Viveka-Cudamani or Crest-Jewel Of Wisdom

The Vivekacudamani or Crest-Jewel of Wisdom forms one of the important original works of Sri Samkaracarya on Vedanta. Here he deals with the subject in a direct incisive way, different from the dialectic method which he had to adopt in writing his more famous Bhasyas or Commentaries.

This work was translated in the early days of the Theosophical Society by Mohini M. Chatterji, a theosophical worker who was deputed to help the then slender band of theosophists in the West with some of; the Easter Teachings. The English Translation appeared in Vols. VII (1885-86) and IX (1887-88) of The Theosophist.

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Vivekachudamani literally means 'crest jewel of wisdom'. It is an important original work of Sri Sankaracharya, one of the greatest sages of Ancient India. Endowed with lofty and sharp intellect, he wrote many incisive commentaries on great standard works of Hindu philosophy. But they are beyond the reach of those who have not attained a high proficiency in Sanskrit and other collateral philosophical disciplines. Here in Vivekachudamani he distils the quaintessence of what he taught, that is, the non-dual Vedanta or Advaita Vedanta in easy Sanskrit verses whose sublimity of content is matched only by their lyrical beauty. Each verse in presented here with a free-funning English translation.