RAJATARANGINI
(Chronicle of the kings of Kashmir by Poet Kalhana)
Dhyana Slokas
Taranga 1
1. भूषाभोगिफणारत्नरोचिः सिचयचारवे।
नमः प्रलीनमुक्ताय हरकल्पमहीरुहे।।
Prostrations to Shiva, who is clothed beautifully in the brilliance of the gems in the hoods of the serpents, which adorn him; in whom liberated persons merge; who is like the wish-fulfilling tree, Kalpataru.
Shiva is usually referred to as ‘sthanu’, the unchanging, like a tree. In Kashmir, there is a tradition of worshipping Shiva in the form of wood. Nilamata Puranam refers to ‘Kapateswara’, Shiva who manifested in disguise as log of wood in the waters of Satisaras.
2. भालं वह्निशिखाङ्कितं दधदधिश्रोत्रं वहन्संभृत-
क्रीडत्कुण्डलिजृम्भितं जलधिजच्छायाच्छकण्ठच्छविः।
वक्षो बिभ्रदहीनकञ्चुकचितं बद्धाङ्गनार्धस्य वो
भागः पुङ्गवलक्ष्मणोस्तु यशसे वामोथवा दक्षिणः।।
Shiva, your forehead is marked by Agni’s flame; ears carry the swaying Kundalas (snakes in the right male half of Ardhanarishwara; Tatanka in the left female half); neck shines with clear mark of Halahala poison born of Milk Ocean; chest is adorned with snake on right and blouse (of Parvati) on left; the dominant sign of your fame is either left or right!
Taranga 2
विहितमजगोशृङ्गाभ्यां धनुर्घटितं तथा नरकरटिनोर्देहार्धाभ्यां गणं प्रतिगृह्णतः ।
द्विविधघटनावाल्लभ्यानां निधेरुचिता विभोर्जयति लटभापुंभागाभ्यां शरीरविनिर्मितिः ॥
Shiva holds the bow, made from the pointed horns of goat and bull; he has Ganesha, formed from the physical halves of man and elephant. The Lord, by these developments, shows an ocean of Love for variety of forms. Triumphant is the formation of his body, half-woman and half-man.
Taranga 3
मुञ्चेभाजिनमस्य कुम्भकुहरे मुक्ताः कुचाग्रोचिताः
किं भालज्वलनेन कज्जलमतः स्वीकार्यमक्ष्णोःकृते ।
संधाने वपुरर्धयोः प्रतिवदन्नेवं निषेधेप्यहेः
कर्तव्ये प्रिययोत्तरानुसरणोद्युक्तो हरः पातु वः ॥
Parvati: “Give up the elephant hide”; Shiva: “In the interior of his temples are pearls worthy of your bosom”.
“What is the use of flame on your forehead?” “From it may come collyrium worthy of acceptance for your eyes.”
Replying thus, if an objection were to be raised also to the serpent by the beloved, may Shiva, whose body is composed of two halves, protect you.
Taranga 4
तद्वीतव्यतिरेकमद्रितनयादेहेन मिश्रीभव-
न्निष्प्रत्यूहमिह व्यपोहतु वपुः स्थाणोरभद्राणि वः ।
वेण्या भोगिवधूशरीरकुटिलश्यामत्विषा वेष्टिता
जूटाहेरपि यत्र भाति दयितामूर्त्येव पृक्ता तनुः ॥
May the form of the Unchangeable Lord, which blends unimpeded in perfect union with the body of the Daughter of the Mountain, keep off your misfortunes in this world. Enveloped by her braid of hair, which has the glamour of the dark sinuous body of the female snake, the snake-like shape of his matted tresses too has the semblance of being united with the body of its sweetheart.
Taranga 5
काप्येतेषु रुचिः कचेषु फणिनां पुंस्कोकिलस्येव ते
गोभिः कण्ठतटस्य हृष्यति पुरो दृक्पश्य चक्षुःश्रुतेः ।
संधानेभिनवे मिथो भगवतोर्जिह्वापृथक्स्पन्दिनी
भिन्नार्थां सदृशाक्षरामपि वदन्त्येवं गिरं पातु वः ।।
“The indescribable charm of snakes is in your tresses; look! at your words, the eye of the snake lights up with joy as if at the voice of the male kokila (cuckoo).” “You have an extraordinary taste for these snakes as wraps; look! the rays of light from your throat, which is like that of a male kokila, delight the eye of him, whose vision serves for the sense of hearing.” In the novel body, in union, of the divine Shiva and Parvati, the tongue moving in unison thus articulates words, which have different meanings, though the words are alike (like the above cited two meanings). May it protect you.
Taranga 6
नेदं पर्णसमीरणाशन-तपोमाहात्म्य-मुक्षोरगौ
पश्यैतावत एव संप्रति कृतौ तन्मात्रवृत्ती बहिः ।
प्रेम्णैवार्धमिदं चराचरगुरोः प्रापेय-मात्मस्तुतीः
एवं देववधूमुखात्-श्रुतिसुखाः श्रृण्वत्यपर्णावतात् ।।
It is not the glory resulting from the vow of subsistence on leaves and air; look, here are the bull and the serpent, who have now been left outside, whose whole subsistence had been that; through love alone, Parvati has secured half of the Lord of the world of moving and non-moving objects; in this way, as she hears her praises from Deva women, sweet to the ears, may Aparna protect us.
Taranga 7
मातुस्तेजनि निर्मिते पितृकुले श्लाघ्या तनुर्वेधसा
त्वं संध्याहितसंनिधिर्मम जपारक्तेधरे खेलसि ।
संध्यावन्दनसाम्यसूयगिरिजास्तुत्येदृशैर्वाक्छलै-
र्यः संध्यामपि वन्दते स्म स जगत्प्रीणातु गौरीश्वरः ॥
“Your mother’s praiseworthy body has been created in the lineage of Pitrus by Brahma; when you are in close embrace with me, you play with the lower lip pink like the china rose.” Alternate meaning: “Of you, who are the mother of the pure lineage of the Pitrus, the perfect figure has been created by Brahma; when, in the dusk time, you reveal your presence, you sport with my lip, which is in mute prayer.” By the praise, in such deceptive language, of the Daughter of the Mountain, jealous of his devotion to Sandhya Devi, may he, the Lord of Gouri, who paid homage to Sandhya Devi as well, gratify the world.
Taranga 8
प्रौढाः कञ्चुकिनो जरद्वरवृषः कुब्जस्तुषारद्युति-
र्नित्याप्तोपि बहिष्कृतः परिकरः सोयं समस्तोप्यहो ।
अर्धाद्यद्वसतीकृताद्भगवता चारित्रचर्याविदा
सा भिन्द्याद्दुरितं चराचरगुरोरन्तःपुरं पार्वती ॥
It is a marvel that even as Bhagavan Shiva, the knower of character and conduct, joined himself to half of her body, Parvati excluded Shiva’s entire retinue of the snake, the bull and the moon with the snowy radiance though they had been, as the dignified chamberlain, the old imbecile and the hunchback respectively, his habitual inmates. May that Parvati, the consort of the Lord of the world of moving and non-moving objects sunder misfortune.
P. R. Kannan