The Magic of Sanskrit

Crafting Perfection in Alphabetical Order

Imagine a challenge where you have to construct a sentence in a language where every consonant appears in perfect alphabetical order. Sounds tricky, right? That’s exactly what I did with a group of bright young minds eager to learn the wonders of Sanskrit.

We started by attempting the same feat in English but soon realized it was quite a puzzle. However, our brainstorming led us to discover a clever set of words in English where the consonants naturally followed the order of the alphabet: A bee, code, fog, he, joke, lemon, opaque, rest, vow, axe, eye, zoo. In this set of words arranged in order, you can see the consonants of English appearing in alphabetical order. Impressive, right?

But then I shared with them something truly remarkable: in Sanskrit, a language boasting even more consonants than English, crafting such a sentence is not only possible but also a poetic art form. This poetic form is called ‘kramastha-sarvavyanjana — क्रमस्थ सर्वव्यञ्जन’, meaning ‘all consonants in perfect order.’

Their eyes widened with wonder when I mentioned that in Sanskrit, you can even compose poetry where the consonants flow in perfect order. A poem? They couldn’t believe it!

During my research for ‘The Wonder that is Sanskrit,’ I stumbled upon an extraordinary example from the ‘Sarasvatī Kaṇṭhābharaṇam — सरस्वती कण्ठाभरणम्’ (2.263) by Bhoja, an eleventh-century text. This verse is a masterpiece where every consonant from ‘ka’ to ‘ha’ gracefully appears in sequence.

Here is the Sanskrit verse along with its word-split and meaning:

कःखगौघाङचिच्छौजा झाञ्ज्ञोऽटौठीडडण्ढणः ।

तथोदधीन् पफर्बाभीर्मयोऽरिल्वाशिषां सहः ॥

kaḥkhagaughāṅacicchaujā jhāñjño’ṭauṭhīḍaḍaṇḍhaṇaḥ .
tathodadhīn papharbābhīrmayo’rilvāśiṣāṃ sahaḥ ..

One can see here that all the consonants of Sanskrit, starting from ‘ka’ to ‘ha’ are placed in their natural order. Below is the word-split of the verse and then its meaning in Sanskrit and English:

कः, खगौघाङ्, अचिच्छौजाः, झान्, ज्ञः, अटौठीड्, अडण्ढणः, तथा, उदधीन्, पफर्ब, अभीः, मयः, अरिल्वा, आशिषां, सहः ।

कोयं यः पक्षिप्रियः, शुद्धचित्तः, अन्येषां शक्तिहरणे निपुणः, अरिनाशकानां नायकः, स्थिरबुद्धिः, निर्भयः, यः सागरम् अपूरयत् ? सः एव राजा मयः, आशिषां निधानरूपः याः अरिनाशने समर्थाः ।

• कः — means “who”
• खगौघाङ् — here, “khaga” is a common word meaning “bird”
• अचिच्छौजाः — means “one whose mental energies are not split/destroyed”
• झान् — from the verbal root √jham, “eating” of the strength [prana] of others
• ज्ञः — “one who knows”
• अटौठीड् — wanderer in the battlefield
• अ-डण्ढणः — “not fickle”, thus “steadfast”
• तथा — “thus” or “and”
• उदधीन् — accusative plural of udadhi, ocean
• पफर्ब — “filled”
• अभीः — “fearless”
• मयः — a name! Maya
• अरिल्वा — “ari” enemy — “foe-destroying”
• आशिषां — āśis, blessing
• सहः — able to bear, worthy of bearing

Full Translation: “Who is he, who assembles flocks of birds, has his mental energies intact, consumes the strength of others, is a scholar, is the lord of those who slay wanderers, is steadfast, and, without fear, filled the oceans? He is Maya, worthy of blessings that destroy enemies.”

In this simple yet profound exercise, my young students discovered the MAGIC OF SANSKRIT. This ancient language not only holds a vast repository of knowledge but also allows for such exquisite linguistic artistry. It’s no wonder Sanskrit is often referred to as the most systematic and poetic language that evokes a sense of wonder.

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Isn’t it amazing how a language can weave such intricate patterns of meaning and sound? Sanskrit isn’t just a language; it’s a treasure trove of wonders waiting to be discovered. Who knows what other marvels lie hidden within its ancient verses?

It’s incredibly fascinating to see such examples which truly showcase the boundless creativity of the Sanskrit language and the remarkable ingenuity of the human mind. By manipulating language in such a captivating manner, it opens our eyes to the endless possibilities of linguistic expression.

In my journey of introducing this verse to countless Sanskrit enthusiasts through classes, workshops, and lectures on the marvels of Sanskrit, one question has consistently emerged: Can there be another verse like this? This question has lingered in my mind as well, driving me to continue my search.

Let me share that my persistence has paid off! I have indeed discovered another verse in Sanskrit where all thirty-three consonants appear in their natural order. This revelation, I am sure, will deepen your curiosity and wonder, sparking further exploration into the rich heritage of Sanskrit literature and language.

One day, I discovered a book in a library titled Vidvatcharitapanchakam, written by Pandit Narayana Shastri Khiste and published by Sampurnananda Sanskrit University in 1997. In this book, there was the example of a feat by one Gangadhar Shastri, head of the department of Sahitya and Darshan at Kashi Rajakiya Mahavidyalaya, and one Bharatamartanda Shatavadhani Gattulal Mahodayah who was a well established vidwan in Varanasi. This happened in the year 1879. Here, Bharatamartanda Shatavadhani was given a Samasya (a poetic challenge) by Gangadhara Shastri, which read as ‘babhau mayūro lavaśeṣasiṃhaḥ — बभौ मयूरो लवशेषसिंहः’. In this line, the letters from ‘ba’ to ‘ha’ are in perfect order. So Shatavadhani Bharatamartanda filled the rest of the three quarters of the verse by following kramastha-sarvavyanjana, and the final verse came out as:

अनेकवर्णक्रमरीतियुक्तः

कखागघाङच्छजझाञटौठः।

अडंढणः तोऽथ दधौ न पम्फुल्

बभौ मयूरो लवशेषसिंहः॥

anekavarṇakramarītiyuktaḥ

kakhāgaghāṅacchajajhāñaṭauṭhaḥ.

aḍaṃḍhaṇaḥ to’tha dadhau na pamphul

babhau mayūro lavaśeṣasiṃhaḥ..

[In this verse starting from the second line till the end one can find all consonants of Sanskrit in the perfect order]

Word-Split and Translation:

अथ — निदघोत्तरम्,
अनेकवर्णानां क्रम्मरीत्या युक्तः — पीतनीलादिविविधवर्णविशिष्टः,
कखागघाङ् — कखेन हासेन अनायासेन इति यावत्,
अगाम् कुटिलगामिनां सर्पाणाम्,
अघं भक्षणरूपमञ्चति पूजयति, आद्रियत इति तादृशः,
अच्छं शोभनं जातो झो भूषणरूपो यस्य सः अच्छजझः ञानां विराविणां टं ध्वनिं स्वरमाधुर्येण ओठति प्रतिहन्ति तिरस्करोति यस्तथाभूतः,
अडण्ढणः अचपलः,
लवौ न्यूनौ नानावर्णवत्त्वादिगुणैः शेषसिंहौ यस्मात् तादृग् मयूरः अपरपक्षिहंसादिवत्,
तः — क्षीणतां खेदमिति यावत्, न दधौ, प्रत्युत पम्फुल् सं प्रमोदातिशयं भजमानो बभौ।

Full Translation:

“Then, in the middle of summer, adorned with various colors in sequence, displaying hues of yellow, blue, and others, with ease and joy, like laughter, without any effort, [moving] in a winding manner, resembling the serpents, consuming sin and offering reverence, and adorned with pure and beautiful ornaments, [the peacock] of such a nature, possessing a melodious sound, suppressing the harshness with its sweet voice, being steady and not restless, among the two remaining peacocks, with various colors and qualities, like the swan and other birds, weakened and tired, did not sustain; on the contrary, it flourished and shone with extreme joy.”

This discovery was yet another wonderful moment for me to experience the intricacy and richness of Sanskrit. I felt that the ability to compose such verses, where every consonant follows the natural order, showcases not only the linguistic prowess but also the profound creativity embedded within Sanskrit literature. It encouraged me to delve deeper into this ancient language, to uncover more of its hidden gems and appreciate the timeless beauty it holds.

*****

Let me tell you, I was simply awestruck! My desire to find more such verses increased, and eventually, I discovered two more from Jinaraja Stuti by Muni Shri Rajasundara Vijay. The first verse features 32 consonants in the order found in the Sanskrit Varnamala, excluding the last sound ‘ha’.

Verse 1:

कखगाघङ चाछाज झञ टठाडढाणत |
थादाधनप फाबाभामाय रला व शाषस ||

kakhagāghaṅa cāchāja jhaña ṭaṭhāḍaḍhāṇata |
thādādhanapa phābābhāmāya ralā va śāṣasa ||

Word-Split and Translation: कखग! [सृष्टिसूर्य! अघङ! [पापविषरहित!] च! [विमल!] आछ! [प्राज्ञैः सन्माननीय!] अज! [अजन्मन्!] झञ! [श्रेयोज्ञान!] टठ! [राजपुत्र!] अडढ! [हास्य-लास्यशून्य!] अणत! [अनास्यचिन्त!] थद! [मङ्गलप्रद!] अध! [धनत्यक्तः!] फ! [चारो!] अब! [सलिलजसुरभे!] अभ! [निर्भय!] अमाय! [निर्दम्भ!] रल! [त्यागदातः!] व! [सुखिन्!] श! [वरेण्य!] अषस! [रोषकोपरहित!] न! [हे जिनेश्वर!] (माम्) अव! [रक्ष!]।

“O Creator Sun! O Sinless One! O Pure One! O One Honored by the Wise! O Unborn One! O Possessor of Auspicious Knowledge! O Prince, free from Laughter and Dance! O One Free from Unspoken Thoughts! O Bestower of Auspiciousness! O One Who has Renounced Wealth! O Beautiful One! O Fragrance of Water-born (Lotus)! O Fearless One! O Devoid of Deceit! O Giver through Renunciation! O Happy One! O Venerable One! O Free from Anger and Frustration! O Jineshwar! (Protect) me!”

The second verse features all consonants except ‘ka’, arranged in reverse order from ‘ha’ to ‘kha’.

Verse 2:

ह सषं शवं लं रं यमभं बं फप नं ध द |
थतं ण ढं डठं टं ञं झजं छचं ङघं गख ||

ha saṣaṃ śavaṃ laṃ raṃ yamabhaṃ baṃ phapa naṃ dha da |
thataṃ ṇa ḍhaṃ ḍaṭhaṃ ṭaṃ ñaṃ jhajaṃ chacaṃ ṅaghaṃ gakha ||

Word-Split and Translation:

ह! [शूर!] फप! [न्यायनिष्क!] द! [दायक!] ण! [योग्य!] गख! [प्रशस्यपुण्य!] ध! [हे धार्मिक!] सषम्! [श्वेतहृदयम्] शवलम्! [विमलम्] रम्! [ईश्वरम्] यमभम्! [संसारशिखिसलिलदम्] बम्! [श्रेष्ठम्] नम्! [नेतारम्] थतम्! [पुष्कलपुण्यम्] ढम्! [मात्सर्यरहितम्] डठम्! [रागरहितम्] टम्! [स्थिरम्] ञम्! [प्राज्ञम्] झजम्! [तपनतेजसम्] छचम्! [नलिनाननम्] ङघम्! [सुखसमुद्रम्] शव! [गच्छ]।

“Hail! O Brave one! O Just one! O Rightful one! O Deserving one! O Praiseworthy and Virtuous one! O Religious one! (You) attain to the Lord who is Pure-hearted, Spotless, Giver of the water of immortality, Excellent one, the Leader, Highly Meritorious one, Free from Envy, Free from Attachment, Steadfast one, Wise one, Radiant as the Sun, Lotus-faced one, and Ocean of Happiness.”

Conclusion

All the verses given above, with their alphabetical and reverse-alphabetical consonant sequences, exemplify the intricate patterns and poetic flexibility inherent in Sanskrit. Indeed, Sanskrit’s flexibility and richness invite us to explore, discover, and marvel at its treasures. Who knows what other marvels lie hidden within its ancient verses, waiting for us to uncover and understand their profound significance?

-Sampadananda Mishra