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.