SHRI T.V. KAPALI SHASTRI
T.V. Kapali Shastri was a teacher, translator, exegisist, essayist, philosopher, and a great sadhaka in the path of yoga and Tantra. He has left an indelible mark on those who encountered him as friends, fellowseekers, or disciples who have recorded his nobility and love in their writings. He has penned down what he learnt and experienced under the auspices of his three gurus viz., Vasishta Ganapati Muni, Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo in his versatile writings, which act as a perfect guide for seekers of spiritual knowledge.
He was born in a traditional Vedic family belonging to Samaveda in the year 1886 at Mylapore in Tamil Nadu. He learnt from his father Shri Vishveshvara Shastri passed on recitation of Saman mantras in his early years and the Upanishads and Shrividya to him. Kapali Shastri mastered other branches of traditional learning like Kavya, Shastra and different branches of philosophy in a traditional way along with his general education in School. His flair for learning languages gave him mastery over several languages like Sanskrit, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. He was a versatile writer in all these languages and his writings are held in high esteem.
Kapali Shastri's literary genius can be found in various forms of writing like essays, commentaries, philosophical treatises, poetry and so on. He was a practicing yogi, a philosopher attuned to Tantra. Kapali Shastri has written a large number of works related to the Vedas, Upanishads and Darshanas in Sanskrit, English, Tamil and Telugu languages which have enriched the knowledge contained in our ancient scriptures with the light of his intuitive experience.
Kapali Shastri encountered his first Guru, Vasishta Ganapati Muni in his early twenties, and became his disciple instantly. He was initiated into the inner meaning of the Vedic Gods and indepth experiential knowledge of Tantra Shastra from him. He pays tribute to his Guru in his Introduction, bhashyabhumika of Siddhanjana: ``.... it was the late Kavyakantha Vasishta Ganapati Muni, whom we adored and addressed as Nayana beloved father who in a way first opened my eyes. It was he who since 1907 took me as his own and guided me in many branches of Sanskrit study and laid in me the foundations for spiritual life that in later years grew to claim me in its entirety. It was in 1910 that he favored me with instructions regarding the deities of the Rigveda and the depth of thought in the Vedic hymns.''
Kapali Shastri was drawn closer to Ramana Maharshi being a student of Ganapati Muni. Maharshi accepted him as his disciple and used to call him `Chnnayana' 'little boy' affectionately. (Ganapati Muni was called as ``nayana' by Ramana Maharshi. Literal meaning of nayana is father but it is used to address younger persons affectionately).
Kapali Shastri's knowledge of astronomy, astrology, grammar, logic, Mantrashastra, Ayurveda and Vedanta along with his command over four languages coupled with the power of intuition, which he had developed through his yogic sadhana, stimulated him towards writing commentaries on contemporary scriptures. His commentaries on all the important works of his three Gurus, Ganapati Muni, Ramana Maharshi, and Sri Aurobindo are held in high esteem. His commentary, Prabha on the great work of Vasishtha Ganapati Muni viz., Umasahasram depicts his poetic genius as well as his spiritual sadhana.
His quest for spiritual attunement brought him closer to Sri Aurobindo in his early forties. He became a permanent resident of Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry from the year 1929. He found answers to all his inner queries in the Aurobindonean Philosophy and travelled in the same path of yoga to follow the synthesis of the Vedic thoughts. (Reference 4, Collected works of Kapali Shastri, Vol II)
Kapali Shastri's commentary on the first ashtaka of Rigveda in Sanskrit called `Siddhanjana' is a monumental work. This remains until today the only spiritual commentary written for all the 121 suktas in the first ashtaka of Rigveda Samhita in Sanskrit language.
Kapali Shastri was gifted with the natural flow in his translations. Shri
M.P. Pandit, who was very close associate of Shri Kapali Shastri in Sri
Aurobindo Ashram, has published eleven volumes titled ``Collected Works of
Kapali Shastri in which he has recorded many personal experiences with this
literary genius. He has wondered about the easy flow of thought and action
of Kapali Shastri while writing either poetry or an essay.
SHRI M.P. PANDIT
Shri M.P. Pandit was a member of Shri Aurobindo Ashram for over fifty
years. He has authored more than a hundred books on various subjects and
aspects of spiritual life. He was sought internationally as an inspired
speaker with a global perspective. He has written and spoken extensively
on the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavadgita, Tantra, Occultism, Psychology,
and Yoga, in the light of Sri Aurobindo's integral approach. He had a
remarkable synthesis of knowledge.
Shri Pandit was the Secretary of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Chairman of World
Union International, and editor of ``The Advent'', ``World Union'' and the
``Service Letter''. He has published a number of works of different scholars
on Sri Aurobindo's philosophy and insight into the Vedas. His translation
of one hundred verses of Umasahasram into English based on the commentary
of Kapali Shastri is a remarkable work. He has done a great service to the
spiritual aspirants by publishing all his works in eleven volumes titled
``Collected Works of Kapali Shastri.
GANAPATI MUNI AND HIS INFLUENCE
Shri Vasishta Ganapati Muni was firm believers of Vedic culture, where
freedom of thought, action, and equality in society were not only preached,
but were also practiced. He used to throw challenges to prove the basis for
untouchability in the Vedas and used to speak in favor of emancipation of
lower strata of our society in religious circles. Kapali Shastri has written
a biography of Ganapati Muni in Sanskrit called 'Vasishta Vaibhavam', which
depicts his superior, gift of literary and philosophical and spiritual
expositions. Ganapati Muni learnt the secrets of tapas in the feet of Ramana
Maharshi and developed the inner vision of Veda Mantras.
Vasishta Ganapati Muni was a Master of Dasha Mahavidyas. His philosophy
and spiritualties were firmly attuned to Tantra. He participated in many
discourses to uphold Vedic culture where harmony in society was maintained
and the inhuman practice of untouchability was unheard of. He was conferred
with the title as `Muni' in recognition of a major role played by him in the
eradication of such practices in society. Ganapati Muni was also a great
patriot and has composed one thousand verses that depict the spiritual
splendor of Devi Uma, viz., ``Umasahasram' which is also addressed to our
beloved Mother Land. Kapali Shastri's commentary of Umasahasram called Prabha
brings it nearer to devoted readers.
Kapali Shastri met his first Guru, Vasishta Ganapati Muni in his twenties
and became his disciple instantly. Kapali Shastri says that he could get
the true picture of Vedic culture and symbolic inner meaning that imbibes
psychological interpretation of Vedic hymns from this great teacher.
Written by Dr. Jayanti Manohar, Cotranslator
REFERENCES
1. Adoration to Divine Mother Gems from Umasahasram by M P Pandit
published Ganesh & Company 1973
2. Umasahasram Commentary in Sanskrit Uma Prabha Vyakhya by Kapali
Shastri published by Sunder Pandit 1943
3. Collected works of Kapali Shastri Volume 3 containing Sanskrit works
which includes translation of stabaka 6th and 20th stabaka in metrical format
Published by Dipti Publications 1965
4. Collected works of Kapali Shastri Volume 2 Published by Dipti
Publications 1965
5. Collected works of Vasishtha Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni (12 Volumes)
published by Ramanashram 2003
6. Glory of Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni, translated by Dr. S.R. Leela,
published by SAKSHI, Bengaluru, 1997