Sunday, 16 June 2019

Our Vedic heritage -001.Gita jayanti & Vaikunt Ekadashi



Namaskar

Reflections on Shree Gita Jayanti & Mokshada Vaikunta Ekadashi today 13th Dec 2013..

thought "If Indians would study open- mindedly their own spiritual legacy and empower themselves with its spiritual practices, then they can not only restore their country to its lost greatness, but can make India a global spiritual superpower."~ Michael Cremo- Vedic American scholar
Sharing in all Humility
a few thoughts -on the Mahabharat
:
Permit me to share a few thoughts -on the Mahabharat :

  • As the Epic  title itself implies the 'Greatness of Bharata' from Maharishi Vyasa & scribe Ganapati is in our Epic-Puranic lore and many Authors have written commentaries.

  • We actually have > 4 major scholars -authors, writing Commentaries in local language on the Mahabharat (and many more less well known too)  Kumara Vyasa (Kannada) , Thunchath Ezuthatcchan (Kerala in Malayalam, Nannaya and others in Andhra,  Villiputura (Tamil) in South India--esp. Karnataka,Kerala, Andhra in local languages  seem to have dominated. ( Tamilnadu seems to have  maintained a somewhat different path even in earlier times earlier with a view that Tamil is not derived from Sanskrit and had a different origin -not vedic ?..maybe so, I am nor t here to even comment but a general variation is seen in perceptions. What ever be the facts on this viw, it may be ackd. that today this argument is not really relevant any longer as the world has moved onto a "Global Culture" and local politics, arguments  have no place in Man's quest for Knowledge and Peace.
    Man seeks all avenues to better his knowledge and awareness and this is what Freedom from Ignorance to knowledge, freedom for all aspects of bondage as a Jeevan Mukta or Moksha ' here and now' can be reasonably  translated. 
  • .Today, we even have more  Western and other nations scholars and pilgrims coming to study our shastra, yoga, ayurveda  and doing it well .Most of  them are very sincere and thorough, highly dedicated and disciplined, which our locals often cannot do not realise. 

    NOTE:
    I have limited spoken knowledge of  of the southern languages and have tried to learn as much as possible with assistance:
  • Looking at the southern scholars & writers

  • Kumara Vyasa  (the pen name of Naranappa), under patronage of King Krishnadevaraya, on Vaishnava literature --was the most influential Vaishnava writings.
  • C.Rajagopalachari's book published by  Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is  actually a shorter  text to spread awareness and was brought out in in early 1950, which I  read in my Grandfathers house. It has been a wonderful primer and start for me ( or to any one) who prefers study in english
  • Legend says according to the Adi-parva of the Mahabharata (81, 101-102),  original text 8,800 verses was contained when it was composed by Maharishi Veda Vyasa,  but in recent books 1 lakh and 8 verses are stated.
  • From 1500 -1800-period  4 Major Local regional language Scholar-Writers  prevailed, as it  takes on detailed study and writing on even "One lakh and eight verses" -which only a Maha Muni can achieve -not mere Writers.Thus we see a few perceptions vary,but these  scholars  have generally agreed on all major aspects of Dharma and its maintenence -
  • DHARMA in it's Vishesh & Samamnya context of Shree Krisha's Upadesha  is quite  subtle and not easy to understand esp  if taken out of context and calls for Bhakti & Jnaana and the anugraha kataksha in the blessings of Mother Saraswati to succeed in swadhyaya.  Acharya -Guru kripa is essential to progress.
  • Most of the recent english  commentaries ( books) have never achieved a desired standard as they are critical reviews by arrogant writers with no bhakti - bhavana and mainly written with an egoistic, critical and populistic outlook. This attitude sadly  tends to reflect on the receptivity of many Indians and tends to dominate  the present day Indians writers and even media who think they can write or comment on anything, as they wish. This is all done with a glib pseudo intellectual outlook per se, to gain attention which is a very temporary phase and soon dies.
  • Only the major missions starting with the  Ramakrishna Mission and others have rendered yeoman service with Geeta Gyana Yajnas, Sarsangh, english text explanation and even Cds and Cassettes reasonably priced.
  • The interesting part is many Western Authors have written better; the greatest credit starts with and goes to the visionary  compliment from Sir Warren Hastings who had first copy of the  translation of Gita to English!! His note in the Gita english edition is now included even  in the RK Mission Gita preface and is a must read.
  • Quoted below:The Gita’s wide appeal by Lord Warren Hastings
    The Bhagavad Gita was first translated  into English by Charles Wilkins in 1785 and published by the British East India  Company with an introduction by Lord Warren Hastings, the first British  Governor-General of India, in which he prophetically wrote: “The writers of the  Indian philosophies will survive when the British Dominion in India shall long  have ceased to exist, and when the sources which it yielded of wealth and power  are lost to remembrance”. He further wrote “I hesitate not to pronounce the  Gita’s performance of great originality, of sublimity of conception, reasoning  and diction almost unequalled and a single exception amongst all the known  religions of mankind”.

  • Like the No. 9 numerical total in this Mahabharata text and Gita  is significant  as Stithaprajna. So too shall our vedic shastra and lore.
  • Mahabharat & Gita will always  guide us always.
  • kind rgds
    TR
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