BELOVED WIFE -KAANTAA- ( कान्ता)

SUBHASHITHANI:159
सानन्दं सदनं सुताश्च सुधियः कान्ता प्रियालापिनी

इच्छापूर्तिधनं स्वयोषितिरतिः स्वाऽऽज्ञापराः सेवकाः।

आतिथ्यं शिवपूजनं प्रतिदिनं मिष्टान्नपानं गृहे

साधोः सङ्गमुपासते च सततं धन्यो गृहस्थाऽऽश्रमः ।। Chanakya  niti

Saanandam sadanam sutaasch sudhiyah kaantaa na durbhaashini.

Sanmitram sadhanam swayoshiti ratishchaagyaaparaah.

Aatithyam shivapoojanam pratidinam mshtaannpaanam grahe'

Saadhoh sangmupaasate hi satatam dhanyo grahasthaashramah.

A person's family life is peaceful and successful if he has a comfortable house to live in, his children are wise and learned, his wife is not rude and ill speaking, he has good and reliable friends, he is faithful to his wife , has obedient servants, is hospitable to guests, and every day worships Lord Shiva and enjoys tasty food, and always keeps the company of noble persons. Surely blessed be such a householder.

माता इव रक्षति,  पिता इव हिते नियुंक्त्ते

कान्ता इव च अपि रमयति अपनीय खेदम् |

लक्ष्मीं तनोति वितनोति च दिक्षु कीर्ति

किं किं न साधयति कल्पलता इव विद्या ॥

Knowledge protects like a mother; direct towards beneficial endeavours like a father; like a wife takes away sadness and pleases; enables gaining wealth; spreads the fame in all four directions; Like the kalpalatha tree, what all aren’t achieved by means of Knowledge?

कांतावियोगः स्वजनापमानो     रणस्य शेषः कुनृपस्य सेवा ।

दरिद्रभावो विषमा सभा च     विनाग्निमेते प्रदहंति कायम् ॥

kAntA viyogaH svajana apamAna      raNasya sheShaH kunRupasya sevA ।

daridrabhAvo viShamA sabhA cha     vinA agnim ete pradahanti kAyam ॥

The following can burn our body without fire – departure of the wife, humiliation by our own people, unfinished battle, having to serve a bad king, poverty and a unfriendly assembly (of people who cannot decide right from wrong).

का ते कान्ता कस्ते पुत्रः   संसारोऽयमतीव विचित्रः ।

कस्य त्वं कः कुत आयात-   स्तत्त्वं चिन्तय तदिह भ्रातः ॥ ८॥ Bhaja govindam

Who is your wife ? Who is your son ? Strange is this samsAra,  the world. Of whom are you ? From where have you come ?  Brother, ponder over these truths.

निद्रा–प्रियो य: खलु कुम्भकर्णो हतस् समीके स रघूत्तमेन |

वैधव्यम् आपद्यत तस्य कान्ता श्रोतुं समायाति कथां पुराणम् ||

Nidraa-priyo yah khalu kumbhakarno hatas sameeke sa raghoottamena I

Vaidavyam aapadyata tasya kaantaa srotum samaayati katha puraanam II

Kumbhakarna loved Sleep.  When he was killed by Rāma,  Sleep was widowed.

Now, she spends her time   visiting discourses and sermons.

ahi ripu pati kaantaa taat saMbaddha kaantaa |

hara tanaya nihantR^i praaNadaatR^i dhvajasya |

sakhi suta suta kaantaa taat saMpuujya kaantaa |

pitR^i shirasi patanti jaahnavii naH punaatu ||

The verse consists of deciphering long-winded relations to

arrive at the correct meaning (whereas a first look is misleading)

ahi = snake, ahi-ripuu = eagle, garuDaH, garuDa-pati = Master of garuDaH = vishhNu

vishhNu-kaantaa = wife of Vishnu = lakshhmii ,lakshhmii-taat = Father of Lakshmi = Ocean (saagarH)

saagara-saMbaddhaH = one who blocked/tied down the ocean = raamaH

raama-kaantaa = Ramas wife = siitaa , siitaa-har = one who abducted siitaa = raavaNaH

raavaNa-tanaya = Ravanas son = Indrajit ,indrajit-nihantR^i = one who killed Indrajit = lakshmaNaH

lakshmaNa-praaNadaatR^i = one who gave life to Lakshman = hanumaanaH

hanumaana-dvaja = One whose flag has Hanuman on it = Arjun ,arjuna-sakhi = Arjun’s friend = Krishna ,kR^ishhNa-suta = Krishna’s son = madana ,madana-suta = Madan’s son = aniruddha

aniruddha-kaanta = Aniruddha’s wife = ushhaa ,ushhaa-taata = Usha’s father = baaNaasura

baaNaasura-saMpuujya = one who is worshipped by Banasur = shivaH

shivaH-kaantaa = Shiva’s wife = Parvati  , paarvati-pitaa = Parvati’s father = Himalaya

It actually means, May jahnavi (the river Ganga), falling from the Himalayas, purify us.

द्वेधा   भ्रमं तु वेधाश्चक्रे  कान्तास्वपि  च  कनकेषु.      |

यदि कान्ता साध्वी यदि कनकं सुततं भवाब्धिपोतं  तत्  || 

Dveshaa bhramam tu veshaashchakre  kaantaasvaapi cha kanakeshu.

Yadi kaantaa saadhvee yadi kanakam sutatam bhavaabdhipoto tat.

Between one's wife and the wealth acquired by him (these two) there is always a state of  confusion , faithfulness and piety.  If the wife is virtuous and faithful and the wealth is acquired by fair means, then they both act as a ship to cross over the ocean of miseries of this World.

इत्येवं विलपन्रामः परिधावन्वनाद्वनम्। क्वचिदुद्भ्रमते वेगात्क्वचिद्विभ्रमते बलात्।।3.60.36।।Ramayana क्वचिन्मत्त इवाभाति कान्तान्वेषणतत्परः।

Rama ran from forest to forest, now jumping, now taking strong strides, but all the time weeping, like a madman busy in search of his beloved.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH