Tag Archives: kavI

The Rāmāyaṇa in numbers: meters, sarga- and kāṇḍa- structure

In the extant Indo-European textual corpus, only in the Hindu collection do we find two complete early epics to complement the śruti. The Iranian epics come from a much later age than the core Avestan corpus, and in the Greek … Continue reading

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Frustrations and ramblings ensuing from Cretaceous amber

Time and again I have been frustrated by the inability of Hindus to make the most of the riches that are available in their own land or right next to them. One such case is that of Cretaceous amber from … Continue reading

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A zarathuShtrian exit at a Hindu funeral

This note continues with the examples we have been providing on these pages illustrating the role of the kavi as a naturalist or an observer of nature. The verse below is a macabre one composed by one of  the greatest … Continue reading

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Some sketches of Indian wild life in vidyAkara’s anthology

sAndra-sthUla-naloparodha-viShamAH shakyAvatArAH puras toyottIrNa-nivR^itta-nakra-jaThara-kShuNNa-sthalI-vAlukAH | vyakta-vyAghra-padA~Nka-pa~Nkti-nichitonmudrArdra-pa~NkodarAH saMtrAsaM janayanti ku~nja-saritaH kAchAbha-nIlodakAH || sAndra: thick; sthUla: large; nala: reed; uparodha: barrier; viShamAH: rough; shakya: possible; avatArAH: descents; puraH: first; toya: water; uttIrNa: descended; nivR^itta: climbed back; nakra: crocodile; jaThara: belly; kShuNNa: roughed … Continue reading

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Vignettes from the kumAra saMbhava

The mAtR^i-s and gaNa-s of rudra: The image of rudra being accompanied by female deities is an ancient one which goes back to the shruti. In the shatarudrIya of the yajurveda the following mantra-s are seen: nama AvyadhinIbhyo vividhyantIbhyash cha … Continue reading

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A note regarding the multilingual poetry of jayarAma kavI

We had a discussion with an acquaintance regarding the local linguistic pride and chauvinism among those who identify with desha bhAShA-s in bhArata. We had encountered the effect most forcefully in two modern states of the secular Indian republic, namely … Continue reading

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