100 Names for Love

From the Dictionaries of Jayadeva.. From the frameworks of Bharata Muni et al..

I am loving my Pizza!!

In modern English, there is no dearth of the love word.. From math, music, yoga to money, one could love any of these. The vocabulary of affection, passion, desire, interested in, smitten, fall for, enamored, fascinated and the list goes on.

What do the dictionaries of the ancient Sanskrit Poets have to tell? What are the ocean of words in Sanskrit? And did they leave their their foorprints in English ?

As we walk by the poetic aisles of Meghadootha, Gita Govindam, and philosophical aisle of Bhagawad Gita, let us hear the words from the heart of these works. About 150 words in this post around the topic of Love.

“Sanskrit has 96 words for love; ancient Persian has 80, Greek 3 and English only 1. This is indicative of the poverty of awareness or emphasis that we give to that tremendously important realm of feeling.”

Perhaps an exaggarated statement about English. Point being — English has a narrow spectrum of Vocabulary in the realm of emotions and inner workings. It is love than creates and sustains this universe. And the Indian philosophy has multiple realms and shades of words.

For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love..

And the Sanskrit vocabulary not alien to us.. As they are seen and celebrates as names such as Prem, Preeti and so on.

TOPICS & WORKS COVERED

Realms of Love
Shades of Emotions
Word Forms
Calling the Beloved
Rasa & Bhaavana

Meghadootam
The 10 states in Seperation
A love song from Atharva Veda
Gita Govindam

Moment of rapture
Seperation
Wedding Bells

Ayi Giri Nandini
Kanakadhara Stotram
Bhagawad Gita
Bhaja Govindam

GLOSSARY OF WORDS
MUSIC TRACKS

a) Realms of Love

What does the scriptures have to tell about different stages of Love? At a physical dimension, attraction is described as kaama. The attraction for gadgets, power, money, lust and the list goes on. It is said to be short lived and so is the happiness that it brings.

At the next level is prema. The kind of selfless love in parenting and friendship that blooms without any expectation.

And at the highest level of selfless love is bhakthi or surrender.

Kaama, Prema, Bhakthi: desire, love, selfless love

b) Shades of Emotion

Let us conquer the myriad words by mean of the root sound embedded in each.

“lub”

The word “love” has its origin from “lubh” meaning desire. Other related words are lobha “greed”, laalasa “desiring”. Sita in Ashoka Vana is shown as having the desire for having her husband back as in “bhartru laalasa”

lobh: greed, lubhd: to desire,

laalasa: desiring

lola, leela, lalitha: sport

“pri”

The Sanskrit root “pri” means “to free that which is pure ( p )” and its dictionary meaning being “to love” “to satisfy”. It then becomes “priyaa” meaning “beloved” and “priti” “prema” meaning “love”.

priti, prema, pranaya: love

priya: beloved

c) Word Forms

Like or ‘pizza’ example, let us look into the different grammar contexts.

I have ‘ love’ for pizza.. I have ‘liking’ for pizza
I ‘love’ pizza.. She ‘loves’ pizza
‘O lovely’ pizza !

The Emotional Nouns

kaama, preethi, prema, bhakthi, ishtam are the “I have love for xxx” words.

The Verb Forms

pizza aakankshate (desires)
pizza rochate (interests)
modakam modate (enjoys the modaks)

kaama, preethi, prema, bhakthi, pranaya

the phenomenon

rochate, icchate, akankshate:

he/she desires

bhAvayAmi, namAmi, smarAmi, bhajAmi:

I feel, I salute, I remember, I pray

The Carnatic composition “bhavayaami gopala” “I meditate on the little Gopala” and Shankaracharya’s gallactic ode to the morning.. Pratah Smaraami, Pratah Namaami, Pratah Bhajaami..

d) Calling the Beloved

O Priya, O Sakhi is a style of addressing the dear one.

The Yaksha of Meghadoota is cursed by the rich Kubera and seperated miles away from his beloved wife. He spots a beautiful rain bearing cloud and requests it to deliver his tidings to his beloved. How did he address his dear one?

Tanvi Shyama: Slender and dusky

Kanthaa, Bhama, Bhamini: O Glowing One

Manaswini, Manoratha: O Beautiful mind

Arya: O Noble One

Kaamini: O Desirable One

Priyatama: Dear one

Some calling styles from Tagore.. Reflection on the Beloved or rhe Divinity..

O Nirupama! O unparalled one..

O Priyatama! O dear One..

O Praan Bandhu Sakha re..

e) Play of Rasaas & Bhaavas

Bharata Muni in his Natya Shastra outlines the “rasaas”. The viewer is transported into another realm by the means of the rasas.

shringaara, alankaara: adornation

rati: love

viraha, shoka: sorrow

vismaaya: astonishment

haasya: mirth

krodha: anger

bhaya: terror

f) 10 stages in Love

Mallinatha, the famous commentator of Kalidasa’s works, outlines the stages of the pangs of love and seperation as felt by the Yaksha’s wife. And the stages are as applicable in Sita’s separation thousands of years back, to even the present day emotions.

While Natyashastra calls it “kaama avastha”, Mallinatha names it as “dasha anangadashaa” दश अनङ्गदशाः

Yaksha is worried about her delicate condition and rushes to the cloud to deliver his tidings to his wife, who has turned so frail in seperation and sustaining herself by the thin thread of hope of reuniting with her lover.

1. Love at first sight.. seeing and getting attached
2. Thinking about the beloved, मनः सङ्ग
3. संकल्प Having a resolve
4. जागरः keeping awake and not able to sleep
5. कृशता getting frail and emaciated
6. द्वेषः hating the things that were liked first - like turning her eyes away from the moon
7. लज्जात्याग, she doesn’t hide her tears
8. उन्माद getting agitated
9. मूर्च्छा She is about to faint at any time and is holding on to her body with difficulty
10. अन्त- Possibility of death

sangah: attachment

sankalpa: resolve

jaagara: awake

krushata: getting frail

dwesha: hating objects

lajja tyaaga: not hiding her modesty

unmaada: agitated

muurcha: fainting

anta: her end

[Dr Gauri Mahulikar, Dean of Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyalaya and a great Orator on Kalidasa’s works has provided this wonderful insight]

g) A love song from Atharva Veda

Embrace me totally just as a creeper embraces a tree..
May you be loving only me and not another..
I go around your mind just as the sun goes around heaven and earth..
As the bird flutters its wings to fly towards the Sun..
May you be loving only me and not another..

yathā vṛkṣaṃ libujā samantaṃ pariṣasvaje.. yathā māṃ kāminyaso

From the voice of Gabriella

pariswaja: to embrace

kamana: to desire

g) Gita Govindam

The gentle and sweet words full of rasa bhaavana milled and churned from the intense devotion of Jayadeva towards his Lord.

The divine pastimes of Radha and Krishna reside like a collection of paintings in the mansion of Jayadeva’s heart singing moments of separation, anger, reconciliation and union.

When spring’s mood is rich, Hari roams here to dance with young women. A cruel time for deserted lovers, my friend..

Be it in romance, divine pastimes or in bhakti

komala: delicate

sarasa vasanta: spring in bloom

vadhu, vanitha, yuvathi: young women

lalitha brindaavanam, raasa lila- pastimes at brindavana

viraha jana: seperated or deserted lovers

Radha is eagerly looking for Krishna in every direction in a stealth mode. She is bearing such a pain.

Pashyathi dishi dishi: looking at every side

rahasi: secretly

sIdati Radha: Radha is in pain/trembles

sIdati.. Arjuna’s trembles in chapter 1 Gita. Sita trembles at Ashoka Vana

She laments, laughs out aloud.. cries and trembles to get off her grief

Vilapati, vishidati: laments

hasati: laughs

rudati:cries

chanchati: trembles

taapam: fire, agony

Oh dear Radha, go quickly to meet your beloved Krishna. He has sent a message for you.. He is waiting in the banks of Yamuna.

rati-sukha-saare: essence of delight(krishna)

madana manOhara vESam: lovable

mugda smita: lovely smile

chakita vilokita: amazed looks

lajjita: abashed

chumbita: kissed

pranita: loved

mudita: pleased

And Krishna reconciles by calling her

Priye..Chaarusheele : O dear one.. O beautiful one..

Sakhi re: O dear friend

Dehi Sundari: O beautiful one

And the munis and poet Jayadeva are drowning in ecstasic devotion

keshava kheli rahasyam -mysterious pastimes of keshava

keshu madanam udaaram -keshava is generous with his love

muni maanasa hamsa -the blissful swan of the mind of the munis

h) Moment of Ecstasy & Rapture

When travelling through the forest, King Dushyanta hears the laughter and hides behind the bushes. Shakuntala along with Anasuya and Priyamvada her friends were attending to the plants. King Dushyanta gets enchanted by this simple hermit girl of extraordinary beauty. Meanwhile a Bee begins to hover around her face. And Dushyanta gets jealous of the lucky bee that was able to kiss Shakuntala all over her face.

Some more words from the dictionary. The above story just as a teaser..

chumbana: kiss

aslisha, kantaslisha: hug

sarasa, leela, lola, kreeda: pastimes

pranaada: sigh of rapture

mada, pramada, matta, unmatta, pramatta: intoxicated / exhilirated

rata, rati, ramati: sensual enjoyment

The English term “rut” “rum” seems to be from “rati”, “rama”

maithuna, samyoga, sambhoga: sensual union

On a side note, In the philosophy of Yoga, Dr Nagendra from SVYASA university explains that happiness is in the union of the Subject and the Object. “vishaya vishayi sambhoga”.. like “watching a beautiful scene and becoming one with it” kind of union sambhoga.

vibhrama: rapture / dazzled

“hrs”

There is a sense of forceful exhalation in the sound “ha” as seen in the sighs “Ah”, “aha”, “aho” to “huttt” and the laughing “ha ha” and sneezing coughing sounds indicating “motion” “pushing” kind of a feeling.

“hrs” whose meaning is to “excite” to “gladden” to “rejoice” becomes “harshana” whose meaning is to become “thrilled with rapture” to experience “horripilations” and to “cause the hair to stand on end”.

roma harsha, harSati, praharSa, hRSTa : Rapture

i)Wedding Bells

pariNaya, pariNIta

vivAha, kalyAnam, lagnam

gAndharva vivaaham: just by mutual consent

j)Pangs of Seperation

Sita is miles away from Rama at Lanka and is drowning in the sorrow of seperation. She wonders if her good fortune is depleting.

gatra sparsha: wanting to feel the touch

viraha vEdana: pain of seperation

dutah, sandeshaH: messenger, message

k) Realm of Bhakthi

Krishna @ Vrindaavan

“Vana” meaning “love” “desire” “craving” is expressing the most potent forces which entrap the soul within this “wilderness”. The English word “Venus” who is “God of love” derives from “vana”.

Vana: Love, Forest

Vanamaali: Caretaker of the Forest

Vrundaavan: Dwelling of Krishna

Vrunda, Vindati, Vinoda: to like

Vatsala: affection

Mudita, Moda, Madhuram, Muda: sweetness

In Madhuraastakam, Vallabhacharya paints a beautiful image of Krishna with sweet lips, a cherubic face, jet black eyes, a soulful laugh and a beautiful gait..

Madhuradhipather Akhilam Madhuram
You are the lord of sweetness. Everything about you is so sweet.

And the loving nature of Rama towards his people is known by

Sharanarti, bhakthaVatsala, karunya: kindness

l) Ayi Giri Nandini

Victory of the Goddess over the demons Madhu, Kaitaba, Mahishasura, Raktabheeja etc which also mean our desires, passion, anger and other vices. Devi when jubiliant is embodiment of knowledge, music, wealth, nourishment.

The words have a rasa of “shringaara” and some “haasya”.

lajjita kokila manjumate — the cuckoos were ashamed by the voice of the Goddess

nandita: pleased

harsha rathe: delighted in her bliss

haasa rathe: delighed in laugh and smirth

madhu madhure: sweet as honey

ramya kapardini: beautiful hairlocks

sumana sumanohara kanthi -beautiful and charming radiance

matta matanga: intoxicated & delighted elephants

mada urjita: swelling with pride

m) Words of Kanakadhara Stotram

While the Divinity is at play in the cosmic creation of the world, Shankaracharya prays to the Goddess to have mercy on him and lend a graceful glance.

pulaka: escatic delight

apaanga leela: play of glances

kataksha: merciful loving glance of the goddess

mugdha: charmed

prema: love

pranayini: beloved

pranihitaani: fixated upon

leela, kheli: play

trapaa: bashfulness

n) Words of Gita

Raaga, Anuraaga, Dwesha

O Arjuna, Know that “likes and dislikes” are obstacles on your path.

bhakthi, shraddha, upaasana: worship & surrender

praseedati: blessings

brahmasparsha: kiss of the absolute

mumuksha: liberation

o) Words from Bhaja Govindam

An old grammarian was busy learning the rules of Grammar at the banks of Kashi. Shankaracharya prods him to look inward and leave the excessive outward way of life. It is aptly called as Moha Mudgara.. A kind of surgeon’s mallet to prevent drowning in the delusional sea of attachment and samsaara.

Bhaja

Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam
Pray to the Lord

Moha: delusion

Do not go delusional after seeing a woman
dhrishtwaa maa gaa mohavesham

Staavat, Saktah: fixation, attachment

Alas! As a child he is busy playing. As an adoloscent, he is fixated and has attachment to the other gender. As he grows old, he is busy with his health. When does he find time for thinking about the absolute?
Tharuna staavat tharunee sakthah.

Ramate, Nandati: revelling, enjoying

He who is revelling inwardly in the brahman,
He alone is truly enjoying.
yasya bhrahmani ramate chitham
nandati nadati nandatyeva

Vandanam, Vande: salutations

Naamami, Pranaami, Bhajaami: I salute

Anugraham: blessings

Pibare: drink

Tyagaraja soaking in devotion towards Lord Rama

Pibare raamarasam..rasane..Pibare Raamarasam
May I drink the essence of Rama

GLOSSARY

K kaama, kaamaroopini

P prema, preethi, pranaya, pranayini, priya, priyatama

M mrudu, madura, maaduryam, mohana, moha; muda, mudita, mugda, manmada, manaswini, manorata; mada, madana, pramada, matta, unmatta, pramatta, mumuksha

R rasa, sarasa; rati, manorata, ramya, rama, ramate

L lola, leela, laalasa, lubda, lalita, lilavati, lajjita

V vatsala, vana, vana maali, vanita, vasanta, vindati, vande, vandanaam

H hrusta, harshita, hrudya, praharshita, roma harsha

Audio Tracks

• Love song from Atharva Veda | Gabriella
• Gita Govindam | Ramesh Krishnakumar
• Bhaja Govindam | Swami Brahmananda
• Kanakadhara Stotram | Ravindre Sathe
• Kalidasa’s Meghadootam

References

Gita Govindam Books on Archives by Barbara Miller

https://legendsinmusic.ucoz.com/index/jayadeva_ashtapadis/0-176

http://www.sanskrit-linguistics.org/dcs/index.php?contents=texte&PhraseID=607671