Guest guest Posted January 31, 2001 Report Share Posted January 31, 2001 I was asked to provide a brief introduction of myself. I am a student of Vedanta and science. I am disciple of H.H. Swami Chinmayanandaji and currently teaching Vedanta at the local Chinmya mission in Virginia. I participate actively in the advaitin group and currently posting weekly articles on the Shankara Bhaashya on Brahmasuutra to the adviatin group. Then why am I here? Bhakti is the essence of Sadhana whether you are adviatin, vishishhTadvaitin and dwaitin as emphasized recently in response to a question by Shree Ananta Rangachar in his last Sunday's Telephone talk series. (If one has not d to these talks I advice everyone to do so - there is a wealth of information and he is discussing sadhana aspect currently). I come from traditional vishishhTadvaitin family. My father, Kuntimaddi Seshacharlu, was a great scholar of sanskrit and VishishhTadvata and was well known in Rayalaseema area. He has written extensively in Sanskrit and Telugu. From his stature, I am only a pandita putra. He passed away four years ago and we are still trying to publish his unpublished works. There are 14 volumes of commentaries on Shree Vedanta Deshika's Rahasyatraya saara and H.H. Shree Naarayana chinna jiira has taken up the task of publishing that work. Before he passed away, he gave me an unpublished manuscript of my 9th great great grand father - Tirumala Narasimhachar on Shree Stuti, asking us to publish it first. Since this involves more scholarly work involving alankaara-s and centered on ShR^ingaara aspect, I am planning to translate my fathers commentary into English and publish for the benefit of many. Strange as it may sound, while my father was a staunch VishishhTaadvaitin, and I ended up as adviatin, Lord Krishana asked us to take care of a young sanyaasin who had to quit the Maadhva Mutt since he crossed the oceans. The boy took me as God-father and now I have son who is a staunch Dwaitin. Last year when I was in India on sabbatical I helped him translate into English the essence of Nyaayasudhaasaara - (a summary of Nayasudha of Shree Jayatiirtha by senior Pejawar Swami, Shree Vishvesha tiirtha ). Contents are mostly related to Shree Madhva's bhaashya on Brahmasuutra. The book has just been published by the Mutt and was released this month in India. While I am adviatin my wife is staunch vishishhTaadvaitin and you can imagine our table talk discussions. As an adviatin I learned how to keep silent! - that way I found that the dinner on the table is insured. Two weeks ago we have a great Andaal Kalyaanam dance drama choreographed by my wife, Mrinalini, with her dance school students, and played at Shree Siva Vishnu Temple in Lahnam. It was a great show. Now you can imagine our busy life. I have provided more introduction than needed. I hope to learn from the group. Hari Om! Sadananda -- K. Sadananda Code 6323 Naval Research Laboratory Washington D.C. 20375 Voice (202)767-2117 Fax:(202)767-2623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 1, 2001 Report Share Posted February 1, 2001 >Dear Sadanandaji, >How can we get the translations >you dad and great grand father >did in Telugu? >Is there any place where we can >buy them? Did you great great grand >dad also write in telugu? > >Oud dasohams, raghu ramanuja dasa In response to my introduction, I was flooded by many e-mails. I want to thank all of them and am providing some information in response to some requests. Most of my father's works are in telugu or Sanskrit but also published in telugu lipi. Since most of them are in poetic style and involves bhakti - it is difficult to translate these. 1. He has written "Melinomu" - translation of Tiruppavai into telugu with extensive commentary that was published many years ago by TTD - But I heard it is now out of stock. To appreciate this you have to know telugu since lot of quotations are from Potana bhagavatam besides vedic texts and his own works. 2. He has translated "Amukta Maalyada" of Krishnadevaraya into Sanskrit -"VishNuchittiiyam" - again published by TTD in telugu lipi. - This is the story of Vishnuchitta and AnDal. The original telugu poetry itself is difficult to understand. The Sanskrit version is more difficult. 3. Another translation work is Allasaanipeddana's classic work in telugu - Manucharitra - into Sanskrit - "ManusambhavaH' - This was published by Andhra Sahitya Academy, Hyderabad. It was in Devanagari script but I understand copies are difficult to be located. - This is more of relevance to saahityam than bhakti. 4. Bhagavad Giita - according to Ramanuja's interpretation - This is in telugu poetry. We published ourselves last year- We have established Kuntimaddi Seshasarma Foundation and publishing one by one book. - If any one wants copies - if you write to me I will make a note and this summer when I go to India brings some copies. 5. Indira Vandanam - These are slokas in Sanskrit - A tribute to Maha Lakshmi - published only in Telugu lipi. We have to get this published again in devanagari script. 6. Three are three volumes of " yatiraajiiyam' - Published by my father (with the help of local vaishnva devotees - This is the story of Bhagavaan Ramanuja -and his digvijayams - in Classic Telugu poetry. His literary style is very unique and to appreciate his poetry one has to have good telugu -Sanskrit knowledge. 7. There are innumerable other books - and article close to 100 -some titles include Ramayana Paryavalokanam, Shree Krishana Vilaasam, VishishhTadvaita darpanam, parakaala maTha vaibhavam, Raghavendra vijayam, Sudhaabinduvulu, Telugu Talli, Hari Vilaasamu, etc. Many are published and some are not. I have mentioned already about the commentaries on Vedanta Deshika's works. - This is again in Telugu. Since it is a monumental task - Shree Narayana chinna jiir agreed to publish the works. I want to share something else. My father had great value for education. He was a schoolteacher, with meager income but our house was full with many poor students who were seeking education. This is besides the seven children he raised. We use to have also many weekly-once type students who used come on rotation. - I remember when I was a kid, a moving story - a poor boy approached first my mother and who readily agreed to feed him one day a week. - Later when he approached my father, he said no since he cannot afford any more as the house was already full. But my mother with full of tears came forward and said she would forgo her meals weekly on that day and feed that food to the boy so that there will not be extra cost. - The result was the boy ended up having two days a week at our house. We are indeed blessed to have such great parents, who taught us by their own examples. My father was himself mentored by his uncle - Shree Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sarma - who was sangeeta and saahitya vidvaan and was involved in the bringing out Annamaacharya keerthan-s under TTD sponsorship. (my father has translated some of Rallapallis works too). After my father passed away, we have established on his name a poor Brahman vasati gruham in Anantapur so that poor brahman students can stay freely and study. There are now 35 students who are selected based on need and merit. They go to regular schools and colleges but also learn vedic chantings. I am currently raising money to support these students - The idea is to raise money so that it can be put in fixed deposit and the interest will be used to maintain the students' expenses. The hostel is being run very efficiently and many donors have come forward to built rooms and other facilities needed for the students. Many who are retired are volunteering and also coaching the students who need help in studies. I am planning to raise the funds - as "Rishi Putra Program" - a support for a poor brahmin student. It would cost $500-750/- the interest from which helps to support a student. I am getting brochure printed for circulation. If anyone is interested in supporting, the cause, I will be happy to provide the details. The reason we started this is that we found several students who have no place to go. We have Vaishya hostel, Kashtriya hostel, kamma hostel, Reddy hostel, etc but nobody wants to take poor brahmin students only because he is not a Vaishya or kshatriya etc. We did not have much choice. We do not have facilities to take girl-students right now since that involves lot more security and facilities. I am sorry to flood all this information, but when one is taking about parents one cannot stop! they are the first daities on the earth. - maatR^itu devo bhava, pitR^idevo bhava and then aachaarya deva bhava - in that order says sruthi. There are the incarnates of Lord Narayana and Lakshmi. Hari Om! Sadananda -- K. Sadananda Code 6323 Naval Research Laboratory Washington D.C. 20375 Voice (202)767-2117 Fax:(202)767-2623 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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