ROMAN NOTATION

Please follow my notation for uniformity and clarity.

I am not imposing my notation. It is left to you to evolve a better notation.

But you should come out what is your notation.

Where you differ with my notation?

How your notation is better than mine – which you should explain.

I again repeat that ambiguity in pronunciation is to be avoided.

What you pronounce, in the same way it should be spelt.

If you differ, please furnish your notation.

PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING SHOULD BE CORRECT. AMBIGUITY SHOULD NOT BE THERE. YOU PEOPLE ARE NOT BOTHERED ABOUT THE SPELLING.

You should not give room to others to correct.

You are at liberty to point out my spelling mistakes etc.

What is on your back, you may not know. Somebody should point out. Of course,

with the help of a mirror, you can detect what is on your back.

The pity is most of the writers do not check what they have written before they are posted.

Though there are many dialects in every language, we realize them when we hear them. But in the written form only STANDARD form is used.

Of late, some people are writing colloquial form of their area. This is difficult to follow. In some Tamil Books, this is adopted. But the sales may go down for the person hailing from some other region may not be able to understand the colloquial form of a different region.

THAT IS WHY I SAY WRITTEN FORM IN SOURASHTRAM IS TO BE STANDARDISED TO AVOID AMBIGUITY.

Now let me give the notations for writing Sourashtram in roman script.

Vowels a aa i ii u uu e E ai o O au am ah

ru ruu lu luu am ah

Consonants k kh g gh n

c ch j jh n~

T Th D Dh N

t th d dh n

p ph b bh m

y r l v sh

S s h L kS

nh mh rh lh

Consonant + vowel

ka kaa ki kii ku kuu ke kE kai ko kO kau

kru kruu klu kluu kam kah

Explanation

For lengthening the vowel, the same vowel is written again

Ex: a aa i ii u uu e ee ai o oo

Instead of repeating you can use Capital letter

Ex. a A i I u U e E ai o O

But to write, capital letter, you have to operate shift key. This will arrest your typing speed. So it is suggested that the vowel can be doubled. But it creates the problem because of the usage of English words i.e. the way in which they are pronounced.

Ex. keep is pronounced as kiip only i.e. ee à ii and not lengthened form of e

room is pronounced as ruum only i.e. oo à uu and not lengthened form of o

You can also put a dash on the top/head of the letter. But that is not possible while typing with the existing English Key Board.

With the result, use of Capital letter for lengthening vowel e, is the best choice.

Similarly, use of Capital letter for lengthening vowel o, is the best choice.

In this way, we avoid the ambiguity by making use of Capital letter.

In respect of consonants, we have to use Capital Letter for minimizing the space.

If you do not use Capital letter, then the 3^rd varga of letters are written like this

t th d dh n

Then to write the 4^th varga of letters, you have to write like this

th thth dh dhdh nn

For me, it does not look nice. It occupies more space because of increase in the number of letters. Instead of one letter t, we have to use two letters th

For the second letter in the 4^th varga, we have to use 4 letters i.e. thth instead of two letters th. Similarly for 3^rd and 4^th letter of the 4^th varga, we have to write as dh and dhdh. This method is not aesthetic.

There are 3 sa in our language. sh is termed shakti sa. S is termed Shanmugam sa. In Tamil Shanmugam is written using this S only. The third one is called saraswathi sa.

We have got two la in our language. They are kaal=yesterday poLLo=fruit

The third la in Tamil is called Special la cirappu Lagaram

It is written as zh as in pazham=fruit mozhi=language

In Sourashtra we do not have any word in which the special La occurs.

We have to use it only when we write the borrowed Tamil words.

The other Tamil letters viz. Big ra is written as R. ex. aRai=room

Two circled na – reNDu suzhi na is written as n_ ex. man_am=mind

Witness is written as saakSi. The final consonant kS in our consonant chart.

Now the Notation for writing Tamil Language in roman script is as under

Vowels a aa i ii u uu e E ai o O

Consonants ka na

ca n~a

Ta Na

ta na

pa ma

ya ra

la va

zha La

Ra n_a

Consonant + vowel ka kaa ki kii ku kuu ke kE kai ko kO kau k

The aayutha ezhuttu can be denoted by k_ ex. ak_tu = that which occurs rarely.

If Tamil is written in the above manner, representing the Tamil orthography, it will be like English. That is writing one spelling and pronouncing the word in some other way. You have to practice spoken Tamil emulating the native Tamil speaker. By this learning process becomes tedious and time consuming.

Tamil is the only Dravidian language where instead of 4 ka, only one ka is available. In other words, ka can be spelt like ka, kha, ga and gha.

If we remove the four Sanskrit letters ja, sa, Sa and ha from the orthography of Tamil, it will lose its charm and it will be confined within Tamil Nadu only. Some foreign language word cannot be written in Tamil correctly.

In Japanese also to represent Ta and la, there is no symbols.

Petrol is written as petoru. Italy is written as itarii. But ,somehow Japanese are surviving without the symbols for Ta and la. There are also some other peculiarities in that language that we need not discuss here.

A small exercise for you.

You write one or two sentences in Tamil. Afterwards you transliterate in roman script. That is, you change the lipi/ezhuttu/script.

Now you read what you have written. It will be horrible.

I bathed in the river Ganges. = naan_ kankai aaRRil kuLittEn_.

Now you can understand why foreigners find it difficult to learn and speak Tamil.

UPAMANYU.

The other names of Ramanuja

In his childhood he is known as 'ILAYA ALWAAR'[because he resembled Lakshmanan, brother of Raman]
At Madurantakan Periya Nambi accepted Ilaya Alwar as his disciple and gave the name 'RAMANUJA' .
When Thirukacci Nambikal saw Ramanuja in the dress of a Sanyasi,he called Ramanuja as YATIRAJA. [King of Sanyasis]
When Ramanuja went to a temple in Kanchi, as a Sanyasi, the Priest called Ramanuja as RAMANUJA MUNI.
When Ramanuja sung the Thiruppaavai songs while he went for begging,{biDchai] he was termed by the people of Srirangam as THIRUPPAVAI JEEYAR.
When he went to Srivilliputhur Temple, he was called 'NAMKOVIL ANNANAAR'
When he assumed the Adeenam of Alavandar and went to SriRangam to worship Sri Ranganatha, in front of Sri Ranganatha, devotees honoured him with the title UDAYAVAR i.e. he has the qualification to teach God's grace [takudi uDayavar]
He sat at the feet of five acharyas, and hence he is termed as'PANCHACHARYA SIIDAR'
He submitted to Tirupati Venkatesa, Sangu and Chakram and so he is knowns as APPANUKKU SANGU AAZHI ALITTA PERUMAAN.
Vaishnavas will address Perumal as 'EMPERUMAN' Because, Vaishnavas saw Ramanujar in the form of Perumal, he is quoted as EMPERUMANAR.
As per the wish of Alavandar, Ramanuja wrote the Commentary [Bhashyam}to Brahmasutra in accordance with Thiruvaymozhi, and so he became famous by the name BHASHYAKARAR.

elyo aski moko ikkedi lentu kaLaanaattak hoteyo. atto oNTe patrike chevde pharaatu kaLaan avesi.tunko kaLai rhaana jiyeti, tumi meLLi kaLaLLuvo.

Thoughtful thought

Thoughtful thought

Time is the melody sung by GOD. If time is wasted, we may not get it back. As a year passes, we are old by one more year. Age has only ascendancy and no descent.

‘How many years a person lived?’ is not the relevant question.

‘What one did in his/her each age?’ - That is more important.

Who cared Chatrapathi Shivaji’s age? His heroic deeds became history that inspires us.

Adi Sankarachariyar attained Samadhi at his 32^nd age, but he finished so many things.

His work is a milestone for the renaissance of HINDUISM.

It is he who paved the way for India’s National Integration.

If the history is written that in such and such year a person did the heroic act, in that history somewhere your name should find place. People who lead the life of simply eating, sleeping and awaking are nothing but animals. They do not know the purpose of human life.

Those who spend time in useless activities are useless born creatures. What you have to do in a particular year that you should do in the same year failing which you will repent later.

Knowledge is gained after lot of experience, but time comes beforehand with the result we become old when we want to do certain things. Had we listened to our elders and based on their advice acted prudently, we need not repent in our old age.

There is a fixed age limit for entry into Government Service. If you have missed the bus, then you have to work in private shops or do own business only. The phenomenon occurs once in a year only [for instance the appearance of Sabarimala Jothi]. If you miss, then you have to wait for a year. Mahamagam comes once in 12 years! If you do not realize the importance of time, you have to lose.

In our young age, we spend lavishly; eat anything and everything without the awareness of our good health. In old age we reap the reward for not having saved enough money for our retirement. We ignored our diet in our middle age and so we have to spend a lot for our medical expenses in later years.

Time is our friend and time is our enemy. It downpours and it drains away. It makes us laugh and it makes us to shed tears. The success of our action is based on timeliness.

When the offer of a good bride is rejected, a stage will come; that it is enough if one gets any bride. In other words you lose your choice. So you should not postpone things.

Fortune is nothing; it is grasping the available time firmly. If you can analyse your acts you will come to know whether you have acted in time and because of which you became fortunate.

In our community, in the past, because of a number of children in a family, the parent wanted to conduct the marriage of both their son and daughter together. They used to wait for the materialization of the marriage of their daughter taking ample time making the best choice, even beyond their means; but in the case of their son, they took scant time and least consideration for the son with the result the son could not have his choice and his life was miserable. But now that there are two or three children only, the marriages of sons and daughters are not clubbed. But bridegrooms still postpone their marriage till they establish themselves in good jobs and start earning a lot by which time they become old and find it difficult to get a suitable match. Similarly well educated girls go on seeking a well qualified bridegroom for a number of years and finally they could not marry or could get less educated groom.

Unco sangiriyo aski mundaDiis oLDyaan sangeyOs. Phivri phivri ami sangi havTan kerno poDarEsi.

avre kalaachaar kaayo menatte avre nhannohoDaan kaLaLLaraani. avre bhaasho vruddhi kerno meni havTaryaani. Avre tenko seraaDi avre bhaashaam vatto kerattak pastokkaryaasi (hesitate).

VidEshum [foreign country] sEttenu English bhaashaamuus aski kertuvaayi meni havTaryaasi.

Avre bhaasho havTan javaLLiDiyeti, Indiyaaku avatte meLLi havTan javaLLuDuvaayi.

If you do not speak Sourashtram properly, you shall be treated as haddu paLkaar.

Our girls are becoming haddu paLkaars by marrying non-sourashtras. Our boys are marrying non-sourashtras to make their sons and daughters as haddu paLkars. A day is going to come, when an Association will have to be formed for haddu palkars to search for bride and bridegrooms when their offspring have no courage to go in for love marriage selecting their partner of their own choice, which their parents did.

Parents are neglecting the care of their children and so they are punished by their children especially with regard to their marriage. For lack of proper counselling, our girls are becoming the victims and bring bad name not only to their parents but also to their relatives and to our Community. It is surprising how an educated girl is brainwashed by a worthless fellow or by a person of inferior origin.

Our community should have more journals and newspapers so that the untoward incidents are brought to the knowledge of our youth. The consequences and failure of such inter-caste marriages are to be reported in journals so that our younger generation may exercise ‘vivekam’ instead of acting with ‘vegam’. Then they can take right decision with their prudence.

Kaas dii patrike khaDi chevdattak roDaryaas. Tappu taNDa chale pharaatu ‘teno kaay kereyo, eno kaay kereyo’ ‘pillal vaaT toppi jEDaryaasnaa’ meni polambaryaasi. kOT tET dhairiyamkan sommar avattak musarani [They select the last bench!]

More Political activity and much publicity are required for our community at this juncture.

Upamanyu.

Sayujya - Monyly News Letter

I have received a copy of "SAYUJYA" a monthly News Letter of Saurashtra University, Rajkot from Registrar of Saurashtra University for the month of March 2008.
RISHI was inaugurated on 5th April 2008 at Madurai by Dr. Kamalesh P.Joshipura, Vice Chancellor of Saurashtra University, Rajkot.

The news letter is completely in Gujarati language.

I have already started learning Gujarati language for I am to visit Saurashtra University and make a comparative study of both Gujarati and Sourashtram.

I hope in the next month news letter, news about RISHI may appear. We will also come to know the starting of a chair for study of Sourashtra Language in Saurashtra University.

Young Sourashtras are to come forward to undertake research work.

Already two students are doing their M.Phil in Linguistic Dept. of Madurai Kamaraj University.
Let us hope for good progress in the development of our language.

UPAMANYU

BHASHA SAGAR - JANUARY 2008

Palkar Discussion Forum posting on 9th April, 4.2008
BHASHA SAGAR – JANUARY 2008.
Sourashtra Vidya Peetam has received a copy of the First Issue of Bhasha Sagar - January 2008 from the Commissioner of Linguistic Minorities, Allahabad. It is an HLY journal not for sale but for circulation among Central/State Government Offices.
It is stated in the Journal as
Since there is no agreed script for the Sourashtra, it is not being taught in schools. The demand of recognizing Sourashtra language is still pending for want of an agreed Script for the language.
Dr.Shiva Kumar, ACLM, Southern Region has written as above based on the uttering of our Sourashtra Madhya Sabha Office bearers , I think.
Two Photographs of our Madhya Sabha people were printed in the Journal but their names are not mentioned! It is simply stated as
Hon’ ble CLM in discussion with Scholars of linguistic minorities.
In another photo it is stated as
Interaction with linguistic minorities' resource persons
Not even the name of our Community is stated!
In the Article, ‘FEDERALISM AND LANGUAGE POLICY ‘written by Mr.K.K.Sethi, former Commissioner of Linguistic Minorities, it is stated
FOUR ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF THE MINORITIES TO PRESERVE THEIR DISTINCT LANGUAGE, SCRIPT CULTURE; TO ESTABLISH AND MANAGE THEIR OWN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; CHOICE OF LANGUAGE TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE AUTHORITIES; AND THE RIGHT TO GET THE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN ONE'S MOTHER TONGUE.
In the conclusion para it is stated
Of immediate concern are the languages spoken by a small number of people which are in danger of extinction. It has been said earlier that it will bear repetition that the loss of a language means loss of a cultural stream. The strength of the mankind is the ability to pass on its culture, its principles, its way of life to the next generation. Let language not be an exception. Only the application of the principles of federalism, in its fullest form, can stem the rot and ensure equal opportunities for all the citizens.

UPAMANYU.

MANDASOR INSCRIPTION about Migration of Silk Weaving Community - SOURASHTRAS

No. 35 : PLATE XXXV p.322
MANDASOR INSCRIPTION OF KUMARA GUPTA (I) & BANDHUVARMAN:
THE (KRITA) YEARS 493 AND 529.
This inscription was first brought to notice of scholars in 1885 by Peter Peterson in the JBBRAS., Vol.XVI, pp.380-81, where he has given us a brief summary of its contents and discussed the significance of the date. It was, thereafter and for the first time, edited in full by J.F.Fleet in the Ind.Ant., Vol XV, and pp.194 ff. The credit, however, of discovering it goes to the latter scholar as the copyists he sent to Mandasor for taking impressions of the fragmentary pillar inscription1 of Yasodharman, discovered not only the duplicate copy of this pillar inscription2 but also of the record that is under consideration. The inscription was afterwards re-edited by Fleet in an amplified form in CII., Vol.III, 1888, pp.79 ff., and Plate XI. There were, however, many mistakes in Fleet’s reading and rendering of the text. Most of these were corrected by R.G. Bhandarkar in the BBRAS., Vol.XVII , Pt. II, pp 94 ff and some by Durgaprasad in Nos. 51-52 of the Prachina-lekha-mala published in the Kavyamala Series. The whole text and most of the translation were afterwards revised by G. Buhler in Die indischen Inscriften und das Alter der indischen Kunstpoesie, pp91-96 and pp.8 ff.
MANDASOR or more properly DASOR, is as already stated, the chief town of the Mandasor District of Madhya Pradesh. The inscription is engraved on a sand-stone slab which was originally built into a wall of the flight of steps leading to a shrine of Mahadeva on the river and consequently to the Mahadeva ghat called after that god. About the end of April 1905 I visited Mandasor and inspected the inscription which I then found was in an utterly neglected condition3. As no particular sanctity attached to it, I recommended the removal of the stone to some place of safety. The stone, however, was not removed from the place till M.B.Garde was appointed Superintendent of Archaeology of the Gwalior State. It is now in the Museum at Gwalior.
The inscription opens with three verses of mangala addressed to the SUN, the first and the third of which invoke the blessings of the divinity and the second and middle one of which offers obeisance to him. Verses 4-5 speak of the migration of a GUILD OF SILK-WEAVERS from Lata or Gujarat to Dasapura or Mandasor. Verses 6-13 give a word picture of Dasapura, its position in the world, its lakes and its edifices. Then follows a graphic description of the Guild and the different hobbies pursued by its different members (verses 14-20). Verse 21 describes the pre-eminence of the silk cloth manufactured by them and the next, the desire of the Guild to make some religious benefaction, having regard to the transitory nature of the world.

1 CII.,Vol.III,pp.149ff.and plate. 2 Ibid., pp.142ff.and plate. 3 PRAS.W.C.,for 1904-05, p. 63, para 84.
p.323
Verse 23 mentions KUMARAGUPTA(I) as the suzerain, and verses 24-29, BANDHUVARMAN, son of Visvavarman, as the ruler of Dasapura, during whose reigns the religious benefaction was carried out, namely, the BUILDING OF A TEMPLE OF THE SUN, which according to verse 30, looked like the crest-jewel of the western ward (paschima-pura) of Dasapura. This is followed by a poetic description of the Winter Season (verses 31-33) during which the temple was constructed.


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The actual date of construction is, however, given in verses 34-35 as follows: “when four centuries, increased by ninety-three had elapsed, according to the reckoning of the Malavas….. on the blessed thirteenth day of the bright half of the month of Sahasya…”Thereafter we are told that when a considerable time had elapsed and some kings had passed away, “one part of the temple was shattered” (verse 36) apparently by lightning and the same Guild rebuilt it (verse37), “when five centuries of years, increased by twenty-nine years, had elapsed, and on the second lunar day of the bright fortnight of Tapasya”(verse 39), when the Spring had commenced, a description of which season is comprised in verses 40-41. This is followed by a wish that the temple may endure for ever (verse 43). And verse 44 which is the concluding verse tells us that VATSABHATTI not only composed the purva or the above ‘descriptive statement’ with care but was also in charge of the building and re-building of the temple first because he was ordered by the Guild to see the work through and secondly because he was a devotee of the Sun.
It will be seen from the above summary of the contents of the inscription that there are two dates specified here. One of these is 493 and the other 529. They are, of course, Krita years, which are identical with those of the Vikrama era. They are consequently equivalent to 437-38 A.D. and 473-74 A.D. respectively. The first is that of the original construction of the temple which thing occurred, we are told, when Kumaragupta (I) was the supreme ruler and Bandhuvarman the local ruler of Dasapura. This seems to be the natural sense of the stanzas referring to these princes. The other interpretations proposed by scholars have been considered below on p. 329, note 2. The second date is that of the re-building of the temple when part of it had been damaged, apparently, through lightning. But we have not been informed as to who the rulers were at that time. We are simply told that some other kings had passed away by that time. Of course, Kumaragupta I was then dead. His son, Ghatotkachagupta , who apparently was his immediate successor, had also passed away.And so Skandagupta also. This last was doubtless succeeded by Kumaragupta II. Whether he was actually living in Vikrama Year 529 is doubtful. Similar changes must have taken place in the succession also of the ruling family of Dasapura. Vatsabhatti is thus fully justified in saying that, from Vikrama year 493 to 529, kings other than Kumaragupta I and Bandhuvarman had passed away. He does not, however, mention who were actually ruling in 529, probably because it was a troublesome period of the Gupta sovereignty.
As regards the localities mentioned in this inscription, Lata represents the greater portion of modern Gujarat. According to Buhler1 and Bhagwanlal Indraji,2 it corresponds to the country between the Mahi and the Konkan or the Tapti. But Hultzsch3 maintained that it was that portion of Gujarat which intervened between the Tapti and the Sheri. The latter view is supported by the
Cambay Plates of Govinda IV4. The second locality mentioned in this record is Dasapura which is obviously identical with Mandasor. As stated elsewhere, the best explanation of the formation of the name Mandasor is that it is a composite name
1.Ind.Ant.Vol.V, p.145 2.B.G. Vol.I,Pt.I, p.7 3.Ind. Ant.,Vol. XIV, p.198 4. Ep. Ind. Vol. VII, p. 36


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consisting of Man and Dasor which were originally lying side by side and of which Man has been completely wiped out of existence. The second of these, namely, Dasor is a regular modern derivative of the ancient Dasapura . And, in fact, in some bilingual sanads or warrants of more than two centuries ago, whereas the Persian draft gives Mandasor as the name of the place, the vernacular version preserves the old name Dasor, as J.F.Fleet has assured us. Again Dasapura has been mentioned not only by Varahamihira in Brihatsamhita (chapter XIV, verse 11-16), but also by Kalidasa in the Meghaduta (I.47). As to inscriptions, it is found as early as in those of the Nasik caves. It is mentioned in one of the records of Ushavadata (=Rishabhadatta), son-in-law of Mahakshatrapa Nahapana, along with the three big cities, Sorparaga, Govardhana and Bharukachchha, where he executed work of public utility. Possibly it was the capital of Nahapana also and was known as Minnagar1. Quite in keeping with this is the fact that there is a Brahmana caste called Dasora after Dasapura. Two more interesting details are supplied by our inscription about this ancient town. One is that it was encircled by two rivers. At present, however, one river only is known in the close neighbourhood of Mandasor, namely, the Siwana. Probably, the other river has either dried up or has been filled up with the ancient remains of the town. The other details about it mentioned in the inscription is the piece of information that the temple of the Sun built by the Guild was situated in the western pura or Ward of the town. The word here used is pura, which gives rise to the inference that Dasapura was so called because it consisted of dasa puras or ten wards. Fleet is, therefore, quite right in remarking that just as now the township includes from twelve to fifteen outlying hamlets or divisions, such as Kilchipur, Jankupura and so forth, so in ancient times, at any rate, when it was originally constituted, Dasapura included exactly ten (dasa) such hamlets (pura)2.
1. Ind.Ant. Vol.XLVII, p.78. [Dasapura is mentioned, along with Madhyam, in a sixth century A.D. inscription at Chitorgarh. Cf.Ep. Ind., Vol. XXXIV, pp.53 ff—Ed.]
2. CII., Vol. III, 1888, p. 79, Note 2.

Text in Sanskrit in pp. 324 to 327 is omitted here.

p. 327
TRANSLATION .
Line 1. Luck!
Verse 1. May that (Sun) Light-giver (bhaskara), the cause of the destruction and prosperity of the universe, protect you, who is worshipped by hosts of gods for fortitude (of mind); by the Siddhas, being desirous of supernatural powers; by the Yogins, who, being desirous of liberation, are occupied with the one end, namely, meditation, and have sensual attractions under subjection; and, with devotion, by sages, rich in rigorous austerities and who are powerful enough to curse or bless.


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Verse 2. Obeisance to (the Sun) Generator (savitri), whom the Brahmana sages and others, exerting themselves, cannot fully comprehend though they are conversant with the knowledge of Truth; and who nourishes all the three worlds with (his) spreading rays; who when he has risen, is praised by Gandharvas, gods, Siddhas, Kinnaras and Naras8 and who grants the devotees (their ) desires.
p. 328
Verse 3. May that (Sun) Illuminator (Vivasvan), whose ornament is exquisite beams, protect you, who, with (his) mass of rays dropping down from the wide and lofty summit of the Rising Mountain, every day looks intensely red like the cheeks of intoxicated women !
Verse 4-5. From the province of LATA, which is lovely in consequence of choice trees, bowed down with the weight of flowers, temples, assembly-halls and Viharas, (and) the mountains of which are covered with flora, there came to (the town of) of DASAPURA those (people) of well known craft, first with their mind full of regard (for it) and afterwards (bodily) in a band together with children and kinsfolk, disregarding the unceasing discomforts of journey and so forth, being manifestly carried away by the good qualities of the ruler of the country.
Verse 6. In course (of time) this (town) has become an excellent forehead beauty-mark of the Earth, which is adorned with thousands of mountains the rocks of which are besprinkled with the drops of rut trickling down from the sides of the temples of intoxicated elephants, and the ear-ornaments of which are the trees bending down with flowers.
Verse 7. (The town), where the lakes shine with waters, on the bank, being variegated with many flowers fallen from trees growing on the margins, are adorned with full-blown lotuses; (and) are full of ducks;
Verse 8. Where in some places the lakes shine with swans, become tawny with the pollen falling from the lotuses set in motion of the tremulous waves, and, in some, with water –lilies bent down with the weight of their filaments;
Verse 9. Where the woods are adorned, with lordly trees, bowed down with the burden of their flowers; --with the humming of the swarms of bees become bold enough through intoxication,--and with the women-folk of the town strolling unceasingly;
Verse 10. Where the buildings, with moving flags, full of women, intensely white, (and) extremely lofty, bear resemblance to the peaks of white clouds variegated with forked lightning;
Verse 11. And (where) other (buildings) resemble the lofty summits of Kailasa, with long terraces and rail mouldings1 resounding with the notes of music, with works in painting set up and adorned with waving plantain trees;
Verse 12. Where the buildings, being decorated with rows of terraces2 resembling lines of gods’ palaces (and) as pure as the rays of the full-moon, (appear) to have risen up as if by tearing open the earth;
Verse 13. Which (town) being enclosed by two charming rivers of tremulous waves, shines like the
of the God of Love, clasped in private by (his wives) Priti and Rati, possessed of ( ) breasts;




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Verse 14. Which, with the Brahmanas who are endowed with truthfulness, forgiveness, self-control, quiescence, religious vows, purity, fortitude, study of Veda, proper conduct, modesty and understanding, and who are stores of knowledge and penance( and yet) free from conceit, shines like the sky with glowing planets;
Verse 15. Then having come in contact with constant meetings, and with cordiality augmenting day by day, (and) being honourably treated like sons by the kings, they lived in the town in joy and happiness;
p. 329
Verse 16. Some are intensely attached to music (so) pleasing to the ear; others, being proud of (the authorship of ) a hundred excellent biographies, are conversant with wonderful tales; (others), filled with humility, are absorbed in excellent religious discourses; and others are able to say much that is pleasing, free from harshness, (and yet) salutary;
Verse 17. Some excel in their own religious rites; likewise by others, who were self-possessed, the science of (Vedic) astronomy was mastered; and others, valorous in battle even to-day forcibly cause harm to the enemies;
Verse 18. Likewise, others are intelligent, possessed of attractive figures, with renowned and long-extending lineages and adorned with deeds befitting (their) lineage; others, with the vow of truthfulness, are expert in (conferring) obligations on favourites, and are firm in friendship accompanied by a sense of trust;
Verse 19. Likewise, with others who have overcome attachment to worldly objects, who are disposed towards piety, who are gentle, who are of abundant inherent stuff, who are engaged on worldly affairs, who are the forehead-mark of their own clan, who have cast away passion, who are magnanimous-with such-like (members)and the guild shines gloriously;
Verse 20. Womankind, though saturated with youth and complexion (and) decorated with golden necklaces, betel leaves and flower-dressing, does not attain to transcendent beauty until she has put on a pair of silken garments;
Verse 21. By whom this whole surface of the earth has been adorned with silk cloth, agreeable to the touch, variegated with different colours and arrangement (of parts), (and) pleasing to the eye;
Verse 22. The mind of these has (turned) towards (spiritual) welfare, they having then reflected that the world, the human body and the accumulations of wealth are as very unsteady as the charming flower-sprout ear-ornaments of the Vidyadhara women, set in motion by the breezes;
Verse 23. While KUMARAGUPTA was ruling over the Earth, whose waist-girdle is pendulous with the waters of the four oceans, whose plump breasts are Sumeru and Kailasa (and) whose smiles are the beautiful and full-blown on the outskirts of the woods;
p.330
Verse 24. There was king Visvavarman, the protector (of men) who was equal to Sukra and Brihaspati in understanding, who was the ornament of the kings on earth (and) whose deeds were like those of Partha in battles;


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Verse 25. Who was compassionate to the poor; who gave consolation to the helpless and the distressed classes; who was excessively full of tenderness; who was a protector of the forlorn; who was the wish-giving tree to the supplicants; and who granted freedom from fear to the frightened; and who was the friend of (his) subjects;
Verse 26, His son (was) king BANDHUVARMAN possessed of firmness and statesmanship’ beloved by (his) friends; a friend, as it were, to (his) people; who removed the afflictions of (his)
friends; the only skilful in destroying the haughty partisans of (his) enemies;
Verse 27. He is handsome, young, fit for battles, and possessed of modesty; a king though he is, he not accessible to such intoxicants as self-conceit and others; he shines like the incarnation of Erotic Sentiment, even when without decoration; in point of beauty he is as it were a second God of Love;
Verse 28. Even to-day, when the long-eyed beautiful women of (his) enemies, afflicted by the fierce calamity of widowhood, remember him, a tremor springs up through fright causing torture to (their) compact breasts.
Verse 29. While that same Bandhuvarman, a bull among kings, the magnanimous (and) the high-shouldered one, was protecting this (town) Dasapura which was abundantly prosperous, a lofty and peerless temple of the bright-rayed (Sun) was caused to be made by the WEAVERS OF SILK-CLOTH FORMED INTO A GUILD, WITH STORES OF WEALTH ACQUIRED THROUGH (THEIR) CRAFT;
Verse 30. (The temple) which has broad and lofty spires, which (thus) resembles a mountain, is pale-red like the mass of the rays of the moon just risen, and , being charming to the eye, shines like the tucked-in lovely crest-jewel of the western ward (of the town);

Verse 31. (In the season) which is pleasant in consequence of the interiors of the houses being crowded with young women (and) in consequence of the rays of the sun, (and) the warmth of fire, during which the fish lie deep in water and which is destitute of the enjoyments (caused by) the rays of the moon, flat
roofs of houses, sandal paste, palm-leaf fans, and garlands; and when the water-lilies are bitten by the frost;

Verse 32. In the season which is charming on account of the swarms of bees exhilarating with the juice of the full-blown flowers of the Rohr (and) priyangu trees and the jasmine creeper, when the solitary branches of myriads of the lavali creepers dance with the winds violently cold with particles of frost;
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Verse 33. When the falling of frost and snow is derided b y the fast clasping of the massive, lovely and plump thighs, breasts and hips of the beloved women by young men, fallen into the power of sexual love;





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Verses 34-35. When four centuries, increased by ninety-three, had elapsed, according to the reckoning of the Malavas, in the season when the massive breasts (of women) are worthy of enjoyment, on the blessed thirteenth day of the bright half of the month of Sahasya, this edifice was consecrated with the performance of auspicious ceremonies;

Verses 36-37. When considerable time had passed away and, one part of this (temple) was shattered; hence now, for the augmentation of their own fame was again renovated most munificently by the magnanimous guild, this whole edifice of the Sun.

Verse 38. Which is very lofty, burnished, as it were touching the sky with (its) attractive spires, (and) has become the receptacle of spotless rays of the moon and the sun at (their) rise;

Verse 39. When five centuries of years increased by twenty and nine years had elapsed , on the second lunar day of the bright fortnight of the charming month of Tapasya;

p. 332
Verse 40. In the season when (Kamadeva), whose body is purified by Hara, displays (his) arrows, having verily attained to (his) identity, with the distinct and fresh bursting-forth of the flowers of the Asoka tree, the Ketaka, the Simduvara, the pendulous Atimuktaka creeper and the Madayantika;

Verse 41. In the season, when the solitary large branches of the Nagana are full of the music of the swarms of bees delighted with the drinking of honey, when the lovely and exuberant Rodhra (trees) are over strewn with flowers newly bursting forth;

Verse 42. As (is) the pure sky with the moon, the breast of Sarngin, indeed, with the Kaustubha jewel, so is this whole extensive tow n decorated with (this) best structure;
Verse 43. As long as Isa (Siva) bears a mass of tawny matted hair covered with the spotless digit of the moon, (and) as long as Sarngin (Vishnu) a garland of full-bloom lotus flowers clinging to (his) shoulders, so long may this stupendous structure remain eternal.

Verse 44. By VATSABHATTI was caused to be made this edifice of the Sun through the order of the guild and in consequence of (his) devotion (to the god), and was composed with care this detailed description;
Line 24. Hail to the composer, engraver, reader and listener! May there be luck!
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[Extract taken from Vol.III Plate XXXV p.322 to 332 of CORPUS INSCRIPTIONUM INDICARUM.
This is made available to the readers by Dr. Uchida Norihiko and Sri O.S.Subramanian.15 Nov.2003.

Written Sourashtram

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
prEvu bhai bheinenuku,
Those who are using internet from 2003 should have got familiarised now, with writing in Sourashtram in roman script.
2003 orsu tokan internet upayOk kerattenu, evELaak rOman lipim amre bhaashaam likkattak parichayam kerliDrhana sEtte.
If you are not yet familiar, do not blame yourself; you can even now try and get familiar in another five years !
angunuku ture haal likkattak musarani meneti, tumi vichaar poDattak avashyam nhii. atto meLLi prayatno keruvaayi; angun oNTe paancu orsum chokkaT likkattak tunko avDai.
You require will power and mind.
tunko dheiriyam kin monnuus paje hOriyo.
Initially you can mix English with Sourashtram; later you can gradually eliminate English words, wherever equivalents are available in Sourashtram.
harumbammu tumi ingLiish vatto kavli likkuvaayi; jato jato tumi amre bhaashaa vatto kaLaLLi ingLiish vattaan upayOk kerariyo unno kerlEt avDuvaayi.
When you meet a person, are you not conversing with that person inSourashtram?
tumi oNTe menikuk dekketi, tenka seraaDi Sourashtrammu vatto kerariyOs na ?
It will be lively if you speak in Sourashtram.
tumi amre Sourashtra bhaashaam vatto kereti, telyo jiivu shakti jhukku sEtte maadiri lagai.
So I request you to practise writing in Sourashtram. No more waiting !
tekahaali, mii tunko phiir magullariyo sourashtra bhaashaamuus likkuvO meni. phiir dobbi tainankan.

[UPAMANYU] O.S.SUBRAMANIAN.


Practise writing in Sourashtram using any script you know.