pancakanya

[Madhav Deshpande]

The verse I have in front of me goes like:

karko.takasya naagasya damayantyaa nalasya ca /
.rtupar.nasya raajar.se.h kiirtanam kalinaazanam //

This is one of the many verses included under Praata.hsmara.na (p. 14), booklet titled Praata.hsmara.na, ed by J. B. Kesharkar, 5th edition, 1936, Pune.

The same booklet also contains (p. 15):

ahalyaa draupadii siitaa taaraa mandodarii tathaa /
pancakanyaa.h smaren nityam mahaapaatakanaazanam //

Also of interest may be the following verse (p. 13):

pu.nyazloko nalo raajaa pu.nyazloko yudhi.s.thira.h /
pu.nyazlokaa ca vaidehii pu.nyazloko janaardana.h //

                                                                        Madhav Deshpande

> ----------
> From:         Georg von Simson
> Reply To:     Indology
> Sent:         Thursday, February 13, 2003 4:05 AM
> To:   INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
> Subject:           Re: pancakanya
> 
> Since I am just writing an article on the Nala-and-DamayantI story,
> the verse containing the names KarkoTaka, DamayantI and RtuparNa
> would be interesting for me. Could you be so kind and quote a correct
> sanskrit version?
> 
> Best regards,
> Georg v. Simson
> 
> Madhav Deshpande wrote:
> 
> >This verse is also typically included in the many popular
> >praata.hsmara.na collections of verses.  I was taught to recite it
> >as I was growing up.
> >                                                         Madhav
> >
> >>  ----------
> >>  From:         venkat at ciefl.ac.in
> >>  Reply To:     Indology
> >>  Sent:         Wednesday, February 12, 2003 2:52 PM
> >>  To:   INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
> >>  Subject:           pancakanya
> >>
> >>  Nearly after 40 years later I hear the pancakanya sloka.  My mother used to
> >>  recite this before going to bed along with another (now I realize ) Sanskrit
> >>  sloka to ward off snakes, scorpions and other harmful creatures.  The verse,
> >>  from memory run like this:
> >>
> >>  Karakotakasya naagasya ...damayanti cha rutuparanasya
> >>  rajarshi teerthanam kalinashanam
> >>
> >>  and then
> >>
> >>  Ahaylay draupadi kunti taara mandodari
> >>  tatha pancakanya smare nityam mahapataknashanam
> >>
> >>
> >>  These were recited five times before going to bed.
> >>  I now realize that they have puranic sources.
> >>
> >>  D. Venkat Rao
> >>
> >>
> 
>