I read Ashok Shahane's (अशोक शहाणे) claim in his book 'Napeksha' 2005 (नपेक्षा) that 'Ishavasya- Vritti', 1947 (ईशावास्य-वृत्ति) by Vinoba Bhave (विनोबा भावे) is the only readable translation of Upanishads in Marathi.
The claim, if true, is shocking because Marathi- considering Upanishad's importance in Hindu scriptures and huge population of Marathi speaking garv-se-kahon-hum-Hindu-hai types- should have at least a dozen good translations. (I think I have also seen Anand Sadhale's आनंद साधले attempt. It made no impression on me.)
Recently, I attempted reading Vinoba's book.
It was very tough for me. At the end, I understood only tiny fraction (->0) of it.
Even a giant like Vinoba is challenged by Upanishad's heights (or depths?).
(As I witnessed Vinoba's struggle, I once again realised how lucky Marathi was that she found Dnyaneshwar (ज्ञानेश्वर) so early in her life. Thanks to that teenager, ideas, worldly observations and very complex thoughts, entered Marathi, riding some great aesthetics, in an easy to understand language.)
I thought I probably understood only this from Ishavasya-Vritti:
ॐ। पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं
पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय
पूर्णमेवावशिष्य्ते॥
ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः॥
(Om. That is complete, This is complete
From complete, The complete has emerged
Giving completeness of complete
The complete remains. Om. Peace Peace Peace.)
And that too because I kept thinking पूर्ण as zero and not 'complete'!
Is Ishavasya- Vritti indeed that difficult or are my faculties deeming? Am I concentrating hard enough or from now on will it be just 'From zero, The zero will emerge'?
Artist: Steve Duenes, The New Yorker, October 31 1959
In Upanishads signatures too are abstract!
Hi
ReplyDeleteApologies in advance since this one stray far from blogpost, a violation of blog policy.
Actually I do not have your email or phone, where I could have contacted, so I am writing here.
I’m working on an article to be appeared in the Hindustan Times, probably this weekend. It is about why popular fiction writers (special focus on Marathi authors) do not get the same recognition in the literary circles. Although the subject is old, it has a special relevance especially when Marathi thriller writer Gurunath Naik is coming up with his 1208th book, a sort of record in itself. Like Baburao Arnalkar, Naik too has been one, who ruled an entire generation of marathi middle class (?) readers. Yet, both Arnalkar and Naik misses the same recognition as other literary writers get.
sir, through this blog, you have been one of the prominent commentators on Marathi literature. Your observations on this issue will bring substance to HT article.
In the same regards is it possible to talk to you on phone or email ?
Thank you
Yogesh Joshi
09822707195
yogesh.joshi@hindustantimes.com, yogesh.journalist@gmail.com
I believe Prasad prakashan's Upanishad series is quite okay. Also, P.V. Vartak's "Upanishadanche Vidnyan nishtha niroopan" is interesting. Despite his tendency to exaggerate at some places, his book is good (or so I felt).
ReplyDelete- Nikhil Bellarykar.
Thanks for the info, Nikhil
ReplyDelete