Saturday, June 25, 2011

Commentary by Bodhaananda

I bow to God Mahadeva and His Consort, to Saraswathi Goddess of learning, to Ganapathy guardian of benevolent efforts, and to my venerable preceptor, and I bow to Maharshi Bharadwaaja. In Addition to my own knowledge of Logic, I have five times turned over Vaalmeeki's Mathematics, 'Paribhaashaa Chandrikaa,' and 'Naamaarthhakalpaka,' and aided by their authority, I, Swaamy Bodhaananda, for the easy understanding of the young, have written this 'Bodhananda Vritti,' to elucidate Maharshi Bharadwaaja's concisely worded text on Aeronautics.

At the outset Maharshi Bharadwaaja invokes God in the traditional manner for the successful commencement, progress, and completion of his great literary work. Attaining mastery over the Vedas by Divine Grace, and studying the works of earlier Acharyas or preceptors, he has churned the Vedic lore, and extracting the, cream, presented it to mankind for reaping untold benefits, in the work named 'Yantrasarvasva.' In the fortieth chapter therein he deals with the science of Aeronautics, explaining the construction and use of many kinds of aeroplanes, in 8 chapters, containing 100 subject heads, comprising 500 sutras or oracular pronouncements.

In the first stanza the reference is to the teaching of the sacred works, "Uttarataapaneeya," 'Shaibya-prasna,' 'Kaataka,' and 'Maandookya,' that the symbolic letter, 'Om,' leads to the knowledge of God and Salvation. Bharadwaaja implies that the Vimaana or aeroplane constructed according to Vymaanika Shaastra, may enable men to reach God, and enjoy the benefits of His Divine abode. The previous Aachaaryaas Bharadwaaja refers to are named by Vishwanaatha as,--Naaraayana, Shownaka, Garga, Vaachaspathi, Chaakraayani and Dhundinaatha, venerable authors of "Vimaana-Chandrikaa", "Vyomayaana-Tantra," "Yantra-Kalpa", "Yaana-Bindu," "Kheta-yaana Pradeepikaa," and "Vyomayaana-Arkaprakaasha," respectively.

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