Extracting the Essence of the Sruti: The Srutisarasamuddharnam of Totakacarya

DETAILS : 

• Author : Michael Comans
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Motilal Banarsidass Publishers
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 January 1996
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 147 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 812081410X
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8120814103
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 400 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

Extracting the Essence of the Sruti (or Srutisarasamuddharnam) is a scholarly tour de force by Michael Comans. It provides a rigorous translation and in-depth analysis of one of the most important, yet often overlooked, texts of the Advaita Vedanta tradition. The original Sanskrit poem was composed by Totakacarya, one of the four primary disciples of Adi Shankara.

The book focuses on the "Essence of the Upanishads" (Sruti). Totakacarya’s work is unique because it is written entirely in the difficult Totaka meter and serves as a sophisticated defense of Shankara’s non-dualism. Comans’ work is invaluable because it:

• Clarifies the Mahavakyas: Explains the logic behind "Great Sayings" like Tat Tvam Asi (That Thou Art).
• Refutes Opposing Schools: Details the dialectical arguments used by early Vedantins to counter Buddhist and Samkhya philosophies.
• Methodology of Knowledge: Explores how language and "words of the scripture" can lead to the immediate realization of the Brahman (the Absolute).

Comans provides the original Sanskrit, a lucid English translation, and a commentary that is deeply informed by the traditional bhashyas (commentaries) while remaining accessible to the modern academic reader.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Comans (also known by his spiritual name, Vasudevacharya) is a distinguished scholar of Sanskrit and Advaita Vedanta. He earned his PhD from the Australian National University and spent many years studying in India under traditional masters, most notably Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

Comans is rare in the academic world because he combines the rigorous philological training of Western Indology with a deep, "insider" understanding of the lived tradition of Vedanta. His work is praised for its precision and its ability to convey the subtle nuances of Vedantic epistemology. He has also authored The Method of Early Advaita Vedanta, another seminal work in the field.