Tag Archives: kAvya

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

Posted on December 16, 2021 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

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

Posted on December 18, 2017 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

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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Notices of Hūṇa-s in kāvya and an excursus on their origins and ethnicity

Posted on December 29, 2014 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

This article was originally published in a slightly modified form at IndiaFacts. Starting sometime shortly before 200BCE all the way down to the 7th century of the common era, there occurred a series of irruptions of Inner Asiatic peoples, who … Continue reading →

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A zarathuShtrian exit at a Hindu funeral

Posted on July 24, 2014 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

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

Posted on March 21, 2014 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

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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The verse of the sword

Posted on December 29, 2013 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

chitrabandha-s are widely represented in classical works on kAvya. The bandha-s of the form of the sword find mention in agni-purANa, the kAvyAlaMkAra of rudraTa and the praise of chaNDI by the other Kashmirian Anandavardhana. Sword-shaped yantra-s comparable to the … Continue reading →

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A case for avairAgyaM?

Posted on December 6, 2013 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The teacher had renounced worldly life and become a saffron-robed yati. He was teaching the installation of the awful gaNesha for the vara-chaturthi rite. In course of that he provided mantra-s that indicated that the qualities of vairAgyaM and avairAgyaM … Continue reading →

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A brief note on the Spitzer manuscript and related issues

Posted on May 1, 2013 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

In his famed kAvya the buddhacharita, ashvagoSha states that when the tathAgata was about to renounce the world he had an “akShaya-dharma-jAta-rAgaH”, i.e., a “passion” of the indestructible dharma was born in him. When we encountered this term we realized … Continue reading →

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kautukasaMgha

Posted on December 26, 2011 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

The train ground to a stop and we stepped out into the cold silence swathed in armor saying “kambalvantaM na bAdhate shItam”. None could recognize us beneath our armor. Since our mind was conditioned to see S we did not … Continue reading →

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