VarNacitras -

The varNacitras are zlokas written with certain constraints on the use of consonants. You all might find it very interesting.


Here is a zloka where all the 33 consonants in Sanskrit come in their natural order:

kaH khagaughAGcicchaujA jhAJjJau'TauThIDaDaNDhaNaH |
tathodadhIn pa-phar bAbhIr mayo'rilvAziSAM sahaH ||


Who is he, the lover of birds, pure in intelligence, expert in stealing the strength of others, leader among the destroyers of the enemies, the steadfast, the fearless, the one who filled the ocean? He is the king Maya, the repository of the blessings that can destroy the foes.

Very beautiful zloka!
Who could be this sarasvatI putra?

These citra-kavyas are IMPOSSIBLE to understand.

Please translate:

nAnAnA nuni nAnene nAnA nUnananU nanu |
nAnA nUne nAnanAnnone no nAnA nanunnanu ||

I'll even help you out with a commentary:

atha zrIman-mahAprabhor vaibhavaM varNayati nAnety Ady ekAkSara-zlokena | nanu bho nAnAnA nAnA-puruSaH ko’pi ity arthaH | nuni sAnunayaM yathA tathA ANUn A samyak prakAreNa aNUn alpAn anu lakSIkRtya pracuratayA matvety arthaH | nAnAnune nAnA-prakAra-bahutare ata eva nAnanAnnone Ananasya mukhasya yad annaM tasmAt UnaM hInaM na tAdRg iti tat tasmin adharAmRtasyAlpataratva-viSaye ity arthaH | no na nAnA na bahutaraH iti nut prerakaH etad-vAdI na AsId iti zeSaH | idam AkUtaM yat, ko’pi mahAtmA alpAn api prabhu-sadRza-prabhu-prasAdAn savinayaM analpAn dRSTvA teSAM ca vividha-prakAratve bahu-parimitatve adharAmRtasyAlpataratve ca viSaye na pracurAH iti na avAdId iti | prabhu-prasAdAn analpAn api bahutayA sammAnitavAn iti saGkSepaH | ayam abhiprAyaH | zrIman-mahAprabhu-prabhAvAt yaH ko’pi puruSa evaM siddhAnta-sAraM nizcikAya yat prabhu-tulyatvaM mahA-prasAdasya | tathA ca zrImad-bRhad-bhAgavatAmRte—naivedyaM jagadIzasya anna-pAnAdikaM ca yat | brahmavan nirvikAredaM yathA viSNus tathaiva tat || ity Adi | nu vitarkApamAnayoH | vikalpAnunayety Adi medinI | viruddha-dharma-samavAye bhUyasAM syAt | sa-dharmakatvam iti nyAyena | aneka-dantya-na-kAra-saMsargAt aNUn AnaNUn ity atrANor Na-kArasya dantyatvam | inaH prabhuH | ajahat-svArtha-lakSaNayA tat-prasAdo jJeyaH | inena tulyaH ina-tulyas tAdRzaH inaH | iti madhya-pada-lopI samAsaH | inaH patyau nRpArkayor iti medinI | kRtam iti vistarataH paraM sugamam ||

And there are plenty more where those came from. Check Bhakti-rasamrita-sesa on GGM. This verse comes from Chaitanya-carita-maha-kavya, chapter 19. Also on GGM.

Quoted in SarasvatI KaNThAbharaNam of Bhoja.

I have another reading:

na nonanunno nunneno nAnA nAnAnanA nanu |
nunno'nunno nanunneno nAnenA nun-nanun-nanut ||

This is supposed to be from KirAtArjunIyam of Bharavi (15.15)

I'm afraid to break the sandhis even. Luckily, I got the translation handy.

A man is not a man who is wounded by a low man. Similarly, he is also not a man who wounds a low man. The wounded one is not considered to be wounded if his master is unwounded. And he who wounds a man who is already wounded, is not a man.

Bharavi is famous for artha-gauravam.

I like to quote this verse which describes the qualities of the works of Kalidasa, Bharavi, Naishadha and Magha:

upamA kAlidAsasya bhAraver artha-gauravam |
naiSadhe pada-lAlityaM mAghe santi trayo guNAH ||

Here is another zloka which uses only three consonants out of the 33 – da, va and na.

This one is at least easier to understand.

devAnAM nandano devo nodano veda-nindinAm |
divaM dudAva nAdena dAne dAnava-nandinaH ||

The God (Vishnu) who causes pleasure to the other gods and pain to the opponents of the vedas, filled the heavens with a loud sound as he killed Hiranyakashipu [a demon who forbade his son to take the name of Vishnu.]

uddhRta naga nagabhi danuja
danuja kulAmitra mitra zazidRSTe
dRSTe bhavati prabhavati na bhavati
kiM bhava tiraskAraH ?

O Lord Krishna!
You have lifted the Mount Govardhana on
Your little finger to save Your devotees!

You have appeared as the Brother (in Vamana Avatara)
to Indra the King of heaven to rescue him, and
vanquished many demoniac foes too at different times!

Your eyes are like the most powerful blazing sun
and the most pleasant, cool moon!

With all these considerations in mind,
there is no doubt that Your mere graceful
glance itself is capable of dispelling
all my worldly attachments!

So, kindly look at me at least once
with Your merciful eyes !