Win Chess in 1 move (1 move checkmate)

Checkmate!
What has the word Checkmate got to do with Sanskrit?
Well,the next time you play chess and checkmate the King remember Sanskrit!

Let's play!

Checkmate is from the Persian word Shah Maat which means "The King is helpless" later it it was taken to mean "The King is dead" because Maat means dead in Arabic.

So how is all these linked to Sanskrit?

The Persian word Shah which means King originated from the Sanskrit word (kshatriya)(क्षत्रिय)(Royalty) and shortened to just ksha क्ष.

Now the next word Maat, In Persian it means Helpless and  in Sanskrit the word maata (मात) describes the situation faced by the King in the game of chess that is the fate of the King has been meted out hence totally helpless.

Hence checkmate is क्षत्रिय: मात (kshatriya maata) shortened to क्षमात्(kshamaat) and spelt as Shah maat in Persian. 

Engelbert Humperdinck - Please release me - 1989

कृपया विमोचनं यच्छतु अहं गच्छानि च 



Nope, Its not some Bhakta line seeking liberation from God but its about a guy singing that he wants to be released from his current relationship and wanting to love someone else.

That's what the line in Sanskrit means...Please release me and let me go! 

कृपया विमोचनं यच्छतु अहं गच्छानि च | (kRpayA vimocanaM yacchatu ahaM gacchAni ca)


Enjoy the song.

Green Day: "Holiday" - [Official Video]

Today let's take a common scenario in Malaysia, that is after any long holiday many visit a doctor for an MC(medical certificate)  citing some vague complain of feeling unwell as usual perfectly timed right before starting work...here goes:

Doctor:  किम् अभवत् भवान् ? (kim abhavat bhavan) )(what happened to you?)

Patient :  मम आरोग्यं समीचीनं नास्ति | (mama Arogyam samIcInam nAsti) (My health isn't good)

Doctor:   वदतु!  किम्  अभवत् ? (vadatu! kim abhavat?)(Go on, tell me what happened)

Patient  : प्रातः आरम्भ्य   स्वल्पा शिरोवेदना  | (prAtaH Arambhya svalpA shirovedanA)(Since morning I have been having a mild headache)

Doctor  : ज्वरपीडितः वा? (jvarapIDitaH vA) (Do you have a fever?)

Patient  : आम् (Am)(Yes)

Doctor :  अस्तु, किन्तु इदानीं ज्वरः नास्ति| (astu, kintu idAnIM jvaraH nAsti)(Ok, but now there is no fever)

Patient : वैद्य! आसीत् ! ज्वरः आसीत् (vaidya! AsIt! jvaraH AsIt)(Doc! It was there! Fever was there!)

Patient  : वैद्य! कः रोगः? चोरोना विरुस्?(vaidya! kaH rogaH? Corona Virus) (Doc! What's the disease? Corona Virus?)

Doctor : न, चिन्ता मास्तु, अयं विरामरोगः | MCआवश्यकम्?(na, cinTa mAstu, ayam virAmarogaH) MC AvashyakaM?(No, don't worry, this is holiday disease. Do you need MC?)

Patient : आम् आम् |(Am Am) (Yes, Yes)

The Merrymen - Feeling Hot Hot Hot

Today let's give Sanskrit a local flavor.

Malaysians! I am sure most of you know the Malay proverb that goes "Siapa makan cili dia rasa pedas"(He who eats the chili feels the heat)

We can make this into a Sanskrit proverb too!

To keep a language alive we need to let it evolve and imbibe local cultures and scenario.

Mostly Sanskrit is very much "stuck" in the realm of religion and philosophy etc and everyone wants to get very holy with it.

By being too holy in a language we fail to allow it evolve and before you know it no one uses it!

Ok..so how do we say "Siapa makan cili dia rasa pedas" in Sanskrit?

The answer is यः मरिचं खादति सः तीक्ष्णं अनुभवति (yaH maricaM khAdati saH tIkSNaM anubhavati)

There you go Feeling  HOT HOT HOT!

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

How do we enhance Sanskrit learning skills?
One way is to pen our thoughts in Sanskrit.
For example if it rained all night..I would write this in Sanskrit.

आरात्रिः वृष्टिः आसीत् |  एतां   गीतां अस्मरं "वृष्टिबिन्दवः मम शीर्षे  उपरि पतन्ति"| 

ArAtriH vRSTiH AsIt  | ekAM gItAM asmaraM "vRSTibindavaH mama shIrSe upari patanti" |

Translation : It rained all night. I was reminded of this song "Raindrops keep falling on my head"

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Video)

Today we would go conversational, an often neglected part of the Sanskrit language.

It ain't hard to speak Sanskrit but its just that one needs to have a fairly good command on the vocabulary and some aspects of simple grammar before attempting to speak.

Last but not least is to speak it daily! Now that's going to be hard because not many people speak it.

But anyway one can always talk to one's own self!


Let's take a simple conversation today between 2 people:

A: अहो! इदम् अतीव कष्टम्!(O' this is too difficult)

B :न एतद् कष्टं न! ( No, this is not difficult)

A : सत्यम्?? (Really?)

B: आम्! सत्यम्! (Yes, its the truth)

A: ज्ञातं वा किम्  अवदम् ? (Did you understand what I said?)

B: आम्(Yes)

A: तर्हि? (then?)

B :भवति  न वा  इति पश्यामः (Let's see if it can be done or not)

चिन्ता मास्तु सुखी भव! (Don't worry be happy)

Who Told You So - Jackie Edwards

Who told you so?

How do we say "Who told you so" in Sanskrit?

Well, there are 3 ways of writing it.

1a) भवतः कृते एवं कः उक्तवान्  |  (bhavataH kRte evaM kaH uktavAn)(for masculine)
1b)  भवत्याः कृते एवं कः  उक्तवान् | (/bhavatyAH kRte evaM kaH uktavAn) (for feminine)

2 )तुभ्यम् एवं कः उक्तवान्  |(tubhyam evaM kaH uktavAn)

3) ते एवं कः  उक्तवान् | (te evaM kaH uktavAn)

All the above convey the same meaning though expressed in different ways.