Spiritual discourses
VEDARAMAN (Tamil): Mukkoor Lakshminarasimhacharyar; Vanathi Padhippagam, 23, Deenadayalu Street, T. Nagar, Chennai-600017. Rs. 50.
THIS HANDY book describes how Rama, while sojourning in the forest, lived as per the tenets of the Vedas. Hence the title. Actually it is an edited transcript of the discourses given by the late Mukkoor Swami, years back. Fourteen cardinal codes of conduct are chosen as chapter-heads. Perhaps the magic number 14 corresponds to the number of years of forest life forced on Rama. An incidental coincidence is that, in the Raghuveera Gadya of Vedanta Desika, there are just 14 addresses to Rama, pertaining to the Aranya Kanda.
The Tamil is simple, almost as spoken and forceful. The author focusses our attention on the high ideals that our ancient sages had spelt out with emphasis. It may be pointed out that such tenets would not be normally apparent to a lay reader who reads the epic in a routine manner. The all-round mastery of the author enabled him to cull out the salient tenets and present them in a telling manner.
Out of the many episodes so portrayed in the book, one or two would merit a mention: Jatayu says that Sita would surely be retrieved because she was lost in a "vinda muhoorta". Jesting and joking ought not to be indulged in with regard to an indiscreet or villainous person (Recall what happened because of the Soorpanakha episode).
The book has been printed very neatly with sketches that would attract children.
V. N. VEDANTA DESIKAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Book Review
