PB June 2010406 REVIEWS For review in Prabuddha bharata, publishers need to send two copies of their latest publications. Vivekanandar Illam: Vivekananda House Ed. Swami atmashraddhananda Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. 2009. Website: sriramakrishnamath.org. viii + 248 pp. Rs 200. Each of the five sections of this 'pilgrim-book' is a tirtha one would not feel like leaving in a hurry. The first section displays monuments and memorials dedicated to Swami Vivekananda in India and the US, with a full chapter devoted to Tamil Nadu. The second section deals with Swamiji's visit to Madras and his nine days' stay at Castle Kernan-renamed by the government of Tamil Nadu as Vivekanandar Illam (illam means house in Tamil) in 1997. The third narrates the early history of the castle, the eleven years of Swami Ramakrishnananda's presence there- when the castle served as the first centre of the Ramakrishna movement in South India-and the visits of other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, monks, and eminent persons. The fourth section briefly recounts the uses the castle was put to between 1907 and 1993, and the remodelling it underwent under the aegis of the Ramakrishna Math after this period. The last section presents an architectural study of the Illam and explains its present activities and the permanent exhibition it houses. The thoughtful conception and structure of the book as well as the painstaking and thorough research it has necessitated-all done by Swami Atmashraddhananda, present editor of Vedanta Kesari, and his team- is reflected in each of its eighteen chapters and twelve most informative appendices. The sober but gracious design, large typeface, and copious historical and recent images, enhance the value of a presentation that is mounted on high quality art paper. It deserves to be highlighted that a book measuring 22 x 28.5 cm and weighing 1.3 kg is offered to the public at a nominal price, thanks to the generous subsidies of a few institutions, mainly from Chennai. This volume would find pride of place in any personal or public library. PB Srimad Bhagavata- Condensed in the Poet's Own Words Pandit a M Srinivasachariar; trans. dr V raghavan Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute, Chennai 600 004. 2008. xxxii + 444 pp. Rs 200. The Mahabharata- Condensed in the Poet's Own Words Pandit a M Srinivasachariar; trans. dr V raghavan Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute. 2008. xxxii + 470 pp. Rs 200. he Mahabharata and the Bhagavata contain almost all the wisdom essential for everyday living. However, their huge size is a deterrent to their study. If only someone could cull the essence of these epics without distorting them, these volumes would be within the grasp of all. This is exactly what the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute has accomplished. Known for its contribution to preserving and propagating Indian heritage, this institute has published a revised edition of these books which have been out of print for more than five decades. First published in 1937, these pocket-size volumes are the fruits of the labour of love of Pandit A M Srinivasachariar, who has made an extraordinary selection of verses from the original texts. These have been translated by Dr V Raghavan, a great scholar in his own right. With incisive forewords by Sir P S Sivaswami Aiyer and Dr S Radhakrishnan, these handy volumes keep intact the schema of the original works and succeed in bringing out their crux. Furnished with indices of proper names at the end, these books will prove to be a ready reference and a source of inspiration for venturing into the study of the originals. Swami Narasimhananda Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata T