[Advaita-l] Re: DukR~nkaraNe (was Re: Questions on Isavasya)

[Abhishek RK]

Namaste,

I agree. Many concepts in the Vedanta, not to mention the Vedic
mantras, are completely distorted if it is attempted to translate them
into English. I feel this is so because the two languages (Sanskrit
and English) are at the diametrical opposites in development and
maturity.

Regards,
Abhishek

On 8/13/06, S Jayanarayanan <sjayana at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Quite a needless worry! How many people do you know who are "stuck"
> at the advanced stage of having studied all the upanishhads in the
> Sanskrit original?!
>
> It is absolutely imperative to undertake the study of Sanskrit
> grammar if and when possible so as to understand the scriptures, as
> the following extract from "Dialogues with the Guru" reveals.
>
>
> Note: HH = His Holiness Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal
>
> Chapter 5, Section 4: "Study of Sanskrit"
> -----------------------------------------
>
> HH: ... I want you to make the best use of your present Brahmana
> birth and undertake the study of Sanskrit.
>
> L: But why insist on the study of Sanskrit?
>
> HH: There are many things in the Sanskrit sacred literature,
> especially the concepts of Dharma and Brahman, an accurate conception
> of which you can never get through translations or
> adaptations...There are concepts which can be conveyed by a single
> word in Sanskrit, but which can never be defined accurately in other
> languages...Brahman is one of them, as it is said to be
> "aupanishhada" or capable of being known only through the Upanishads.
> Let those, who are not authorised or are otherwise incompetent to
> read the Upanishads in the original, resort to translations or
> adaptations.
>
> (I don't have the time to type any more, but the point couldn't have
> been better made.)
>

-- 
satyena dhAryate pR^ithvi satyena tapate raviH|
satyena vAti vAyushca sarvaM satye pratishThitam||

calA lakShmIshcalAH prANAshcalaM jIvita yauvanaM|
calAcale ca saMsAre dharma eko hi nishcalaH||