Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Brihat Samhita 55.8 A good reason to go green!


Where do the gods reside? What environs do they enjoy themselves in? Pretty much what we like, actually! But the Brihat Samhita says it so much better:

वनोपान्तनदीशैलनिर्झरोपान्तभूमिषु
रमन्ते देवता नित्यं पुरेषूद्यानवत्सु  (बृहत् संहिता 55.8)

Vigraha:

वन उपान्त नदी शैल निर्झर उपान्त भूमिषु
रमन्ते देवता नित्यं पुरेषु उद्यान्वत्सु 

The gods please themselves [on the lands] near the forests, rivers, mountains and springs; and in towns with pleasure gardens.

वन - forest, grove; neuter noun
उपान्त - in the proximity, near
नदी - river; fem noun
शैल - hill, mountain; masc. noun
निर्झर - cascade, spring, stream; masc.noun
उपान्त - near
भूमिषु - in/on the lands; locative plural
रमन्ते - please, delight, rejoice' third person plural from रम्  (1A)
देवता: -  the gods divinities, deities; nominative plural - believe it or not, this is a feminine noun! the visarga is dropped in sandhi
नित्यं -  always, everyday, every time; indeclinable
पुरेषु+उद्यान्वत्सु - those cities that possess gardens - locative plural of उद्यानवत् 



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rohini:
Well, if I wasn't already convinced the way to go is green, that'd pretty much do it.
Let's raise a glass of wheat grass in a pleasure garden to MsPadma.
Wayne
Keep up the good work - and on your own timetable.
Wayne

Anonymous said...

or better still, perhaps, to be a bit Brit - a cup of Tulsi tea (and, if you please, a leaf from Tulsi floating on he top-Ah!)

kkk said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Prabuddha saha said...

Excellent Translation ,keep up the good work.

Shows how scientific & environmental freindly our culture is. will be forwarding this link to Greenpeace activists.