[[Mohan K.V 2012-10-18, 02:03:45 Source]]
सदास्वाद
**
**
अतिमानुषचेष्टित:
(ati-mānuṣa-ceṣṭitaḥ)
Meaning
Literally, “beyond-human-behavior”, meaning “One who has acted in a manner beyond the capacity of humans”
Context
This phrase is from the Mahābhārata, from a story called śuka-śakra-saṃvāda (parrot-Indra-conversation) in theAnuśāsana-parva. Where can one even begin describing the greatness of this epic? We would only begin to scratch the surface if we described it as the aggregated voice of the Indian thought-space speaking across millennia. Let us therefore focus quickly on today’s little gem: as tributaries to the central narrative of the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, the epic has hundreds upon hundreds of stories that exemplify morals and offer reflection. This line is taken from one such minor story.
In a dense forest in the province of Kāśī, there was a large tree that offered shelter to hundreds of small animals and birds. One day, a hunter, looking to kill a deer, fired a poison arrow into the root of the tree. The poison was unexpectedly strong, and the tree slowly lost all its leaves and withered away. All the birds which had made their nests in it abandoned it. All, except for one little parrot.
Day after day, the little parrot continued to stay by the tree’s side, even as it got weaker and weaker. Then,
तमुदारं महासत्त्वम्अतिमानुषचेष्टितम्।
समदुःखसुखं दृष्ट्वा विस्मितःपाकशासनः॥
tam udāraṃ mahā-sattvamati-mānuṣa-ceṣṭitam|
sama-duḥkha-sukhaṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitaḥpāka-śāsanaḥ||
(anuṣṭupmetre, 8x4 syllables)
“On seeing that noble bird, made of superior stuff, which had acted in a manner beyond mere humans, which was equanimuos to joy and sorrow, Indra himself, the king of the Gods and the slayer of Pāka, was amazed.”
Indra comes down in the form of a Brāhmaṇa, and asks the bird why it is choosing to wither along with the tree. There were so many fruit-laden trees in the forest, full of nests and welcoming shade, why wouldn’t it leave this dead wood (“gatāyuṣam asāmarthyaṃ kṣīṇasāraṃ hataśriyaṃ”) and find itself a nice home?
The little parrot’s reply is the stuff of legend:
अस्मिन्नहं द्रुमे जातः साधुभिश्च गुणैर्युतः ।
बालभावे च संगुप्तः शत्रुभिश्च न धर्षितः ॥
asminnahaṃ drume jātaḥ sādhubhiśca guṇairyutaḥ |
bālabhāve ca saṃguptaḥ śatrubhiśca na dharṣitaḥ ||
“I was born in this tree, and learnt every good thing I know from it. It kept me safe as a child, and protected me from enemies.”
नार्हसि त्वं सहस्राक्ष द्रुमं त्याजयितुं चिरात् !
समर्थम् उपजीव्येमं त्यजेयं कथमद्य वै ?
nārhasi tvaṃ sahasrākṣa drumaṃ tyājayituṃ cirāt !
samartham upajīvyemaṃ tyajeyaṃ kathamadya vai ?
“It isnot in your authority, O King of the Gods, to make me leave this tree. I lived with it when it was strong, how can I leave it today?”
Indra, presumably not used to being spoken to like this, particularly from insignificant little birds, is even more stunned, and supremely delighted. He asks the bird to ask for any boon of its choice, and … read theMahābhāratato find out! :-)
Thought for today
सर्वं बलवतां पथ्यं सर्वं बलवतां हितं |
अमृतं राहवे मृत्युः विषं शंकरभूषणम् ||
sarvaṃ balavatāṃ pathyaṃ sarvaṃ balavatāṃ hitaṃ |
amṛtaṃ rāhave mṛtyuḥ viṣaṃ śaṃkarabhūṣaṇam ||
We saw today that a simpleanuṣṭupcan pack a punch that can more than match the longestśārdūlavikrīḍita - here’s a lovely little gem that’s another example.
“Everything is suitable for the mighty, everything is for their good. Ambrosia was death to Rahu, while poison was an ornament to Shiva!” (a reference to the story of Rahu’s head being cut off when he tried to drink ambrosia, and Shiva drinking the poison that came out of the churning of the ocean)