47. FAVOURITE MUSIC IN MOVIES !

47. FAVOURITE MUSIC IN MOVIES!

Photo of the stone at Delphi containing a Hymn to Apollo in Greek letters with the musical notation!

The average Indian has an ear for music- of whatever kind. Not only the educated and the 'cultured', with their cultivated tastes, but even the village rustics have had their favourite kinds of music. In my school days, I have heard farmers sing as they drew water from their wells to irrigate their fields, and cart men singing as they let their bullocks take the road. And  I have seen petty beedi and pan shopwallas listening to Carnatic music on AIR in the early 60s- this was in Trichy. Those days, every hotel/coffee club-as it was called- had a small radio blaring usually classical or light classical music, since the AIR was strict about broadcasting film music.

Dr. S. Ramanathan, one of our great musicians and musicologists and above all, teachers, used to demonstrate how integral was music to our living, no matter where and how we lived.

But if we keep  our eyes and minds open, we will understand that  people all over the world are passionate about music. The average westerner is even more interested in music than the average Indian, who is often a passive receptacle or consumer, just spending money on buying musical CDs or systems, and just so few actually learn any kind of music or its appreciation.. Not so in the West, where most school children do learn some kind of music or musical instrument. 

Musicians playing in a street, Prague.
By Keith Page (Musicians) CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommons via Wikimedia commons.

After the movies rose as the most dominant art form in modern India, they integrated the musical strain of the Indians. Music became an inevitable ingredient- almost an invisible character in the movie.Music was mainly used to intensify the mood. In the beginning the music was mainly based on classical and folk forms and we had wonderful music directors. They were so hugely talented that they could bring out the beauty and essence of a raga in just about 3 minutes- which alone the 78rpm format permitted- while the trained classical singer would take hours to convey the same mood and message. In this, our filmi musicians were aided by great lyricists and very talented singers.

A revolution took place in the 50s. After Independence when most Englishmen left India, highly talented musicians mostly from Goa who were employed with the many clubs and bars in Bombay fell on hard times. They were so hugely talented in playing western instruments , in teaching and in writing and reading notations. They soon found their way to the Bombay film industry and our top ranking music directors eagerly absorbed them. It is not generally known or appreciated that all our top music directors of the 50s without exception had such musicians with them, who actually co-created  and embellished the songs. But they were not openly acknowledged, except as arrangers, and occasionally as assistants. . After the mid-60s, the quality of our film music declined so that today, it is just noise in the name of music, and nonsense in the name of lyrics. But the songs of over 50/60 years ago are still sung and hummed!

Chic Chocolate (Antonio Vaz ) was one of the most talented Goan musicians, Here he is seen at right with C.Ramchandra,with whom he worked for long, with Lata and Rafi.

Most of our cine goers may not be aware that the Hollywood movies also give a prominent place to music. There may not be songs- solos and duets like we have- but each movie contains an original theme music and background score, which are often outstanding.  Besides, there have been many movies which were purely musicals- The Sound of Music being one such example,well known in India.

While the average Hollywood movie does not  normally have formal songs as we have, when they have one, it is usually outstanding. It may not last more than 2/3 minutes, but it makes tremendous impact. The lyrics are also superb. I wish to point out a few of them.

                QUE SERA SERA

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother
What will I be
Will I be pretty
Will I be rich
Here's what she said to me

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be

When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart
What lies ahead
Will we have rainbows
Day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be

Now I have Children of my own
They ask their mother
What will I be
Will I be handsome
Will I be rich
I tell them tenderly

Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
Que Sera, Sera

The song was written and composed by the team Ray Evans , lyricist and Jay Livingstone, composer. It was adapted into the 1956 Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much. Later it was used in many other films. 

Livingstone and Evans accepting the Oscar Award in 1957 for this song! We must remember such great creative spirits! Such songs are not written every day!

This song expresses a universal human sentiment- the sense of mystery at the heart of the universe! Man can never know the future, no matter what stage of life he is in- childhood, youth or midlife. The Catholic clergy used to react strongly against this song, but obviously, the world is larger and wider (also wiser?) than the Church! The song is still popular all over the world.

  The situation of this song was later copied in Hindi and Tamil films  and  even the tune was adapted. A version of this song also appeared in a Tamil film. 

MY RIFLE, MY PONY AND ME

The sun is sinking in the west
The cattle go down to the stream
The redwing settles in the nest
It's time for a cowboy to dream

Purple light in the canyons
That's where I long to be
With my three good companions
Just my rifle, pony and me

Gonna hang (gonna hang) my sombrero (my sombrero)
On the limb (on the limb) of a tree (of a tree)
Coming home (coming home) sweetheart darling (sweetheart darling)
Just my rifle, pony and me
Just my rifle, my pony and me

(Whippoorwill in the willow
Sings a sweet melody
Riding to Amarillo)
Just my rifle, pony and me
No more cows (no more cows) to be roping (to be roping)
No more strays will I see
Round the bend (round the bend) she'll be waiting (she'll be waiting)
For my rifle, pony and me
For my rifle, my pony and me

This is from a classic Western movie, RIO BRAVO- 1959 which is considered  one of the top all time greats.

Walter Brennan, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson singing this song!
From: http://Whisnews21.com. Copyright status not stated. Used here for purely educational purpose. The scene is unforgettable!

Unless one has some idea of this genre of movies and stories, it is difficult to appreciate the beauty of this song. Such stories capture a crucial period in the history of the US, lasting may be a 100 years up to the turn of 20th century. The effectiveness of law in the West depended on the character of the local authority and his ingenuity. Ranching was still a major occupation, and most youngsters worked as cow hands, with dreams of better times. But while they were at it, their best and inseparable companions were the rifle and the pony. This song captures such a mood brilliantly and movingly.How hard he works, and how much he yearns for home! Written by  Paul Francis Webster, it was  crooned by the inimitable Dean Martin, joined by that talented youngster Ricky Nelson.

It was set to music by the great composer, Dimitri Tiomkin. It has been ranked as one of the best ever songs about the West. 

Cowboy around 1888, Image by John C,H.Grabill.

Cynics may feel what have we got to do with American Western stories. But  look at the lyrics. The sun is setting in the west, and the cattle are moving to the stream, and the birds are settling in the nest. Now the setting sun and the returning cattle- do they not remind us of our own cow boy Krishna and his cows? Can not the river be Jumna? [There is of course one difference: the Americans reared the cows for their beef; for us cow is Mother.]  And here are some lines from a classic English poem:

Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight,

         And all the air a solemn stillness holds,

Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,

         And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;

Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r

         The moping owl does to the moon complain

Of such, as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,

         Molest her ancient solitary reign.

These are lines from Thomas Gray's Elegy, separated by thousands

of miles and  200 years. They capture the same theme in  different

cultural and economic settings. Here too the sun is setting, the cows are returning, but instead of the cowboy, we have the plowman, as weary! There is more to unite mankind, than all the differences the wily politicians and crooked economists can invent!

A WONDER  LIKE YOU!

We Indian cine goers are familiar with the love songs that feature in our movies. Rather too familiar! There is no  film in any Indian language without  love songs- solos and duets. Some are really very beautiful, especially the old ones,in the Hindi-Urdu diction. ( I find  the current Hindi and Tamil songs rather cheap and vulgar.) But most of them only talk about the physical beauty of the beloved, the face being compared to the moon, the hair to the cloud, etc. Here is a different sort of love song, where the beauty described is of Nature, and one is left to imagine the beauty of the beloved in comparison!

II've seen the snow-white mountains of Alaska
I've sailed along the rivers of Peru
I've seen the world and all its Seven Wonders
But I've never seen a wonder like you

I've stood upon the pyramids of Egypt
Far away across the ocean blue
I've seen the island beauties of Hawaii
But I've never seen a beauty like you

I've gazed at the White Cliffs Of Dover
There's not a place I didn't see
Now that my travels are over
I wish you had been there with me

I've seen the pretty dancing girls of Siam
The happy Polynesian people, too
But they're not as happy as I am
'cause they haven't got a wonder like you.

They haven't got a wonder like you
No, they haven't got a wonder like you
No, they haven't got a wonder like you

This song was written by Jerry Fuller and sung by Ricky Nelson and  released in 1961! But it did not figure in any movie! The power of suggestion here works wonders! 

2006 photo of Fuller. 

From:http://jerryfuller.com

Whether we like it or not, movies are here to stay. It is therefore necessary to make use of this medium to convey worthy messages to make humanity better. It can be a great place to showcase music. Instead of condemning it, we can make an art of it.

The instinct for music. song and dance is ingrained in humanity. it is one of the most civilising influences on man. We may safely assume that so long as humanity does not lose this instinct, it will retain its sanity too!

There is a saying in Sanskrit that a person who does not like music is an animal sans its horn and tail!

46. FAVOURITE POEMS

46. FAVOURITE  POEMS

T.S.Eliot

POETRY is the perfect form of literature. It is the only vehicle which can convey sublime thoughts. It is the result of genius, beyond human intelligence and exertion. True poets are inspired, and they combine sense and sound in ways which defy human limitations. In all the languages of the world, ancient literature is only in the form of poetry!  The words poets employ are mere symbols, and convey much more than the words themselves mean individually. In this it is akin to music, where the combination of notes or swaras create something which far exceed the individual notes in beauty and power. Robert Browning expressed this wonderfully in his great poem " Abt Vogler" :

And I know not if, save in this, such gift be allowed to man,

      That out of three sounds he frame, not a fourth sound, but a star.

However, Browning felt that poetry obeyed laws and hence was somewhat limited, while music was beyond such limits. 

Had I written the same, made verse—still, effect proceeds from cause,

      Ye know why the forms are fair, ye hear how the tale is told;

It is all triumphant art, but art in obedience to laws,

      Painter and poet are proud in the artist-list enrolled:—

   But here is the finger of God, a flash of the will that can,

      Existent behind all laws, that made them and, lo, they are!

But I have always felt that true poetry, great poetry rises above all limitations of time, place and language. As Robert Frost asked:  

"Why not have it imply everything?" And poetry is meant to be sung, recited  or read aloud !It connects us with eternity, with the inner core of  ourselves and the universe! True poetry is a product of inspiration, a spark of divinity, no less than music. The Indian tradition holds the poet to be KAVI ie Jnani- man of Wisdom, not merely knowledge.  The most sublime form of such poetry is the Mantra. 

And in India, we have always sung our poems- be it a hymn to the Gods or lullaby to the baby! The outstanding example of this tradition in the modern day is Gurudev  Rabindranath Tagore and Rabindra Sangeet!

Often, people break into spontaneous dancing singing their songs! This tradition is revealed in the ancient Tamil classification of their language as poetry, song and dance!  This is rather universal. Even today, we cannot help swaying or swinging to a good tune! This tradition too is preserved in Rabindra Sangeet where dance often accompanies singing.

By Biswarup Ganguly (Own Work) CC BY 3. creativecommons via Wikimedia Commons.

In the modern day, poetry has lost its primacy, and music,its melody, and dance, its rhythmic beauty.. The vulgar commercialism promotes any damn thing in the name of poetry, music and dance. Oliver Goldsmith foresaw this trend and wrote. like the angel he was,  in the 18th century:

And thou, sweet Poetry, thou loveliest maid,

Still first to fly where sensual joys invade;

Unfit in these degenerate times of shame,

To catch the heart, or strike for honest fame;

Dear charming nymph, neglected and decried,

My shame in crowds, my solitary pride;

Thou source of all my bliss, and all my woe,

That found'st me poor at first, and keep'st me so;

Thou guide by which the nobler arts excel,

Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee well!

Farewell, 

From: The Deserted Village,  407- 417

I wonder if anyone could say it better!

Academics keep inventing theories about what poetry is or should be; these views deserve to be dumped on the dung heap. Those who can, write poetry; those who can't, invent theories! But there are enough people still in civilised societies to appreciate poetry. Surveys have been conducted about the poems people in general appreciate and we have surprising results! In a survey in England, T.S.Eliot was voted the favourite poet. In another survey, Rudyard Kipling's "IF" emerged as the most popular poem! There is no doubt it is a great poem,but is it the greatest? Read and judge it for yourself!

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you   

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Alongside, read this beautiful, moving poem on why the caged

 bird sings, which is considered one of the top thirty poems:

Caged Bird

BY MAYA ANGELOU

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind   

and floats downstream   

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and   

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

[There are more stanzas,but I am afraid to quote due to fears of copyright violation.]

Angelou reciting one of her poems at the inauguration of President Clinton!

Speaking of birds, I am reminded of another poem- in Hindi. Most Indians might not remember that Chandrashekar was our Prime Minister for a few months. Either at his swearing in or later, he recited a small poem, which registered on me strongly. It is about a small bird. On a stormy, rainy night it loses its nest and is thrown about. Yet, it addresses the storm and lighting and dares:

Mujhe dena gaizae mein dhamkiyan
Gire lakh baar ye bijliyaan
Mere sultanat e aashiaan
Mera milkiyat ye char pankh.

O ye lightning! Don't try to threaten me! You may strike a hundred thousand times; you may take away  my territory  and my home. But I retain my true wealth- my wings. [ The idea is that so long as its wings are in tact, it can rise again!]

From:www.iflscience.com

It appears to me that this charming little poem combines the essence of both the songs by Kipling and Maya Angelou!

We modern Indians are like caged birds. The English language has encaged us! We see the world only through English ways! We have not much acquaintance either with our own poetry or with the poets of other European languages. But even English is not spoken or written the same way everywhere, and that lends the language its great beauty, variety, depth and charm. We are not familiar with most American poets. May be, most have only heard of Robert Frost- and that due to the lines quoted by President Kennedy and Nehru : 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

But there is another poem of his, more philosophical.

Directive 

Back out of all this now too much for us,
Back in a time made simple by the loss
Of detail, burned, dissolved, and broken off
Like graveyard marble sculpture in the weather,
There is a house that is no more a house
Upon a farm that is no more a farm
And in a town that is no more a town.
The road there, if you'll let a guide direct you
Who only has at heart your getting lost,
May seem as if it should have been a quarry –
Great monolithic knees the former town
Long since gave up pretense of keeping covered.
And there's a story in a book about it:

.............


I have kept hidden in the instep arch
Of an old cedar at the waterside
A broken drinking goblet like the Grail
Under a spell so the wrong ones can't find it,
So can't get saved, as Saint Mark says they mustn't.
(I stole the goblet from the children's playhouse.)
Here are your waters and your watering place.
Drink and be whole again beyond confusion.

This is about the way the world has lost its way in the name of modernity. And in that sense, recalls T.S.Eliot's " The Waste Land". We have lost , and have to rediscover, ourselves. This is a long poem, and tough too. It is profound, but the ultimate message is simple: we need simple wisdom to be whole, like the ancients! We have to redeem ourselves through memory and introspection, going to the very sources of inspiration! Like all great poets, Frost too relies on the springs of Wisdom whose waters we need to drink to be rid of confusion! 

If a people can choose such sublime poems as their favourites, we have to salute them!  In a way, such poems express the very life of the poet- not merely his thoughts! Indeed, Henry David Thoreau wrote:

My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it.

I salute all great poets, and lovers of such poetry!  Hearty welcome to all budding and aspiring poets! Godspeed to them!

Created by Denis Besim.
From: www.playbuzz.com

35.BASIC READING LIST FOR HINDUS -1

35. BASIC READING LIST FOR HINDUS -1

Some friends ask for a list of books which would give one a proper idea of our religion. So many books are published that it is difficult to make a selection. So many authors, Indian and foreign, traditional and modern, representing  so many sects and branches of philosophy, that it is so confusing. As the friends are mainly Smartha, representing the Sankara tradition,  I make the following recommendations.

I have read hundreds of books over the last 50 years and have faced the same problem. Most writers just complicate matters to show their learning! 

Before studying anything, we should be clear why we want to study. One may read just for the pleasure of it. But the real aim should be to read as an aid to proper understanding and sadhana. I offer these views accordingly. 

1.The basic book which every Smartha should study- not just read- is the 7 volume compilation of the talks of Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt. This is called Deivattin Kural  தெய்வத்தின் குரல் or the Voice of Divinity in Tamil. 

English translations of parts of this are available with the following titles:

1. Hindu Dharma
2.The Guru Tradition
3.The Vedas
4.Saundarya Lahari
5.Adi Shankara and His Times.

All these are published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai.

The last title is a translation by Dr.T.M.P Mahadevan of the talks of the Paramacharya given in 1932 in Madras.Some may find the style old-fashioned.  More extensive coverage  is  available Deivattin Kural, vol.5

  This and other talks given in 1932 and 1957 in the original Tamil are published by Kalaimagal Kariyalayam, Chennai-4.

Reading other books/authors without reading these may be useless/ even harmful. Reading others after these may be superfluous.

2.We are not supposed to read the Veda from books. But there are no other sources for us to learn about the Veda at all.We come to read many things "about" the Veda, but not much of Veda itself. 

There is a compilation of some hymns of the Veda with their English translation with the title "The Call of the Vedas" by A.C Bose. This is more than 50 years old, but still good. The attitude is reverential, and the English quite good. This is published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai. Recent edition is available.

All traditional/orthodox views of the Veda are based on the commentary of Sayanacharya. He regarded the Veda as mainly ritual manual. This view has been challenged by Sri Aurobindo, who has shown the Veda to be  embodying the record of the Mystical-Intuitive wisdom of the Rishis, which is deliberately clothed in the symbol of ritual, to keep the Wisdom safe from the uninitiated.[In the Veda, life is compared to a battle, a yajna and a pilgrimage/journey. All these symbols have been taken literally and misinterpreted, both deliberately and due to ignorance.] His views written in superb English, better than any Englishman wrote or could ever write, are in two volumes:

- The Secret of the Veda
- Hymns to the Mystic Fire.

The orthodox Mutts may not agree, but every Hindu should read these. Only then he will be free and safe from the muck spread in the name of Veda by modern scholars and even some traditional writers.

3. The foundation of orthodox Vedantic thought is the Prastanatraya: Upanishads, Brahmasutra, Bhagavad Geeta.

All these are subject to sectarian interpretation. The following suggestions are for South Indian Smarthas:

1. For the Upanishads, there is no entirely satisfactory translation in English, yet. In Tamil, the translation of the Principal Upanishads by Anna N. Subramania Iyer is the best, not compromising with tradition. (Published by Ramakrishna Math Chennai. But these are not attractively printed.)

Please do not read the Tamil translation/ commentary by any so called Swami by the same or any other Mutt. 

In English, one may have to be content with the two-volume edition of Eight Upanishads , being translation of Sankara Bashya by Swami Gambhirananda. Chandogya Upanishad  and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad by Swami Madhavananda are what we have as acceptable editions, also based on Sankara Bashya.  All these are published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata. The translations  of some Upanishads by Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh are authentic traditional interpretations.

For a view differing from Sankara, and yet faithful to the Hindu spirit, one should read the translations and commentaries by Sri Aurobindo. Our study of the Upanishads will be incomplete and imperfect without reading Sri Aurobindo.

2. Brahmasutra: It is a tough nut to crack, and in my view, not worth cracking, unless one wants to study Vedanta  seriously, and become a vain scholar.

3. Bhagavad Geeta. This is the fundamental scripture for all Hindus. There are any number of translations and commentaries.
Again, this is subject to sectarian interpretation by Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva.  We may venerate the Acharyas, but we need not accept their commentaries of the Geeta.


Since we are having Smarthas in mind, I state my view that Sankara's commentary on the Geeta is unsatisfactory and  does not faithfully reflect its spirit. In a nutshell, the problem is this:

In the Geeta, Bhagavan Krishna says that in the olden days he revealed two disciplines ( dwividha nishta pura prokta ).They were Jnana and Karma. But due to passage of long time (mahata kalena) they were lost. So, Bhagavan again revealed the dharma to Arjuna, because he was "ishtosi, priyosi", endowed with daiva sampat, he was sinless-anagha, etc.He asked Arjuna to relinquish all dharmas and surrender to Him. This is stated in unmistakable, clear terms in 18. 65,66. Bhakti is the new path shown by Krishna. Yet, Sankara does not recognise this at all as the ultimate path shown by Krishna. See the comments of Sankara immediately following this verse. He again reverts to the claims of Jnana versus Karma! Sankara does not clearly or readily accept Bhakti as an exclusive path to Liberation.

The following are the books I recommend on the Geeta:

- Tattva Vivechani: translation and commentary by Jayadayal Goyandka.
- Sadhaka Sanjivani: translation and commentary by Swami Ram Sukh Das.
Both published by Gita Press, Gorakhpur.Available in English and Tamil. ( I only hope that they have not diluted the  original Tamil translation by Swaminatha Atreyan in recent editions!) These are superb and incomparable works. I say this after reading over 40 commentaries/translations, wasting my time.
- Translation and commentary by Anna Subramania Iyer, Ramakrishan Math, Chennai.
-Essays on the Gita by Sri Aurobindo.

For a simple, direct, non-sectarian translation , please see:
- Translation by Swami Swarupananda, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta.
-Translation by Winthrop Sargeant, (Aleph Book Co,New Delhi)

3. We then have the Itihasas - Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Best orthodox translations in English of Valmiki Ramayana are by the Gita Press, and Lifco, Chennai. For Tamil. there is also a Lifco edition, and an edition with word for word meaning by Rama Nama Bank, Chennai,600033. But it is poorly printed. There is a shortened Edition- Valmiki Ramayana Saram- by Anna Subramania Iyer  published by RK Math, Chennai.

There is no acceptable edition of complete translation of the Mahabharata in English or Tamil.  There is also the orthodox view that Mahabharata should not be read at home! My mother would not let me read it at home. So, I read  Rajaji's translation in a library!

Chaturvedi Badrinath's book 'The Mahabharata' is a compendium of the important verses on Dharma, original verses with translation and commentary. It is an excellent book and is published by Orient Longman, Hyderabad. Tamil readers may see the book/volumes by Sri Kripananda Variar.

The Tamil Upanyasam of Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar is now available in CDs!

Among the Puranas, the Bhagavatam is very important. The best available English translation is by the Gita Press, Gorakhpur. The edition by ISKCON is excellent, but it is sectarian. The best Tamil translation is by Kadalangudi Natesa Sastrigal, but the language may be tough for the present generation. It is superb. But the printing quality is very poor. The next best is the word for word translation by Rama Nama Bank, Chennai.

Narayaneeyam is an excellent retelling of the Bhagavatam. The best Tamil translation/commentary is by Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar. In English, we have the translation by Swami Tapasyananda of the RK Math, Chennai.

The Vishnu Puranam is important as it complements the Mahabharata and Bhagavatam and Harivamsam in respect of the story of Krishna and also contains other important matters. But a satisfactory translation /condensation is not available in any language.

The Vishnu Sahasranamam is a perennial favourite. The best translation/commentary in Tamil is by S.V.Radhakrishna Sastrigal, published by Agastiyar Book Depot. Trichy. The next best are the ones by Anna Subramania Iyer and Lifco.

4. The main problem before a serious  and eager Hindu today it how to reconcile the tradition with the so called modern trends and way of life. 

Superficially, it may appear that Hinduism has remained stagnant and unchanging. But no living system can be stagnant. Hinduism too has been changing. For a proper appreciation of this, we have to be acquainted with the work of modern Masters. I suggest the following.

1. Sri Ramakrishna.

He saved Hinduism in the 19th century from the onslaught of Christians, modern reformers and the English-educated breed. "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna", being a record of his life and teachings during the last 4 years of his life, recorded by "M" (Mahendranath Gupta) is the only authentic source. It explains the essence of our religion from many angles and it shows what is relevant and possible in the new age. This must be read by every Hindu.

 We remain Hindus still because of this one person.

2.Swami Vivekananda.

He restated the principles of Hinduism in modern, scientific language. He spoke mainly to the West, but it applies to us too. His work comprises of 9 volumes in English. If you know English, do not read any translation. Do not jump to any conclusion, till you complete reading all the volumes. Do not rely on any condensed volumes or edited compilations.  Do not read what others say of Vivekananda. Especially do not go by what Swamis of the RK Maths say or write. Almost every one misrepresents him, due to vested interest. Study yourself, take notes and understand yourself. 

3. Sri Aurobindo.

His is an original approach to the eternal dharma!. 

His complete works run into 35 volumes. He wrote in  superb, excellent English . Fortunately, no one could condense his writings! 

His writings appear tough, but it is not so. The method is to read a little at a time, give time for the idea to sink in, and then proceed. 


His writings have 'mantric' power. So, read the original, with attention.
The following works must be read, apart from what is already indicated:
-Uttarpara Speech
- The Life Divine.
-The Synthesis of Yoga.
-The Renaissance in India (Formerly, Foundations of Indian Culture)
-Valmiki and Vyasa.

4. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.

He is the most authentic and complete representative of our Hindu  tradition. He wrote only in Tamil. The title "Complete Works " may sound forbidding, but this is a modest volume of about 300 pages in Tamil in the latest edition! 

His teaching is an original exposition of the nature of the  Reality, and the ways to attain that- மெய்யின் இயல்பும் அதை மேவும் திறனும்.. It is entirely oriented towards practice, and does not feed idle curiosity. The best English exposition of this is by Arthur Osborne, no one else. Competent translation is also available by Arthur Osborne. 'Talks", being the record of some questions raised by visitors and Bhagavan's answers  would help in understanding his works. But his words are profound and require close study and deep reflection. 

Tamil knowing devotees are lucky to have the writings of Muruganar and Sadhu Om. Now, nice annotated English translations are available. All these books are available from Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.

Care: These four Masters represent different approaches. While Sri Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi were interested only in practice, and theory is incidental to them, Vivekananda spoke much and Sri Aurobindo wrote much more , most of which are theoretical! Again, Sri Ramakrishna and Ramana appear to be two sides of the same coin- both maintaining that Jnana and Bhakti are one at the highest levels! They both do not talk of karma or public charity or social work.  Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga is a tough path and he himself said that only those who had the call could take it up! Thus, though it is necessary /desirable to learn what they said or wrote, there are differences in their approaches to the spiritual life, and there is simply no question of following them all at the same time! 

This in short is a sort of guide to the perplexed in the matter of understanding Hinduism. It will take many years to study all this. But we can understand better and faster, if we have a proper guide.

The following care has to be taken.

1.Avoid books written by 'academic scholars'. Do not go by reputation or the titles or degrees. They know next to nothing personal about our religion. Their sources are second or third hand; they do not know or read the original sources. They have almost no personal experience. Most of them are not even serious practitioners of our religion. 

2 Avoid books by foreign authors. Not only do they not know about our religion, they have neither true understanding nor love or sympathy for Hindu religion and philosophy. There are exceptions , but few.

3. Avoid books published by commercial publishers. Buy books published by those who specialise in books on Hinduism. Even then, be selective with publishers like Motilal Banarasidass, or Munshiram Manoharlal etc.- so called Indological publishers. Their publications may not always reflect the  authentic Hindu point of view. Some of their publications are inimical to Hindu interests.

4. When buying books on Hinduism, buy books with the original Sanskrit version with the translation, in English or any other language. Only then we can check the source to see whether the translation is correct.
5. Avoid reading too much about philosophy- Vedanta or anything else. It is all verbal jungle. Sri Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi have explained the essence. 
6. Avoid books on Tantra, Kundalini, Yoga, Siddhas, etc. These are not straight paths, but merely lanes and bylanes. They can be dangerous without a genuine guru. 

Above all, there are two requirements.

1. We need association with the wise. We need a mentor from the orthodox fold. We also need a proper teacher and Guru. Hinduism is preserved by the transmission of the spirit of the teaching, along with the formal words. This is only done by someone who has himself reached that level. Many learned people can be eloquent in speech or prolific in writing,but may not be truly religious.. Genuine teachers do not brag, exhibit or seek crowds and publicity. We each need a Guru. Remember SriTyagaraja said: Guru lega etuvanti gunigi deliyaga bodu. Anyone may recite the words. It is only the Guru who can convey the spirit behind the words. And that spirit is the essence of religion.

2. We need some sadhana- ie  we have to practise some religious discipline, along with our study of books ! It may be anything recommended by the guru- puja, japa. In fact, even reading is taken up as a ceremonial exercise- ie parayana! It certainly produces vibrations which promote true understanding. It is by divine grace that we get true understanding.

Listening to discourses by competent persons can be helpful.We absorb lot of things by listening. In the 50s and 60s, (even up to 80s) we had masters like Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar, Embar Vijayaraghavachariar, Sri Kripananda Variar, T.S.Balakrishna Sastrigal and others. They combined traditional scholarship with personal sadhana. So their words had force. Now, mainly scholarship parades. One has to choose.

If we have a genuine Guru, so much reading is not necessary. We should always remember that mere book reading will not really avail us. It is mostly a burden. Grace of Guru and God is what we need!

NOTE:
Book covers are shown here only for educational purposes. There is no commercial motive or intention.