It was Valentine’s day couple of days back so to mark that occassion, let us look at some romantic verses in Samskrit literature. These poems are fun and made me laugh. I immediately wanted to log it on my blog and spread the joy. These poems are from Maha-subhashita-sangraha.

अहो धनुषि नैपुण्यं मन्मथस्य महात्मनः।
शरीरमक्षतं कृत्वा भिनत्त्यन्तर्गतं मनः॥

aho dhanuṣi naipuṇyaṃ manmathasya mahātmanaḥ।
śarīramakṣataṃ kṛtvā bhinattyantargataṃ manaḥ॥

Oh, how great is the bow of the bowman Manmatha. It can skillfully
break the heart without injuring the body while other arrows hurt the body before piercing the heart.

एकं वस्तु द्विधा कर्तुं बहवः सन्ति धन्विनः।
धन्वी स मार एवैको द्वयोरैक्यं करोति यः॥

ekaṃ vastuṃ dvidhā kartuṃ bahavaḥ santi dhanvinaḥ।
dhanvī sa māra evaiko dvayoraikyaṃ karoti yaḥ॥

There are many archers who can break a thing into two, but there is only one archer – Manmatha – who can unite two things. While a bow and arrow are generally used to break things, the greatness of Manmatha’s arrow lies in its ability to unite two hearts.

These padyams and their meanings were a refreshing break from my usual readings of kavyams. I hope these lighthearted verses bring a smile to all of you too! Happy Valentine’s day!

Enjoy life and trust in him!

शुभं भूयात्।