श्रीशङ्‌करवाङ्‌मयसर्वस्वम् – Complete Works of Sri Sankaracarya

Universities are centres of knowledge. New ideas keep them fresh and evergreen. The Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, founded in Kalady, the native village of the Saint Sankara, for eternalizing his memorable contribution to Advaita Philosophy, strives for the fructification of knowledge in all its diversity and harmony. Quite in tune with this noble motive, the publication division of the University has already brought out a number of books which include outstanding volumes like Keralasamskṛtasahityacaritram and Sankaradigvijayam. The present work, The Complete Works of Srisankarācārya is a valuable new addition to these.

ForewordSree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady is happy to publish the complete works of Srisankaracarya in five volumes. The first volume contains Sankarabhasya on Brahmasutra and Tsa, Kena, Katha and Prašna Upanisads. Sankarabhasya on Mundaka, Mändükya, Aitareya, Taittiriya, Chandogya and Brhadiranyaka Upanisads are in the second volume. The third volume contains The Bhasya on Bhagavadgita, Nrsimhatapaniyopanisad, Sanatsujätiyam and Visņusahasranama and two of his independent works Vivekacudamani and Upadesasahasri The minor works of Srisankara like Prapancasăra, Dašasloki. Satasloki. Sarvavedantasiddhäntasangraha, Aparokṣanubhuti, Atmabodha, Prabodhasudhakara and Vakyavṛtti are included in the fourth volume. The fifth Volume consists of the Stotra works of Śrisankara.

This edition is based on the complete works of Srisankaracarya published years ago by Vanivilisam Press, Srirangam, in twenty volumes. It is a tribute to Sree Sankaracharya, the illustrious sage and exponent of Advaita Vedänta, that his works are collected and published by this University named after him in his native village, Kalady. In the past, many scattered editions and studies of his works have appeared. But we do hope that a new edition will add greatly to the propagation of the Saint’s Advaita Philosophy, relevant even today.

 

IntroductionThe world of culture is distinctively associated with human beings, who not only inherit it transmitted by tradition, but also in their turn transmit it to the posterity. Culture and tradition are so intimately fused with each other that it is difficult for us to distinguish the one from the other. In a significant sense, culture is tradition, and tradition is memory. It so happens that, when memory is weak, we are not able to recollect the tradition and the culture that remains behind it. As Radhakrishnan puts it, “the duration of this memory depends on the continuous appearance of creative personalities.” The advent of Sankara has helped us to revive our memory of the past and thereby to get at a clear understanding of the Philosophy of Advaita-the Philosophy of Spiritual Life.

A realized soul like Vamadeva of the Upanisadic fame, Sankara proclaims that it is only the philosophy of Advaita that is spiritual and at the same time rational and is in harmony with the teachings of the Upanisads. He was not an explorer of the philosophy of Advaita. He was only an expounder of it which has been traditionally handed down from God himself. It is not a fabrication of something new by him through the exercise of his imagination, as Bhaskara, his later day critic has alleged.