In the previous verse Kalidasa tells that he is a dunce who aspires to be a great poet. This verse goes on to justify why he believes he can do the task despite the odds being against him.
अथवा कृतवाग्द्वारे वंशेऽस्मिन्पूर्वसूरिभिः |
मणौ वज्रसमुत्कीर्णे सूत्रस्येवास्ति मे गतिः ||
athavā kṛtavāgdvāre vaṁśe'sminpūrvasūribhiḥ |
maṇau vajrasamutkīrṇe sūtrasyevāsti me gatiḥ ||
athavā kṛtavāgdvāre vaṁśe'sminpūrvasūribhiḥ |
maṇau vajrasamutkīrṇe sūtrasyevāsti me gatiḥ ||
Or perhaps I (Kalidasa) can also be successful [अथवा ] because my worthy predecessors [पूर्वसूरयः] have bored holes in the diamonds [कृतवाग्द्वारम्] i.e. kings of this dynasty [अस्मिन् वंशः] using a diamond-tipped tool (which is their equally brilliant poetical calibre). My job [मे गतिः] is probably as easy as stringing these diamonds into a necklace.
ಇದು ಪ್ರಾಯಶಃ ಸರಳವಾಗಿಯೂ ಇರಬಹುದು ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕವಿಗಳು ಈ ವಜ್ರಸದೃಶ ರಾಜರುಗಳ ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ತಮ್ಮ ವಜ್ರದಂತಹ ಪ್ರೌಢಿಮೆಯಿಂದ ಬರೆದಿರುವರು. ನನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸವು ಈ ವಜ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಒಂದು ಮಾಲೆಯಾಗಿ ಪೋಣಿಸುವಷ್ಟು ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿದೆ.
जिस प्रकार अतिसूक्ष्म तंतु भी हीरे की सुई द्वारा मणि में बनाये गए छिद्र में कठिनाई से प्रविष्ट हो पाती है, उसी प्रकार हीनबुद्धि वाला मैं पुराकाल के श्रेष्ठ कवियों जैसे वाल्मीकि द्वारा विरचित रामायण में वर्णित इस महान् वंश के अतिदुर्गम काव्यद्वार में प्रवेश कर जाऊँगा।
अर्थात् पूर्वकाल के वाल्मीकि आदि श्रेष्ठ कवियों के प्रबन्धकाव्यों की सहायता से जिसका वर्णन कठिन है ऐसे महान् रघुकुल का वर्णन करने में समर्थ हो जाऊँगा।
some thoughts:
- There is a complex metaphor running in this verse. The kings of the fabled dynasty are like diamonds. Also, the previous poets (like Valmiki) who are also as brilliant as diamonds have written about the kings of this dynasty. ( Only a diamond is capable of cutting another diamond! ) Now, because the difficult part is done by these great poets, Kalidasa's work is probably as simple as stringing these diamonds into one necklace!
- Raghuvamsha is considered by scholars to be his last work. Kalidasa's modesty and at the same time his self-confidence clearly show his maturity and hence, justifies the stance of the scholars.
- This is the same as nanos gigantum humeris insidentes i.e. on the shoulders of giants, stand dwarfs. The discovery of truth is a process where we build upon the contributions of our predecessors.
ಇದು ಪ್ರಾಯಶಃ ಸರಳವಾಗಿಯೂ ಇರಬಹುದು ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕವಿಗಳು ಈ ವಜ್ರಸದೃಶ ರಾಜರುಗಳ ಕುರಿತಾಗಿ ತಮ್ಮ ವಜ್ರದಂತಹ ಪ್ರೌಢಿಮೆಯಿಂದ ಬರೆದಿರುವರು. ನನ್ನ ಕೆಲಸವು ಈ ವಜ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಒಂದು ಮಾಲೆಯಾಗಿ ಪೋಣಿಸುವಷ್ಟು ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿದೆ.
जिस प्रकार अतिसूक्ष्म तंतु भी हीरे की सुई द्वारा मणि में बनाये गए छिद्र में कठिनाई से प्रविष्ट हो पाती है, उसी प्रकार हीनबुद्धि वाला मैं पुराकाल के श्रेष्ठ कवियों जैसे वाल्मीकि द्वारा विरचित रामायण में वर्णित इस महान् वंश के अतिदुर्गम काव्यद्वार में प्रवेश कर जाऊँगा।
अर्थात् पूर्वकाल के वाल्मीकि आदि श्रेष्ठ कवियों के प्रबन्धकाव्यों की सहायता से जिसका वर्णन कठिन है ऐसे महान् रघुकुल का वर्णन करने में समर्थ हो जाऊँगा।
some thoughts:
- There is a complex metaphor running in this verse. The kings of the fabled dynasty are like diamonds. Also, the previous poets (like Valmiki) who are also as brilliant as diamonds have written about the kings of this dynasty. ( Only a diamond is capable of cutting another diamond! ) Now, because the difficult part is done by these great poets, Kalidasa's work is probably as simple as stringing these diamonds into one necklace!
- Raghuvamsha is considered by scholars to be his last work. Kalidasa's modesty and at the same time his self-confidence clearly show his maturity and hence, justifies the stance of the scholars.
- This is the same as nanos gigantum humeris insidentes i.e. on the shoulders of giants, stand dwarfs. The discovery of truth is a process where we build upon the contributions of our predecessors.
PS : This weekend we have 4 bonus shlokas coming up!
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