The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 13,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals
*Click on link (Act I: Chitradarshanam) for full text of Act I of this play, which is being posted here in small ‘bytes’
लक्ष्मणः– एतेवयम्अयॊध्यांप्राप्ताः/
lakSHmaNaha – EthE vayam ayODHyAm prApthAha /
LAKSHMANA – This is showing us, when we returned to Ayodhya.
रामः– (सास्रम्) स्मरामिहन्तस्मरामि /
जीवत्सुतातपादेषुनूतनेदारसङ्ग्रहे / मातृभिश्चिन्त्यमानांतॆहिनॊदिवसागताः // ९ //
इयमपितदाजानकी
प्रतनुविरलैःप्रन्तोन्मीलन्मनोहरकुन्तलैर्दशनमुकुलैर्मुग्धालोकंशिशुर्दधतीमुखम् /
ललितललितैर्ज्योत्स्नाप्रायैरकृत्रिमविभ्रमैरकृतममधुरैरम्बानांमेकुतूहलमङ्गकैः //२०//
rAmaha – (sAsram)
smarAmi hantha smarAmi /
jIvathsu thAthapAdhESHu nUthanE dhArasangrahE / mAthrbhishchinthyamAnAnAm thE hi nO dhivasA gathAha // 19 //
iyamapi thadhA jAnakI
prathanuviralaihi prAnthOnmIlanmanOharakunthalirdhashanamukulairmugDHAlOkam shishurdha DHathI mukha / lalithalaithairjyOthsnApr ayairakrthrimavi bhramair akrtham- aDHurairambAnAm mE kuthUhalamangakaihi // 20 //
RAMA – (With tears in his eyes) I remember, O I do. Our father was alive, we were newly wed, our mothers shielded us from all cares. Those days are gone forever. And Janaki - as my mother watched keenly, she would move about like a moon-ray, graceful and beautiful. Her hair parted by a thin line in the centre, her teeth like flower buds and her face so childlike – naturally appealing, not resorting to artificial things.
हस्ते लीलाकमलमलके बालकुन्दानुविद्धं
नीता लॊध्रप्रसवरजसा पाण्डुतामानने श्रीः /
चूडापाशे नवकुरबकं चारु कर्णॆ शिरीषं
सीमन्ते च त्वदुपगमजं यत्र नीपं वधूनाम् //
hasthE lIlAkamalamalakE bAlakundhAnuvidhDHam
nIthA lODHraprasavarajasA pANduthAmAnanE shrIhi /
chUdApAshE navakurabakam chAru karNE shirISHam
sImanthE cha tvadhupagamajam yathra nIpam vaDHUnAm //
[You’ll find the young women alluring thought they use mere flowers to add to their beauty] They bleach their faces with lodhra flowers, sport lotuses in their hands and fresh kunda and kurabaka blossoms in their braids; they decorate their ears with the delicate shirisha blooms and nipa flowers strung together marks the parting in their hair.
*A verse from Kalidasa’s Meghadootam [Verse 2, Uttaramegha]
lodhra -Symplocos racemosa Roxb; kunda – Jasminum multiflorum also Thevetia peruviana merrill; kurabaka – Barleria prionitis L; nipa – Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser; shirisha – Albizia odoratissima (L.F.) Benth.
लक्ष्मणः – इयमार्या / इयमप्यार्यामाण्डवी / इयमपिवधूःश्रुतकीर्तिः /
lakshmaNaha: iyamArya I iyamapyAryA mANdavI / iyamapi vaDHuhu shruthakIrthihi /
LAKSHMANA: This is you, sister (to Sita), and this is sister Mandavi (Bharata’s wife). This is the young Shruthakirthi (Shatrugna’s wife).
सीता – वत्सइयमप्यपराका /
sIthA: vathsa iyamapyaparA kA /
SITA: Who is this other lady, dear prince?
लक्ष्मणः- (सलज्जास्मिताम्अपवार्य)अयॆऊर्मिलांपृच्छत्यार्या / भवतु / अन्यतःसञ्चारयामि / (प्रकाशम्)आर्यॆदृश्यतांद्र्ष्टव्यतत् / अयम्चभगवान्भार्गवः /
lakshmaNaha: (salajjasmitham apavArya) ayE / UrmilAm prchCHathyAryA I bhavathu / anyathaha sanchArayAmi / (prakAsham) AryE dhrshyathAm dhraSHtavayamEthath / ayam cha bhagavAn bhArgavaha /
LAKSHMANA: (smiling shyly, says to himself) Oh, she’s pointing to Urmila (my wife)! Let her do so. I’ll just move away to another painting. (Aloud) Sister, come see this! This painting is indeed worth seeing! Shown here is Lord Bhargava (note: another name for Pashurama).
सीता- कम्पितास्मि /
sIthA: kampithAsmi /
SITA: Oh, I tremble (a reference to the fiery duel he had engaged Rama in during their exile in the forest).
रामः – ऋषेनमस्ते /
rAmaha: rSHE namasthE /
RAMA: I bow down to you, oh sage!
लक्ष्मणः– आर्येपश्यपश्य / अयमसावार्येण – -
laksmaNaha: AryE pashya pashya /
LAKSHMANA: Sister Sita, see, see what Rama is doing to him (in the picture)….
रामः – ( साक्षेपम् ) अयिबहुतरंद्रष्टव्यम् / अन्यतोदर्शय /
rAmaha: (sAkshEpam) ayi bahutharam dhraSHtavyam i anyathO dharshaya /
RAMA: (Interrupting Lakshmana) Hey! There’s a lot more to be seen. Let’s go see another painting.
सीता– सष्ठुशोभसेआर्यपुत्रैतेनविनयमाहात्म्येन/
sIthA – suSHTu shObhasE AryaputhraithEna vinayamAhAthmyEna /
SITA: Your boundless humility endows you with such a glorious radiance, my lord.
लक्ष्मणः – आर्य पश्य पश्य /
संबन्धिनो वसिष्ठादीनेष तातस्तवार्चति / गौतमश्च शतानन्दो जनकानां पुरोहितः // १६ //
lakshmaNaha: Arya pashya pashya I
sambanDHinO vasiSHTAdhinESHa thAthasthavArchathi I gauthamashcha shathAnandhO janakAnAm purOhithaha II 16 II
LAKSHMANA: See this, just look at this, Sir. Your in-laws and their family priests are honouring our father, Vasishta and the others!
रामः – दृष्टव्यम् एतत् /
जनकानां रघूणां च संबन्धः कस्य न प्रियः / यत्र दाता गृहीता च स्वयं कुशिकनन्दनः // १७ //
rAmaha: dhraSHtavyamEthath I
janakAnAm raghUNam cha sambanDHaha kasya na priyaha I yathra dhAthA grahIthA cha svayam kushikanandhanaha II 17 II
RAMA: Indeed, a painting to be seen! Who did not favour the coming together of Janaka’s family and Raghu’s descendants? In this marriage, Kushika’s son, Vishvamitra had to be both the one who gave away the bride and, as our preceptor, the one who received her into the family!
सीता - ऎतॆखलुतत्कलकृतगोदानमंगलाश्च्त्वारोपिभ्रातरोविवाहदीक्शितायूयम् / अम्मो / जानामितस्मिन्नेवप्रदेशेतस्मिन्नेवकलेवर्ते /
sIthA:EthE khalu thath kAlakrthagOdhAnamaNgalAshchathvArOpi bhrAtharO vivAhadIkshithA yUyam I ammO I jAnAmi thasminnEva pradhEshE thasminnEva kAlE varthE I
SITA: And, this painting depicts the donation of cows to the needy and other auspicious activities that took place on that occasion. All four of you [Note: meaning the brothers Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrughna] were observing the rituals expected of a groom …. Oh! I’m transported to that very place and that very time period!
रामः –
समयःसवर्ततएवैषयत्रमाम् समनन्दयत्सुमुखिगौतमार्पितः / अयमुद्गृहीतकमनीयकंकणस्तवमूर्तिमानिवमहोत्सवःकरः // १८ //
rAmaha:
samayaha sa varthatha EvaiSHa yathra mAm samanadhayath sumukhi gauthmArpithaha I
ayamudhgrhIthakamanIyakankaNaha thava mUrthimAniva mahOthsavaha karaha II 18 II
RAMA: Indeed, I too am taken back in time, and feel the way I did then – happy, looking at your lovely face, as sage Gautama placed your hand in mine – your hand, decorated with such beautiful bangles, seeming to have captured, verily, the picturesque celebrations that marked the auspicious occasion!
प्रियप्राया वृत्तिर्विनयमधुरो वाचि नियमः प्रकृत्या कल्याणी मतिरनवगीतः परिचयः / पुरो वा पश्चाद्वा तदिदमविपर्यासितरसं रहस्यं साधूनामनुपधि विशुद्धं विजयते
kimathrOchyathE /priyaprAyA vrththirvinayamaDHurO vAchi niyamaha prakrthyA kalyANI mathiranavagIthaha parichayaha / purO vA pashchAdhvA thadhidhamaviparyAsitharasam rahasyam sADHUnAmanupaDHi vishudhDHam vijayathE
A likeable disposition is one that is made sweet by humility, restraint in speech, a mind which is by nature virtuous, a tendency not to abuse familiarity. At all times [in the future or in the past], this ageless secret, which is the pure essence of goodness, triumphs [over all else]
*From Act II of Bhavabhuti’s Uttararamacharitam.
लक्ष्मणः – एतानि तानि सरहस्य जृम्भकास्त्राणि यानि भगवतः कृशाश्वात् कौशिकं ऋषिं विश्वस्य मित्रं विश्वामित्रम् उपसङ्क्रान्तानि / तेन च ताटकावधे प्रसादीकृतान्यार्यस्य /
lakshmaNaha: EthAni thAni sarahasya jrmbhakAsthrANi yAni bhagavathaha krshAshvAth kaushikam rSHim vishvasya mirthram vishvAmithram upasankrAnthAni / thEna cha thAtakAvaDHE prasAdhIkrthAnyArasya /
LAKSHMANA: They are jrmbhaka weapons. Knowledge regarding the use of these weapons is a closely guarded secret. Sage Krishashva gave these ashtras to Kushika’s son, the honourable sage Vishvamitra, the friend of the world! After Rama killed the demoness Thataka, Vishvamitra presented him with these holy weapons.
रामः – वन्दस्व देवि दिव्यास्त्राणि /
ब्रह्मादयो ब्रह्महिताय तप्त्वा परःसहस्राः शरदस्तपांसि / एतान्यपश्यन् गुरवः पुराणाः स्वान्येव तेजांसि तपोमयानि // १५ //
rAmaha: vandhasva dhEvi dhivyAsthrANi /
brahmAdhayO brahmahithAya thapthvA parahsahasrAha sharadhasthapAmsi / EthAnyapashyan guravaha purANaha svAnyEva thEjAmsi thapOmayAni//15//
RAMA: Let us pay our respects to the celestial weapons, my dear.
Brahma, along with many sages, performed penance for hundreds of years for the good of all creation. Finally, as a result of their penance, these weapons emerged, reflecting the radiance of the celestials.
सीता – नमो एतेभ्यः /
sIthA: namO EthEbhyaha /
SITA: I offer my salutations to them.
रामः – सर्वथेदानीं त्वत् प्रसूतिम् उपस्थास्यन्ति /
rAmaha: sarvaTHEdhAnIm thvath prasUthim upasTHAsyanthi /
RAMA: Now, they will all surely wait on the children you give birth to.
सीता – अनुगृहीतास्मि /
sIthA: anugrhIthAsmi /
SITA: I am indeed blessed!
लक्ष्मणः – एष मिथिलावृत्तान्तः /
lakshmaNaha: Esha miTHilAvrththAnthaha /
LAKSHMANA: This is a portrait of the Mithila episode.
सीता – अम्महे / दलन्नवनीलोत्पलश्यामलस्निग्धमसृणमांसलेन देहसौभाग्येन विस्मयस्तिमिततातदृश्यमान सौंयसुन्दरश्रीः अनादरखण्डित शङ्करशरासनः शिखण्डमुग्धमण्डनः आर्यपुत्र आलिखितः /
sIthA: ammahE / dhalannavanIlOthpalashyAmalasnigDHamasrNamAsalEna dhEhasaubhAgyEna vismayasthimithathAthadhrshyamAna saumyasundharashrIhi anAdharakhaNditha shankarasharAsanaha shikhaNdamugDHamaNdana Aryaputhra Alikhithaha /
SITA: Oh, how wonderful! My husband, dark-hued like a freshly blooming blue lotus, gifted with a magnificent body – strong, yet supple, and a face framed by dark curls, is seen in this picture with my father who is watching, with surprise and admiration, as my husband breaks with ease the great bow of Lord Shiva.
