Rgveda-Darsana: Sri-Sukta (An Indispensible Tool for Understanding the RgVeda) - A Rare Book

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The Kalpatharu Research Academy, Bangalore is an Institution running with the benign blessings of His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji under the auspices of Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, established in 1981.Kalpatharu Research Academy has strided across the horizon of Indological Research and Publications with giant steps, and today stands as an Institution known for its unique quality of Research work.

Kalpatharu Research Academy is dedicated to the cause of preservation of ancient heritage of India; it has encouraged Research in the fields of Agama, Veda, Tantra, Jyoutisha, Mantra-Sastra, Vastu, Yoga, Silpa, Ayurvedic etc.

The Among its prestigious publications (numbering more than seventy—five till now), are Six Volumes of Pratima-Kosha, Twelve Volumes of Agama-Kosha, Three Volumes of the Art and Architecture of Indian Temples, and several Koshas like Ganesha-Kosha, Lalita-Kosha and Navagraha-Kosha, Oshadhi-Kosha, Salagrama-Kosha, Gita-Kosha. Hanumat-Kosha etc.

The Academy has plans of undertaking intensive Research in the field of Veda and Vedanga and intends publishing "Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-Kosha” an encyclopedic work in several volumes dealing with all aspects of Indian Tradition and Culture. It seeks to promote Education, Culture, Science, Art and learning in all its branches. The approach will be broad-based and multi-disciplinary.

An extensive, comprehensive and specialist reference library has been built up to assist the Research Workers in the Indological disciplines. A valuable collection of Palm—Leaf" manuscripts relating to Veda, Vedanta, Vedanga and allied subjects has already been made; the collection work is continuing.

Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham has been running a Guru-Kula type of Institution on traditional lines to impart Vedic Education at several places. Some of these Institutions are over l00 years old. It is the intention of Kalpatharu Research Academy to take an active part in continuing this age-old tradition and act as the Research & Publication wing for these Institutions.

Our ambition is to develop as a National Centre for higher learning in Veda, Vedanga and Shastras and facilitate the propagation of unique Sanskrit and Vedic Texts in the National and International arena.

This Publication is the 90th of its achievement in this field.

Vidyalankara, Sastra—Chudamani. Sangita-Kalaratna, Professor Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao, is a well-known scholar who combines traditional learning with modern research. Well—versed in Sanskrit, Pali, Ardhamagadhi and several modern Indian languages and acquainted with Tibetan and some European languages, he has written extensively on Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, Indian Culture, Art and Literature.

In his professional career, however, he was a Professor of Psychology. He has headed the Department of Clinical Psychology in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, and the Department of Indian Culture in the Callison College Study Centre of the University of the Pacific (USA). At present, he is the Senior Associate of National Institute of Advanced Studies (Indian institute of Science), Bangalore, and Guest Faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and member of the Governing Council of TTD (SVCL Research Centre). Tirupati.

He has been Member of Karnataka State Lalitha Kala Academi and Sangita Nritya Academi; he has served on the Agama Board (Govt. of Karnataka). He is President:‘ Silpa-Kala Pratishtana. The Govt. of Karnataka has honored him with the 1986 Rajyotsava Award. He has received awards from Lalita-Kala Academi and Sangita Kala Academy. He is the recipient of the Veda Sanman for the year 2000 by the Govt. of India (H.R.D. Ministry).

He has written more than sixty books in Kannada, a play in Sanskrit, and a Pali commentary on a Buddhist classic. One of his books on iconography in Kannada has won the State Sahitya Academi Award, as also another of his books on the Tirupati Temple.

Among his numerous English publications are three volumes of Encyclopedia of Indian Medicine (Popular Prakashan, Mumbai). Tibetan Tantrik Tradition and Tibetan Meditation (Arnold Heinemann. Delhi), Consciousness in Advaita, and a series of six books on Indian Temples (IBH Prakashana. Bangalore) and Origins of Indian Thought (Bangalore University); Kalpatharu Research Academy has published his Pratima-Kosha in six volumes. Agama-Kosha in twelve volumes, Art and Architecture of Indian Temples in three volumes.

He is at present engaged in the 30—volume project Rgveda-Darsana (eleven volumes of which have appeared).He is also a musicologist, a sculptor and painter, and has held some one-man shows.

It is with pleasure and pride that the Kalpatharu Research Academy Bangalore is bringing out the tenth Volume in Rgveda Darsana series under the project of Bharatiya Samskriti Sarvasva Kosha. It is also the 90th publication of academy since its inception in 1981. The Project Undertaken by the Academy seeks to present to the world a complete comprehensive and authoritative picture of Indian culture in all its aspects and dimensions. The publications of the academy have already gained a high status in the academic world and have been serving the cause of ideological research.

The academy acknowledges its indebtedness to Vdyalankara Sastra Shudamani Sangita Kalaratna Vidya Vachaspati Prof. S.K. Ramachandra Rao who has kindly undertaken to prepare valuable volumes in the series of Bharatiya Samskriti Sarvasva Kosha.

The academy places on record is gratitude to the munificent blessings of his Holiness the Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Bharati Tirth Mahaswamigalu of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham who is the chief patron of the Academy the administrator of the Sri Sharada Peetham Shri V.R. Gowrishnakar who is also the chairman of the academy has always evinced a keen interest in the academy’s activities and we thank him sincerely.

The academy is also grateful tot eh authorities of the ministry of human resources development govt. of India, New Delhi And the authorities of ministry of education Govt. of Karnataka and to the printers of the volume M/s. Omkar offset printers for printing this volume neatly and expeditiously.

The present volume the tenth in the Rgveda Darsana series deals with an important hymn in the Rgvedic corpus which is also widely popular viz. Sri Sukta. This hymn is used in rituals of several kinds and in worship of several dieites. It is addressed to Lakashmi the goddess of properity and pleny and this explains its popularity. But the hymn has also symbolic and philosophical overtones which are explained in this volume.

The author of the volume is grateful to Shri Daivajna K.N. Somayaji the director of Kalpatharu Reaserch Academy, Bangalore for the opportunity given to him for preparing these volumes. He is also grateful to the Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Bharati tirtha Swamiji of Sringeri Sharada Peetham who is the chief patron of the Academy and also to Shri V.R. Gowrishankar the administrator of the Sri Sharada Peetham of Sringeri and Chairman of the Academy.

The courtesy and co operation of Shri Venkatesh Babu and Shri Nagendra of the Omkar offset printers while this volume was being printed are acknowledged.