Title: The Vedas And Upanishads (For Children)
Author: Roopa Pai
Publication: Hachette India
Pages: 410
Price: Rs 399
Learning about Vedas? It’s in!
It is a difficult task to talk about original Sanskrit texts in a foreign language. As we read in our mother tongue, it becomes hard to find synonyms in English as there may be no original word in it. Other books about such an Indian religious or philosophical subject in English are heavy and difficult to understand. Roopa Pai has found out a way and made reading about Vedas a fun. The idea of writing for children seems to have done a miraculous job. This book is a fast read, has made it easy to grasp the concepts of Vedas and Upanishads.
To pick up and read a book upon such a subject is not easy. You have to be highly motivated. This book is a morale-booster to those who have a slight intention of gaining some knowledge about Hindu texts. The author has really simplified the understanding of the concepts. As she says that this book is for children, she has spoon-fed the premier ideas of Hindu origin. She has also tried to make it fun, literally, by inserting today’s slang.
The intonation of the book reads in a conversation manner. At some places, it becomes stretchy that she gives a little information and a bit more chit-chat. But that helps in revising the topics after every chapter and keeping the various ideas together. At some points, she needs to cut to the chase and come to the point. It will not take long for any reader to get the hang of the language and style of the book.
In that regard, the book has turned out to be a quick read with a lot of systematic information. The distinction between Vedas and Upanishads or between Shruti and Smriti and several other terms have made it a little glossary of Hindu religion for young minds. Anyone from any part of the world can understand the subject presented in the book without any previous knowledge about Hinduism.
Hachette India publication has tried to give it an interesting look with some sketches in between the topic. The history of a Hindu religion and the unbelievable concepts about God and the existence of life are presented as they are originally talked about in Vedas. The different font face and little borders alongside the translated excerpts help remember the important topics.
Children should be encouraged to read this book but before that, the parents should read it themselves. This organised knowledge of deep-rooted concepts of Indian oldest mythology is fun and interesting.