#marathi books

[rain-cloud-26]

It pisses me off marathi movies and marathi literature don't have a big enough fandom.

I'm not saying just fans. I'm saying fandom culture with fanfics and fanart like how hollywood and other english media have.

[dahi-wada]

Namaste,

Please, recommend Marathi books of any genre but self help!

I've started to go to the library again as I'm at home for vacation, I want to read as much as I can :)

[survivetoread]

Read With STR: मृत्युंजय - कर्ण 1.1

Let's go! We're reading मृत्युंजय [mṛtyuṅjay] by Shivaji Sawant. The book is divided into several sections, each focusing on one character. कर्ण [karṇa] gets multiple sections dedicated to him.

We begin with the first chapter of the first section, कर्ण [karṇa].

कर्ण 1.1

कालवश [kālvaś] - dead

तत्त्वचिंतक [tattvaciṅtak] - philosopher

समरांगण [samarāṅgaṇ] - battlefield

भाता [bhātā] - quiver (of arrows)

ठासणे [ṭhāsṇe] - to tamp, to pack

एकजात [ekzāt] - of the same stock or parentage

पात [pāt] - drop

तळपणे [taḷapṇe] - to radiate, to glow

बांधिव [bāṅdhiv] - artificial, built

केविलवाणे [kevilvāṇe] - pitiful

कलाहीन [kalāhīn] - artless, uncultured

पारखणे [pārakhṇe] - to evaluate, to discern

धरणितल [dharṇital] - the surface of the earth

यच्चयावत [yaccayāvat] - every single one

प्रेमसर [premsar] - shower of love

ओथंबणे [othaṅbṇe] - to sag

गहनगंभीर [gahangaṅbhīr] - profoundly deep

निर्धार [nirdhār] - determination, resolve

थोपवणे [thopavṇe] - to stop, to hinder

जोम [zom] - energy, vitality, vigour

लक्तर [laktar] - rags, torn cloth

गर्जणे [garzṇe] - to shout, to roar

जरीकाठ [zarīkāṭh] - gold thread-edged

तलम [talam] - fine, delicate

कुंपण [kuṅpaṇ] - fence, enclosure

सहस्र [sahasra] - thousand

चिंधी [ciṅdhī] - rags, torn cloth

अडगळीत [aḍgaḷīt] - messy, disorderly, littered

संदुक [saṅduk] - chest, trunk (for keeping objects)

झंझावात [zhaṅzhāvāt] - storm

झुंजणे [zhuṅzṇe] - to deal with, to cope with

गदागदा हलवणे [gadgadā halavṇe] - to shake, to jolt

सामर्थ्य [sāmarthya] - strength, potency, vigour

नितान्त [nitāṅta] - extraordinary, excessive, to a great degree

चष‍क [caṣak] - goblet, cup

नर्तक [nartak] - dancer

पदन्यास [padnyās] - footwork

आवेगपूर्ण [āvegpūrṇa] - full of impulse or passion

आलिंगन [āliṅgan] - embrace

क्षणभंगुर [kṣaṇbhaṅgur] - fleeting, transient, frail

प्राणपण [prāṇpaṇ] - risk of one's life

रांगडा [rāṅgḍā] - rough, uncouth

कानठळी [kānṭhaḷī] - deafening

मर्मभेदक [marmabhedak] - that cuts or pierces a tender place

कळप [kaḷap] - flock, herd

इतस्तत: [itastatḥ] - here and there, to and fro

सुबक [subak] - attractive, pretty, neat

चाळवणे [čāḷavṇe] - to tantalise, to incite, to excite

बकुल [bakul] - bullet wood, medlar, Spanish cherry

दरवळणे [darvaḷṇe] - to waft, to linger

मंजूळ [maṅzuḷ] - pleasant to hear, sweet to the ears

Notes and summary:

Good gosh, I only read 5 pages and I already have a massive vocab list out of it. Madness. This novel isn't holding back at all.

In this opening chapter, the narrator Karṇa declares that he wishes to speak of his life posthumously. He describes the events of his life as arrows of a quiver that he wishes to unleash upon the world, and declares that he would have his arrows tested by the fatherhood, motherhood, brotherhood, mentorship, and friendship of this world.

Karna describes his life as decorated royal vestment turned into torn rags by the ravages of circumstances. Further, he warns the listener that his story has no goblets of sweetness or hypnotic dances, but only conflict.

He is confounded by how to begin when so many memories appear before him, but his thoughts come to the town of Champa on the banks of the Ganga. He is very fond of the town, describing it as his (presumably mental) refuge.

[rain-cloud-26]

Im reading mrutyunjay and what is this book man 😭😭

Ashwathama literally says he's friends with Karna because Karna is hot as fuck. I can't-

[survivetoread]

Read With STR: मृत्युंजय - कर्ण 1.5

We're reading मृत्युंजय [mṛtyuṅjay] by Shivaji Sawant!

कर्ण 1.5

सारथी [sārathī] - charioteer

पर्णकुटी [parṇakuṭī] - cottage

अपूप [apūp] - a small cake of flour

पिंगट [piṅgaṭ] - brown, auburn

पुष्ट [puṣṭa] - nourished, cared for

उधळणे [udhaḷṇe] - to run amok

त्रेधातिरपीट [tredhātirpīṭ] - consternation, confusion

सफाईदारपणे [safāīdārpaṇe] - elegantly, gracefully

उमटणे [umaṭṇe] - to appear on the surface

मार्दव [mārdav] - delicacy, tenderness

आसूड [āsūḍ] - horsewhip

आयाळ [āyāḷ] - mane

डिवचणे [ḍivačṇe] - to provoke

योजन [yojan] - an ancient measure of distance of about 1.4 km

व्याकूळ [vyākūḷ] - anguished

काहूर [kāhūr] - cloud of confusion

श्येन [śyen] - bird of prey, such as a hawk or eagle

कपोत [kapot] - pigeon, dove

क्रौंच [krauṅc] - crane (bird)

थवा [thavā] - flock, crowd

कुतूहल [kutūhal] - curiosity

तेजःपुंज [tejḥpuṅja] - brilliant, burning bright

हुरहुर [hurhur] - yearning, anxiety

वियोग [viyog] - bereavement, separation

रोरावणे [rorāvṇe] - screech, such as of a bird

धिप्पाड [dhippāḍ] - lofty, imposing

राकट [rākaṭ] - tough

मांसल [māṅsal] - fleshy, fat, corpulent

उद्गार [udgār] - utterance, interjection, ejaculation (of speech)

खूर [khūr] - hoof

खिंकाळणे [khiṅkāḷṇe] - to neigh, to whinny

ताल [tāl] - palmyra tree

किंशुक [kiṅśuk] - palash, bastard teak

मधुक [madhuk] - oil-nut, butter tree, mahua tree

पाटल [pāṭal] - padri tree

तमाल [tamāl] - false mangosteen

शाल [śāl] - sal tree

तरळणे [taraḷṇe] to float

घटका [ghaṭkā] - an ancient measure of time

वेळावणे [veḷāvṇe] - to turn, to move

Words I did not get:

वेगांचे काच [vegāṅče kāč] - "त्याच्या हातांवर वेगांचे काच उमटलेले असत."

पत्ररथ [patrarath] - some kind of bird, but can't tell which one exactly

रथनीडा [rathnīḍā] - "रथनीडाच्या बाहेर डोकावून त्यांच्या थव्यांकडे एकटक पाहत तो मला अनेक प्रश्न विचारीत असे."

सांतवण [sāṅtvaṇ] - some kind of tree?

Notes and summary:

Karna mentions his father as a charioteer in the service of the Kuru king Dhṛtarāṣṭra. When Karna's father would bring his chariot back home, Shona and Karna would go on a joyride to the banks of the Ganga, where Shona would collect clamshells.

The two brothers banter on the way back, with Karna flippantly swearing that he will rise high like eagles do, so much so that Shona will not even be able to see him.

As he returns with Shona, Karna feels an unusual attraction to the setting sun, even feeling bereaved at its temporary departure. Shona remarks in passing that the setting sun resembles Karna's face.

Shona mentions Karna's attraction to the sun to their mother, and Karna's mother stares at Karna until he leaves the cottage.

[survivetoread]

Read With STR: मृत्युंजय - कर्ण 1.3, 1.4

We're reading मृत्युंजय [mṛtyuṅjay] by Shivaji Sawant!

कर्ण 1.3

विशुद्ध [viśuddha] - purified, cleansed

प्रतिष्ठा [pratiṣṭhā] - glory, fame, prestige

असूया [asūyā] - envy, jealousy

निर्हेतुक [nirhetuk] - without selfish interest

द्वारपाल [dvārpāl] - gate-guard

कृतज्ञ [kṛtajña] - gratefulness, thankfulness

माया [māyā] - love, affection

दुबळा [dubḷā] - weak, infirm

पाझरणे [pāzharṇe] - to leak, to trickle, to seep

निर्भेळ [nirbheḷ] - unadulterated

Notes and summary:

Karna describes a carefree childhood spent in Champa with his younger brother Shoṇa (Śatruṅtapa, but commonly called Śoṇa]. He also expresses praise and deep gratefulness for his parents Radha and Adhirath.

Karna expresses how, when thinking of his parents, a pair of tears wells up in his eyes, but that he considers tears to be the sign of a weak mind and so wipes them away.

कर्ण 1.4

मनसोक्त [manasokta] - at will, to one's heart's content

कुंडल [kuṅḍal] - earring

कासावीस [kāsāvīs] - distressed, agonised

डोलवणे [ḍolavṇe] - to move, to sway

मुका घेणे [mukā gheṇe] - to kiss

अनिवार [anivār] - irrepressible

Notes and summary:

Karna was commonly known as 'Vasu' in town and by his loved ones. He had an earring on each ear since he was a newborn.

Karna expresses effusive praise for his mother for her affection. He describes her as constantly afraid of losing him, and she warns him never to go close to the river Ganga, although she doesn't tell him why.

Secretly, Karna finds himself irrepressibly drawn to the river's banks to play. He swears not to tell his mother about this, to the point of bribing his younger brother with clamshells and medlar fruit.

[survivetoread]

Read With STR: मृत्युंजय - कर्ण 1.2

Second chapter of the first section of कर्ण [karṇa]. We're reading मृत्युंजय [mṛtyuṅjay] by Shivaji Sawant!

कर्ण 1.2

लतावृक्ष [latāvṛkṣa] - sal tree

पहुडणे [pahuḍṇe] - to lie, to recline

चकोर [čakor] - Chukar partridge

चातक [cātak] - Jacobin cuckoo

कोकीळ [kokīḷ] - Asian koel

भारद्वाज [bhāradvāj] - crow pheasant

कलकलाट [kalkalāṭ] - racket (of noise)

रणरणणे [raṇraṇ'ṇe] - to glow in intense heat

कदंब [kadaṅba] - burflower-tree

लोळ [loḷ] - glowing fire

अर्भक [arbhak] - infant, child, baby

क्षितिज [kṣitij] - horizon

पात्र [pātra] - channel of a river

अफाट [afāṭ] - boundless, immense, gigantic

निर्भीड [nirbhīḍ] - dauntless, intrepid

अवखळ [avkhaḷ] - mischievous, playful

उत्तरीय [uttarīya] - upper or outer garment

खट्याळपण [khaṭyāḷpaṇ] - mischief, naughtiness

स्वैर [svair] - unrestrained, wilful, self-willed

फेरफटका [ferfaṭkā] - stroll, tour

कोंदण [koṅdaṇ] - setting or socket for gems

निखळणे [nikhaḷṇe] - to come loose

झेपावणे [jhepāvṇe] - to leap

Notes and summary:

In this short chapter, Karna briefly describes his hometown Champa and the banks of the Ganga, where he plays with wild abandon. He also contemplates on the nature of childhood, likening it to an chariot driven by wilful and free horses, which can take him to flights of fancy.

[survivetoread]

Read With STR: Season 3 Intro

It's time to read another Marathi book! This time around, we're tackling a full-blown novel.

It's not just any novel either, it's one of Marathi literature's most celebrated pieces: मृत्युंजय [mṛtyuṅjay] by Shivaji Sawant.

As before, we'll be tackling vocabulary as we go along. This time around, I'll also be summarising the chapters as I go.

The title of the book translates to 'Victory over death' in Sanskrit.

It follows the events of the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata through the perspective of one of its more interesting yet overlooked characters, Karṇa.

I believe Sawant expects his readers to have some idea of who Karṇa is in the Mahabharata, so I'll be reading up on Karṇa and offering a summary of his role in the Mahabharata before I begin proper.

You can read more about the author here!

Let's survive and read!