दर्शनमाला: The Darsanamala of Sri Narayana Guru with Advaita Darsanam-A Commentary in Sanskrit (An Old and Rare Book)

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I am glad to be able to write this Foreword to Dr. R. Karunakaran's edition of Sri Narayana Guru's Darsanamala, Sri Narayana Guru, in a constructive way re-built the life of the backward classes in Kerala. He constructed temples where they could worship Siva, trained them to maintain these temples and to look after them with efficiency and cleanliness. Darsanamala is a tribute to Sri Narayana Guru's insight into the religious consciousness and the philosophy of Advaita. He was a great reformer in Kerala, admired by all people alike, and adored for his service of those people who were unfortunate and neglected.

This book embodies the results of my research work done under a U.G.C. Scheme. It is a critical study of the Darsanamala of Sri Narayana Guru, with a commentary in Sanskrit (Advaita-Dartanam) and a translation in English and Hindi. The Advaita-Darianam reveals the vision of Philosophy and Religion of the Guru. The Darsanamala of the Guru is a monumental work on Advaita Vedanta in simple language embodying the spirit of the commentaries of Sri Sankara and accepting the way of Yoga of Sri Buddha. The work is unique for the profound wisdom it displays, the sublime philosophy it expounds, the incisive analysis it conducts into the human personality and experiences in all their aspects.

Sri Narayana Guru explains in his Darsanamala that the Saprapancam Brahman is a means to an end and that the realisation of the Nigprapancam Brahman i.e., the Pure Bliss, is the basis of the world. In teaching the identity of Brahman-Atman, the Guru employs a new and practical device which is rather striking and interesting and which is besides the direct and indirect methods of the Upanisads. The present volume in its tri-lingual form is perhaps the first work of its kind to introduce to the world, the Philosophy and Religion of Sri Narayana Guru.

It is a matter of great interest to see that the name "Advaita" by which the philosophy of the Upanisads, that took its practical form and shape in the hands of Sri Narayana Guru after passing through Badarayana, Gaudapada, Sri Sankara, Sri Buddha and other illustrious preceptors, has derived from Vedanta. As I have stated in my preface to The Concept of Sat in Advaita Vedanta, "from the Brahmavidya or Upanisad which is the last word in Advaita, down to the works of the different hierarchical schools of philosophers, sages, rşis and scholarly commentators, we have an invaluable literature for the purpose of further study and investigation in Advaita Philosophy." The great Advaita teaching of Sri Narayana Guru undertakes enquiry into the various metaphysical and epistemological problems.

A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF THE GURU

Sri Narayana Guru is a perpetual source of spiritual, moral and social inspiration to mankind. He is physically absent now; but he lives in the minds of the masses. He combined in his life all the qualities of a saint, a seer, a yogi and a social reformer. His personality influenced seekers of reality, philosophers and social workers. He applied his Advaitic vision to the welfare and salvation of humanity. So, both religious and materialistic people are trying to understand the wonderful practical way of Advaitic theory and religion of Sri Narayana Guru, who is one of the world's great teachers of the modern age. The birth and education of the Guru

Sri Narayana lived for about three quarters of a century bet- ween 1854-1928. He was born at Vayalvarathu Veedu in Chempa- zhanthi, a village six miles north of Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. About his parentage Nataraja Guru gives the following account: "An agricultural family lived at this country-place about the year 1855. The father Madan Asan, was more than a mere farmer. He was well-versed in astronomy and Ayurvedic medicine, and was a teacher, as his name Asan (or Acaryan) would show. He was respected by his fellow-villagers and he guided them in matters of agriculture, land surveying, revenue questions and so on. He walked into the temple city of Trivandrum to pay his taxes, dressed in two pieces of white cloth and carrying a simple (non-folding) palm-leaf umbrella such as one can see even today being carried by villagers in these rural areas. Once a week the villagers assembled in the verandah of his house to hear him expound the Ramayana or the Mahabharata, the two ancient epics of India. His son Nanu was the Guru Narayana of later days."1