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Re: Dr. N.S. Anantharangacharya's Book on Upanishats

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Sadagopan • June 26, 2002 


SrI:
Nama SadasE !
SrImathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

Dear BhakthAs: May I invite Your attention to
the ongoing plans for printing a set of monographs in
English on Major Upanishads following VisishtAdvaitha
Darsanam.

Introduction
*************
Here is a humble introduction to the forthcoming
publications in English by U.Ve. Dr.N.S.AnantharangAcchAr 
Swamy of Bangalore on Major Upanishads . He has completed two
monographs on Upanishads already following the commentaries 
in Sanskrit by Sri VaishNava AchAryALs. He is working on 
two more dealing with ChAndhOgya and BruhadhAraNyaka 
Upanishad . Today we have an abundance of commentaries 
based on Advaitha and Dvaitha darsanams , but the monographs 
in English on the Upanishads based on the VisishtAdhvaitha
darsanam are rare. Dr.NSA Swamy is addressing this paucity 
(filling this vaccum) and blessing us with his erudite 
scholarship. There is a Tamil summary (Upanishad Saaram )
by U.Ve.Vaikunta Vaasi , utthamUr SwamigaL. 

Many of you know Dr.NSA Swamy as one of the greatest
SrI VaishNavite Scholars today , who has been prolific
in writing and publishing commentaries on original
Sri Sookthis, Veda Manthrams and Upanishads in Kannada
and English . Two of his most recent English publications 
are :(1)Gems from Rg Veda and (2) MahA NaarAyaNOpanishad.

Dr.NSA Swamy and SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni of 16th Century
**********************************************************
Dr.NSA Swamy has been actively working on the translation
and commentary of Upanishads based on SrI VaishNavite PoorvAchAryAs 
such as SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni of the 16th Century,
who is known as Upanishad BhAshyakArar. SrI Ranga RaamAnuja
Muni was the contemporary of great SrI VaishNavite AchAryAs
like MahAchArya of GatikAchalam (DhoddAchArya) and Panchamata-
Bhanjana TatAchArya (Taata Desikan) . Sri Ranga RaamAnuja Muni 
was the disciple of Taata Desikan and Vathsya AnanatachArya .

SrI Sookthis of SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni
*****************************************
Sri RangarAmAnuja Muni has blessed us with the following 
VisishtAdhavaithic treasures :

1. Sruta PrakAsikA vyAkhyana BhAva prakAsikA
   ( elaborations on the Commentary of SrI Sudarsana
     Soori's  erudite commentary on AchArya RaamAnujA"s
     SrI BhAshyam).

2. MoolabhAva prakAsikA

3. NyAya SiddhAnjana VyaakhyA ( Commentary on Swamy 
   Desikan's brilliant PrakaraNa Grantham , NyAya
   SiddhAnjanam).

4. SarIraka Saasthra DhIpikA ( Commentary on the essentials of
   SrI BhAshyam of AchArya RaamAnujA).

5. Bhagavadh Vishaya:  Sanskrit Commentary on ThiruvAimozhi
   following PoorvAchAryALs' commentaries.

6. RaamAuja SiddhAntha Saara: Essence of RaamAnuja darsanam
   and Selected SrI VaishNavite rituals.

7. Vishaya Vaakya DhIpikA : A lucid commentary on some important
   passages of the Upanishads selected by AchArya RaamAnujA in
   his Magnum Opus, SrI BhAshyam .

SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni was an authority on AchArya RaamAnujA's
and Swamy Desikan's SrI Sookthis. He has used this knowledge for
the benefit of posterity to bless us with the above SrI sookthis
in general and the Commentaries on Upanishads in particular 
following his magnificent poorvAchAryALs. Inview of his grand
contribution to comment on Upanishads based on the doctrines of
Tatthva Thrayam, ArTa Panchakam , Bhakthi, SaraNAgathi et al,
SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni has been given the title of Upanishad
BhAshyakArar by SrI GodhA pirAtti Herself.

Dr.N.S.AnantharangAchAr Swamy has prepared the manuscripts 
based on the Vishaya VaakyArTams of SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni
on the major Upanishads :

1. Selections from Major Upanishads: selected Manthrams (~250-300)
from all important Upanishads with translations. This is along the lines
of Dr.NSA Swamy's earlier relaease on "Rg Veda manthrAs".This is
under print.

2. ChAndhOgya Upanishad: Translation and brief notes based on
Ranga RaamAnuja Muni's commentaries. The whole of ChAndhOgyam 
is being covered and it is a huge piece of work on this important
Upanishad dear to AchArya RaamAnujA. The huge manuscript is almost
ready to be released as a separate book .

Future Projects
***************
3) BruhadAraNyaka Upanishad: Part of the manuscript on this 
huge Upanishad (commentaries based on SrI Ranga RaamAnuja Muni) 
is ready and will be published as a separate volume later. 

4) Prinicpal Upanishads ( Isa, Kena, Katha, Mundaka , Prashna,
TaittirIya , ShvEtashvathara , MaanDUkya and ItarEya) : Translation
and brief notes based on Upanishad BhAshyakArar's original Texts.
This will be printed as a separate book.

With these English monographs , we would have the rare privelege of 
learning about the Sruthi Siras ( Upanishads) . This is an once
in a life time opportunity to benefit from DR.NSA Swamy's
benovolent scholarship . Those who wish to acquire these 
monographs are welcome to contact me. 

Let me conclude this longish note on the significance of
Upanishads in our SampradhAyam.  
   
THE IMPORTANCE OF UPANISHADS
*****************************   
AchArya RaamAnujA salutes the Lord of ThiruvEnkadam,
SrInivAsan , at the very beginning of His SrI BhAshyam:

SRUTHI SIRASI VIDHEEPTHE BRAHMANI SRINIVAASE
BHAVATHU MAMA PARASMIN SEMUSHI BHAKTHI-ROOPAA

Our AchAryan visualizes the shining Thiruvadi of
Lord SrInivAsan as a crown on top of the head of Vedams 
(Sruthi Siras) , which is nothing but the UPANISHADS .

Our AchAryan indicated here the importance of Upanishads ,
which occupy a cardinal position in the study of VedAntha
(Brahma VichAram ). Brahma SutrAs commented on by all AchAryAs 
" formulate, elaborate and defend the philosophy of the Upanishads "
in their own aphoristic style. Until AchArya RaamAnujA's time ,
there were no commentaries on Brahma Sootrams from any 
VaishNavite AchAryAs . It was Swamy AlavanthAr's deep wish 
to realize a convincing commentary on Brahma SootrAs 
that elaborate on the Tattva , Hitha and PurushArtha
doctrines befitting the VisishtAdhvaitha darsanam.

AchArya RaamAnujA knew about the prayers of Swamy AlavanthAr
for a competent and correct commentary on the Brahma SootrAs 
incorporating all the doctrinal and theistic aspects of 
VisishtAdvaitha darsanam. AchArya RaamAnujA fulfilled the wish
of Swamy AlavanthAr by blessing the world with his magnum
opus , SrI BhAshyam , a commentary on Brahma Sootrams. 

AchArya RaamAnujA spent almost half of his life immersing
himself in Vedic literature in general and Upanishads in
particular to prepare himself to write the most authentic 
commentary on the Brahma Sootrams.Our AchAryan identified for 
us the Supreme Being as " Aupanishada Parama Pursha" or
the One revealed by the Upanishads and instructed us that
Brahma SootrAs bring out the essence of Upanishads . Although
AchArya RaamAnujA did not write his own commentaries on 
individual upanishads , he selected key passages from major
Upanishads for elaboration in his SrI BhAshyam. He formulated
in a synoptic fashion the teachings of Upanishads , 
the declarations " about Brahman in all its perfections" . 

Sudarsana Suri, VedAntha Desikasn, Ranga RaamAnuja Muni and
KuranArAyaNa , elaborated further on the Vishaya Vaakyams of
SrI BhAshyam dealing with the Upanishads in their SrI Sookthis . 

The study of the meaning of the Upanishads with the expert
assistance of Sri NSA Swamy would help us improve our understanding
of the five important doctrines of VedAntha: Brahman, Jeevan,
Jagath, Saadhanaa and Mokshaa.VedAntha SoothrAs deal mainly 
with TattvA or the Ultimate reality (The first two chapters) ,
Hitha, the means for the attainment of that Supreme Reality
(Chapter Third Chapter) and PurushArTa , the supreme goal of human 
endeavour (Chapter four). BadarAyaNa has composed his Brahma SoothrAs
dealing with Tatthva-Hitha-PurushArTam based strictly on the Upanishads.

Three main schools of VedAnthA (Aadhi Sankara born in 788 C.E ,
AchArya RaamAnujA born in 1017 C.E and MadhvAchArya born in 1238C.E)
intrepreted the Brahma SoothrAs and the Upanishads in their own 
distinct way. As VisishtAdhvaithins, we accept the intrepretation of
Upanishadic messages and Brahma Soothram a la RaamAnujA that is close
to the true purport of the Brahma Soothrams of BadarAyaNA , which
is " a theistic monism , upholding the oneness of the Ultimate
Reality (Isvaran) as organically related to the sentient souls
(Jeevans) and the non-sentient cosmic matter (prakruthi).Deeper 
insight into this Darsanam is dear to us (Saariraka MeemAmsa ) .
For those who wish to study SrI Bhaashyam, a clear understanding 
of the intrepretations of Upanishads a la AchArya RaamAnujA is 
a Must .This is where the Monographs , in-plan and for future ,
are vital . Please join together to help this magnificient 
kaimkaryam become reality through Your support. Please contact 
adiyEn for details on the ways in which all of us can help.

NamO Veda PurushAya,
DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan   

 
  

 

 

 
At 01:04 PM 6/24/02 +0530, you wrote:
>Respected Sri Sadagopan:

>I would like to clarify a few things here. 
>I discussed with my Father and am
>giving here some explanation on the status:

>Currently there are two activities going on with respect to 
>Upanishads translation:

>1. Selections from all Upanishads
>***********************************
>Selection of about 250 to 300 mantras (statements) from all important
>upanishads (including Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka) and just translation
>of the mantras (without notes) in English and a brief introduction to
>upanishads.

>This book is already under print. This is on the lines of my father's another
>book 'Gems from the Rigveda'.

>This does not have notes but just translation of the mantras as per
>Ranga Ramanuja's interpretation.

>2. Chandogya Upanishad
*************************
>Translation and brief notes based on Ranga Ramanuja's commentary for
>entire Chandogya Upanishad.
>The manuscript is almost ready and needs to be printed. Resources need to
>be arranged for this project.


>Future projects:
>******************
>1. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
>Translation and brief notes based on Ranga Ramanuja's commentary for
>entire Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
>Part of the manuscript is ready and needs some time for manuscript to be
>completed. Can be published as a separate volume later.

>2. Principal upanishads (Isa, Kena, Katha, Mundaka, Prashna, Taittiriya,
    *********************
>Shvetashwatara, Mandukya, Itareya)Translation and brief notes based on 
>Ranga Ramanuja's commentary for all mantras of these upanishads.


>We had published the above upanishads (except Mandukya and Itareya)
>earlier but no copies are available now. Only Mahanarayana is available and
>it is printed as a separate book. Secondly, the notes given earlier
>were too brief and would be expanded a bit more in the new edition.
>
>I hope I have clarified the issues. 
>But Chandogya translation is itself becoming huge and 
>hence he says it would
>need to be published as a separate book.
>
>My father appreciates the keen interest and efforts of all of you in this
>field.
>
>Warm regards,
>Narasimhan



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