December 8th

Sanskrit Pearl of the day:
वागर्थाविव सम्पृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये  ।
जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ॥ 
- रघुवंश (कालिदास)

Transliteration:
vāgarthāviva sampṛktau vāgarthapratipattaye ।
jagataḥ pitarau vande pārvatīparameśvarau ॥
- raghuvaṃśa (kālidāsa)

Meaning of the subhAShita:

I pray to the progenitors of the universe—Pārvatī, and Parameśvara, who themselves are interspersed like speech and meaning—for the attainment of articulation and understanding.

Commentary:

There can be no meaning without speech and no speech without meaning. Whenever someone speaks, meaning inevitably accompanies it. Even if one speaks mindlessly, their speech still carries meaning—whether sensible or not! This illustrates that speech and meaning are inseparable; one cannot exist without the other. Like milk and honey stirred together, they become one, impossible to separate. Such is the union and camaraderie of Lord Shiva and Pārvatī, speech and meaning.

The renowned poet Kālidāsa seeks blessing in his prayer and invokes this inseparability of seamless articulation and understanding in his compositions. This opening verse precedes his famous epic, Raghuvaṃśa (The Dynasty of Rāma).

Meaningful speech is timeless and essential, shaping communication and the quality of life itself. The ability to connect with others—and even with ourselves—depends on it. Who wouldn’t wish to be blessed with these finest skills by the divine embodiments of eloquence and wisdom themselves?!

pada vigrahaH:
वाक्-अर्थौ इव सम्पृक्तौ वाक्-अर्थ-प्रतिपत्तये  ।
vāk-arthau iva sampṛktau vāk-artha-pratipattaye ।

जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वती-परमेश्वरौ ॥
jagataḥ pitarau vande pārvatī-parameśvarau ॥

Alternate Transliteration:
vaagarthaaviva sampRuktau vaagarthapratipattaye ।
jagataH pitarau vande paarvatIparameshvarau ॥
- raghuvaMsha (kaalidaasa)

vaak-arthau iva sampRuktau vaak-artha-pratipattaye  ।

jagataH pitarau vande paarvatI-parameshvarau ॥