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Advaita for the 21st Century

Recommended Reading
Other Classics

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In addition to those books attributed to Shankara, there are a number of other major works of Advaita without which no library can be complete.

Link to the Advaita Bookstore to read other reviews of these books, buy them from Amazon.com or generally browse.

   

Astavakra Gita (aShTAvakra gIta or aShTAvakra saMhitA)

Certainly not shruti and not really smriti either but a classic nonetheless . It is not known when, or by whom, the original work was written. It is named after the mythical Sage who appears in the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana, both very old scriptures. It is thought, however, that it was probably written more recently, either around the 8th Century or even as late as the 14th, by a follower of Shankara.

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I would recommend the version translated and commented by Swami Nityaswarupananda. A relatively small, thin and cheap version, easily fitting into the pocket, this can be carried around and is a source of the most wonderful uncompromising statements on pure Advaita. Complete with Devanagari Sanskrit and word for word translations. (Buy US or UK)

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Again, Swami Chinmayananda has a commentary. A much weightier tome, this version may be easier to find.

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Ramesh Balsekar also has a commentary on this, called Duet Of One, which I have not yet read.
(Buy US or UK)

   

Tripura Rahasya

   
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Another Indian classic, often referred to by Ramana Maharshi, is 'Tripura Rahasya: The Secret of the Supreme Goddess', translated by Sri Ramananda Saraswathi. This has been compared to Plato's 'Republic' since, like the Greek classic, it outlines the ideal city-state of a characteristically Indian utopia. A customer review at Amazon states:
"Through a series of stories that can be read with amusement and the greatest of imaginative pleasures, the tales also provide a series of wisdoms and insights that illustrate and represent theological implications within Hindu theology and Goddess traditions." - Recommendation by Michael Reidy.

(Buy US or UK)

   

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The 'yoga' here refers to Raja Yoga (rAja = royal), also called Ashtanga (aShTA~Nga = eightfold) Yoga, defined as 'the system of concentration and meditation based on ethical discipline'.

   
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Though not strictly Advaita teaching, there is much overlap and the readable style of Swami Satchidananda, with many stories and metaphors, is able to communicate the ideas very clearly. Each sutra is given in Sanskrit, with word by word translation, followed by extensive commentary where necessary to bring out the meaning. There is much of practical value in this book as well as clarity of theory.

"The entire outside world is based on your thoughts and mental attitude. The entire world is your own projection... If you can control your mind, you have controlled everything. Then there is nothing in this world to bind you."

   

Yoga Vasishtha

   
Yoga Vasishtha book cover

This is available in a number of editions, most of them transcribed by Swami Venkatesananda, and of varying sizes. I have recently completed one of the more abridged versions, called 'The Supreme Yoga', formatted into 365 pages, the idea being that you read one page per day. This much longer version, though still not complete, should probably be purchased by preference. ('The Supreme Yoga' version is available from Motilal Banarsidass.)

It addresses principally the more metaphysical questions of Advaita, i.e. the nature of reality and the world-appearance and the need to overcome the desires of the mind. It does so through a large number of dream metaphors, some of which are incredibly convoluted. Some take the form of large-scale creation myths and may become a little tedious but many are short, sharp and very effective. Highly recommended! See here for a short introduction from the author. (Buy US or UK)

An ongoing English translation of the Sanskrit text of Yoga Vasishtha is being co-ordinated by Jiva Das. Critics are especially invited to discuss the translation, and so share in the work.

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The book 'Dreams, Illusions and Other Realities' by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty is an analysis of many of the dream stories from the Yoga Vasishtha. I found myself skimming some of the more detailed parts relating to dreams within dreams within dreams... but if you are interested in the mythology and its psychological and philosophical intricacies, this is definitely the book.

(Buy US or UK)

   

Link to the Advaita Bookstore to read other reviews of these books, buy them from Amazon.com or generally browse.

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Page last updated: 09-Jul-2012