Sat-darshana Bhashya (translation)

FOREWORD

The "Talks with Sri Maharshi” are mainly selected from conversations that D has had with him since 1912. Some of these were later incorporated into the Ramana Geeta and one or two booklets. These talks are given with a view to introduce the general reader to the main work, the philosophy of Sat-Darshana. The conversations with Sri Maharshi have been generally in Tamil, intermixed with a few English and Sanskrit words. We do not say ’you’ in talking to him, nor does he refer to himself as ’I.’ They are used here for the purpose of the English version. The name of D is not mentioned as it is considered unnecessary for the importance of the subject.

The translation of the Sat-Darshana slokas is in free verse. The English rendering of the Bhoomika (introduction) as well as the Bhashya (commentary in Sanskrit) is faithful to the spirit of the original. But in some places it is interpretative and amplified in order to make the English appear not a translation but a work readable without reference to the Sanskrit original. The English translation of the commentary on the 44th, the last verse, is not given as the one important subject dealt with therein, namely, the higher value of the revealed word or scripture is to be found substantially in the closing pages of the Bhoomika.

The rules of transliteration of Sanskrit words in Roman script had to be overlooked because of printing inconvenience; but wherever a Sanskrit word occurs it is preceded by its English equivalent.

In the closing part of the book is printed the original Tamil உள்ளது நாற்பது (Ulladu Narpadu) of Sri Maharshi, of which Sat-Darshana is the Sanskrit version, in order to be of use to the Tamil knowing reader.
K.