A humorous poet

[P.K.Ramakrishnan]

In Kerala there was  a poet called  Tolan.

He was a nimishakavi and used to

compose numerous humourous poems.

He learnt from his teacher how to compose

slokas.  

Anvaya -  prose order.

The sentence in the sloka need not be

in prose oerder.  One has to do the 

anvaya to find out the meaning.

A sloka contains 8 letters in a quarter

or paadam.  Sometimes the matter

can be expressed in 7 letters.  But

to fulfil the requirement of 8 letters

one can use single letter words like

ch, vai,thu or hi. च, वै, तु, हि.

पादपूरणार्थम्

The same rule applies to longer meters

also.

The first composition of Tolan was this

उत्थिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजेन्द्र !

मुखं प्रक्षाळयस्व ट: /

एष आह्वयते कुक्कु

च वै तु हि च वै तु हि //

अन्वयं -

राजेन्द्र ! एष कुक्कुटः आह्वयते /

उत्थिष्ठ,  उत्थिष्ट / मुखं प्रक्षाळयस्व //

Other letters are for filling the quarter.

-----------------------------------
P.K.Ramakrishnan
http://peekayar.blogspot.com

[Arvind_Kolhatkar]

The version that I have is

उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजेन्द्र मुखं प्रक्षालयस्व टः।
प्रभाते रटते कुक्कु चवैतुहि चवैतुहि॥

Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, June 22, 2011.

[hnbhat B.R.]

2011/6/22 Arvind_Kolhatkar <kolhat...@gmail.com>

The version that I have is

उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ राजेन्द्र मुखं प्रक्षालयस्व टः।
प्रभाते रटते कुक्कु चवैतुहि चवैतुहि॥

 

This is another version for the third line as usual:

uttishhTha uttishhTha rAjendra mukhaM prakshAlayasva TaH |
prabhAte roditI kukku cha vai tu hi cha vai tu hi ||

The roditI may be a corrupt form of Arvindji's raTate, which also unusual in its status as रट (परिभाषणे, भ्वादिगण, परस्मैपदी) should be रटति. रोदिती is grammatically wrong, but could be justified for the complying with the metrical requirement. in AnuShTup. Never mind about the meaning or grammar. The very humorous element is in this stanza in the reading of the use of आत्मनेपद in compliance with the requirements of the metre: 

आह्वयते - एष कुक्कुटः आह्वयते - The cock gives challenging shouts (at the king). 

which is otherwise take परस्मैपद endings when used in the sense of calling another one, because of the rule "स्पर्धायामाङः" which restricts its meaning to calling sportively.

The other reading also I heard which could be proper for the context of the cry of the bird:

एष संकूजते कुक्कु

but do not give any other meaning, than the grammatical aberration.

In all, the poet wanted to make fun of the scholar poets who following the rules of metre, grammar, paadapUraNa, make the verses incomprehensible, using the flexibility of the word order in Sanskrit. I remember one more such verse composed in the excessive use of Manipravala literature, popular in his time, composing poems using both Sanskrit and Malayalam words, with both Sanskrit and Malayalam inflections together. Just I quote a line of them for sample, as the words are Sanskrit:

मण्डन्ति पान्थनिवहाः पडिबन्धपेड्या  

where मड (verb - to run), पडि(door, gate), पेडि (fear) are malayalam words where as the case inflections are Sanskrit. The compound in the middle is the Sanskrit proper, while the next is a maNipravAla  a mixture of Sanskrit and Malayalam, used in Instrumental case. The total meaning of the line is: The crowds of walkers, are running fearing the closure of the doors (as it is late).  

With regards

--
Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R. M.A., Ph.D.,
Research Scholar,

EFEO,
PONDICHERRY - 605 001

[P.K.Ramakrishnan]

Many thanks Dr.Bhat for the line having Sanskrit and Malayalam elements which

I had heard long ago and had forgotten.
 

-----------------------------------
P.K.Ramakrishnan
http://peekayar.blogspot.com

---

From: hnbhat B.R. <hnbh...@gmail.com>
To: sams...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, 23 June, 2011 7:43:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Re: A humorous poet

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[hnbhat B.R.]

On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 8:40 AM, P.K.Ramakrishnan <peek...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Many thanks Dr.Bhat for the line having Sanskrit and Malayalam elements which

I had heard long ago and had forgotten.

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

It is only a pleasure to share our feelings with good old friends like you. Here is one more composition of Tolan, the most humorous construction in beautiful Sanskrit Language:

 

'अर्क्कशुष्कफलकोमलस्तनी

तिन्त्रिणीदलविशाललोचना

निम्बपल्लवसमानकेशिनी
वृद्धवानरमुखी विराजते||" (Credits to Encycopedia of Malayalam)

 

The fancy for the use of Sanskrit words in Malayalam is again made fun of with the above description. I think the above doesn't need any commentary. Even though he will be shunned at by the ladies, described as above in Malayalam, on hearing the above Sanskrit structure, he supposes, to have smile over the style of the Sanskrit Composition and will be pleased.

 

 

I leave the translation to the members of our group to imagine the lady fitting the above description to enjoy the above poetry and the similey. 

 

With regards

 

 

[Mohan K.V]

I'm not sure I understood that correctly, did you mean that even though the poem pokes fun of the lady being described, she'd still be impressed because it's in Sanskit? :)

There's an equivalent in Latin, "Quidquid latine dictum, altum videtur" "Whatever is said in Latin appears profound!"

Also, regarding misleading structure and big words that are intended to be misunderstood, there's the classic Smathers' Redneck Speech: 

Part of American political lore is the Smathers "redneck speech," which Smathers reportedly delivered to a poorly educated audience. The "speech" was never given; it was a hoax dreamed up by one reporter. (comment: That doesn't make it any less interesting, though)

Are you aware that Claude Pepper is known all over Washington as a shameless extrovert? Not only that, but this man is reliably reported to practice nepotism with his sister-in-law, he has a brother who is a known homo sapiens, and he has a sister who was once a thespian in wicked New York. Worst of all, it is an established fact that Mr. Pepper, before his marriage, habitually practiced celibacy.

--

[hnbhat B.R.]

I'm not sure I understood that correctly, did you mean that even though the poem pokes fun of the lady being described, she'd still be impressed because it's in Sanskit? :)

There's an equivalent in Latin, "Quidquid latine dictum, altum videtur" "Whatever is said in Latin appears profound!"

You have correctly understood and equated with the fondness for Latin in the Classical European Period.

The same attitude towards Sanskrit in Kerala, undermining the importance of Malayalam, is ridiculed by this composition. To quote the same assessment of Ullur Mahakavi Parameshvaran,

"If you call a lady a pUcca-kaNNi, cat-eyed, she will be annoyed, while  गणपतिवाहननयने will be rejoiced and will be pleased."  This was the quote from UllUr Parameshwaran Iyer. Overburdening on Malayalam literature Sanskrit words and structure was resented by the native language poets. This attitude of the time was reflected by this mockery of the Sanskrit structure.

 

 

 Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R. M.A., Ph.D.,

[Mohan K.V]

Ah, thanks! And did you mean ganapati-vAhana-ari-nayane?

A friend of mine told me of a convoluted Sanskrit insult: dazaratha-nandana-sakha-vadana! He told several others, but this is the only one I remember. Maybe the group can help a poor man in search of subtly convoluted insults? :)

--

[shankara]

Namaste to all,

Story of Tola Kavi is now available online at this link (in Malayalam). It contains many of his humorous verses and exploits.

regards
shankara

---

From: hnbhat B.R. <hnbh...@gmail.com>
To: sams...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, 23 June 2011 9:56 AM

Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Re: A humorous poet

[satyajitan borwankar]

Mr. Mohan's mail reminds me of the teacher of class 2 (primary school), who, when she entered the class, found the kids talking animatedly, much to her displeasure. In a stentorian voice she declared, "I want PANDEMONIUM ! " and the class immediately became quiet!

 

Satyajit

[murthy]

Speaking of humour here is a verse from Aryasaptashati rendered in Sanskrit. Oldies amongst us will resonate with the idea:

स्थानभ्रष्टाः परिगलितपीनताः उन्नत्या परित्यक्ताः ।

वयं पुनः स्थविरापयोधर इव उदरे एव निषण्णाः ॥

Regards

Murthy

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Mohan K.V

To: sams...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 4:22 PM

Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Re: A humorous poet

[hnbhat B.R.]

On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 4:22 PM, Mohan K.V <kvm....@gmail.com> wrote:

Ah, thanks! And did you mean ganapati-vAhana-ari-nayane?

A friend of mine told me of a convoluted Sanskrit insult: dazaratha-nandana-sakha-vadana! He told several others, but this is the only one I remember. Maybe the group can help a poor man in search of subtly convoluted insults? :)

 

 

 

Right. You are perfectly correct. It is the next one in the line quoted from Ullur.

 

One can imagine any number of such insulting words with sufficient knowledge of Sanskrit vocabulary and literature. But I am not so rich to fulfill your request. Some tip I can give from technical terminology:

जगदादिजपुत्रपुत्र - son a bear!

पञ्चमान्यथासिद्धपुत्र   - son of a donkey!

etc. But I don't like insulting words using/misusing knowledge of Sanskrit vocabulary.

 

 

--

[hnbhat B.R.]

Thanks Shankar for the timely help.