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AUM
It has been gratifying to go through the English
translation of the Vedas rendered by Dr Tulsi Ram Sharma
in as much as it conveys to the English-knowing world
effectively the profound meaning and transcendental secrets
enshrined in the Vedas. The most salient feature of this
translation is its simple and lucid English. The Vedic words
have been expounded here following the
yaugik
method of
the Arsh tradition set up by Yaska, Panini and Patanjali (as
opposed to the
rudhi
method which takes only the historically
fixed meanings of words caring little for the context and the
subject). As per the Arsh tradition name words like Agni,
Vayu, Indra, Marut, etc., are synonyms indicating the various
attributive names of the One that is the greatest and the most
comprehensive ‘Tattva’ of existence, the Cosmic Spirit. It
was Maharshi Dayananda who for the first time after Yaska
and Patanjali advocated and followed this principle of
interpretation on the basis of ancient supporting material.
Dr. Sharma has religiously stuck to this theory while
unfolding the truths enshrined in the Vedas. Obviously Dr
Sharma’s interpretation of Vedic hymns enjoys the
authenticity of the Arsh tradition and challenges the western
Vedic perspective and the medieval Indian interpretations of
the Vedas which now need to be seriously reviewed in our
present day context of science and inter-cultural
communication.
—Dr Balvir Acharya
Professor & Head
Department of Sanskrit, Pali & Prakrit
Maharshi Dayananda University
Rohtak - 124001, Haryana (India)
( xix )
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