid lustre shed; In his shadow wide gaping holes were found, He could not see his footprints on the ground; He saw trees with a pallid golden glare, Nor could detect the sound of his life-air. He dreamt he was by fiends and ghosts embraced; Riding an ass; and there with garlands placed, A naked man to wander round was seen, With red flowers and oil besmeared, unclean; Thus he did while awake and dreaming see Visions that filled him with anxiety; And terrified by such like auguries, He could not sleep, but was most ill at ease. 28/31
O foremost of the Kuru dynasty, When Surya had risen above the sea, Kamsa arose and did the wrestlers call, For preparation of the festival. 32
The arena was consecrated round, Instruments and loud beating drums resound; Platforms were reared, with flowers garlanded, Arches were raised with flags flying o'erhead. 33
The city burgers and the peasantry, The brahmans, martial chiefs, in due degree, Assumed their seats the tournament to view, And great princes, as to their honour due, Were given seats according to their worth, Their dignity, renown, and noble birth. 34
Surrounded by his ministers of state, On the throne imperial Kamsa sate; Though seated with his allied kings, his heart Trembled, and of affliction knew the smart. 35
The beating drums reverberated round, And martial measures from the pipes resound; The haughty wrestlers their grand entry make, Adorned, and with their coaches their seat take. 36
When they the crowd beheld, the music heard, The wrestlers were with martial ardour stirred, Chanura, Mustika, and Kuta met, Sat Shala, Toshala, on the carpet. 37
The cowherd Nanda, on the summoning, With the cowherds, came to the Bhoja king, And made their tribute, whereon they repaired, To the fine gallery for them prepared. 38
Here endeth Canto forty two in Book ten of the great and glorious Bhagavata Purana, the text of swan-like saints, sung by the son of Vyasa
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Post by Nitaidas on Dec 18, 2020 13:36:57 GMT -6
Just going through Bibek Debroy's modern prose translation of SB. I really like it; it has an easy flowing style and lends itself well to reading out loud. Give us a taste, if you don't mind, Madanmohandasji. A paragraph or two, please.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 18, 2020 13:54:51 GMT -6
'Arjuna said, "O great king! I have been deceived by Hari, who appeared in the form of a friend. He is the one who has deprived me of my great energy, which astounded even the gods. Separation from him, even for an instant, makes all the worlds unpleasant to see. It is just as a person without the breath of life, who is spoken of as dead. At the forefront of the svayamvara, there were kings who had arrived at Drupada's house, impossible to crush because of their desire. It is by resorting to him that I robbed them of their energy and was able to strike the fish, stringing my bow and winning Krishna (Draupadi). It was because of his presence that I was able to quickly defeat Indra and large numbers of immortals and bestow Khandava on Agni. I obtained the assembly hall fashioned by Maya, extraordinary in artisnaship because of his maya. That is where kings assembled from all the directions and offered tributes to you. etc. First Skandha, Chapter 15, Arjuna to Yudhisthira.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 18, 2020 15:09:52 GMT -6
Now SB. Book X, Canto XLIII. 1-6
Sri Suka said; Now Krishna and Rama their rites had done, For necessary purification, And hearing drums and martial music blent, To see the spectacle they thither went. 1
When to the arena's gate Krishna came, A bulky elephant did there remain, As mighty Kuvalaya-pida known, To bar the way by his keeper urged on. 2
Now girding up his garment for attack, Sauri, his curly locks drew and tied back; And addressed the elephant keeper loud, With voice like the reverberating cloud. 3
Ho! elephant keeper, do as I say, Remove yourself and get out of the way! Or else, you along with your beast I send To Yama; you shall to his house descend! 4
Thus threatened the keeper was frought with rage, And the mighty beast goaded to engage; Like Time, Doom, and Yama personified, The wicked elephant Krishna defied. 5
The mighty beast dashed forth at furious pace, And sought with it's trunk Krishna to enlace, But he avoided, and with fist upreared, Smote him, then twixt his legs he disappeared. 6
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Post by Nitaidas on Dec 18, 2020 22:00:09 GMT -6
Thanks, Madanmohandasji. It does read nicely.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 19, 2020 6:09:24 GMT -6
Continuing SB. X.XLIII. 7-17
Not seeing Keshava, the elephant, Enraged, searched for him with it's trunk by scent; Then caught him, but by cunning, Lord Hari, Released himself with swift dexterity. 7
Grabbing the tail, he leapt up with a bound, And dragged the beast backward across the ground; Full five and twenty bow-lengths drew him back, As when Gold-wing a serpent does attack. 8
Now as Achyuta traversed left and right, The beast swerved opposite with all its might; As when a boy a calf's tail would assay To tug and pull back in frolic and play. 9
Then face to face before the beast did stand, And dealt him a blow with his open hand; And having thus, in feigning terror fled, At which the elephant after him sped; But at each step by step he gave the slip, He made the beast to stumble, fall and trip. 10
He, running feigned to fall upon the ground, Then just in time he leapt up with a bound; While the mad elephant bore down to gore, It's sharp tusk missed the mark, and the earth tore. 11
Thwarted in its attempts to thus engage, The lordly tusker in frenzy did rage; The keepers in their fury and disdain, Goaded the beast to charge Krishna again. 12
Thereon confronting him, the mighty one, The slayer of Madhu, Madhusudan; Seized the lordly elephant by the trunk, And pulled with force, whereon to ground it sunk. 13
Then Hari, as a lion, with a bound, Leapt on the elephant , now on the ground; And then plucked out a tusk, and with it slew The elephant with all it's retinue. 14
Leaving the dead elephant on the sand, He kept the ivory tusk in his hand, And over his shoulder the burden placed, With drops of blood and perspiration graced. His face was as the lotus bloom to view, Sprinkled with drops of pollen and with dew. 15
Surrounded by his eager cowherd friends, Lord Janardan, with Baladeva wends, Into the sports arena, carrying The tusk upon his shoulder, O great king! 16
Him as a thunder bolt the wrestlers viewed, As the best of all men, the men conclude; The women folk saw Cupid in person, The cowherds saw their own dear relation; The kings saw the chastiser who annoys, His parents saw their own beloved boys; The Bhoja king saw death approach, and then, The ignorant saw just a worldly man; The yogins saw the supreme truth adored, The Vrishni clan beheld their cherished Lord; Thus each according to his sentiment, Viewed Krishna as he with his elder went. 17
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 19, 2020 15:41:05 GMT -6
In reference to Krishna's entering the arena there is a verse in Lalita Madhava, Act IV. Scene I, text 10, where Uddhava says,
Hari with blood, ichor, and sweat besmeared, And sandal paste and Kumkum bright appeared; And into the arena proudly paced, The pachyderm's tusk on his shoulder placed.
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Post by Nitaidas on Dec 20, 2020 12:44:27 GMT -6
Cripes! Has anyone looked up this fellow Bibek Debroy? He is an economist with all sorts of responsibilities for work and yet he has translated the whole of the Mahabharata (10 vols), the Ramayana (3 vols), the Markandeya Purana (1 vol), the Gita (twice), the Bhagavata Purana (3 vols.), and the Harivamsa. How on earth did he do it? How did he balance a full schedule of work and yet translate all these works? Moreover, with his wife Dipavali (I am guessing) he's translated The Matsya Purana and the Brahma Purana. They have also done the Vedas! I'll have whatever they're drinking.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 20, 2020 13:34:11 GMT -6
Maybe we are coming into the age of homo-superior. hahahahaha
I managed to persuade Ukemi Audio books to do Griffith's Valmiki, and now they seem willing to do the Mahabhatat of Ganguli, and someone said, What about Bibek Debroy? But someone else said they did not like it very much, although their judgement maybe prejudiced by an aversion to more critical editions. Anyway, there would be copyright issues, whereas Ganguli's is old. It will end up about 240 hours. Read by the Indian actor Arya Sagar
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 21, 2020 4:27:49 GMT -6
Continuing SB.X.XLII 18-22
Thus seeing Kuvalaya-pida slain, By mighty puissance of the brothers twain, Kamsa, O king, grew fearful in his mind, Was sore distracted and no peace could find. 18
The princely pair displayed their brilliant charms, Of varied fine raiment and mighty arms; With jewels dight, with flowers garlanded, As into the sports arena they tread; And seemed the leading actors, brave and bold, Their refulgence wonderful to behold. 19
The spectators from the galleries gazed, At the primal Masters, and were amazed; The people of the town and country side, Observed them with their eyes dilated wide, And with their eyes they quaffed with joy elate, The charm of their faces, insatiate. 20
With eyes they drank, with tongues they seemed to taste, With noses smelt them and with arms embraced. The people each to each began to say, Recalling their beauty and bravery, From what they had witnessed, and what they heard, And thus the people joyfully conferred. 21/22
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 22, 2020 14:14:45 GMT -6
The spectators in the arena make their comments,
These two are both supreme and almighty, The own self of Narayana Hari; Who by their emanated parts have come To incarnate in Vasudeva's home. 23
This one was born of pious Devaki, And taken to Gokula secretly; Where he grew, and up to this time has spent Concealed in Nanda's cowherd settlement. 24
Wicked Putana was killed by this boy, And the Whirlwind demon he did destroy; By him a pair of Arjun trees were felled, Guhyaka, Keshi, Dhenuka, were killed. 25
He saved the boys and cows from forest fire; And forced the snake Kaliya to retire; He minished Indra's pride and took his stand, The mount for seven days held on his hand; And did the cowherd's safety thus maintain; And shelterred them from wind and hail and rain. 26/27
The cowherd dames were always pleased to see His smiling glance frought with felicity; And overcame all sorrow and distress, In the enjoyment of vast happiness. 28
'Tis said, by his auspicious influence, The Yadu clans will gain preeminence; An increase of glory and high acclaim, Prosperity, power, and worthy fame. 29
The other, his elder, who with him hies, Is lordly Rama of the lotus-eyes; He slaughtered Pralamba and Baka too, Also the demon Vatsaka he slew. 30
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 22, 2020 14:15:38 GMT -6
Concluding SB.X.XLIII. 31-40
Thus while the people the two heroes praised, The clamour of the pipes and drums was raised; To Rama and Krishna, Chanura pressed, And thus the challenge general addressed. 31
'Ho! Son of Nanda! Ho, Rama! hear me. Oh heroes of renowned dexterity, The king hath bid ye both to show your skill, Such being his desire, and his will. 32
The subjects who by thought and action bring Pleasure and satisfaction to the king, Achieve good fortune, worthy to requite Their faith, but others gain the opposite. 33
'Tis known that cowherds, joying in the fray, Wrestle and box, while with the herds they stray; 34
The king therefore, in pleasure doth assent, The people will be joyful and content; It thus behoves us that joy we should bring, For all are constituent of the king.' 35
Which having heard, and eager for the fray, Krishna, deliberately gan to say, With all the force of eloquence and grace, Appropriate to the time and the place. 36
'Though true it is we in the forests roam, We are the subjects to the Bhoja throne; And should we do his pleasure and desire, We shall the greatest benefit acquire. 37
But we are youths and should be matched with those, Our equals in the wrestling to oppose, Since if in unrighteousness we begin, The audience will be tainted with sin.' 38
(Chanura said) Ah what! nor child nor stripling youth are you, Nor is Bala, but mighty strong to view; The tusker of a thousand tusker's strength, You toyed with and then slaughtered him at length. 39
Therefore both of ye are endued with might, And without contravention of the right, Scion of Vrishni's, you with me engage, Bala can show Mushtika his courage. 40
Here endeth Canto forty three in Book ten of the great and glorious Bhagavata Purana, the text beloved of swan-like saints, sung by the son of Vyasa.
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 23, 2020 7:19:36 GMT -6
Before embarking on Canto forty four here is a brief argument,
This part tells how Rama and Krishna slew The wrestlers and all of their retinue; The bold encounter; the death of the king; How widows were consoled with comforting; The brothers thus removed the cause of fear, And reunited with their parents dear.
Also, divine Rupa observes,
When from a distance Madhava they viewed, Kamsa's wrestlers, albe they were endued With adamantine chests and mighty arms, Their hearts were frought with fear and dire alarms. Bh.R.S
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 23, 2020 7:20:32 GMT -6
Now SB. Book X, Canto forty four. 1-4
(Sri Suka said) Whereon Madhu's almighty enemy, Determined with the challenge to comply; That he in fight with Chanura oppose, And Rohini's son with Mushtika close. 1
Then hand to hand and leg to leg they grip, With puissant force they turn, avoid, and slip; And each with each, with ardent vigour strain, Intent upon the foe glory to gain. 2 With fist to fist and knee to knee oppoed, And head to head and chest to chest they closed. 3 They squeeze each other, belabour and pound, Now casting down, now spinning round and round; Before, behind they traverse with clenched fist, To gain the advantage, or to resist. 4
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Post by madanmohandas on Dec 23, 2020 8:18:59 GMT -6
Now lifting, now bearing to cast away, And holding down, ponderous, in the fray; And straining every nerve, intent to gain The victory, careless of their own pain. 5
The gentle dames and damsels gathered there Were sore disquieted by anxious care; To see the strong contending with the weak, They foregathered in groups and gan to speak. 6
"Alas! what vice we see perpetuate, In this assembly grand, of regal state, Where king and people witness and prolong, This contention between the weak and strong! 7
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