Does every line needs consideration while interpreting Scriptures - Page 3

Dear Urmila,I love reading your replies.You know there are a good number of knowledgeable members on this Forum and you are one of them!⭐️

This is one of those best things I've read on this forum!👏Actually I have no problem with the divine works of our Ancient Sages which were written 100000s and 1000s of years ago but what about recent additions in our epics!?How can we believe that every line we read was written those Great Sages!?Research reveals many later additions?How do you choose in such cases!?

@Surya,thanks for giving me the credit but I think its all your devotion and love for Krishna!😳

Just my thoughts based on my experiences...

There is no "single correct answer" for you question C-n-F.

Because each scripture reveals itself differently to different people. And even your own perception will change with time. Depending on one's intensity of faith, experiences in life, - and- knowledge of sanskrit, each line will reveal itself in a certain manner to an individual. The meaning that you derive today will not be the same ten years hence.

Your interpretation of a particular scripture is your own. There is no hard and fast rule that a certain explanation is correct and another explanation is wrong.

Another person's explanation cannot satisfy you because he has viewed that sloka in a certain frame of mind. You- with a different frame of mind will interpret it in a different manner.

What do help us - in this long journey of ours - are the discourses / bhashyas written by great masters of the past. They serve as our sign posts- guiding our way. Even in this - you are free to choose the interpretation which suits you the best.

The same Bhagavat Gita has been interpreted according to Advaita philosophy, according to Visishtadvaita philosphy and according to the Dwaita philosophy. We can choose whatever we suits us.

Definitely a hundred questions will pop up in your mind... And there is no guarantee that all of them will be answered. For instance, to this day I do not know the exact number of Vasudeva's wives.

But in my quest for the number of Vasudeva's wives (just taking an example, here) my focus was diverted to more beautiful, more enlightening, more profound verses.

And after a point in time, it does not bother me that I do not know whether Vasudeva had 7 or 14 wives. Okay, it may be an intellectual pursuit and a good question to ask in mythology quizzes, but as I said, after a point- when you come across more profound passages, this particular question (Vasudeva's wives) doesn't seem relevant anymore. And depending on the strength of your involvement, you will discover different meanings.

And here I must add a caveat - English translations of Sasnkrit verses- especially from the scriptures have their own limitations. When you read an English translation, remember that it is that particular translator's version. Sanskrit is such a beautiful language that one can derive mlultiple meanings.

I see this most strongly in the Mahabharata Forum. Because K M Ganguli's translation is most freely available on the internet, each and every one is quoting from it as if KMG's version is the original one. Every one forgets that what KMG has written is his interpretation - which need not necessarily be the only one.

Case in point is here. https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/104110760

The debate had came up whether it was Lord Krishna or Dharma which saved Draupadi from the vastra humiliation. I tried to show how a particular word which KMG interpreted in a certain manner can also be interpreted in a different manner to give a new meaning altogether.

Wow thanks for the post Varaali!👏

This reminds me of what we discussed in Upanishad Ganga AT.Thanks once again and yes Sanskrit is such a divine & beautiful language that it is very difficult to find out an exact match for each n every word.Even vowels matter a lot.

Yah plz post!I'm interested to read.😊

SO I was going thru the list of the demons and gods...

Demons include: Namuci, Sambara, Bana, Vipracitti, Ayomukha, Dvimurdha, Kalanabha, Praheti, Heti, Ilvala, Sakuni, Bhutasantapa, Vajradamshtra, Virocana, Hayagriva, Sankusira, Kapila, Meghadundubhi, Taraka, Cakradrik, Sumbha, Nisumbha, Jambha, Utkala, Arishta, Arishtanemi, Tripuradhipa, Maya, the sons of Puloma, the Kaleyas and Nivatakavacas.

This list includes Namuchi, Shambara, Hayagriva, Tarakasura (yes, our Takki), Shumbha, Nishumbha, Tripurasuras (the three sons of Takki), and others, and later on, Mahishasura.

The above asuras each have their own story right? Like, we always have heard like, one by one each asura does tapasya, conquers heaven, then gets defeated?

Well, this list includes all those individual asuras. And then the next list of devas fighting these asuras:

Maharaja Bali fought with Indra, Karttikeya with Taraka, Varuna with Heti, and Mitra with Praheti. Yamaraja fought with Kalanabha, Visvakarma with Maya Danava, Tvashta with Sambara, and the sun-god with Virocana. The demigod Aparajita fought with Namuci, and the two Asvini-kumara brothers fought with Vrishaparva. The sun-god fought with the one hundred sons of Maharaja Bali, headed by Bana, and the moon-god fought with Rahu. The demigod controlling air fought with Puloma, and Sumbha and Nisumbha fought the supremely powerful material energy, Durgadevi, who is called Bhadra Kali. Lord Siva fought with Jambha, and Vibhavasu fought with Mahishasura. Ilvala, along with his brother Vatapi, fought the sons of Lord Brahma. Durmarsha fought with Cupid, the demon Utkala with the Matrika demigoddesses, Brihaspati with Sukracarya, and Sanaiscara with Narakasura. The Maruts fought Nivatakavaca, the Vasus fought the Kalakeya demons, the Visvedeva demigods fought the Pauloma demons, and the Rudras fought the Krodhavasa demons, who were victims of anger.

So, I thought, there can be two possibilities:

1. The war after Samudra Mathana was a very long one and each asura fought one after the other.

2. Though the story of each asura is dealt with separately, all of tem fought in the same war.

So, what do you all think? Which can be the most possible?

I was scouring Srimad Bhagavatam again, and discovered this gem: