About the Blogger

My name is Raguram Karupia, M.A., B.L. I was born on 20 June 1960 in Tamil Nadu, India. I am Indian by nationality and Hindu by religion. I have been an avid reader of ancient Indian scriptures for over three decades, and this blog is the culmination of that long and deeply fulfilling journey.

Education

My early schooling was at TELC School, a Protestant institution, up to the Fifth Standard (1968). From 1969 to 1976, I studied at De Britto High School, Devakottai, run by Roman Catholic Jesuit Fathers, residing in Britto Hostel — six deeply formative years during which I was thoroughly introduced to Protestant and Catholic Christian virtues and the stories of the Old Testament.

After a stint at Nehru Memorial College, Puthanampatti (Pre-University Course in History, Economics and Commerce), I joined Jamal Mohammed College, Tiruchirappalli, for my undergraduate degree (B.A.) in History, Social Science and Comparative Governments. My years there gave me a warm and respectful understanding of Islamic values and the teachings of the Holy Quran, through daily example set by Muslim faculty and friends alike.

I completed my post-graduation (M.A.) in English Literature at Sri Pushpam College, Poondy, near Thanjavur City, in 1983. My Hindu professors encouraged me to read the Holy Bible alongside the History of English Literature — an advice that deepened my understanding of the English literary psyche immeasurably.

I went on to study law at Law College, Madurai, and was enrolled in the Tamil Nadu Bar Council in 1989. I began my legal career as a junior advocate under Mr. C.P. Pattabiraman, one of Madras’s noted Constitutional lawyers, before returning to my native place to set up private practice on the Civil Side.

My Journey to the Scriptures

As a practising advocate, I felt a growing sense of spiritual inadequacy whenever matters of Hinduism or ancient Indian scriptures arose. One Sunday morning, I picked up Swami Sivananda’s commentary on the Bhagavad Gita — and though I could not understand a single verse at first, that moment planted a seed. I later discovered Swami Chidbhavananda’s incomparable commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Thirupparaithurai, Tiruchirappalli), and from that point onward, my understanding of the ancient Indian scriptures grew steadily — a habit of devoted reading that continues to this day.

It is a privilege born of my eclectic education — schooled by Protestant teachers, shaped by Jesuit fathers, enriched by Muslim colleagues, and guided by Hindu professors — that I approach these ancient scriptures with a spirit of universal inquiry rather than sectarian narrowness.

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About This Blog

Purpose

This blog exists to bring the selected ancient Indian scriptures — the Principal Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata — under one roof, with curated passages, Blogger’s Notes, Comments, and original Sanskrit verses, made accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds worldwide.

Nature and Scheme

Each blog post contains four sections — one each for the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Principal Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. Each section contains curated and specially structured passages from Saint Valmiki’s Ramayana, Saint Vyasa’s Mahabharata, and Comments on each verse of the Principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.

This blog does not treat separately the Vedas, the Brahma Sutras, the eighteen Puranas, or other related works and texts. Those will be taken up later in a separate dedicated blog.

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Subscription Model

The first 15 posts of this blog are freely accessible to all readers worldwide — no payment or subscription required.

From Post 16 onwards, access requires a paid monthly subscription. Subscription fees are as follows:

• Readers in India: INR 200 per month
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Who Is This Blog For?

This blog is for readers of all ages — children, young adults, and older people alike. In spiritual matters, readers tend to fall into three broad types:

Type 1 — The Contented

Some people go through life in a comfortable, satisfied mood, unaware of their deeper spiritual possibilities. This blog gently invites them to discover the other, saintly dimension of their inner life. After reading ten or fifteen posts, many will find themselves living quite differently — more fully, more meaningfully.

Type 2 — Those Who Suffer

Many readers carry great burdens — grief, failure, illness, betrayal, or a profound sense of being lost. The ancient Indian sages do not preach or judge. They simply place you at a vantage point from where you can see into the life of things. At some point in reading this blog, you will — perhaps for the first time in a long while — feel genuinely engaged with life, and discover the inexhaustible fountain of happiness that is your own Self.

Type 3 — Older Readers

For those who have lived much of life and sense that there are still meaningful years ahead — this blog is perhaps most urgently yours. The words of the ancient Indian sages will turn the remainder of your life not merely meaningful, but luminous. It is never too late. Your soulful journey has just begun.

Children and Young Readers

The twin epics — the Ramayana and the Mahabharata — are among the greatest character-building books ever written. Young readers who encounter the great figures of these epics will find their own character, vocabulary, and inner life enriched in ways that no textbook can offer. The philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, understood early, is a lifelong armour against confusion and despair.

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Sanatana Dharma

What Is Dharma?

There is no single English word that fully captures the Sanskrit term Dharma. Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) offered over thirty English words in his books on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata — and acknowledged that even all of them together fall short. Dharma is that which upholds everything. It implies orderly, positive thought, speech, and action by human beings, in consonance with the orderliness and rhythm inherent in the function of the cosmos.

Rta — The Cosmic Rhythm

The Rigvedic sages, in deep meditation, perceived that there is a regulation, balance, and rhythm in the orderly function of the universe — that everything acts in response to this cosmic rhythm. This cosmic symphony, perceived as the primordial sound OM, was named Rta. Dharma evolved from this foundational insight.

Universal Dharma (Samanya Dharma)

Samanya Dharma applies to all human beings, regardless of religion, caste, community, or nationality. Its five cardinal principles are:

• Satya (Truthfulness) — honesty in thought, speech, and action
• Ahimsa (Non-violence) — non-injury at all three levels: thought, speech, and action
• Asteya (Non-stealing) — not coveting what belongs to others
• Shaucha (Purity) — purification of both body and mind
• Indriya Nigraha (Control of the Senses) — reining the senses away from mere gratification

Specific Dharma (Vishesha Dharma)

Also known as svadharma, Specific Dharma applies to an individual according to their position in life, stage of life (Ashrama), and social role (Varna). The four Ashramas are Brahmachariya (student life), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (gradual withdrawal), and Sanyasa (renunciation). The four Varnas — originally based on nature and inclination, not birth — are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra.

Following Dharma at all levels ultimately leads to chitta shuddhi (purity of mind and heart), which leads to Atma Jnana (Self-knowledge), which is the highest pursuit of human life on earth — culminating in Moksha, liberation.

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Hinduism

The following section is adapted from A Primer of Hinduism by Mr. D.S. Sarma, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004.

The distinctive feature of Hinduism is that it has no founder. It does not depend for its authority on the life history of any person. Its authority is Eternal Truth itself — to which every person’s spiritual experience can bear witness. Truth revealed itself in this land through the minds of great Rishis, and this revelation is embodied in the Shruti.

Shruti and the Vedas

Shruti literally means ‘what is heard.’ Great Rishis, perfected through long tapas or meditation, are said to have heard eternal truths in their hearts and left a record of them in the sacred books called the Vedas — the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharvana Veda. The Vedas are considered supremely authoritative. Each Veda consists of four parts: the Mantras (hymns), the Brahmanas (explanatory treatises), the Aranyakas (forest meditations), and the Upanishads (mystic treatises revealing the most profound spiritual truths).

The Principal Upanishads

Though there are as many as 108 Upanishads, Adi Shankaracharya of the eighth century — considered the first authoritative commentator — wrote masterly commentaries on ten of them. These ten are considered the Principal Upanishads:

1. Isha Upanishad
2. Kena Upanishad
3. Katha Upanishad
4. Prashna Upanishad
5. Mundaka Upanishad
6. Mandukya Upanishad
7. Aitareya Upanishad
8. Taittiriya Upanishad
9. Brhadaranyaka Upanishad
10. Chandogya Upanishad

Prasthanatrayam — The Scriptural Trinity

Three works are considered the most authoritative in Hinduism, forming what is called the Prasthanatrayam or Trinity of Scriptural Texts: the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras (also called the Vedanta Sutras, authored by Badarayana). Any teaching that cannot be validated against these three works is rejected as without scriptural sanction.

Smriti, Itihasas, and Puranas

Besides the Shruti (primary authority), Hinduism has several secondary authorities. The Smriti consists of human compositions that regulate personal and social life in accordance with the principles of the Shruti. Laws change from age to age as great Rishis make the necessary alterations to meet the needs of the time — thus Hinduism has always been a living organism with flexible codes.

The Itihasas — the twin epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata — drive home by means of history and legend the principles of the Vedas and the Smriti. The great characters from these epics have firmly established Hindu Dharma in the national consciousness.

The Puranas are religious narratives illustrating the truths of the Shruti through the stories of kings, gods, and saints. The eighteen Mahapuranas are foundational texts detailing cosmology, mythology, and philosophy.

The Schools of Vedanta

Three great schools of Vedanta have shaped the philosophical landscape of Hinduism:

1. Advaita — Sri Shankaracharya

According to Shankara, Brahman — Absolute Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss — alone is real. The universe, as we perceive it, is not ultimately real. Brahman and Atman (the individual soul) are one and the same. The apparent world has a phenomenal or relative existence, superimposed upon Brahman through Maya and individual ignorance (Avidya). When transcendental consciousness is achieved through knowledge (Jnana), this superimposition ceases, and the one undivided reality is directly known.

2. Vishishtadvaita — Sri Ramanujacharya

According to Ramanuja, the Absolute is a personal God endowed with all perfections — knowledge, power, and love. God, souls, and the world are real and eternally distinct, yet souls and the world are inseparable modes (prakaras) of God — as a body is to a soul. Salvation is obtained through the grace of God responding to the devotee’s bhakti (devotion) and prapatti (self-surrender). Released souls attain fellowship with God without losing their individuality.

3. Dvaita — Sri Madhvacharya

Madhva holds that God, souls, and the world are three eternally distinct realities. God (identified with Vishnu) is the sole independent reality; souls and matter are dependent on Him. Madhva does not admit that the world is the body of God. Salvation comes only through the grace of God, mediated by Vayu (son of Vishnu). Even in liberation, souls remain distinct from God and eternally dependent on Him.

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The Four Scriptures of This Blog

The Ramayana

The Epic Ramayana records the story of Lord Ram in his earthly life as the King of Kosala, with Ayodhya as its capital. Traditionally dated around 4000 BCE, it is estimated to contain 24,253 verses, divided into seven Kandas (Books): Bala Kanda, Ayodhya Kanda, Aranya Kanda, Kishkindha Kanda, Sundara Kanda, Yuddha Kanda, and Uttara Kanda — comprising 647 Sargas (Chapters).

The epic narrates how Lord Rama, accompanied by his consort Sita and brother Lakshmana, spent fourteen years in exile; how Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana of Lanka; how Rama forged alliances with Sugriva and the great Hanuman; and how he invaded Lanka, defeated Ravana, and returned to Ayodhya to reign as king. The Ramayana is, above all, a great character-building scripture — enshrining the ideals of truth, duty, devotion, and righteous conduct.

Acknowledgements — Ramayana

• Shri Manmathanath Dutt’s English translation of Valmiki’s Ramayana (1906, public domain) forms the bedrock of this blog’s Ramayana section.
• The incomparable rendering by Sri C.R. Sreenivasa Ayyangar, published by The Little Flower Co. (LIFCO), T. Nagar, Madras 600017, has been an invaluable companion since 1995.
• Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari’s (Rajaji’s) small but luminous book on the Ramayana, perused in the late 1970s, remains a cherished influence.
• Srimath Swami Chidbhavananda of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Thirupparaithurai, Tiruchirappalli — whose books on the twin epics have been a continuous inspiration and solace for over three decades — is remembered here with deep gratitude and reverence.

The Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is the largest epic in world literature — estimated at 90,000 couplets (slokas), or approximately two million words. It was composed by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, one of the greatest literary and spiritual geniuses of ancient India. The Mahabharata is an all-inclusive literature: an encyclopaedia of Hindu Dharma, a manual of ethics, a social and political philosophy, and the sacred vessel that enshrines the immortal Bhagavad Gita.

The epic narrates the story of the rival clans — the five Pandava brothers (headed by Yudhishthira) and the hundred Kaurava brothers (headed by Duryodhana). After the Pandavas are unjustly exiled through a rigged game of dice, the great war at Kurukshetra ensues. The Kauravas are defeated and the Pandavas restore righteous rule. The epic is divided into 18 Parvas (Books), from Adi Parva (the Beginning) to Svargarohana Parva (the Ascent to Heaven).

Acknowledgements — Mahabharata

The Mahabharata translation by Shri Kisari Mohan Ganguli (KMG, 1896) — the first complete English translation from the original Sanskrit — is in the public domain and forms the basis for curating passages in this blog. Though the language is Victorian English, the blogger’s M.A. in English Literature has enabled a faithful and flavourful curation, retaining the spirit of KMG’s translation without over-simplification.

The Principal Upanishads

The Upanishads are the crown jewels of ancient Indian spiritual literature — esoteric, highly philosophical, and searingly direct. The Upanishadic Rishis, unsatisfied with the transient world, relentlessly inquired into the ultimate cause of Man and Nature. Their inquiry revealed the changeless Truth they named Brahman — and the identity of the individual soul (Atman) with that universal reality.

This blog covers all ten of the Principal Upanishads on which Adi Shankaracharya wrote his commentaries, presenting each verse with the original Sanskrit text and detailed blogger’s commentary.

Acknowledgements — Upanishads

• Swami Nikhilananda’s four-volume translation of the Principal Upanishads (1952, public domain; Bonanza Books / Crown Publishers / Harper & Brothers) is the primary textual source.
• Dr. S. Radhakrishnan’s scholarly work on the Principal Upanishads has been an invaluable aid to understanding.
• The commentaries by monks of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004, have been a source of continuous spiritual nourishment, though their texts are not directly used in this blog.

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita — ‘The Song of the Lord’ — is contained in chapters 25 to 42 of the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata, comprising 18 chapters and 700 Shlokas (verses). It is the direct teaching of Lord Krishna to his disciple Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, at the moment Arjuna is overcome with doubt and despair.

The Gita is an Upanishad — a synthesis of the highest teachings of the Upanishads. It belongs to no particular religion. It addresses the universal human predicament: how to act rightly, how to bear suffering, and how to realise the deepest truth of one’s own nature. This blog presents each of the 700 verses with the original Sanskrit text in transliteration and detailed blogger’s Comments.

Acknowledgements — Bhagavad Gita

• The Bhagavad Gita — A Commentary by Srimath Swami Chidbhavananda, published by Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaithurai – 639115, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, India.
• The Bhagavad Gita — A Commentary by Srimath Swami Sivananda, published by The Divine Life Society, P.O. Shivanandanagar, Dist. Tehri-Garhwal, U.P., Himalayas, India.

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General Acknowledgements

It is not a duty but a great privilege to record these general acknowledgements to two great institutions in Tamil Nadu, India, whose service to ancient Indian scriptural literature is beyond measure:

• Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004
• Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Thirupparaithurai – 639115, Tiruchirappalli District

The blogger has been reading their books for over three decades and has greatly benefited from a reverent study of the ancient Indian scriptures. Their low-priced, excellently produced books — covering all the ancient Indian scriptures and devotional literature — constitute an immense service to the young and old, not just in India but worldwide. But for their dedicated work in writing, compiling, printing, and distributing these books at accessible prices, readers of the lower middle class would never have had access to such authoritative commentaries on the ancient Indian scriptures.

The blogger takes this opportunity to salute and reverently acknowledge all the Swamis and Sannyasis of the Sri Ramakrishna Order who have so wonderfully penned soul-filling commentaries on all the ancient Indian scriptures.

The section on Hinduism in this About Page has been adapted from A Primer of Hinduism by Mr. D.S. Sarma, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai – 600004. The blogger sincerely assures that this adaptation begins and ends here and will not be extended to the blog posts.

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