Knowing Sanskrit definitely helps in understanding the essence of Indic Texts. Even partial knowledge of Sanskrit may help to at least have a sense as to whether the commentator has interpreted correctly. Western scholars who are interested in Sanskrit texts usually learn Sanskrit. Unfortunately, this is not so with many Indian intellectuals even though it … Continue reading Interpretation of Indic texts
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
We live in the times of market economy. Seeing that yoga has caught the fancy of all and sundry, multi-billion dollar multinational industries have grown around it. Then, to make it more marketable, customer friendly and gain the competitive edge, these days all kinds of body contortions and conceptual distortions go in the name of … Continue reading Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Gita Govindam – the ultimate romance
As I do a little research now to refresh my knowledge about Jayadeva and his Gita Govindam it comes as a pleasant surprise to know that Guru Granth Sahib has some of his verses even though these are not from Gita Govindam for which he is primarily known. There is no dispute over the facts … Continue reading Gita Govindam – the ultimate romance
Finding out and fixing their dates of composition
Suppose a third world war happened and only two books based on ancient Indian texts survived. One is Devdutt Patnaik's version of Ramayana and another is Rupa Pai's version of Bhagavad Gita. As usual the few surviving copies of these books will be ignored by surviving Indians till these fall into the hands of a … Continue reading Finding out and fixing their dates of composition
Eesha Upanishad
To indicate its proper pronunciation it is written as īśā. Most commonly it is written simply as Isha. Except for the title I will also stick to Isha so that my post is not left out of SEO benefits. But, since in Devanagari it is written as ईशा it should be written in Roman alphabets as … Continue reading Eesha Upanishad
Dayabhaga – the earliest legal attempt at women empowerment
Since the dawn of civilization, particularly after human society became agrarian, dispute over property has been a primary source of concern for the society. Needless to say that the whole Mahabharata war was because the Kauravas would not concede the ownership rights of even five villages to the Pandavas. The issue of inheritance was addressed … Continue reading Dayabhaga – the earliest legal attempt at women empowerment
Charaka Samhita – a treatise on holistic health
image source: creative commons license Dharmarthakamamokshanamarogyam mulamuttamam (Charaka Samhita 1:15) Health is the basis of four goals of human life - Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha If grammar books and lexicons can be written in verses so that memorising will be easy, so can be a text on medical science. More so in the case … Continue reading Charaka Samhita – a treatise on holistic health
Bhajagovindam – a wake up call for everyone
Bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam Govindam bhaja mudhamate. Samprapte sannihitekale Nahin nahin rakshati tukkkun-karane. Oh Foolish Mind, sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine, sing the song of the divine. The memorization of grammar will not save you from impending death. In Sivasutras it is said, “VITARKA ATMAGNANAM”. One has to … Continue reading Bhajagovindam – a wake up call for everyone
Amarakosha – a thesaurus in verses
स्य ज्ञानदयासिंधोरगाधस्यानघा गुणाः सेव्यतामक्षयो धीराः स श्रिये चामृताय च O wise ones! Serve those who are oceans of knowledge and compassion and are pure so as to get the nectar of real wealth and eternal life. It was customary for every ancient India text to start with a mangalacharnam - a verse or a short … Continue reading Amarakosha – a thesaurus in verses
Theme Reveal: Blogchatter A to Z Challenge 2021
Dear Reader, For the second year in a row I am participating in the Blogchatter AtoZ challenge. Last year my theme was 'My Village My Country' where in I showcased the history and culture of India with specific focus on fields and places close to my heart. Later on it was made into a book … Continue reading Theme Reveal: Blogchatter A to Z Challenge 2021
