[INDOLOGY] Deepseek

Tue Jan 28 22:47:07 UTC 2025

Dear Madhav,
I took the liberty of copying YOUR English translation of YOUR last Krishna
verse, and asked Deepseek to translate that poem into Sanskrit.
See below for the result.... not that bad for a two-and-a-half week old
baby ! Of course, your original creation in beautiful Sragdharaa lines is
incomparable.
Within its range of capacities, for "keep on guiding", pracodaya is not a
very good choice, prabodhaya would have been better (where you had
-udbodhanam)
But I only had specified the English version as a poem, and did not ask it
to translate it into a Sragdharaa verse or even just into a ;sloka...
Best,
Jan

*** *** ***
My question to Deepseek:
Please translate into Sanskrit the following poem:
O Krishna!
In the sacred woods of Vrindavan,
Let your sweet dance with the gopis flow on—
A symphony of love, timeless and divine.
On the vast field of Dharma’s plain,
Continue guiding Arjuna through the fray.
Let your chariot forever roam,
A beacon for the righteous, a shield for the just.
Yet, O Lord, amidst your cosmic play—
When will you pause,
And let this humble soul
Bow at your lotus feet?

*** *** ***
First, Deepseek gives an explanation of its thought process, which it says
lasted 22 seconds:

Okay, so I need to translate this poem into Sanskrit. Let me start by
understanding the content and the key elements. The poem is addressed to
Krishna, referencing Vrindavan, his dance with the gopis, the Bhagavad Gita
scene with Arjuna on the battlefield, and a personal plea to be able to bow
at his feet.

First, I'll break down each stanza to identify the main components and any
specific terms that need accurate translation. For example, "sacred woods
of Vrindavan" should be translated in a way that conveys both sacredness
and the forest setting. "Vrindavan" itself is a proper noun, so it might
remain as is or have a Sanskrit equivalent.

Next, "sweet dance with the gopis" – "gopis" is already a Sanskrit term, so
that's straightforward. "Sweet dance" needs to be translated with the right
adjectives and nouns. "Flow on" suggests continuity, so perhaps using a
verb in the imperative or optative mood.

The second stanza mentions the "field of Dharma’s plain" which refers to
Kurukshetra, the battlefield in the Mahabharata. "Guiding Arjuna through
the fray" relates to Krishna's role as charioteer and advisor. Here, terms
like "Dharma's plain" could be "Dharma-kshetra" as in the Gita's opening
verse. "Chariot" is "ratha," and "beacon for the righteous" needs
appropriate Sanskrit terms for beacon (maybe "dīpa" or "pradīpa") and
righteous ("dharmic" or "satyanishtha").

The last stanza is a personal plea, asking when Krishna will pause his
cosmic play to let the speaker bow at his feet. "Cosmic play" might
translate to "līlā," a common term for divine play. "Lotus feet" is a
standard epithet, "padma-pāda" or "charana-kamala."

I also need to consider the poetic meter and structure. Sanskrit poetry
often uses meters like Anushtubh (shloka), which has four lines of eight
syllables each. However, the original poem has varying line lengths, so I
might need to adjust to fit a classical meter or use a free form if
necessary.

Let me check some specific terms. "Sacred woods" could be "puṇya-vana" or
"pavitra-vana." "Symphony of love" might be "prema-sangīta" or
"sneha-sangīta." "Timeless and divine" could be "anādi-divya"
(beginningless and divine) or "sanātana-divya" (eternal and divine).

For "Continue guiding Arjuna through the fray," the verb "continue" is
important. Maybe using "pravartaya" (continue, proceed) in imperative.
"Through the fray" could be "saṃgrāma-madhye" (in the midst of battle).

The line "Let your chariot forever roam" – "ratha" is chariot, "forever"
could be "nityam" or "sadaiva," "roam" might be "caratu" (let it move).

"Beacon for the righteous" – "dharmiṣṭhānāṃ pradīpaḥ" (lamp for the
righteous). "Shield for the just" – "nyāyavādinaḥ kavacaḥ" (armor for the
just).

The plea section: "When will you pause" – "kadā tvam avasthāsyasi" (when
will you stop). "Let this humble soul" – "mama etat vinītaṃ ātmānam" (my
this humble self). "Bow at your lotus feet" – "tava padma-pāde śirasā
namet" (bow head at your lotus feet).

Putting it all together, ensuring grammatical correctness and poetic flow.
Also, considering word order since Sanskrit is flexible but certain
structures are more poetic. Maybe using vocative case for addressing
Krishna, like "he kṛṣṇa."

I should also verify the compounds and sandhi rules to make sure the
combinations are correct. For example, "vrindāvanasya puṇyavanam" (the
sacred forest of Vrindavan). "Gopībhiḥ saha madhura-nṛtyam" (sweet dance
with the gopis).

I might need to adjust some phrases for conciseness, as Sanskrit tends to
be more compact. For instance, "A symphony of love, timeless and divine"
could be "prema-sangītam anādi-divyam" (love-symphony, timeless-divine).

Another consideration is the use of appropriate verbs in the correct mood
and tense. The original has imperatives ("Let your sweet dance flow on",
"Continue guiding") which in Sanskrit would use the imperative or optative
forms.

After drafting each line, I should review for meter if possible, and ensure
that the translation captures both the literal meaning and the poetic
essence of the original. It's a balance between fidelity to the source and
the aesthetic of the target language.

Finally, checking for any possible errors in case endings, verb
conjugations, and sandhi. Maybe consulting a Sanskrit dictionary or grammar
guide for tricky terms. Also, ensuring that the names and terms are
correctly transliterated in Devanagari when writing the final version.

Next Deepseek says:

Here’s the Sanskrit translation of your poem, crafted with attention to
meaning, classical diction, and poetic flow:

---

**हे कृष्ण!**
**वृन्दावनस्य पुण्यवने**
**गोपीभिः सह मधुरनृत्यं प्रवहतु भवतः—**
**प्रेमसङ्गीतमनादिदिव्यम् ।**
**धर्मक्षेत्रस्य विशालाङ्गणे**
**अर्जुनं संग्राममध्ये प्रचोदय नित्यम् ।**
**त्वद्रथः सर्वत्र चरतु,**
**धर्मिणां दीपः, न्यायिनां कवचम् ।**
**किन्तु, हे प्रभो! तव विश्वलीलायाम्—**
**कदा त्वं विरमिष्यसि,**
**मम विनीतं चेतः**
**तव पद्मपादेषु नमेत्? ॥**

---

### Key Notes:
1. **Meter and Style**: Uses a blend of classical Sanskrit compounds and
free verse for lyrical resonance.
2. **Vocabulary**:
   - **मधुरनृत्यम्** = sweet dance | **प्रेमसङ्गीतम्** = symphony of love
   - **धर्मक्षेत्र** = field of Dharma (alluding to Kurukṣetra) |
**प्रचोदय** = guide/urge (imperative)
   - **विश्वलीला** = cosmic play | **पद्मपादेषु** = at lotus feet
3. **Tonal Balance**: Maintains reverence and intimacy, reflecting the
original’s blend of cosmic grandeur and personal longing.

Let me know if you’d like adjustments to specific phrases! 🌸

*** *** ***

On Tue, 28 Jan 2025 at 03:10, Madhav Deshpande via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> I asked the newly released Chinese AI Deepseek to render my Sanskrit verse
> into Hindi. Here is the result.
>
>
> हरे प्रचुरगोपिकापरिवृतोऽपि रासात्यये
>
> न विस्मरसि कुब्जिकां सदय दूरत: संस्थिताम् ।
>
> तथैव भवतोऽखिलं जगति भक्तवृन्दं भवत्-
>
> पदाम्बुजरतं प्रतीक्षत इहागतिं ते हरे ।।
>
>
> Here is the Sanskrit verse translated into Hindi,
>
> हे हरि!
>
> रासलीला के अंत में,
>
> असंख्य गोपिकाओं से घिरे होने पर भी,
>
> तुम दूर खड़ी कुब्जिका को दयापूर्वक नहीं भूलते।
> ठीक उसी प्रकार, हे प्रभु, इस संसार में,
> तुम्हारे भक्तों का समूह,
> तुम्हारे चरणकमलों के प्रति समर्पित,
> तुम्हारे आगमन की प्रतीक्षा करता है।
>
>
> The translation is surprisingly good.
> Madhav M. Deshpande
> Professor Emeritus, Sanskrit and Linguistics
> University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
> Senior Fellow, Oxford Center for Hindu Studies
> Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, India
>
> [Residence: Campbell, California, USA]
>
> _______________________________________________
> INDOLOGY mailing list
> INDOLOGY at list.indology.info
> https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
>

-- 

*Jan E.M. Houben*

Directeur d'Études, Professor of South Asian History and Philology

*Sources et histoire de la tradition sanskrite*

École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE, Paris Sciences et Lettres)

*Sciences historiques et philologiques *

Groupe de recherches en études indiennes (EA 2120)

*johannes.houben [at] ephe.psl.eu <johannes.houben at ephe.psl.eu>*

*https://ephe-sorbonne.academia.edu/JanEMHouben
<https://ephe-sorbonne.academia.edu/JanEMHouben>*

*https://www.classicalindia.info* <https://www.classicalindia.info>
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