wundermonk
10 August 2012, 09:37 AM
Greetings all,
The verse 1:2:15 of Ramayana is apparently a celebrated verse (I was not aware before):
maa nishhaada pratiSThaamtva | magamaH shaashvatiiH samaaH |
yat krau~Ncha mithunaat eka | mavadhiiH kaama mohitam
O hunter! you shall have no good name for endless years, since you have killed one of the couple of Krauncha birds whilst in the transport of love
When Valmiki utters this verse, he believes he was divinely inspired...why?
The reason is stated subsequently in 1:2:19:
paada baddhaH akshara samaH tantrii laya samanvitaH |
shokaartasya pravR^itto me shloko bhavatu na anyathaa
This which has issued forth from me suffering from grief, divided into four parts, with the same number of letters in each, with rhythm and tone complete, this can only be a Sloka and nothing else.
While it is easy to see how 1:2:15 has four parts, it was difficult for me to see how each of the four parts had the same number of letters in each. I believe what is meant here is that the number of syllables in each of the four parts is the same - eight.
Part 1: maa (syllable 1) ni (syllable 2) shhaa (syllable 3) da (syllable 4) pra (syllable 5) tiS (syllable 6) Thaam (syllable 7) tva (syllable 8) |
Part 2: ma (syllable 1) ga (syllable 2) maH (syllable 3) shaa (syllable 4) shva (syllable 5) tiiH (syllable 6) sa (syllable 7) maaH (syllable 8)|
Part 3: yat (syllable 1) krau~N (syllable 2) cha (syllable 3) mi (syllable 4) thu (syllable 5) naa (syllable 6) te (syllable 7) ka (syllable 8)|
Part 4: ma (syllable 1) va (syllable 2) dhiiH (syllable 3) kaa (syllable 4) ma (syllable 5) mo (syllable 6) hi (syllable 7) tam (syllable 8).
Is this right? What do you think?
Yet another set of unique characteristics is presented in Shankara's commentary on the Brahmasutras 1:1:4. The commentary claims that the sequence of verses beginning Chandogya 6:2:1:
This universe, my boy, was but the Real (Sat), in the beginning
and concluding in Chandoya 6:15:3
In it all that exists has its self. It is true. It is the Self
for a total of 4 (section 2) + 4 (section 3) + 7 (section 4) + 4 (section 5) + 5 (section 6) + 6 (section 7) + 7 (section 8) + 4 (section 9) + 3 (section 10) + 3 (section 11) + 3 (section 12) + 3 (section 13) + 3 (section 14) + 3 (section 15) = 59 paragraphs is unique for the following characteristics:
(1)Beginning and conclusion - Brahman is the main purport of all the paragraphs - including the beginning and the concluding verses.
(2)repetition - this series of verses has the celebrated "Thou art That, O Swetaketu".
(3)uniqueness of subject matter - Brahman can not be realized by direct perception or inference. Hence the need for scripture.
(4)fruit or result - this is also mentioned, namely that through the knowledge of Brahman everything else is known.
(5)praise - the description of the origin of the universe from Brahman, and of its sustenance by and reabsorption in It is by way of praise (arthavada).
(6)reasoning - reasoning also has been adopted by the scriptures here by citing the example of clay to elucidate the point. As different objects are made out of clay, so are all things created from this Brahman.
I am generally wary of claims of linguistic analysis to "prove" the divinity/divine inspiration of scriptural texts - because concepts like rhythm, etc. are subjective. Yet, the above two were interesting...hence the thread.
What do you think and do you have knowledge of any other Hindu scriptures making similar claims?
The verse 1:2:15 of Ramayana is apparently a celebrated verse (I was not aware before):
maa nishhaada pratiSThaamtva | magamaH shaashvatiiH samaaH |
yat krau~Ncha mithunaat eka | mavadhiiH kaama mohitam
O hunter! you shall have no good name for endless years, since you have killed one of the couple of Krauncha birds whilst in the transport of love
When Valmiki utters this verse, he believes he was divinely inspired...why?
The reason is stated subsequently in 1:2:19:
paada baddhaH akshara samaH tantrii laya samanvitaH |
shokaartasya pravR^itto me shloko bhavatu na anyathaa
This which has issued forth from me suffering from grief, divided into four parts, with the same number of letters in each, with rhythm and tone complete, this can only be a Sloka and nothing else.
While it is easy to see how 1:2:15 has four parts, it was difficult for me to see how each of the four parts had the same number of letters in each. I believe what is meant here is that the number of syllables in each of the four parts is the same - eight.
Part 1: maa (syllable 1) ni (syllable 2) shhaa (syllable 3) da (syllable 4) pra (syllable 5) tiS (syllable 6) Thaam (syllable 7) tva (syllable 8) |
Part 2: ma (syllable 1) ga (syllable 2) maH (syllable 3) shaa (syllable 4) shva (syllable 5) tiiH (syllable 6) sa (syllable 7) maaH (syllable 8)|
Part 3: yat (syllable 1) krau~N (syllable 2) cha (syllable 3) mi (syllable 4) thu (syllable 5) naa (syllable 6) te (syllable 7) ka (syllable 8)|
Part 4: ma (syllable 1) va (syllable 2) dhiiH (syllable 3) kaa (syllable 4) ma (syllable 5) mo (syllable 6) hi (syllable 7) tam (syllable 8).
Is this right? What do you think?
Yet another set of unique characteristics is presented in Shankara's commentary on the Brahmasutras 1:1:4. The commentary claims that the sequence of verses beginning Chandogya 6:2:1:
This universe, my boy, was but the Real (Sat), in the beginning
and concluding in Chandoya 6:15:3
In it all that exists has its self. It is true. It is the Self
for a total of 4 (section 2) + 4 (section 3) + 7 (section 4) + 4 (section 5) + 5 (section 6) + 6 (section 7) + 7 (section 8) + 4 (section 9) + 3 (section 10) + 3 (section 11) + 3 (section 12) + 3 (section 13) + 3 (section 14) + 3 (section 15) = 59 paragraphs is unique for the following characteristics:
(1)Beginning and conclusion - Brahman is the main purport of all the paragraphs - including the beginning and the concluding verses.
(2)repetition - this series of verses has the celebrated "Thou art That, O Swetaketu".
(3)uniqueness of subject matter - Brahman can not be realized by direct perception or inference. Hence the need for scripture.
(4)fruit or result - this is also mentioned, namely that through the knowledge of Brahman everything else is known.
(5)praise - the description of the origin of the universe from Brahman, and of its sustenance by and reabsorption in It is by way of praise (arthavada).
(6)reasoning - reasoning also has been adopted by the scriptures here by citing the example of clay to elucidate the point. As different objects are made out of clay, so are all things created from this Brahman.
I am generally wary of claims of linguistic analysis to "prove" the divinity/divine inspiration of scriptural texts - because concepts like rhythm, etc. are subjective. Yet, the above two were interesting...hence the thread.
What do you think and do you have knowledge of any other Hindu scriptures making similar claims?