Life, Thought and Mysticism in India (An old and Rare Book)

The present book by Dr. M.N. Sircar is a unique work on Indian Philosophy. It is not just an exposition or history of Indian Philosophy in the traditional sense. Dr. Sircar has brought out in this work what is living in the continued history of Indian philosophy in inimitable language and style.

The author has brought out the true essence of Upanishadic mysti cism which is the fountain head of all Indian thought currents and religious life. With equal penetration and understanding he has fully explained the philosophy and practice of the Tantras. Chapters on the Bhagavadgitā and the Bhagavatapurāṇa describe the development of Indian mysticism and its impact on the religion and thinking of modern India. The author has further traced the continuity of Indian philosophical thought through the life and teachings of great thinkers of modern India, viz. Rammohan Roy, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Swami Dayananda and Sri Aurovindo. The contribution of these great men of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to religious life and social reforms has been evaluated against the back ground of the philosophical traditions of India. The small volume presents a complete picture of Indian religion, philosophy and society.

Dr. Mahendra Nath Sircar (1882 1954) started his career as a lecturer in the Govt. Sanskrit College, Calcutta. Later on he taught Philosophy in the Presidency College and Calcutta University. He lectured on Indian Philosophy in a number of Universities and became internationally known as a great exponent of Indian Philosophy. He presided over the All India Philosophical Congress held in Benares, in 1947. Among his works, Upanishader Alo and Hindu Mysticism deserve mention.

His Excellency Senator Giovanni Gentile, the President of the Istituto Italiano Per Il Medio Ed Estremo Oriente, sent me an invitation in November, 1933, to deliver lectures on Indian Philosophy and Modern Hinduism. Invitations also reached me in Rome from Dr. Franz Thierfelder, Honorary Secretary, Deutsche Akademie, Munich (Germany) and from Prof. Sylvain Lévi to deliver lectures in the Universities of Hamburg, Marburg, Tübingen and Munich in Germany and in the University of Sorbonne, Paris.

**Contents and Sample Pages**