Monthly Archives: August 2004

A knot of loosers

Posted on August 27, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

In the two years of college I was a magnet for a knot of colorful losers, such Blackie, Vidrum, Dom and Damru. One day R walked up to me and said : “It does not do your image any good … Continue reading →

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The brahmin brain-drain

Posted on August 26, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

For particular unstated reasons, I shall concentrate on the brahmins of the southern state of Tamil Nad for a case study. We have earlier discussed how the brahmins might face number of problems in the immediate future, which may destroy … Continue reading →

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indivara and vAravantikA

Posted on August 25, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

“Those who want to know the real story will know it.” Beyond the world of the Falcon, stationed in eternal time, were the great atharvans. udvanta AtharvaNa amongst them held a soma cup. He descended to the sattra of the … Continue reading →

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Some works of nArAyaNa bhaTTathiri

Posted on August 21, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

MelpattUr nArAyaNa bhaTTathiri, was a great nambuthiri sanskrit writer who apparently lived for a 106 years (born 1560) after escaping death due to syphilis earlier in his life. He wrote a remarkable vaishNava tract, the nArAyaNIyaM, which is a glorious … Continue reading →

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Implements of the shrauta ritual … continued

Posted on August 20, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

ulUkhala-musala: The mortar and pestle used for pounding grains to separate husk. They are made of khadira wood. The ulUkhala may also use palasha wood, and be about knee heigth. The musala may have a metal base. dR^ishad-upala: The grinding … Continue reading →

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The death of Chingiz Kha’Khan

Posted on August 19, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

On the New moon day in August in 1227 AD the greatest of the military leaders of all times Chingiz Kha’Khan died. Born Temujin, and elected Kha’Khan- the Oceanic or mighty khan in 1206, destroyed in a span of 21 … Continue reading →

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Implements of the shrauta ritual

Posted on August 18, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

ratha chakra: The spoked chariot. Typically made of audumbara wood. It is used in the AdhAna rite (deposition of the 3 fires) where the brahmA priest rolls it along from the gArhapatya to the dakShiNa and AhavanIya. In the vAjapeya … Continue reading →

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Sadness

Posted on August 17, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The smart and ever-scheming GS had been my student some years ago. He came from a sAma vedic family of bharadvAjas. His academic record had been a long string of successes, like the victories of Alexander of Macedon. I had … Continue reading →

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Enemies and their ilk

Posted on August 12, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

saMskR^ita terms for enemies have some interesting social connotations. Below we discuss some of these angles sapatna- a rival or an enemy. In a strict usage related to rivals for the same woman or competing for lordship over the same … Continue reading →

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Some motifs in the Geser Khan epic

Posted on August 10, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The Geser Khan Epic of the Turko-Mongols is one of the last frontiers of comparative mythology that remains unexplored in terms of its potential to provide insights into the archaic structure of Eurasian mythology. It is the only surviving Eurasian … Continue reading →

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The construction of sAmans

Posted on August 6, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The gAnaM rules are thus constructed. First we define elements corresponding to the padas of the R^ik, here a,b,c,d : 4*11 in the triShTubh example we are considering. a=brahma jaGYAnaM prathamaM purastAd b=vi sImataH surucho vena AvaH c=sa budhniyA upamA … Continue reading →

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An Aryan mortuary rite

Posted on August 5, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The pitR^imedha is a relatively obscure Aryan mortuary rite done an year or later after the death of an ancestor. It used to be performed in the height of summer, a new moon day or in the month of magha, … Continue reading →

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A strange day

Posted on August 2, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

It had been pouring heavily. Normally on such a day I would have not liked to step out of the warmth of the house and drive through the slush and the dampness of the Hindustani monsoon. But that was a … Continue reading →

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The roguish Karttikeya and the wives of the gods

Posted on August 2, 2004 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

We worship the roguish deity kumAra with offerings as ordained by the school of the great sage gopatha. Due to the efficiency of the law enforcement and strictures of the dharma shAstra the rogues and thieves of the land were … Continue reading →

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