BhagavadhyAna sOpAnam- Swamy Desikan sthOthram - compilations of wonderful commentaries- Book review

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SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest srivaishnavas,

 

During the Thirunakshathram [last Panguni Rohini] of

asmadhAchAryan His Holiness Srimad PaRavakkOttai

Andavan Swami, one of the books released was the

wonderful commentary of Bhagavad dhyAna sOpAnam-

SthOthra of Swamy Desikan on Lord Ranganathan in line

with ThiruppanaazhwAr's Amalanaadhipiraan. This book

written by Sri VN Vedantha Desikan Swami is the

compilation of brilliant great vyAkhyAnams (four of

them) written by scholars and vidwAns in last century.

There are invaluable Sanskrit commentaries,

maNipravALa commentary, Simple Tamil commentary and

also English translation by SRi VNV Swamin. It caters

to all levels, from a novice right up to learned

Sanskrit scholar who is well versed in the language.

When talking to His Holiness by phone, Swami was happy

to hear that the book has been released and it is

Swami's dream to release such books for almost all

Desikan sthOthras based on the almost lost

commentaries [that have been unearthed by

Swami]Reproduced below is the Book review appeared in

the Hindu for the book on Bhagavad dhyAna sOpAnam.

 

regards

namo narayana

dasan

*********

Hymn of Desika

 

SRI BHAGAVAD-DHYANA SOPANAM: With word-to-word meaning

in Tamil, commentaries in Sanskrit and Manipravala and

detailed explanation in English by V. N. Vedanta

Desikan. Pub. by Paundarikapuram Srimad Andavan Swami

Ashramam, Ashraman Salai, Srirangam-620006. Rs. 50.

 

THE BHAGAVAD Dhyana Sopanam, inspired by the

Amalanadipiran of Tiruppanalvar is one of the

well-known hymns of Vedanta Desika. It describes the

enchanting beauty of Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam,

step by step (sopana), from the feet, calves, thighs,

navel, chest, hands, face and to the crown, which will

be helpful to the devout to concentrate and meditate

on the Lord's idol form as a totality. The beauty of

the hymn is enhanced by the judicious choice of the

significant metre Mandakranta by Desika.

 

Its value has been further enhanced by the learned

commentaries it carries in the volume under review.

There are five commentaries — two in Sanskrit; one by

Valayapettai Swami, another by Srisaila

Raghavachariar; one in Manipravala by Chinnamu

Ranganathachariar, a simple word-to-word meaning in

Tamil and also brief explanation and notes in English,

both by V. N. Vedanta Desikan.

 

The Sanskrit commentaries in particular, prove to be

mines of information, containing valuable references

to the works of Kalidasa, Patanjali, Adi Sankara,

Parasara Bhatta, Desika and many others. Several are

the quotations from the Vedas, Upanishads, the

Ramayana, Gita and the Bhagavata.

 

The world of scholars is deeply indebted to Srimad

Andavan Swami of Paundarikapuram at whose instance

this book has been brought out. He has thus saved the

valuable Sanskrit and Manipravala commentaries from

extinction.

 

However, it has to be pointed out that there are a

number of errors in this publication. Care should have

been taken to provide error-free texts of Sanskrit

commentaries with proper punctuation and correct

splitting of words.

 

 

 

 

M. NARASIMHACHARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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