Mundaka Upanisad: The Bridge to Immortality (Presenting Six Ancient Manuscripts with Bhasya, Bhasya-tippana and Dipika-Sanskrit Commentaries by Sri Sankaracharya and Sri Narayana Pandita in old and new Kasmiri Devanagari script)

This book was first published by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan in 1987. However the present Edition is special because it contains the Hindi translation of Dr. Karan Singh's texts by Dr. Kamal Kishor Mishra who has also transliterated the Sanskrit text according to international standards. In addition, six ancient manuscripts chosen from the huge collection in the Sri Ranbir Sanskrit Research Institute, Sri Raghunath Mandir in Jammu have been added. These show that this important Upanisad has been recorded over many centuries, both in the old and new Kashmiri style of Devanagari scripts, which include the main text as well as Bhasya, Bhasya-tippanam and Dipika-commentaries by Adi Shankaracharya and Pandita Naraina.

When Dr. Karan Singh’s ancestor Maharaja Gulab Singh Ji founded the J&K State in 1846 he also set up the Dharmarth Trust. His son Maharaja Ranbir Singh Ji not only constructed numerous temples, including the famous Sri Raghunath Mandir complex and the great Sri Ranbireshwar Shiva temple, but was also a great Patron of Sanskrit scholarship. He sent a team of pandits around the country who collected rare manuscripts, 8000 of which are now housed in the Research Institute. This publication is being brought out by Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House. In addition a three-volume catalogue of the entire collection of manuscripts in the Research Institute have been published. The first volume contains the earliest listing by the famous scholar Aurel Stein in 1894.

This edition of the Mundaka Upanishad will hopefully be welcomed by scholars of Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy around the world.

About the Authors: 

DR. KARAN SINGH apart from his unique record of 70 years in public life beginning from the age of 18 when he was appointed Regent of Jammu & Kashmir by his father Maharaja Hari Singh, is also well known as an intellectual and a patron of scholarship and cultural activities. He has written over 20 books, the latest of which is Shiva: Lord of the Cosmic Dance (Speaking Tiger) and Reflections (Shubhi Publications). He has been the Chancellor of the Jammu & Kashmir University, the Banaras Hindu University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Among his many activities is presiding over the Dharmarth Trust, Jammu & Kashmir. This Trust was set up by Maharaja Gulab Singh when he founded the State of Jammu & Kashmir in 1846, and manages over a hundred temples and shrines in the State including the famous Shankracharya and Kheer Bhawani temples in the valley and the Shri Ranbireshwar Shiva temple and the great Shri Raghunath Mandir complex in Jammu. A renowned temple builder, Maharaja Ranbir Singh (1857-1885) sent scholars around the country to collect rare manuscripts. These are now preserved in the Shri Ranbir Sanskrit Research Institute Library within the temple premises. It is from this great collection that the current unique publication has been produced. Like his ancestors Dr. Karan Singh has always been a great patron of Sanskrit. When he joined Parliament in 1967 he set up the Sansadiya Sanskrit Parishad which suggested two important measures, subsequently adopted by the Government of India. The first was the celebration of Raksha Bandhan every year as Sanskrit Diwas and the second was Sanskrit news bulletins on All India Radio. Earlier he was Chairman of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Deeply committed to the cultural and spiritual tradition of lndia, Dr. Karan Singh has, throughout his life, promoted the study of Sanskrit and research into Sanskrit texts. With his deep insight into the Indian cultural tradition, as well as his wide exposure to Western literature and civilisation, Dr. Karan Singh is recognised as an outstanding thinker and leader in India and abroad.

DR. KAMAL K MISHRA is on the faculty of the Department of Sanskrit, University of Calcutta since 2008. He earned his Ph.D in Sanskrit Epigraphy from University of Delhi, and thereafter completed his ICSSR Post Doctoral research at JNU, Delhi. He has been working in the field of Sanskrit studies, especially in epigraphy, palaeography and manuscriptology as well as indic studies.

Under the patronage of the Dogra Royal family of J&K, he has several scholarly publications includes Descriptive Catalog of Oriental Manuscripts in Sri Ranbir Sanskrit Research Institute, Jammu, J&K in 3 volumes with Stein, Patkar and Shastri, Commissioned by Dharmarth Trust J&K (MLBD, 2022). Currently he is engaged in path breaking research on Who is the real author : Mahakavi Kalidasa or his wife Vidyotma the learned princess of Kasi ? (Hindi and English both, MLBD). As a cultural diplomat, he also worked as Director, Indian Cultural Center, High Commission of India at Suva, Republic of Fiji.