Book review from the Hindu- Desika's hymn- Gopala vimsathy

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Desika's hymn

 

GOPALA VIMSATI — With Word Meaning, Sanskrit and

Manipravala Commentaries, Tamil and English

Explanations by V. N. Vedantadesikan: Pub. by Srimad

Andavan Poundarikapuram Swamy Ashramam, 43-A/13,

Ashram Salai, Srirangam-620006. Rs. 50.

 

THIS BOOK is one of the 29 hymns of Vedanta Desika,

the greatest poet-philosopher of the Srivaishnava

tradition. It is in praise of Lord Krishna in 21

beautiful verses. Desika in his own style has mixed

the religious and philosophical ideas in his hymns

which would be rather difficult to understand without

a commentary.

 

There are several commentaries by many authors in

various languages and in different scripts. Making all

the commentaries available at one place with an

English translation to a modern reader is the icing on

the cake. V. N. Vedantadesikan has undertaken the task

of compiling all the available commentaries on Vedanta

Desika's Stotras with an English commentary.

 

The present work, Gopala Vimsati, is the second in

this series, after Desika's Bhagavad Dhyanasopana.

Parallels and comparisons are drawn from the Vedas and

the Puranas in the commentary. For instance in the

commentary on verse 13, the Bhagavata Purana is quoted

and on the next, a verse from Desika's play "Sankalpa

Suryodaya" is quoted.

 

The author has given the philosophical concepts in a

lucid language so that it is easy for beginners to

follow. For this he deserves praise. This will be an

asset for connoisseurs of literature in general and

also for traditional scholars.

 

 

S. PADMANABHAN

http://www.hindu.com/br/2004/10/12/stories/2004101200061400.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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