Mohan Bhagwat treated me like his brother, says ‘Samaveda’ translator Iqbal Durrani

Moeenuddin GhaniNew Delhi, March 19 : Writer, director, and producer Iqbal Durrani, who has translated Samaveda, an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text to Hindi and Urdu, shared his overall experience while speaking to IANS, stating that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat treated him with respect and like a brother.

Durrani said that the framework and style of Samaveda is of a prayer, which entails supplication, purity, humility, complaint and surrender as if a person is asking God for knowledge and for self-confidence.

He said: "I felt love in it and what does a lover want apart from that?"Durrani said that it was a matter of great honour for him to be acknowledged by Mohan Bhagwat on stage, who treated him with respect like a brother and hugged him.He added that all this was the result of his penance.Stating that it took him almost six years to complete the translation, Durrani said: "However, nature wanted me to do it 50 years ago.My grandfather was a Sanskrit teacher and when I visited the school where he taught, everyone used to call me Panditjis grandson.So it has been in my DNA ever since.

"Durrani, whose village is located in front of Mandar Parvat (Mandar Hill) in Bihars Banka district, which is believed to be a hill that was used by Gods to churn the sea (manthan) to procure nectar that became a source of inspiration for him.He said that he reached Mumbai to do the same and kept churning the sea till he finally achieved success.Durrani stated that he had never encountered religious fanaticism in his life and God planted the seed of translating Samaveda in him after softening his conscience.

He said that he could not even dream of translating Samaveda, let alone doing it in real life.Durrani added that after completing the translation work, he decided that he would submit the copy to a publisher who would send it, with text written in black on white pages, to the market and sell it for Rs 400-500.

He continued: "But since I am a film man, I want everything to be the best, from the hero, to the location, the decoration and the presentation of the film.So, that person in me decided that I would present the most beautiful version of the book to the world, which no one has seen before.

""That is why I designed the book with pictures, so that the readers keep reading by being intrigued by them and realise that Iqbal Durrani is not just a writer, he is a lover," Durrani added.He also said that he decorated the book just like a lover decorates his beloved.

The Hindi and Urdu translation of Samaveda has now been released and will soon be available in the market."Since this will be a first for the people, it would be necessary to explain it to them so that love arises within them.

We will also make a series on it, which will enable the new generation to watch two episodes everyday on YouTube," said Durrani.He added that Samavedas light in itself will be enough to reach the hearts of the people.

Durrani shared that he stopped getting work related to writing scripts as people thought that he had started doing "Gods work" and would not do anything else.The God that he was writing for was not sending money orders and he had no source of income for around six years, Durrani said.

He concluded: "I felt that films written by me would still fade out within a decade, but Samaveda would live until Judgement Day, which will in turn make me live through my name till that day.I fell in love with Samaveda while being desirous of life."mgh/fs/arm #Mohan #Bhagwat #brother #Samaveda #Iqbal #Durrani #Delhi #Mumbai # Rani #Delhi #New Delhi #Mumbai #Youtube.