atha vaa samavaiShi tat-tanuum
ashubhaaM tvaM na tu saMvid asti te
surabhiM vidadhaasi hi kriyaam
ashuces tat-prabhavasya shaantaye
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.49
Or else you see that their bodies are foul
But intelligence is lacking in you:
For the fragrant task you are engaged in
Is extinction of the impurity that originates in them.
COMMENT:
In what sense does impurity originate specifically in women's bodies? Well, for one thing, it could be argued, it is women who bleed, during their menstrual cycle, and nothing is more impure than menstrual discharge. For another thing, it again could be argued, women are the cause when impure desire -- i.e. sexual desire -- arises in men. Thus could it be argued, by a deeply stupid and deluded person. Sometimes (not quite in all seriousness) calling my wife FUJO NA ONNA, "an impure/unclean woman" I myself argue thus. But never in a million years was it argued thus by the Buddha.
In the Buddha's teaching, the fragrant task a practitioner is engaged in is extinction of the impurity that originates just in his own mind.
Not to do anything bad;
To allow what is good;
To purify one's own mind:
This is the teaching of the buddhas.
One of the functions of Saundara-nanda, written in light of the original and universal precept of the buddhas, is to help us clarify the real meaning of impurity in the Buddha's teaching.
For example, a very gross impurity -- so gross as to be comical -- is the expectation that if I practice ascetic practices long and hard, I will enjoy sex with gorgeous nymphs as my reward.
An impurity which is maybe somewhat less gross -- but still quite comical -- is the thought that because I am an upper class sort of bloke, a cut above the hoi poloi, it would be inappropriate for me to swallow my pride and go back home to my woman.
A subtler impurity -- and one which therefore may require more skill to shake off -- is the deeply buried sense that because of my efforts to serve the buddha-ancestors, the buddha-ancestors should somehow look favourably upon me.
Zen sitting practice itself is liable to be full of all sorts of impurities, from the grosser kind of impurity like counting the breaths in an effort to calm the mind, or like pulling in the chin in order to keep the neck bones straight vertically, to the subtler kind of impurity like thinking "if I tinker with my posture just a tiny bit, I can help body and mind to drop off." Such impurities are many and various but it may be possible to trace them all back to the original Zen disease of trying to be right, of striving.
Investigating impurity like this, in its grosser and subtler forms, we gradually become clearer as to the real meaning of the original instruction of Gautama Buddha:
Not to do anything bad;
To allow what is good;
To purify one's own mind:
This is the teaching of the buddhas.
EH Johnston:
Or if you realise their bodies to be impure, then you are lacking in intelligence ; for you are undertaking a sweet-smelling task for the abolition of the filth arising from them.
Linda Covill:
Or perhaps you know in theory that their bodies are impure, but lack full comprehension, for you are engaged in a fragrant task to allay the foulness they produce.
VOCABULARY:
athavaa: ind. or , rather
samavaiShi = 2nd pers. sg. sam -ava- √i: to regard , consider
tat-tanuum (acc. sg.): that body, their bodies
tat: that, their
tanuu: f. the body , person , self
ashubhaam (acc. sg. f.): mfn. not beautiful, disagreeable, bad
tvam (nom. sg.): you
na: not
tu: but
saMvit (nom. sg.): f. consciousness , intellect , knowledge , understanding
asti: there is
te (gen. sg.): in/of you
surabhim (acc. sg. f.): mfn. (prob. fr. 5. su + √ rabh , = " affecting pleasantly ") sweet-smelling , fragrant ; charming , pleasing , lovely
vidadhaasi = 2nd pers. sg. vi- √ dhaa: to furnish , supply ; to ordain , direct , enjoin , settle , appoint ; to perform , effect , produce , cause , occasion , make , do (like √ kR to be translated variously in connection with various nouns)
hi: for
kriyaam (acc. sg.): f. doing , performing , performance , occupation with (in comp.) , business , act , action , undertaking , activity , work , labour
ashuceH (gen. sg.): mfn. impure , foul
tat-prabhavasya (gen. sg.): originating in them
tat: them
prabhava: m. production , source , origin , cause of existence , birthplace (often ifc. , springing or rising or derived from , belonging to)
shaantaye (dat. sg.): f. tranquillity , peace , quiet , peace or calmness of mind , absence of passion , averting of pain; alleviation (of evil or pain) , cessation , abatement , extinction (of fire &c ) ; any expiatory or propitiatory rite for averting evil or calamity
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 8.48: Ugliness in a Striver's View
yad ahany ahani pradhaavanair
vasanaish c' aabharaNaish ca saMskRtaM
a-shubhaM tamas" aavRt'-ekShaNaH
shubhato gacchasi n' aavagacchasi
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
8.48
The ugliness which day after day is prettified,
By means of ablutions, garments, and jewels,
You with eyes veiled by ignorance do not truly see:
You see it as beauty.
COMMENT:
The key concept in today's verse might be a-shubha in line 3, "ugliness," which is opposed to shubha in line 4, "beauty."
In 8.23 the striver has already drawn the same dualistic distinction between shubha (good) and a-shubha (bad). It is a distinction which he has criticized Nanda for failing to draw:
For you who draws no distinction between good (shubha) and bad (a-shubha), whose mind is settled on objects of the senses, / And who has no eye of attainment, naturally, there could be no delight in higher good. [8.23]
Again it may be instructive to compare and contrast the Buddha's use of the same term a-shubha, variously translated below as "wretched" [15.27], "disagreeable" [16.60 - 16.61], "noxious" [16.74], and "impure" [16.76].
Again, just as he might leave the jewel and carry from the jewel-island a clod, / So would one leave the dharma that leads to happiness and cherish a wretched idea (cintayed ashubham). // [15.27]
Steadiness lies, when one's mind is stirred up by passion, in coming back to a disagreeable stimulus (a-shubhaM nimittam); / For thus a passionate type obtains relief, Like a phlegmatic type taking an astringent.// When a mind is wound up, however, with the fault of malice, a disagreeable stimulus (a-shubhaM nimittam) is not to be dwelt upon; / For unpleasantness is destructive to a hating type, as acid treatment is to a man of bilious nature. [16.60 - 16.61]
A man who wishes to live, even when starving, declines to eat poisoned food. / Likewise, observing that it triggers a fault, a wise person leaves alone a noxious stimulus (a-shubhaM nimittam). // [16.74]
For those brought up well are ashamed of continued impure workings of the mind (manaH pracaarair a-shubhaiH pravRtaiH),/ As one who is bright, young and good-looking is ashamed of unsightly, ill-arranged necklaces.// [16.76]
In these verses, as I read them, the Buddha's use of the terms shubha and a-shubha is redolent of the observation by Shakespeare's Hamlet that "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
For the Buddha in the above verses ugliness is not an objective matter; it is rather a function of a practitioner's mind. The objective ugliness of which the striver speaks, it seems, the Buddha does not recognize.
The implicit point that Ashvaghosha might be hinting at, then, is that the ugliness of which the striver speaks exists nowhere but in his own subjective and jaundiced view of women.
Going further, in two later verses, 16.79 and 17.40, the use of a-shubha ("doing bad, shameful conduct") appears to leap out of either the objective or the subjective dimension, and into the sphere of action itself:
For just as a man afraid of thieves in the night would not open his door even to friends, / So does a wise man withhold consent equally to the doing of anything bad or anything good that involves the faults (samaM shubhasy' aapy ashubhasya doShaiH). // [16.79]
And so the hero cut the three roots of shameful conduct (muulaany atha triiNy ashubasya) using three seats of release, / As if three rival princes, bearing bows in the van of their armies, had been cut down by one prince using three iron points.// [17.40]
In the end, then -- though I seem to have put on a scholar's hat and written a long-winded analysis of a progression in the use of the term a-shuba -- it really all comes back to something ineffably simple: the not doing of anything bad.
Any old striver can say it. But any old striver cannot practise it.
Why not?
It may be that something bad is triggered just in the striving itself.
EH Johnston:
Your eyes are clouded with the darkness of ignorance and you do not understand that you are regarding as pure that which, impure in fact, only appears as pure through daily preparation with washing, clothing and adornment.
Linda Covill:
The repulsiveness adorned day by day with cleansing, clothing and decoration you, with your sight veiled by dark ignorance, perceive as attractive; you fail to understand.
VOCABULARY:
yad (acc. sg. n.): [that] which
ahani = loc. ahar: n. a day
ahani = loc. ahar: n. a day
pradhaavanaiH (inst. pl.): n. rubbing or washing off
vasanaiH (inst. pl.): n. cloth , clothes , dress , garment , apparel , attire
ca: and
aabharaNaiH (inst. pl.): n. decorating ; ornament , decoration (as jewels &c )
ca: and
saMskRtam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. put together , constructed , well or completely formed , perfected ; made ready , prepared ; refined , adorned , ornamented , polished , highly elaborated (esp. applied to highly wrought speech , such as the Sanskrit language as opp , to the vernaculars)
a-shubham (acc. sg. n.): mfn. not beautiful or agreeable , disagreeable ; n. a shameful deed , sin
tamasaa (inst. sg.): . n. darkness ; mental darkness , ignorance
aavRt'-ekShaNaH (nom. sg. m.): with screened eye ; with veiled sight
aavRta: mfn. covered , concealed , hid ; screened
iikShaNa: n. a look , view , aspect , sight ; eye
shubhataH: ind. as beautiful
shubha: mfn. splendid , bright , beautiful , handsome ; pleasant , agreeable , suitable , fit , capable , useful , good
-taH: (ablative/adverbial suffix)
gacchasi = 2nd pers. sg. gam: to go ; (with or without manasaa) to observe , understand , guess
na: not
avagacchasi = 2nd pers. sg. ava- √ gam: to go down; to hit upon , think of , conceive , learn , know , understand
vasanaish c' aabharaNaish ca saMskRtaM
a-shubhaM tamas" aavRt'-ekShaNaH
shubhato gacchasi n' aavagacchasi
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
8.48
The ugliness which day after day is prettified,
By means of ablutions, garments, and jewels,
You with eyes veiled by ignorance do not truly see:
You see it as beauty.
COMMENT:
The key concept in today's verse might be a-shubha in line 3, "ugliness," which is opposed to shubha in line 4, "beauty."
In 8.23 the striver has already drawn the same dualistic distinction between shubha (good) and a-shubha (bad). It is a distinction which he has criticized Nanda for failing to draw:
For you who draws no distinction between good (shubha) and bad (a-shubha), whose mind is settled on objects of the senses, / And who has no eye of attainment, naturally, there could be no delight in higher good. [8.23]
Again it may be instructive to compare and contrast the Buddha's use of the same term a-shubha, variously translated below as "wretched" [15.27], "disagreeable" [16.60 - 16.61], "noxious" [16.74], and "impure" [16.76].
Again, just as he might leave the jewel and carry from the jewel-island a clod, / So would one leave the dharma that leads to happiness and cherish a wretched idea (cintayed ashubham). // [15.27]
Steadiness lies, when one's mind is stirred up by passion, in coming back to a disagreeable stimulus (a-shubhaM nimittam); / For thus a passionate type obtains relief, Like a phlegmatic type taking an astringent.// When a mind is wound up, however, with the fault of malice, a disagreeable stimulus (a-shubhaM nimittam) is not to be dwelt upon; / For unpleasantness is destructive to a hating type, as acid treatment is to a man of bilious nature. [16.60 - 16.61]
A man who wishes to live, even when starving, declines to eat poisoned food. / Likewise, observing that it triggers a fault, a wise person leaves alone a noxious stimulus (a-shubhaM nimittam). // [16.74]
For those brought up well are ashamed of continued impure workings of the mind (manaH pracaarair a-shubhaiH pravRtaiH),/ As one who is bright, young and good-looking is ashamed of unsightly, ill-arranged necklaces.// [16.76]
In these verses, as I read them, the Buddha's use of the terms shubha and a-shubha is redolent of the observation by Shakespeare's Hamlet that "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
For the Buddha in the above verses ugliness is not an objective matter; it is rather a function of a practitioner's mind. The objective ugliness of which the striver speaks, it seems, the Buddha does not recognize.
The implicit point that Ashvaghosha might be hinting at, then, is that the ugliness of which the striver speaks exists nowhere but in his own subjective and jaundiced view of women.
Going further, in two later verses, 16.79 and 17.40, the use of a-shubha ("doing bad, shameful conduct") appears to leap out of either the objective or the subjective dimension, and into the sphere of action itself:
For just as a man afraid of thieves in the night would not open his door even to friends, / So does a wise man withhold consent equally to the doing of anything bad or anything good that involves the faults (samaM shubhasy' aapy ashubhasya doShaiH). // [16.79]
And so the hero cut the three roots of shameful conduct (muulaany atha triiNy ashubasya) using three seats of release, / As if three rival princes, bearing bows in the van of their armies, had been cut down by one prince using three iron points.// [17.40]
In the end, then -- though I seem to have put on a scholar's hat and written a long-winded analysis of a progression in the use of the term a-shuba -- it really all comes back to something ineffably simple: the not doing of anything bad.
Any old striver can say it. But any old striver cannot practise it.
Why not?
It may be that something bad is triggered just in the striving itself.
EH Johnston:
Your eyes are clouded with the darkness of ignorance and you do not understand that you are regarding as pure that which, impure in fact, only appears as pure through daily preparation with washing, clothing and adornment.
Linda Covill:
The repulsiveness adorned day by day with cleansing, clothing and decoration you, with your sight veiled by dark ignorance, perceive as attractive; you fail to understand.
VOCABULARY:
yad (acc. sg. n.): [that] which
ahani = loc. ahar: n. a day
ahani = loc. ahar: n. a day
pradhaavanaiH (inst. pl.): n. rubbing or washing off
vasanaiH (inst. pl.): n. cloth , clothes , dress , garment , apparel , attire
ca: and
aabharaNaiH (inst. pl.): n. decorating ; ornament , decoration (as jewels &c )
ca: and
saMskRtam (acc. sg. n.): mfn. put together , constructed , well or completely formed , perfected ; made ready , prepared ; refined , adorned , ornamented , polished , highly elaborated (esp. applied to highly wrought speech , such as the Sanskrit language as opp , to the vernaculars)
a-shubham (acc. sg. n.): mfn. not beautiful or agreeable , disagreeable ; n. a shameful deed , sin
tamasaa (inst. sg.): . n. darkness ; mental darkness , ignorance
aavRt'-ekShaNaH (nom. sg. m.): with screened eye ; with veiled sight
aavRta: mfn. covered , concealed , hid ; screened
iikShaNa: n. a look , view , aspect , sight ; eye
shubhataH: ind. as beautiful
shubha: mfn. splendid , bright , beautiful , handsome ; pleasant , agreeable , suitable , fit , capable , useful , good
-taH: (ablative/adverbial suffix)
gacchasi = 2nd pers. sg. gam: to go ; (with or without manasaa) to observe , understand , guess
na: not
avagacchasi = 2nd pers. sg. ava- √ gam: to go down; to hit upon , think of , conceive , learn , know , understand
Monday, March 14, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 8.47: An Impure View of Women's Bodies
atha suukshman atidvay'-aashivaM
laghu taasaaM hRdayaM na pashyasi
kim u kaayam asad-gRhaM sravad
vanitaanaam ashuciM na pashyasi
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
8.47
So you do not see that their little lightweight hearts
Are pernicious in their intense duplicity.
Do you not at least see that women's bodies
Are impure, oozing houses of foulness?
COMMENT:
As the striver's dualistic consideration of the inherent ugliness of women's minds and bodies finally passes from the mental to the physical dimension, Ashvaghosha as I understand him is encouraging us to continue in our game of spot the difference.
To that end, it may be instructive to contrast and compare today's verse with the Buddha's advice to Nanda in Canto 13:
On seeing a form with your eye, you are contained in the sum of the elements: / That 'it is a woman' or 'it is a man' you should not interpose. // If a notion of woman or man intrudes at any time in relation to anyone, / Upon hair, teeth, and the rest, for their beauty, you should not linger. // Nothing, then, is to be taken away and nothing is to be added: / One must investigate the reality as it really is, whatever and however it is. // [13.42 - 13.44]
Again, what is the meaning of "impure" (ashuci ) in line 4?
What unenlightened strivers mean by "impure" and what buddhas mean by "impure," even if they use the same word, might be as far apart as heaven and earth.
In order that Nanda might realize untaintedness, the Buddha recommends him to go and practise in solitude. As a matter of fact, to sit alone in a solitary place is conducive to practice that is not tainted by consciousness, for example, of how other people see me. But this kind of purity, or untaintedness, has got nothing whatever to do with absence of germs. A buddha whose body is totally pure, in terms of absence of germs, is not a non-buddha but a dead buddha, a defunct buddha, a buddha who was never real.
Thus, in Canto 17, sitting alone by a solitary stream, Nanda examines his own body and finds it to be impure (ashuci):
Desiring to experience its total material and immaterial substance, he examined the body, / And as impure, as suffering, as impermanent, as without an owner, and again as devoid of self, he perceived the body. [17.16]
To be totally pure is totally impossible and totally undesirable. If there were any water that were totally pure, fish could never live in it.
Untaintedness is another question, a more difficult question. Is it possible, for example, even for one moment, to do something just as a service, without any thought or feeling of what's in it for me, without any expectation of ulterior reward?
To investigate such questions, unquestionably, it helps to go someplace where there aren't any women -- or for that matter any men.
EH Johnston:
But if you do not see how their hearts are flighty, subtle in intention and working mischief by deceit, do you not see at least how their bodies are impure, verily oozing abodes of evil?
Linda Covill:
So you don't see that women's hearts are cunning, utterly duplicitous, pernicious and superficial! Do you at least see that their bodies are dirty, oozing, houses of vice?
VOCABULARY:
atha: ind. so, then, but
suukshman (acc. sg. n.): mfn. minute , small , fine , thin , narrow , short , feeble , trifling , insignificant , unimportant; acute , subtle , keen ;
atidvay'-aashivam (acc. sg. n.): pernicious due to excessive duplicity
ati: ind. excessively , too ; exceedingly , very
dvaya: mfn. twofold , double , of 2 kinds or sorts ; n. twofold nature , falsehood
ashivam (acc. sg. n.): unkind , envious , pernicious , dangerous
laghu (acc. sg. n.): mfn. light; easy in mind , light-hearted
taasaam (gen. pl. f.): of them
hRdayam (acc. sg.): n. heart
na: not
pashyasi = 2nd pers. sg. pash: to see
kim u: ind. how much more? how much less?
kaayam (acc. sg.): m. the body
asad-gRham (acc. sg. m.): house of evil
a-sat: mfn. untrue , wrong; bad n. untruth , falsehood ; evil
sat: mfn. being, existing ; real , actual , as any one or anything ought to be , true , good , right (tan na sat , " that is not right ") , beautiful , wise , venerable , honest ;
gRha: home, house
sravat = acc. sg. n. pres. part. sru: to flow , stream , gush forth , issue from ; to leak , trickle
vanitaanaam (gen. pl.): f. a loved wife , mistress , any woman (also applied to the female of an animal or bird)
ashucim (acc. sg. m.): mfn. impure , foul
na: not
pashyasi = 2nd pers. sg. pash: to see
laghu taasaaM hRdayaM na pashyasi
kim u kaayam asad-gRhaM sravad
vanitaanaam ashuciM na pashyasi
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
8.47
So you do not see that their little lightweight hearts
Are pernicious in their intense duplicity.
Do you not at least see that women's bodies
Are impure, oozing houses of foulness?
COMMENT:
As the striver's dualistic consideration of the inherent ugliness of women's minds and bodies finally passes from the mental to the physical dimension, Ashvaghosha as I understand him is encouraging us to continue in our game of spot the difference.
To that end, it may be instructive to contrast and compare today's verse with the Buddha's advice to Nanda in Canto 13:
On seeing a form with your eye, you are contained in the sum of the elements: / That 'it is a woman' or 'it is a man' you should not interpose. // If a notion of woman or man intrudes at any time in relation to anyone, / Upon hair, teeth, and the rest, for their beauty, you should not linger. // Nothing, then, is to be taken away and nothing is to be added: / One must investigate the reality as it really is, whatever and however it is. // [13.42 - 13.44]
Again, what is the meaning of "impure" (ashuci ) in line 4?
What unenlightened strivers mean by "impure" and what buddhas mean by "impure," even if they use the same word, might be as far apart as heaven and earth.
In order that Nanda might realize untaintedness, the Buddha recommends him to go and practise in solitude. As a matter of fact, to sit alone in a solitary place is conducive to practice that is not tainted by consciousness, for example, of how other people see me. But this kind of purity, or untaintedness, has got nothing whatever to do with absence of germs. A buddha whose body is totally pure, in terms of absence of germs, is not a non-buddha but a dead buddha, a defunct buddha, a buddha who was never real.
Thus, in Canto 17, sitting alone by a solitary stream, Nanda examines his own body and finds it to be impure (ashuci):
Desiring to experience its total material and immaterial substance, he examined the body, / And as impure, as suffering, as impermanent, as without an owner, and again as devoid of self, he perceived the body. [17.16]
To be totally pure is totally impossible and totally undesirable. If there were any water that were totally pure, fish could never live in it.
Untaintedness is another question, a more difficult question. Is it possible, for example, even for one moment, to do something just as a service, without any thought or feeling of what's in it for me, without any expectation of ulterior reward?
To investigate such questions, unquestionably, it helps to go someplace where there aren't any women -- or for that matter any men.
EH Johnston:
But if you do not see how their hearts are flighty, subtle in intention and working mischief by deceit, do you not see at least how their bodies are impure, verily oozing abodes of evil?
Linda Covill:
So you don't see that women's hearts are cunning, utterly duplicitous, pernicious and superficial! Do you at least see that their bodies are dirty, oozing, houses of vice?
VOCABULARY:
atha: ind. so, then, but
suukshman (acc. sg. n.): mfn. minute , small , fine , thin , narrow , short , feeble , trifling , insignificant , unimportant; acute , subtle , keen ;
atidvay'-aashivam (acc. sg. n.): pernicious due to excessive duplicity
ati: ind. excessively , too ; exceedingly , very
dvaya: mfn. twofold , double , of 2 kinds or sorts ; n. twofold nature , falsehood
ashivam (acc. sg. n.): unkind , envious , pernicious , dangerous
laghu (acc. sg. n.): mfn. light; easy in mind , light-hearted
taasaam (gen. pl. f.): of them
hRdayam (acc. sg.): n. heart
na: not
pashyasi = 2nd pers. sg. pash: to see
kim u: ind. how much more? how much less?
kaayam (acc. sg.): m. the body
asad-gRham (acc. sg. m.): house of evil
a-sat: mfn. untrue , wrong; bad n. untruth , falsehood ; evil
sat: mfn. being, existing ; real , actual , as any one or anything ought to be , true , good , right (tan na sat , " that is not right ") , beautiful , wise , venerable , honest ;
gRha: home, house
sravat = acc. sg. n. pres. part. sru: to flow , stream , gush forth , issue from ; to leak , trickle
vanitaanaam (gen. pl.): f. a loved wife , mistress , any woman (also applied to the female of an animal or bird)
ashucim (acc. sg. m.): mfn. impure , foul
na: not
pashyasi = 2nd pers. sg. pash: to see
Sunday, March 13, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 8.46: The Mind of Women -- Conclusion
a-kRta-jNam an-aaryam a-sthiraM
vanitaanaam idam iidRshaM manaH
katham arhati taasu paNDito
hRdayaM saNjayituM cal-aatmasu
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
8.46
Ungrateful, ignoble, unsteady:
Such is the mind of women.
What man of wisdom could fasten his heart
Onto such fickle creatures?
COMMENT:
The word paNDita in line 3 is the source of our word pundit. So the second half might be translated: What well-informed pundit could fasten his heart onto such fickle creatures?
This is the concluding verse in the first half of the striver's dualistic analysis of the disagreeable nature of women. His conclusion in essence, then, is that Nanda should not put his eggs into the basket of a woman like Sundari because the mind (singular) of women (plural) is ungrateful, ignoble, and above all unsteady, fickle, changeable, restless, capricious, unreliable.
The striver in appealing to Nanda not to be emotionally attached to what is unreliable sounds somehow Buddhist. But the striver's teaching is not the Buddha's teaching.
What the striver is expressing, as I hear him, is a jaundiced general view.
The Buddha's teaching, as painstakingly expressed to Nanda in 16.87 - 16.91, was that there were many individuals who by their own individual effort succeeded in taking the step that the Buddha advocated -- the step that Dogen called E-KO HEN-SHO NO TAIHO, the backward step of turning one's light and letting it shine. All of these individuals enumerated by the Buddha manifested viirya, manly vigour, or virile energy. Some of these individuals were men; some were women.
So in conclusion what can truly be said about the mind of women? In conclusion, there might be no conclusion. In conclusion there might be no such thing as a mind (singular) of women (plural).
In conclusion, what can be said about fastening one's heart to unreliable things? Everyday life seems constantly to involve fastening one's heart, or at least setting one's sights, on objects that are ever liable to be swept away by some bloody great seismic shock or by some bloody great emotional wave. But in the midst of this stupidity, some of us come back every day to coming back itself. To talk of coming back to "adjusting my posture" is, as I see it, false. In the end, there might be nothing to come back to except coming back itself.
Coming back to coming back might mean coming back home, coming back to not striving.
Coming back to coming back, to put it another way, might be the dropping off of all views.
This is the point that I found was understood much more clearly in the practice of Alexander work -- by an Alexander teacher like Nelly Ben-Or -- than it was understood by my Zen teacher. Sorry if that sounds ungrateful but it seemed very evident to me that the King of Dogen Sangha had long been in the all together, and so I dared to say so. (Jiblet knows what I mean.)
On one side, striving and fastening one's heart to unreliable objects are all somehow bound up with each other. On the other side, the practice of not striving -- whether it be or swimming without stress, or sitting and standing without stress, or simply sitting without stress -- seems constantly to necessitate the abandonment of one's own preconceptions, ideas, opinions, views.
By bringing to life the character of the opinionated striver, Ashvaghosha as I hear him is encouraging us to investigate how striving and jaundiced views are liable to get tangled up with each other. And out of this investigation comes a clearer decision:
No. Even if my father was like that, I don't want to be like that. As far as I am able, I won't go down that path of the opinionated striver. As far as I am able, I will keep on coming back to truly coming back.
EH Johnston:
Such is the mind of woman, ungrateful, ignoble, unsteady ; how can the wise man set his heart on such capricious creatures?
Linda Covill:
This is the sort of mind that women have -- ungrateful, ignoble, unsteady. How could a wise man fasten his heart to such fickle creatures?
VOCABULARY:
a-kRta-jNam (nom. sg. n.): ungrateful
an-aaryam (nom. sg. n.): ignoble
a-sthiram (nom. sg. n.): unsteady
vanitaanaam (gen. pl.): f. women
idam (nom. sg. n.): this
iidRsham (nom. sg. n.): mfn. endowed with such qualities , such
manaH (nom. sg.): n. mind
katham: how
arhati = 3rd pers. sg. arh: to deserve , merit , be worthy of ; to be obliged to
taasu (loc. pl. f.): to them
paNDitaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. learned , wise ; m. a scholar , a learned man , teacher , philosopher
paNDaa: f. wisdom , knowledge , learning
hRdayam (acc. sg.): n. heart
saNjayitum = inf. causative saNj: to cause to stick or cling to , unite or connect with (loc.)
cal-aatmasu (loc. pl. f.): fickle-natured
cala: mfn. moving , trembling , shaking , loose ; unsteady, restless, fickle
aatman: m. essence , nature , character , peculiarity (often ifc. e.g. karm'aatman , &c )
vanitaanaam idam iidRshaM manaH
katham arhati taasu paNDito
hRdayaM saNjayituM cal-aatmasu
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
8.46
Ungrateful, ignoble, unsteady:
Such is the mind of women.
What man of wisdom could fasten his heart
Onto such fickle creatures?
COMMENT:
The word paNDita in line 3 is the source of our word pundit. So the second half might be translated: What well-informed pundit could fasten his heart onto such fickle creatures?
This is the concluding verse in the first half of the striver's dualistic analysis of the disagreeable nature of women. His conclusion in essence, then, is that Nanda should not put his eggs into the basket of a woman like Sundari because the mind (singular) of women (plural) is ungrateful, ignoble, and above all unsteady, fickle, changeable, restless, capricious, unreliable.
The striver in appealing to Nanda not to be emotionally attached to what is unreliable sounds somehow Buddhist. But the striver's teaching is not the Buddha's teaching.
What the striver is expressing, as I hear him, is a jaundiced general view.
The Buddha's teaching, as painstakingly expressed to Nanda in 16.87 - 16.91, was that there were many individuals who by their own individual effort succeeded in taking the step that the Buddha advocated -- the step that Dogen called E-KO HEN-SHO NO TAIHO, the backward step of turning one's light and letting it shine. All of these individuals enumerated by the Buddha manifested viirya, manly vigour, or virile energy. Some of these individuals were men; some were women.
So in conclusion what can truly be said about the mind of women? In conclusion, there might be no conclusion. In conclusion there might be no such thing as a mind (singular) of women (plural).
In conclusion, what can be said about fastening one's heart to unreliable things? Everyday life seems constantly to involve fastening one's heart, or at least setting one's sights, on objects that are ever liable to be swept away by some bloody great seismic shock or by some bloody great emotional wave. But in the midst of this stupidity, some of us come back every day to coming back itself. To talk of coming back to "adjusting my posture" is, as I see it, false. In the end, there might be nothing to come back to except coming back itself.
Coming back to coming back might mean coming back home, coming back to not striving.
Coming back to coming back, to put it another way, might be the dropping off of all views.
This is the point that I found was understood much more clearly in the practice of Alexander work -- by an Alexander teacher like Nelly Ben-Or -- than it was understood by my Zen teacher. Sorry if that sounds ungrateful but it seemed very evident to me that the King of Dogen Sangha had long been in the all together, and so I dared to say so. (Jiblet knows what I mean.)
On one side, striving and fastening one's heart to unreliable objects are all somehow bound up with each other. On the other side, the practice of not striving -- whether it be or swimming without stress, or sitting and standing without stress, or simply sitting without stress -- seems constantly to necessitate the abandonment of one's own preconceptions, ideas, opinions, views.
By bringing to life the character of the opinionated striver, Ashvaghosha as I hear him is encouraging us to investigate how striving and jaundiced views are liable to get tangled up with each other. And out of this investigation comes a clearer decision:
No. Even if my father was like that, I don't want to be like that. As far as I am able, I won't go down that path of the opinionated striver. As far as I am able, I will keep on coming back to truly coming back.
EH Johnston:
Such is the mind of woman, ungrateful, ignoble, unsteady ; how can the wise man set his heart on such capricious creatures?
Linda Covill:
This is the sort of mind that women have -- ungrateful, ignoble, unsteady. How could a wise man fasten his heart to such fickle creatures?
VOCABULARY:
a-kRta-jNam (nom. sg. n.): ungrateful
an-aaryam (nom. sg. n.): ignoble
a-sthiram (nom. sg. n.): unsteady
vanitaanaam (gen. pl.): f. women
idam (nom. sg. n.): this
iidRsham (nom. sg. n.): mfn. endowed with such qualities , such
manaH (nom. sg.): n. mind
katham: how
arhati = 3rd pers. sg. arh: to deserve , merit , be worthy of ; to be obliged to
taasu (loc. pl. f.): to them
paNDitaH (nom. sg. m.): mfn. learned , wise ; m. a scholar , a learned man , teacher , philosopher
paNDaa: f. wisdom , knowledge , learning
hRdayam (acc. sg.): n. heart
saNjayitum = inf. causative saNj: to cause to stick or cling to , unite or connect with (loc.)
cal-aatmasu (loc. pl. f.): fickle-natured
cala: mfn. moving , trembling , shaking , loose ; unsteady, restless, fickle
aatman: m. essence , nature , character , peculiarity (often ifc. e.g. karm'aatman , &c )
Saturday, March 12, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 8.45: Blaming the Stimulus (ctd.)
kuru-haihaya-vRShNi-vaMsha-jaa
bahu-maayaa-kavaco 'tha shambaraH
munir ugratapaash ca gautamaH
samavaapur vanit"-oddhataM rajaH
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.45
Scions of the Kurus, Haihayas and Vrishnis,
Along with Shambara whose armour was much magic,
And the sage Ugra-tapas -- 'Grim Austerities' -- Gautama,
All incurred the dust of passion which a woman raises.
COMMENT:
With his reference to the dust of passion, the striver with these words somehow brings to mind what the Buddha tells Nanda in Canto 12:
Upon transient whims which are akin to enemies, being eternally the causes of suffering,/ Upon whims like love, the world fixes. It does not know the happiness that is immune to change. // But that which prevents all suffering, the nectar of deathlessness, you have in your hands: / It is an antidote which, having drunk poison, you are going in good time to drink.// In its fear of worthless wandering your intention is worthy of respect, / For a fire of passion such as yours, upward looker in the Dharma, is being re-directed. // With a mind unbridled by burning desire it is exceedingly difficult to be steadfast,/ As when dirty water is seen by a thirsty traveller. // This consciousness awakening in you, surely, was blocked by the dust of passion,/ As the dust of a sand-storm blocks the light of the sun.// [12.24 - 12.28]
Thus in this canto Ashvaghosha is giving us ample opportunity to be clear about one vital point, which is this:
The other-blaming thoughts of a striver who is good with words, even if they sound somehow similar to the Buddha's words, are totally and utterly different from the wisdom of Buddha.
For the umpteenth and final time in this canto, then, I refer to the Buddha's gospel according to Jimmy:
Some people say
There's a woman to blame;
But I know...
It's my own damn fault.
EH Johnston:
Princes of the Kurus, Haihayas and Vrsnis, Sambara too, though protected by many spells, and the sage Ugratapas Gautama were involved in the dust of passion raised by women.
Linda Covill:
Sons of the families of Kuru, Haihaya and Vrishni, as well as Shambara who wore armor of powerful magic, and the sage Ugra-tapas Gautama, all encountered the dust of passion stirred up by women.
VOCABULARY:
kuru-haihaya-vRShNa-vaMsha-jaaH (nom. pl. m.): sons in the lineages of Kuru, Haihya and Vrishni
kuru: m. pl. N. of a people of India and of their country
haihaya: m. N. of a race
vRShNi: mfn. manly , strong , powerful , mighty ; m. pl. N. of a tribe or family (from which kRShNa is descended)
vaMsha: m bamboo; the line of a pedigree or genealogy (from its resemblance to the succession of joints in a bamboo) , lineage, race , family ; (esp. a noble race , a dynasty of kings , a list of teachers &c)
ja: mfn. born from ; m. a son of (in comp.)
bahu-maayaa-kavacaH (nom. sg. m.): having the armour of powerful magic
bahu: mfn. many, much, great, mighty
maayaa: f. art , wisdom , extraordinary or supernatural power (only in the earlier language); illusion , unreality , deception , fraud , trick , sorcery , witchcraft, magic
kavaca: mn. armour
atha: ind. now, then, moreover
shambaraH (nom. sg.): m. N. of a demon (he is the chief enemy of divo-daasa atithigva , for whose deliverance he was thrown down a mountain and slain by indra ; in epic and later poetry he is also a foe of the god of love)
muniH (nom. sg.): m. sage
ugratapaaH (nom. sg.): m. Ugra-tapas 'Grim Austerities'
ugra: mfn. powerful , violent , mighty , impetuous , strong , huge , formidable , terrible ; cruel , fierce , ferocious , savage
tapas: n. heat, pain; ascetic practice, religious austerity , bodily mortification , penance
ca: and
gautamaH (nom. sg.): m. Gautama (patronym from gotama)
samavaapuH = 3rd pers. pl. perfect sam -ava- √aap: to meet with , attain , reach , gain , obtain , incur
vanit"-oddhatam (acc. sg.): raised by women
vanitaa: f. woman
ud-dhata: mfn. raised (as dust)
rajaH (acc. sg.): n. n. " coloured or dim space " , the sphere of vapour or mist; impurity , dirt , dust ; the " darkening " quality , passion , emotion , affection
bahu-maayaa-kavaco 'tha shambaraH
munir ugratapaash ca gautamaH
samavaapur vanit"-oddhataM rajaH
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.45
Scions of the Kurus, Haihayas and Vrishnis,
Along with Shambara whose armour was much magic,
And the sage Ugra-tapas -- 'Grim Austerities' -- Gautama,
All incurred the dust of passion which a woman raises.
COMMENT:
With his reference to the dust of passion, the striver with these words somehow brings to mind what the Buddha tells Nanda in Canto 12:
Upon transient whims which are akin to enemies, being eternally the causes of suffering,/ Upon whims like love, the world fixes. It does not know the happiness that is immune to change. // But that which prevents all suffering, the nectar of deathlessness, you have in your hands: / It is an antidote which, having drunk poison, you are going in good time to drink.// In its fear of worthless wandering your intention is worthy of respect, / For a fire of passion such as yours, upward looker in the Dharma, is being re-directed. // With a mind unbridled by burning desire it is exceedingly difficult to be steadfast,/ As when dirty water is seen by a thirsty traveller. // This consciousness awakening in you, surely, was blocked by the dust of passion,/ As the dust of a sand-storm blocks the light of the sun.// [12.24 - 12.28]
Thus in this canto Ashvaghosha is giving us ample opportunity to be clear about one vital point, which is this:
The other-blaming thoughts of a striver who is good with words, even if they sound somehow similar to the Buddha's words, are totally and utterly different from the wisdom of Buddha.
For the umpteenth and final time in this canto, then, I refer to the Buddha's gospel according to Jimmy:
Some people say
There's a woman to blame;
But I know...
It's my own damn fault.
EH Johnston:
Princes of the Kurus, Haihayas and Vrsnis, Sambara too, though protected by many spells, and the sage Ugratapas Gautama were involved in the dust of passion raised by women.
Linda Covill:
Sons of the families of Kuru, Haihaya and Vrishni, as well as Shambara who wore armor of powerful magic, and the sage Ugra-tapas Gautama, all encountered the dust of passion stirred up by women.
VOCABULARY:
kuru-haihaya-vRShNa-vaMsha-jaaH (nom. pl. m.): sons in the lineages of Kuru, Haihya and Vrishni
kuru: m. pl. N. of a people of India and of their country
haihaya: m. N. of a race
vRShNi: mfn. manly , strong , powerful , mighty ; m. pl. N. of a tribe or family (from which kRShNa is descended)
vaMsha: m bamboo; the line of a pedigree or genealogy (from its resemblance to the succession of joints in a bamboo) , lineage, race , family ; (esp. a noble race , a dynasty of kings , a list of teachers &c)
ja: mfn. born from ; m. a son of (in comp.)
bahu-maayaa-kavacaH (nom. sg. m.): having the armour of powerful magic
bahu: mfn. many, much, great, mighty
maayaa: f. art , wisdom , extraordinary or supernatural power (only in the earlier language); illusion , unreality , deception , fraud , trick , sorcery , witchcraft, magic
kavaca: mn. armour
atha: ind. now, then, moreover
shambaraH (nom. sg.): m. N. of a demon (he is the chief enemy of divo-daasa atithigva , for whose deliverance he was thrown down a mountain and slain by indra ; in epic and later poetry he is also a foe of the god of love)
muniH (nom. sg.): m. sage
ugratapaaH (nom. sg.): m. Ugra-tapas 'Grim Austerities'
ugra: mfn. powerful , violent , mighty , impetuous , strong , huge , formidable , terrible ; cruel , fierce , ferocious , savage
tapas: n. heat, pain; ascetic practice, religious austerity , bodily mortification , penance
ca: and
gautamaH (nom. sg.): m. Gautama (patronym from gotama)
samavaapuH = 3rd pers. pl. perfect sam -ava- √aap: to meet with , attain , reach , gain , obtain , incur
vanit"-oddhatam (acc. sg.): raised by women
vanitaa: f. woman
ud-dhata: mfn. raised (as dust)
rajaH (acc. sg.): n. n. " coloured or dim space " , the sphere of vapour or mist; impurity , dirt , dust ; the " darkening " quality , passion , emotion , affection
Friday, March 11, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 8.44: Ones Who Stopped at Nothing
shvapacaM kila senajit-sutaa
cakame miinaripuM kumudvatii
mRga-raajam atho bRhadrathaa
pramadaanaam agatir na vidyate
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.44
The daughter of Sena-jit the Conqueror, so they say,
coupled with a dog cooker;
Kumud-vati, 'Lilly Pool,'
paired up with Mina-ripu, 'Foe of Fishes';
And 'Burly Heroine' Brhad-ratha loved a lion:
There is nothing women will not do.
COMMENT:
EHJ noted that he was unable to identify the stories alluded to in this verse, but supposed that miina-ripu was the same as shuurpaka (a demon who was the enemy of the god of love), perhaps taking the form here (since ku-mud-vatii is the name of a river) of a fish-eating crocodile.
In any event Ashvaghosha as I hear him is exercising a sense of humour which is wry, ironic and at times wicked. And the butt of this wicked humour is not the promiscuity of women: it is rather the striving of men.
In line 1, what was the outrageous sexual exploit of Sena-jit's daughter? She had sex with a fellow human being -- a so-called "outcaste," an individual who had no class.
Who was Sena-jit? He was an ancient king of Magadha whose history is not known in detail but there might be a clue in his name "Army Vanquisher." His vanquishing of armies, we can suppose, involved more than conquering the power of his own senses through the practice of integrity. It doubtless involved the wholesale maiming and slaughter on ancient Indian battlefields of hundreds or thousands of fellow men.
Sometimes society needs people -- men or women -- who will stop at nothing to get the job done. One thinks of the role of British Bomber Command in World War II, or the traditional ethos of the US Marine Corp. Again, one thinks of the tradition in Tibet of sky burial, for which purpose a "non-Buddhist" is required to chop up the corpse of the deceased to facilitate the vultures' task. Speaking for myself, what I find distasteful about this Tibetan tradition is adherence to the view, which seems to me to be hypocritical, that a "Buddhist" is not allowed to do the chopping up. The same might go for meat-eating "Buddhists" in various Asian countries who regard the job of slaughtering animals as the reserve of "non-Buddhists."
Coming back to line 1, then, who truly was the one who was willing to stop at nothing: King Sena-jit the Slaughterer? Or his daughter?
With respect to lines 2 and 3, when women have sex with animals, in ancient Indian legends or in modern pornography, is it because women like to engage in sex with animals? Or is it that female characters in a male fantasy are catering to a jaundiced view of women that men, like Ashvaghosha's striver, are liable to have?
EH Johnston:
The daughter of Senajit, it is said, loved an outcast, Kumudvati, the fishes' foe, and Brhadratha a lion, there is nothing women are not capable of.
Linda Covill:
They say that Senajit's daughter slept with an outcase, Kumudvati with Mina-ripu and Brihad-ratha with a lion; there is nothing a woman will not do.
VOCABULARY:
shvapacam (acc. sg.): m. " one who cooks dog " , a man of a low and outcaste tribe
kila: ind. so they say
senajit-sutaa (nom. sg.): f. Senajit's daughter
sena-jit: mfn. "vanquishing armies"; N. of a king of Magadha
sutaa: f. a daughter
cakame = 3rd pers. sg. perfect kam: to wish , desire , long for; to love , be in love with , have sexual intercourse with
miinaripum (acc. sg. m.): Minaripu
miina: m. a fish
ripu: m. enemy, foe
ku-mud-vatii (nom. sg.): f. an assemblage of lotuses , place or pond filled with them ; f. N. of a sister of the serpent-king kumuda and wife of kusha ; f. of the wife of the kiraata king vimarShaNa ; f. of the wife of pradyumna ; f. N. of a river
ku-mud = ku-muda: n. " exciting what joy " , the esculent white water-lily (Nymphaea esculenta)
mRga-raajam (acc. sg.): m. " king of beasts " , a lion
atho: and, then, likewise
bRhadrathaa (nom. sg.): f. 'powerful heroine' ; N. of a river
bRhat: mfn. lofty , high , tall , great , large , wide , vast , abundant , compact , solid , massy , strong , mighty
ratha: m. "a goer," car, chariot; a warrior , hero , champion
pramadaanaam (gen. pl.): f. women
agatiH (nom. sg. f.): mfn. not going , halting ; f. stoppage
na vidyate: there is not
cakame miinaripuM kumudvatii
mRga-raajam atho bRhadrathaa
pramadaanaam agatir na vidyate
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.44
The daughter of Sena-jit the Conqueror, so they say,
coupled with a dog cooker;
Kumud-vati, 'Lilly Pool,'
paired up with Mina-ripu, 'Foe of Fishes';
And 'Burly Heroine' Brhad-ratha loved a lion:
There is nothing women will not do.
COMMENT:
EHJ noted that he was unable to identify the stories alluded to in this verse, but supposed that miina-ripu was the same as shuurpaka (a demon who was the enemy of the god of love), perhaps taking the form here (since ku-mud-vatii is the name of a river) of a fish-eating crocodile.
In any event Ashvaghosha as I hear him is exercising a sense of humour which is wry, ironic and at times wicked. And the butt of this wicked humour is not the promiscuity of women: it is rather the striving of men.
In line 1, what was the outrageous sexual exploit of Sena-jit's daughter? She had sex with a fellow human being -- a so-called "outcaste," an individual who had no class.
Who was Sena-jit? He was an ancient king of Magadha whose history is not known in detail but there might be a clue in his name "Army Vanquisher." His vanquishing of armies, we can suppose, involved more than conquering the power of his own senses through the practice of integrity. It doubtless involved the wholesale maiming and slaughter on ancient Indian battlefields of hundreds or thousands of fellow men.
Sometimes society needs people -- men or women -- who will stop at nothing to get the job done. One thinks of the role of British Bomber Command in World War II, or the traditional ethos of the US Marine Corp. Again, one thinks of the tradition in Tibet of sky burial, for which purpose a "non-Buddhist" is required to chop up the corpse of the deceased to facilitate the vultures' task. Speaking for myself, what I find distasteful about this Tibetan tradition is adherence to the view, which seems to me to be hypocritical, that a "Buddhist" is not allowed to do the chopping up. The same might go for meat-eating "Buddhists" in various Asian countries who regard the job of slaughtering animals as the reserve of "non-Buddhists."
Coming back to line 1, then, who truly was the one who was willing to stop at nothing: King Sena-jit the Slaughterer? Or his daughter?
With respect to lines 2 and 3, when women have sex with animals, in ancient Indian legends or in modern pornography, is it because women like to engage in sex with animals? Or is it that female characters in a male fantasy are catering to a jaundiced view of women that men, like Ashvaghosha's striver, are liable to have?
EH Johnston:
The daughter of Senajit, it is said, loved an outcast, Kumudvati, the fishes' foe, and Brhadratha a lion, there is nothing women are not capable of.
Linda Covill:
They say that Senajit's daughter slept with an outcase, Kumudvati with Mina-ripu and Brihad-ratha with a lion; there is nothing a woman will not do.
VOCABULARY:
shvapacam (acc. sg.): m. " one who cooks dog " , a man of a low and outcaste tribe
kila: ind. so they say
senajit-sutaa (nom. sg.): f. Senajit's daughter
sena-jit: mfn. "vanquishing armies"; N. of a king of Magadha
sutaa: f. a daughter
cakame = 3rd pers. sg. perfect kam: to wish , desire , long for; to love , be in love with , have sexual intercourse with
miinaripum (acc. sg. m.): Minaripu
miina: m. a fish
ripu: m. enemy, foe
ku-mud-vatii (nom. sg.): f. an assemblage of lotuses , place or pond filled with them ; f. N. of a sister of the serpent-king kumuda and wife of kusha ; f. of the wife of the kiraata king vimarShaNa ; f. of the wife of pradyumna ; f. N. of a river
ku-mud = ku-muda: n. " exciting what joy " , the esculent white water-lily (Nymphaea esculenta)
mRga-raajam (acc. sg.): m. " king of beasts " , a lion
atho: and, then, likewise
bRhadrathaa (nom. sg.): f. 'powerful heroine' ; N. of a river
bRhat: mfn. lofty , high , tall , great , large , wide , vast , abundant , compact , solid , massy , strong , mighty
ratha: m. "a goer," car, chariot; a warrior , hero , champion
pramadaanaam (gen. pl.): f. women
agatiH (nom. sg. f.): mfn. not going , halting ; f. stoppage
na vidyate: there is not
Thursday, March 10, 2011
SAUNDARANANDA 8.43: Women as Imperfect Servants of Men
ramayanti patiin katham cana
pramadaa yaaH pati-devataaH kva cit
cala-citta-tayaa sahasrasho
ramayante hRdayaM svam eva taaH
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.43
Women who in some small way please their husband,
Treating him like a god, sometimes,
A thousand times more, in their fickle-mindedness,
Please their own heart.
COMMENT:
On what planet did the striver form his view of what a husband might expect from a wife?
Even as an enemy of feminism, I can't help feeling that he has set the bar a bit high. He seems to be complaining that women have any agenda of their own, as opposed to devoting themselves to pleasing their husbands in every way all of the time.
I can think of two or three of my antecedents who would have been susceptible to being knocked down by a feather if their wives had treated them like a god in any way at any time.
In any event, the striver is drawing to his conclusion about the unreliability of the fickle female mind, into which basket he is advizing Nanda not to place any eggs.
EH Johnston:
Even the women who treat their husbands as gods and sometimes in some way or other give them pleasure, from fickleness of mind please themselves a thousand times.
Linda Covill:
Women who sometimes please their husbands in some ways, treating them as gods, please their own hearts a thousand times more with their inconsistency.
VOCABULARY:
ramayanti = 3rd pers. pl. causative ram: to gladden , delight , please , caress
patiin (acc. pl.): m. a master , owner , possessor , lord; husband
katham cana: in any way , some how ; scarcely , with difficulty
pramadaaH (nom. pl.): f. women
yaaH (nom. pl. f.): who
pati-devataaH (nom. pl. f.): regarding a husband as a divinity , honouring a husband above all others
kva cit: sometimes
cala-citta-tayaa (inst. sg. f.): because of fickle-mindedness
cala-citta: n. fickleness of mind
-taa: (abstract noun suffix)
sahasra-shaH: ind. by thousands
sahasra: a thousand
ramayante = 3rd pers. pl. causative (middle voice) ram: to enjoy one's self , be pleased or delighted
hRdayam (acc. sg.): n. the heart
svam (acc. sg. n.): their own
eva: (emphatic)
taaH (nom. pl. f.): they
pramadaa yaaH pati-devataaH kva cit
cala-citta-tayaa sahasrasho
ramayante hRdayaM svam eva taaH
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - -
- - = - - = - = - =
- - = = - - = - = - =
8.43
Women who in some small way please their husband,
Treating him like a god, sometimes,
A thousand times more, in their fickle-mindedness,
Please their own heart.
COMMENT:
On what planet did the striver form his view of what a husband might expect from a wife?
Even as an enemy of feminism, I can't help feeling that he has set the bar a bit high. He seems to be complaining that women have any agenda of their own, as opposed to devoting themselves to pleasing their husbands in every way all of the time.
I can think of two or three of my antecedents who would have been susceptible to being knocked down by a feather if their wives had treated them like a god in any way at any time.
In any event, the striver is drawing to his conclusion about the unreliability of the fickle female mind, into which basket he is advizing Nanda not to place any eggs.
EH Johnston:
Even the women who treat their husbands as gods and sometimes in some way or other give them pleasure, from fickleness of mind please themselves a thousand times.
Linda Covill:
Women who sometimes please their husbands in some ways, treating them as gods, please their own hearts a thousand times more with their inconsistency.
VOCABULARY:
ramayanti = 3rd pers. pl. causative ram: to gladden , delight , please , caress
patiin (acc. pl.): m. a master , owner , possessor , lord; husband
katham cana: in any way , some how ; scarcely , with difficulty
pramadaaH (nom. pl.): f. women
yaaH (nom. pl. f.): who
pati-devataaH (nom. pl. f.): regarding a husband as a divinity , honouring a husband above all others
kva cit: sometimes
cala-citta-tayaa (inst. sg. f.): because of fickle-mindedness
cala-citta: n. fickleness of mind
-taa: (abstract noun suffix)
sahasra-shaH: ind. by thousands
sahasra: a thousand
ramayante = 3rd pers. pl. causative (middle voice) ram: to enjoy one's self , be pleased or delighted
hRdayam (acc. sg.): n. the heart
svam (acc. sg. n.): their own
eva: (emphatic)
taaH (nom. pl. f.): they
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