Tag Archives: poetry

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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The dance of the bhairava

Posted on August 5, 2014 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

bhairava on a cadaver from Nepal netrAku~nchana-sAraNa-krama-kR^ita-pravyakta-naktaM dino dik-chakrAnta-visarpi-sallari-saTA-bhArAvaruddhAmbaraH | hasta-nyasta-kapAla-kandara-darI-muktAbhra-dhArAH pibann unmukta-dhvani-bhinna-karNa-kuharaH kravyAd ayaM nR^ityati || netra= eye; Aku~nchana= closing; sAraNa= opening; krama= periodic; kR^ita= act; pravyakta= manifest; naktaM= night; dinaH= day; dik= direction; chakra= circle; anta= ends; [dikchakrAnta= … 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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Vignettes from the kumAra saMbhava

Posted on December 24, 2012 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

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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Some maxims of ve~NkaTAdhvarin

Posted on April 6, 2012 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

Our medieval coethnic, ve~NkaTAdhvarin (1600s of the common era), was a shrauta ritualist, keen observer of humanity, master poet, proponent of vishiShTAdvaita and shrIvaiShNava bigot, all simultaneously rolled in one. In his writings we encounter a brilliant account of the … Continue reading →

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saMmelana song of the vIra

Posted on March 27, 2012 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

It was the saMmelana of the holders of the kapAla in the great shmashAna of kollagiri, in quest of mahAnaya. We were reclined in the haze of the pyres; the embrace of our dUtI fanning the inner fires; the fire … Continue reading →

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The mechanical, the magical and the fantastic

Posted on April 21, 2011 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI

She said: “You had promised the robots of king bhoja even as we had engaged in the mirth of the chUta-latikA and bhUtamAtR^ikA. The answer to why vikrama had his vetAla while bhoja had his throne statues ? Did you … Continue reading →

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