Kathopanisat with Rangaramanuja's Commentary 'Prakasika'
Translator: Dr. N.S. Anantharangacharyar Swami (website incorrectly states it is by Dr. Bhashyam Swami - in reality this is the name of the gentleman who wrote the preface)
Academy of Sanskrit Research (2009)
Price: $30 at http://www.exoticindia.com/book/deta...entary-NAD002/

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Pros: This is an authentic, scholarly translation of the Katha Upanishad and its commentary by Sri Rangaramanuja Swami, a 16th-century scholar in the line of Sri Ramanuja, done by a highly venerated Sri Vaishnava scholar of > 90 years age who has numerous translations and publications to his credit.
Cons: Has a few grammatical errors and typos that are commonly seen in Indian publications, sometimes they do make understanding the commentary more difficult.
Conclusion: An excellent presentation of Katha Upanishad according to the vishishtaadvaita system of metaphysics by a scholar and devotee in Ramanuja's line, as it should be. Everyone with a serious interest in Vedanta should have this book in their collection.

Review: I have several exacting requirements for a translation and commentary on a Hindu religious text. First, it should refrain from insulting my intelligence by basing its system of interpretation entirely on a select few vAkya-s (i.e. "ayam atma brahma") taken out of context while downplaying others. Second, the commentary should refrain faithful to the system of interpretation used by the commentator's predecessors, instead of presuming to "improve" upon them as some modern writers are apt to do. Third, the translator must be faithful to the spirit of the commentator. Fourth, it should be presented in a language that I can understand. On all four points, Dr. N.S.A. Rangacharyar Swami's translation of Sri Ranga Raamaanuja's Commentary on the Katha Upanishad scores high marks. Unlike other presentations of the same text, this one gives every single mantra its due consideration, basing its explanations on an understanding of the entire Upanishad as a whole, just as an authentic commentary should do. It is obvious from the commentator's careful and learned treatment of the subject matter that no mantra is unimportant in the exposition of his views, commenting as he does on bedha and abedha shrutis alike. Sri Ranga Raamaanuja Muni, a 16th century follower in the line of Sri Raamaanuja, has not attempted to reinvent the wheel so to speak, but has instead followed the views of Sri Raamaanuja by referring frequently to the latter's comments on this upanishad as they appear in Srii Bhaashya (Raamaanuja's commentary on the Vedaanta-Suutras). Thus, his work rightfully stands as an expansion of Sri Raamaanuja's own writings, as a faithful commentary should. Dr. N.S.A. Rangacharyar, a highly respected Sri Vaishnava scholar well into his ninth decade of life, has done an immense service in rendering this commentary into easy-to-read English without sacrificing its spirit for the sake of popular appeal. The final published product includes the original Sanskrit text of the mantras and their commentaries in devanaagari, with translations of each.

If I have any criticism of this publication, it is only that it contains the typical grammatical typos and misspellings so often found in books published by less well-known Indian publishers. At times, these occur in critical places which makes the translations a little more difficult to digest. Also, the commentary and the upanishad flow at different rates on the pages, meaning that on any given page, the commentary may be on the mantra from several pages ago as opposed to the mantra translated on the same page. This is not a big problem, and merely requires that the reader pay attention to what he is reading and flip back and forth to read the commentaries for each mantra in order. Indeed, if one isn't paying at least that much attention, then it is not likely that one will get much benefit from reading any translation.

All in all, this is a welcome addition to my library, filling as it does a void left by non-Advaitic systems of Vedaanta. I can highly recommend this book without reservation to anyone with a serious interest in Vedaanta, especially for this with an interest in exploring the virtues of non-monistic paradigms of Vedaanta.