Salient Features of Sankara’s Vedanta

About the Book

His Holiness Paramahamsa Sri Sri Satchidanandendra Saraswati Swamiji, the founder of Adhyatma Prakasa Karyalaya and author of over 200 reputed works on Advaita in Kannada, Sanskrit and English blessed the earth with his presence for ninety six useful and rich years (1880-1975).

His works are characterized by vast and deep scholarship, clear and precise perception and an attractive and lively style. His authentic interpretation of Sankara has been greatly recognized by both the East and the West. He was not just a rare and accomplished individual but a mighty and magnificent institution.

Our pranams at the holy lotus feet of Swamiji.
Om tat Sat

This is a free rendering of Sri Swamiji’s Sankara Vedanta Prakriye’ (Kannada) which was first written during his Caturmasya Samkalpa at Davangere in the year Manmatha. The Second Edition was published by us in 1959. It has been translated into Telugu and Tamil since, but English-knowing readers who could not understand any of the three Dravidian Languages have continued to press for an English rendering of this popular book. His Holiness has himself undertaken the task at our request.

We hope that the valuable contents of this production will now appeal to a wider circle of readers.

His Holiness Sri Sri Satchidanandendra Saraswathi Swamiji (1880-1975) has written a number of books on Vedanta in Kannada, Sanskrit and English. While the books in Sanskrit are useful primarily for pundits all over the country, the Swamiji was hopeful that books in English would prove useful to a large number of persons not only in this country but all over the world, who are interested in the study of Vedanta in general and Sankara Siddhanta in particular.

Pujya Swamiji established a branch of the Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya at Bangalore mainly because; this being an international city would serve as a centre for spreading Sankara Siddhanta all over the world.

As most of these books in Sanskrit and English are now out of print and the demand for such books remained unfulfilled, it was felt that a reprint of these books would fill in the breach in this respect.

Therefore a reprint project of Pujya Swamiji’s English and Sanskrit works has been launched by Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya, Bangalore Branch. This project is now inaugurated by the publication of this reprint of the English book — "Salient Features of Sankara’s Vedanta".

We are thankful to Smt. and Sri C.S. Seetharama Rao, Tax—consultant, Jayanagar, Bangalore, who have made it possible for us to reprint and publish this valuable work of Parama Pujya Swamiji, by their generous financial assistance. This donation has been made in the sweet memory of Late C.V. Suryanarayana Rao and Narasamma, the revered parents of Sri C. S. Seetharama Rao.

We profusely thank Prof. S.K. Ramachandra Rao who has on our request kindly written the scholarly introduction. It has enriched the value of this book. It not only throws light upon the contents of the book, but also gives an idea about Pujya Swamiji’s life and mission.

We are grateful to the authorities of the Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya, Holenarsipur for having permitted us to reprint and publish this book.

Our heartfelt thanks are also due to all those who have carefully read through the proofs and to many others, but for whose efforts this work could not have seen the light of day.

We are also highly thankful to Sri Nithyananda Printers, for their elegant execution of the printing and binding work.

We pray that the revered Swamiji bless us with the required strength in executing this project of reprinting all his English and Sanskrit works.

Our pranams at the holy lotus feet of Swamiji.

There have been a number of books on Sankara Vedanta produced and published in this country and elsewhere. While they are very popular probably because their authorship has been ascribed to the great Sankara, they contain tenets in conflict with one another. Relying upon these as well as the systems contained in the subcommentaries on Sankara’s classical works even learned men professing to follow Sankara have been broadcasting ideas opposed to one another in the name of that great thinker. And adverse critics belonging to other schools of Vedanta have been misrepresenting Sankara’s system are greatly puzzled and perplexed as to what exactly is the matter or method adopted in the school belonging to his tradition.

It is not easy for beginners to consolidate and discriminate for themselves the various doctrines contained in the three groups of works collectively called the Prasthana Prayi indisputably ascribed to Sankara. I have therefore tried to do this to the best of my ability.

Two Appendices-one containing the cardinal Tenets of Sankara’s Vedanta, and the second a list of the Sanskrit quotations adduced in the body of the work- have been given at the end of the work. The first is a free rendering and adaptation of an article by my student, Pandit H.S. Lakshminarasimha Murthy. I hope that these will be helpful to beginners to remember the principal points of the system. I have every hope that one who has mastered the leading ideas of Sankara’s Vedanta contained in this little book, may very well take to the study of more advanced books such as my ‘How to recognize the Method of Vedanta’, with assurance.

I have-as usual-made over the copyright of this book to the Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya. May Bhagavan Narayana shower His blessing on their laudable enterprise.