VEDANTA KESARI, now in its 98th yearnow in its 98th year of publication, is one of India’s oldest religious magazines in English in circulation. It has a large monthly circulation of which thousands of copies go to public and institutional libraries across India. The magazine has its subscriber-base in 40 countries. In its latest - July 2012 - issue the magazine carries an excellent Book Review on THE GREAT HINDU TRADITION, authored by Sarma Sastrigal. Here are the excerpts:
You may like it:
".....An average Hindu, today, is utterly confused as to what his roots had infused into him as his innate ‘Dharma’. ‘Dharma’ is a concept for which there is no equivalent in the western cultures.. It incorporates not a mere set of religious rituals but a repertoire of customs to live life in its entirety, making the most out of each facet of life. Over the past few centuries, continued westernisation of Indian culture has made the word ‘Dharma’ alien to an average Indian. In the rat race of life, it has been impossible for people to adhere to the Vedic ways of life. Gradually, people began to shun them and before long, they were lost into oblivion.
The author has made a wonderful endeavour in this book 'The Great Hindu Tradition' by trying to throw light on the essence of the Vedas. He has not been dictatorial in his statements; rather he has tried to amalgamate duty and demand, generating principles that would satisfy the basic norms of the Vedic concept of ‘Dharma’.
Sri Sarma Sastrigal has craftily segmented the contents of the book. He starts off by trying to prove the credibility of the Vedas, as it is on this that the acceptance of the further discussed topics depend. The reader is made aware of the eternal spark of the Vedas. Gradually, the author moves on to a discussion of the various Vedic seers and their experiences.
The book is indeed a valuable guide for the performance of various Vedic rituals which mark several important milestones in a man’s life... The reader gets a clear idea of all the rituals that a good dharmika person has to perform and an appreciation of the sound rationale behind the performance of these rituals.
Lucidly clarified by the author:
The book also includes crisp answers to various questions that might trouble our minds while we try to adhere to our Shastras. Various topics, spanning almost every aspect of our life have been lucidly clarified by the author.
The reader can clear his doubts and following the suggestions, lead a life of Vedic essence with a global outlook...this book would be ideal for any average Indian to connect to his/her customs and traditions, and thereby rejuvenate his/her jet-age life. "
Sarma Sastrigal
[email protected]
You may like it:
".....An average Hindu, today, is utterly confused as to what his roots had infused into him as his innate ‘Dharma’. ‘Dharma’ is a concept for which there is no equivalent in the western cultures.. It incorporates not a mere set of religious rituals but a repertoire of customs to live life in its entirety, making the most out of each facet of life. Over the past few centuries, continued westernisation of Indian culture has made the word ‘Dharma’ alien to an average Indian. In the rat race of life, it has been impossible for people to adhere to the Vedic ways of life. Gradually, people began to shun them and before long, they were lost into oblivion.
The author has made a wonderful endeavour in this book 'The Great Hindu Tradition' by trying to throw light on the essence of the Vedas. He has not been dictatorial in his statements; rather he has tried to amalgamate duty and demand, generating principles that would satisfy the basic norms of the Vedic concept of ‘Dharma’.
Sri Sarma Sastrigal has craftily segmented the contents of the book. He starts off by trying to prove the credibility of the Vedas, as it is on this that the acceptance of the further discussed topics depend. The reader is made aware of the eternal spark of the Vedas. Gradually, the author moves on to a discussion of the various Vedic seers and their experiences.
The book is indeed a valuable guide for the performance of various Vedic rituals which mark several important milestones in a man’s life... The reader gets a clear idea of all the rituals that a good dharmika person has to perform and an appreciation of the sound rationale behind the performance of these rituals.
Lucidly clarified by the author:
The book also includes crisp answers to various questions that might trouble our minds while we try to adhere to our Shastras. Various topics, spanning almost every aspect of our life have been lucidly clarified by the author.
The reader can clear his doubts and following the suggestions, lead a life of Vedic essence with a global outlook...this book would be ideal for any average Indian to connect to his/her customs and traditions, and thereby rejuvenate his/her jet-age life. "
Sarma Sastrigal
[email protected]
