U.Ve. Dr.N.S.Aanantharangacharya Swamy's monograph on "The selections from Upanishads" , 2002

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear VedAbhimAnis :

 

Earlier this year , 32 VedAbhimAnis from overseas

and few from India came forward to support a very

important Kaimkaryam : The Publication of the first

of the three volumes of translations on Major Upanishads

following the VisishtAdvaic tradition.The first of the three

volumes entitled "The Selections from Upanishads was

released at Bangalore by HH SrI Rangapriya Swamy of

the AshtAnga Yoga Vigyana Mandiram on October 30 ,2002.

adiyEn recieved an advance copy of this informative

monograph few days ago .HH SrI RangapriyA Swamy hs

contributed a nice foreward to the First Volume

that he relaeased .

 

Thanks to all Supporters of this Project

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First of all adiyEn wants to thank all the VedAbhimAnis ,

who responded to the call for underwriting the expenses of

the publication of the three volumes on Upanishads by VedAntha

VidvAn Dr.NSA Swamy .It is their "stout" help that made us

realize the publication of this First monograph in expeditious

manner. We shall all be grateful always to Dr.NSA Swamy for

blessing us with the brilliant translations of the selected

Manthrams .It is a wonderful treat for beginners and

advanced students alike.

 

A Note of Appreciation of " Upanishads Monographs : Volume I "

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(1)The first Volume houses the collection of significant

manthrAs from all the 15 Upanishads following the VisishtAdvathic

intrepretation by SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni of SrIrangam ,

who is known generally a s Upanishad BhAshyakArar.

The choice of the manthrAs chosen from 15 Upanishads attest to

the Scholarship of Dr.NSA Swamy .The smoothness of translation

is admirable. It is not an easy matter to translate abstract

and complex VedAnthic texts in Sanskrit to English or for that matter

in to any other language. This is where Dr.NSA Swamy's

command of Sanskrit and English as well as his in depth

knowledge of SampradhAyic commnetaries of Upanishads

and Veda Manthrams comes to the fore. Upanishads are not

just provincial and esoteric scriptures intended for

a small group.They are indeed scriptures par excellence for

the World and its people for all times.We have today

abundant commnetaries on Upanishads in English by Advaitha

and Dvaita Scholars.Rare indeed are English translations

and commentaries following the VisishtAdhvaithic darsanam.

SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni created his Sanskrit Commentaries

on Upanishads following pasages dealing with Upanishads

in SrI BhAshyam . Dr. NSA Swamy with his own mastery of

SrI BhAshyam and Swamy NigamAntha MahA Desikan's Sri Sookthis

has brilliantly translated the commentaries of SrI Ranga

RaamAnuja Muni.

 

We shall always be indebted to Dr.NSA Swamy for helping

aspirants and SaadhakAs at all levels to gain a clearer

understanding of the purport of major Upanishads that form

the foundation of Brahma SoothrAs , Bhagavath GeethA and

Dhivya Prabhandham .

 

The first volume commences with a brilliant and concise

introduction to the 14 Upanishads from which the selection

for translation has been made. This is followed by translations of

important manthrAs from each of the 14 Upanishads . A most

valuable appendix has been added , which provides an index

of all of the 961 ManthrAs from the above 14 Upanishads.

This is indeed a monumental task .These monographs by

Dr.NSA Swamy on Upanishads are a must in every one's

library .

 

The Second Monograph on Upanishads

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Dr. NSA Swamy is actively at work now on the preparation

of the other two companion monographs:

 

(2) A Composite Volume of the principal Upanishaths (viz).,

Isa , Kena , KaTha Prasna ,Mundaka , MANDookya , TaittirIya ,

MahA NaarAyaNa and SvEtasvatAra containing FULL versions

with their translations and brief notes on them in English

following the Sanskrit texts of SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni of

the 16th Century.

 

The Third Monograph under preparation

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(3) The third monograph would be a full version of

the ChAndhOgya Upanishad belonging to the Saama Vedam

with English translation and notes thereon based on

SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni's commentaries.

 

The VaishNavA Community is deeply grateful to

Dr.NSA Swamy for his dedicated kaimkaryam to

help us access these rare VisishtAdhvaithic

commentaries in an easy to access format.

 

Samples of Translations from Volume I

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adiyEn will conclude this note with two samples

of Dr.NSA Swamy's translations :

 

(1) Second Manthram of NaarAyaNatharvasirOpanishath

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" aTa nithyO NaarAyana: , BrahmA NaarAyana: ,

Sivasccha NaarAyaNa: , dhyAvA PriTivyou cha NaarAyaNa:,

Kaalasccha NaarAyana: , Disasccha NaarAYaNa: ,

Urdhavasccha NaarAyaNa : , Adhasccha NaarAyaNa: ,

antharbahisccha NaarAyana: , NaarAyaNa yEvEdham SARVAM

yahbhUtham yaccha bhavyam , nishkalO niranjanO

nirviklapO nirAkhyAtha: suddhO dEva yEkO NaarAyaNa:

 

na dhvithIyOasthi kascchith , ya yEvam Veda ,

Sa VishNurEva bhavathi Sa VishNurEva Bhavathi,

ya yEthathyajurvEdasirOadhIthE "

 

" NaarAyaNa is eternal. BrahmA is NaarAyana (i-e).,

NaarAyaNa is his inner self. ShivA is NaarAyana as

NaarAyaNa is his inner self. Indra is NaarAyaNa as NaarAyaNa

is his inner self.Time , Directions and inter directions

are all NaarAyaNa because NaarAyaNa is htier inner self.

Region above and Region below are NaarAyaNa that which is

within and that which is outside is verily NaarAyaNa as

they have Him as their inner self. All this that is,

and that was and will be in the future is verily

NaarAyaNa alone. NaarAyaNa is the One , Non Second

deity , who has no defect , no taint , no change ,

nor any limitations but is ever pure and auspicious.

There is not second entity whosoever (Every thing that

exists ahs NaarAyaNan alone as their inner self and

there is no entity which has not Him as his inner self).

He who realizes thus becomes similar to VishNu.

The Yajur Veda Siras ordains like this".

 

(2)Selection from ChAndhOgya Upanishad : 8.4.2

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tasmAdhvA yEtham sEthum thIrthvAndha: sannandhO bhavathi

viddha: sannaviddhO bhavathyupatApI sannanupatApI bhavathi.

tasmAdhvA yEtham sEthum theethvApi nakthamaharEvAbhinishpadhyathE.

sakrudhvibhAthO hEyvaisha Brahma lOka:

 

" Therefore reaching this Sehtu or Ordainer , one being

blind before , overcomes blindness , one who is wounded

by a weapon overcomes wounds , though one is ill overcomes

illness. Therefore for one , who has crossed SamsAra and

reached this Brahman designated as sEthu even the night

becomes the day. This BrahmalOka is always luminous."

 

These are just two samples of exquisite translations.

adiYen recommends you to gain access to the other 959

manthrAs culled from the 15 Upanishads .

 

Our collective namskArams to Dr.NSA Swamy for bringing

the Veda Purushan before our eyes . NamO NaarAyaNAya.

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

P.S: The monograph is priced 200 rupees and can be

acquired from SrIman Anantha Narasimhan Swamy

780 V Main Road , Vijayanagar , Bangalore 560 040

(phone ) 338 3755 .

e-mail: ananth