chapter 1 Katmandu

Vladimir Gary

jack sāhitya-adhyāpakaḥ bhavatum aicchat,

Jack a literature professor wanted to be , iṣ c6 imper.

sāhityaṃ tasmai bahu na hi rocate ,

not because he liked literature, ruc c1 mid.

kintu prathamata eva hi tatra bahavaḥ kanyāḥ bhaveyuḥ iti

saḥ kāranantaḥ amanyata man c4

but because he reasoning

thought there would be lots of interesting girls about.

kintu tad eva bhavitum na aśaknot.

But that was not to-be. śak c5 imperf.

bhāgyādhyakṣaḥ madhye agacchat

A fateful judge intervened imperf.

ca tasmai varam adadāt kārā vā senā vā iti vṛṇīṣva.

and gave to-him the-choice jail or army choose vṛ c9 sing.2 mid.

laghu varaṇam iti tat dṛṣṭam tadā.

an easy choice It seemed like at the time.

was-seen

kintu tadanantaram afganisthāne varṣa-trayaṃ bhūtvā…

But after 3 years in Afghanistan ……

nūnam saḥ Smithsonian Institute madhye kāryaṃ kṛnoti .

Now he is working for the Smithsonian Institute. c5

laghu kāryam - ‘granthān prāpnuvan anyat kimcid vā iti’

an easy job acquiring manuscripts or something c5

pap āp c5

saḥ akāmayat yat te kimcid bhūyaḥ avadiṣyan,

He wished that they would tell him more conditional mood

kintu ‘cintā māstu’,

but what the hell

tasya bahu dhanam āsīt, gṛham koṣe api account āsīt,

lots of money, an apartment and expense account as c2 imperf.

nūnam esā jīvitum gatim asti, naiva ?

now this is the way to live

nūnam saḥ atra komala-bhojanālaye katmandu-nagare abhavat,

Now here he was in a bland café in Katmandu, bhū c1 imperf.

kāṣṭhamayāḥ utpīṭhikāḥ avarṇita-bhittayaśca śāntamayam iti

bare wood tables and plastered walls needing to be painted

abhavat yatparyantam saḥ nepala-sundarīm tarantīm prakoṣṭham adrākṣīt .

bland that is, until this Nepalese beauty was seen walking across the room.

dṛś s ao. sing.2

saḥ tām vaktu

He must speak to her. vac c2 imper.

Jack kṣamasva mā śrīmati, tvam āǹglākām bhāṣase vā ?

‘Excuse me miss. Do you speak English.’ ? bhāṣ c1

kṣam c1 imper. sing.2 mid.

Girl na hi, āǹglābhāṣā na bhāṣyate mayā,

no English-language is-not-spoken by-me . bhāṣ pass.

aham saṃskṛtam vacmi .

i speak Sanskrit vac c2

J uttamam, aham kimcid api saṃskṛtam vacmi.

very good , i also speak some Sanskrit. c2

tvam kaminski’s pustakāpaṇam jānīse ?

Do you Kaminski’s book shop know ? jan c9 mid.

G sā smitvā vadati ām, jāne suṣṭhu tam.

She having-smiled says, ‘yes, i know it well. c1 c9

hyas aham tasya samīpam acalam.

yesterday, i of-it near walked cal c1

J uttamam, mārgam pradiśtum tvam śaknoṣi vā?’

‘Excellent, are you able to-point-out the way ? ’ śak c5

G ām, yadā aham bhojanam samāpnomi , margam pradiśāni.

Yes, when I finish the meal the way i shall point out

yadā bhojanam samāpyate āp c5 diś imper.

J ‘uttamam’

great,

G goji-badaryāḥ surām tvam pūrvam apibaḥ ?

the Goji berry wine have you tried , pā c1 imper.

yad uttamam vartate.

it is very good. vṛt c1 mid.

J dhanyavādaḥ kintu aham manye yavasurā kṣemataram bhavet iti.

‘thank you but I think I will stick with beer. kṣema comfortable n