TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Scholarly elucidations of ancient texts are necessary to counter the currents of misinterpretations that have occurred over the centuries, Governor P Sathasivam said on Thursday.
He was speaking after releasing a set of commentaries by Muni Narayana Prasad, head of the Narayana Gurkulam, on the Upanishads. The State Institute of Languages has published the commentaries. The message of the Upanishads finds relevance as we move into a knowledge society with full faith in the power of knowledge as the strongest liberating force, Sathasivam said.
Upanishads issue a warning against illusory knowledge and self-conceit in knowledge, he said. “The Upanishads are treasures of spirituality which teach the science of the ‘absolute.’ They try to reveal through words, the universal truth or supreme wisdom, which is not fully describable,” he said.
The Governor urged the publishers in the Malayalam language to bring out more books that focus on the propagation of knowledge. “Though the Malayalam book industry is flourishing, it is yet to satisfy the readers’ demand for informative, legal and scientific books,” he said.
Upanishads convey the message of the oneness of all things, former MP Abdul Samad Samadani, who accepted the first copy from the Governor, said. In publishing the commentaries, Muni Narayana Prasad, even as he appreciates the importance of Sankaracharya’s commentaries, has attempted to take Indian philosophy forward in an age when knowledge is forever being renewed, Samadani said.
Like signboards on roads, Upanishads are merely pointers to the understanding of the oneness of all things, Muni Narayana Prasad said. “Unless you see this unsaid secret in everything that you see you can never understand the secret of the Upanishads,” he said. State Institute of Languages director V Karthikeyan Nair presided over the function.