Rgveda Darsana - Volume Fifteen (Sri- Rudra-Bhashyam of Abhinava Sankara)

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Vidyalankara Sastra-Chudamani, Sangita-Kalaratna Professor Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao is a well-known scholar who combines traditional learningwith modern research.Well versed in Sanskrit, Pali, Ardhamagadhi and several modern Indian Languages and acquainted with Tobetan and some European languages, ghe has written extensively on Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, Indian culture, art and literature.

In his professional career, however, he was a Professor of psychology. He has headed the department of Clinical Pschology in the National institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, and the Department of Indian Culture in the Callison College Study Centre of the University of the Pacific (USA). At present, he is one the visiting Faculty of National Institute of advanced Studies ( Indian Institute of Science), Bangalore.

He has been Member of the Karnataka State Lalith Kala Academi and Sangit Nritya Academi: he has been member of the Karnataka StateLalith Kala Academi and SangitNritya Academi he has servedon the agama Board ( State Govverhment). He is President of Silpa-Kala Pratishthana. The State Government has honoured him with the 1986 Rajyotsava Award.

He has written more than fifty books in Kannada, a play in Sanskrit, and a Pali Commentary on a Buddhist classic. One of the Books on Iconography in Kannada has won the state saitya academi award, as also another of his books on the tirupati temple.

Among his numerous English publication are three volumes of Encylopaedia of indianMediicine, ( Poplar Prakashan, Bombay), Tibetan Tantrik Tradition and Tibetan Meditation ( Arnold Heinemann, Delhi),m Consiciousness in Advaita, and a series of six books on Indian temples ( IBH Prakashana, Bangalore), Origins of Indian Thought (Bangalore University); Kalpatharu Research Academy has published his Pratima-Kosha in six volumes, Agama-kosha in twelve volumes, Art and Architecture of Indian Temples in three volumes. He was awarded D. Litt. Honoraris Causa by the Karnatak University (2005)

He is at present engaged in the 30 volume project Rgveda-Darsana ( sixteen volumes of which have appeared). He is also a musicologist, a sculptor and painter, and has held some one-man shows.

The fifteenth volume of the prestigious thirty volumes of Rgveda-darsana under Bharatiya-Samskriti-Sarvasva-Kosha project, is now being brought out. It deals with the well known N amaka (or Rudra) of Taittiriya-Samhita. It is the most famous of the Vedic hymnology, next in importance only to Purusha-sukta. And it is extensively used for ritual recitation as well as sacrificial purposes. It bears on Rgvedic hymnology, especially towards the end of the eleven Anuvakas. The bhashya of Abhinava Samkara is here edited. The volume has been prepared by Vidyalankara, Sastra-chudamani, Sangita-Kalaratna, Vachaspati, Prof. Dr. S.K. Ramachandra Rao and we are grateful to him.

We acknowledge the munificent blessings of His Holiness Sri Sri Sri Bharati- tirtha Mahaswamigal of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, and the continued interest evinced by Shri V.R. Gowrishankar, the Chairman of the Academy and Administrator of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

We are grateful to the Authorities of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi and Dept. of Education, Govt. of Karnataka, Bangalore for their generous Financial Assistance.

The present volume, the fifteenth in the series, containing the commentary of Abhinava - Sankara on SrI Rudradhyaya of Taittiriya-samhita (Krshna- Yajurveda). The justification for including this text in the Rgveda-Darsana series of volumes is that the final anuvakas of Rudradhya consist of rg-mantras. Further, this commentary highlights the adhyatmika interpretation of the text following Yaska's Nirukta.

I am indebted to Shri Daivajna K.N. Somayaji, the Director of Kalpatharu Research Academy for providing the opportunity for me to edit this important text with relevant explanations. I am also grateful to Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji the present pontiff of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, who is the chief patron of the Academy and to Shri VR. Gowrishankar, Chairman of the Academy and Administrator of the Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

I acknowledge the courtesy and co-operation of my friends in the Omkar Offset Printers.