Temples and shoes

[aklujkar at unixg.ubc.ca]

In a light-hearted message, Narayan S. Raja wrote on 8 March:

<I also go to the temple to steal footwear.
...  I'm guided by an ancient Sanskrit inscription 
that I found on the wall of my house in Srirangam,
embodying the noblest of human values:
"AkAshAt patitam tOyam   yathA gachchati sAgaram
    sarva loka pAdarakshA:  pratigachchanti mAm tathA">

Quarter 'c  of this verse is metrically not correct.

As coincidence would have it,  my hobby is to wander in Srirangam at night
and change the inscriptions found on its house walls. Unbeknownst to Mr.
Raja, the inscription he quoted was changed some years ago to: 
aakaa;saat patita  toya.m yathaa gacchati saagaram / 
tathopaanaha aayaanti sarvaa maam ii a-mandiraat // 

Through my nocturnal wanderings, I also managed to get the authentic
version of the much-talked-about inscription at Khajuraho. It goes as
follows (refer to our resident expert Richard Salomon for translation): 

tvan-netra-sukha-kaariidam asmacchilpa.m, na sa.m;saya.h /
bhavya.m divya.m ;siva.m kaavya.m paa.saa.ne.su prasaaritam //1//
yathaa sajiivataa.m yaayaan nirjiivapi ;silaa tathaa /
.ta:nita.m ;silpibhi.h ;sre.s.thair viga.nayya nija-;sramam //2//
bhartra ca ;silpinaa.m te.saa.m ga.nito na dhana-vyavya.h /
cintita.m naiva  kaalasya kiyaan syaad vyaya ity api //3//
kim etat prek.sakaa.naa.m syaan muhuurtam anura;njanam /
ity etayaa k.rta.m buddhyaa sa.mbhogaade.h sucitra.nam //4//
ti.s.tha, he pathikaatra tva.m nipu.na.m cintayasva ca /
ki.m kalaa dharmato bhinnaa, ki.m kaamo dharmato 'pi vaa //5//
naaya.m devaalayo vaastu kevala.m graava-nirmitam /
;sivo 'ya.m muurtimaan nyasta.h puras te tattva-cintakai.h //6//
yathaa 'siva-caritre.su dharma.h kaama;s ca sa.mgatau /
sa.myama.h sa.myamaabhaavo, yatitva.m patitaa, tathaa //7//
asmin mi;sriik.rta.m dvandvam asmaabhir a;sma-ve;smani /
sundare mahadaakaare mahaa-deva-nibhe 'dbhute //8//
tavaapi jiivana.m. paantha, ;silpaad asmaan na bhidyate /
;silpa.m ca ;sivto 'bhinna.m. tasmadd asi ;sivaatmaka.h //9//
maitad vismara, he dra.s.tar. maavamanyasva kaamitaam /
d.r.s.tim aa;sritya paa;scaatyaa.m vik.toriiya-yugotthitaam //10//
yathaa d.r.s.tis tathaa s.r.s.tir. dr.s.tyaa te mok.sa-bandhanau /
d.r.s.tyaa s.r.s.ti.m vyatikramya bhukti.m muktyaa vi;sodhaya //11//
raajaa vaa raaja-gopaalo gopaalo vavi;se.sa.na.h /
ima.m lekha.m pa.thed ya.h sa bhaved buddha.h sva-jiivane //12//

Good wishes.

Ashok Aklujkar, Professor, Department of Asian Studies, University of B.C.,
Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z2. Tel: O: (604) 822-5185, R: (604) 274-5353.
 Fax O:
822-8937. E-mail: aklujkar at unixg.ubc.ca