Page 10 - Yajurveda (English)

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Foreword

Veda Bhashya by Prof. Tulsiram - A step to make Vedas

available to the English World

I have had the privilege of going through some of the

chapters of Yajurveda Bhashya written by Prof. Tulsiram, a well

known Vedic scholar and author of English language and

literature. I congratulate him because he has done this translation

for an average English reader who is keen to know the Vedas.

Knowledge of the Vedas is like the knowledge of science. Vedic

language is a scientific language and nobody can understand that

without the profound knowledge of Vedangas, especially Nirukta

of Maharshi Yaska and the grammar of Panini and Patanjali.

Nobody can interpret the Veda mantras without these two. This

translation proves that Prof. Tulsiram has done this insightful

translation after doing hard work in both Vedangas.

In translating the Vedas, only literal meaning is just not

sufficient, sometimes it may create confusion and contradiction.

Prof. Tulsiram deeply merges himself into Vedic Mantras,

thinking deeply about words, derivatives and analyzes the hidden

nuances of meaning in their context. For example, 'Sumitriya na

aapa oshadhayah santu…..Yajur. 36, 23': If we take literal meaning

in the ordinary sense, "may the waters, vital forces of life, and

herbs be friendly to us and may they be enemies to those who

hate us and whom we hate", it will not make acceptable sense.

After raising some questions, he says, "How can we accept this?"

So, after going deeply into the words and context he gives this

meaning of the said mantra: May waters, tonics, pranic energies

and medicinal herbs be good friends of our health system and

immunity and let the same waters, tonics, pranic energies herbal

medicines act against those ailments, diseases and negativities

which injure us, which we hate to suffer and which we love to

destroy, moreover let them have no side effects because side

effects too help the negativities and injure us.

After giving the actual sense of the Mantra he writes that

this Mantra is a reasonable prayer for the health programme of an

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