Ravi Shanker was born at Pratapgarh U.P. in 1933. He obtained Master's degree in Philosophy from Allahabad University. He studied Sanskrit as a subject for High School Examination. Bhartrihari's Niti Shatakam was among the books prescribed for the course, evidently, because it contained stanzas for character formation of young and impressionable pupils.
After retirement from service as a senior business executive, Ravi Shanker translated Niti Shatakam into English. The works of Bhartrihari drew his interest further, and hence, the translation of Vairaagya Shatakam and Shringaar Shatakam for mature students of literature.
"The yogin is greater than the ascetic; he is considered to be greater than the man of knowledge, greater than the man of ritual works, therefore do thou become a yogin, O Arjuna."
The Bhagavadgita, Chapter VI, Stanza 46°
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan elucidates further while translating the above: "Here the teacher is making out that the yogin here described is superior to the tapasvin, who retires to the forests for performing severe fasts and arduous practices, to the jñānin who adopts the way of knowledge for obtaining release, with renunciation of action, to the karmin who performs the rites enjoined in the Vedas for obtaining rewards. The yoga which is said to be superior to the tapas, jñāna and karma, has the best of all the three and includes devotion also....."
One jacket does not fit all even as one path of salvation does not suit everybody. Bhartrihari was a poet, a king and a devotee of Shiva."
Bhartrihari's Nitishatakam was published in 1996 with a fresh English translation by Shri Ravi Shanker. As a companion volume, this fresh English translation of Bhartrihari's Vairagya and Shringara Shatakas by Shri Ravi Shanker is now being published.
In none of the three Shatakas we find the name of the author. The practice of mentioning the name of the author in the last part or verse of the book is of a later date. This shows that these Shataka verses are of that early age when the author's name was not mentioned in the text.
Tradition ascribes these Shatakas to Bhartrihari. There are several Bhartriharis. Bhartrihari, the famous grammarian, does not seem to be the author of these verses. Tradition ascribe these Shatakas to that Bhartrihari who was, according to tradition, the brother of King Vikramaditya. It is said that this Bhartrihari was in love with a lady but he came to know that that lady was in love with another person-that person in turn was fond of another lady and the chain went on.
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