Extracting the Essence of the Sruti

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The Srutisarasamuddharanam (Extractiing the Essence of the Sruti) is the major work of Totakacarya who is regarded by tradition as one f the four principal disciples of Adi Sankara. Composed in Sanskrit, the work consists of one hundred and seventy-nine verses. The aim of these verses is to bring out the essential meaning of the Upanisads. Through an analysis of various Upanisad statements, as well by compatible reasoning. Sri Totaka shows that the Upanisads teach that Brahman is real, the world is mithya and the essential nature of the Jiva is none other than Brahman. The teaching is presented in the form of a dialogue between a student and a guru. Totaka skilfuly manages to bring out the main Advaita teachings while maintaining the context of a discussion. These verses are not only valuable for what they teach, but in them we also find an accurate account of the tradition of Advaita as it existed at the time of Sankaracharya himself. Accompanying the Devanagari text of the verses is an English translation of each verse followed by a brief commentary in English to assist in understanding the verses.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Comans

Michael Comans (M.A. Ph.D.) began a serious study of Advaita Vedanta as a resident student of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, one of the great teachers of present day India. After returning to Australia he studied for his doctorate under the guidance of the renowned Indologist, Professor J.W. de Jong, at the Australian National University. He also had the opportunity to study from Senior Pandit Srinivasa Shastri of Deccan College, Pune, and Dr. R. Krishnamurti Shastri of Madras Sanskrit College. Dr. Comans taught at the University of Sydney for a number of years. He now spends his time both in Sydney, where he teaches Vedanta and Sanskrit, and in India.