In Search of The Lofty Heights of Advaita

This book is an enthralling pilgrimage. It is an intellectual, cultural, philosophical and spiritual voyage through the flickering sparks of time starting from the Vedas where the seeds of Advaita are seen sprouted. The inspiring journey moves to the heights of Advaitic philosophy through the Upanishads, Brahmasutras, Bhagavadgita, Yogavasishta and the sublime thoughts of Gaudapada, and others, culminating in the majestic deliberations of the great Sankara. Towards the end, we take a happy sojourn in the vales of modern Advaitic Teachers like Shri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramanuja, Sri Aurobindo, and others.

As Prof. Radhakrishnan says, “The prose style is lucid and simple and coherent without circumlocutions and flourishes, a welcome and pleasant change from the style of many books of this genre. The brevity and clarity seen in this book are indicative of the writer's mastery of the subject and its internalization.”

Needless to say, this book is an invaluable guide to all seekers of knowledge and wisdom and also to those who want to know what India is, and what it stands for....

SHRI P.K. SREEDHARAN's monumental work In Search of the Lofty Heights of Advaita is a painstaking, historicalanalytical study of the “living wisdom” of India. The book gives a panoramic sweep of the entire gamut of the philosophical systems of India, the contributions made by various sages and saints at the various stages of their evolution to meet the needs of the times without, however, compromising the basic and eternal principles which are but the outcome of self-realisation and hence incontrovertible.

Like a true explorer, the author begins his search from the very beginning—the sublime invocation to Fire in the very first Mantra of Rigveda, the earliest poetic and philosophical creation of man. From this earliest source, he relentlessly pursues the “Great River of Life” and traces how polytheism gives place to “henotheism” and from it to monotheism, then to pantheism and from there to the emergence of the lofty Vedanta and finally the paragon and acme of spirituality—the nondal Advaita, where the Atman, the individual soul, becoming one with the ocean of Sat Chit Ananda. Here the potential divinity of the soul manifests fully in all its splendour and the universe is realized for what it truly is—Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma—All is verily Brahman.

The full import of the Mahavakyas like Aham Brahmasmi, etc., becomes a living, practical Truth and this realization brings in its wake total harmony and ineffable peace. The River's inexorable quest at long last comes to fruition with its total merger with the Ocean and its loss of separate identity.

I AM IN AN ENTHRALLING PILGRIMAGE. The dreary days of I plodding are no more. Every moment of this pilgrimage is consoling and encouraging. It is an intellectual, cultural, philosophic and spiritual voyage through the flickering sparks of time starting from the Vedas where we find the seeds of Advaita are being sprouted. The inspiring journey moves to the heights of Advaitic philosophy through the Upanishads, Brahmasutras, Bhagavadgita, Yogavasishta, and the sublime thoughts of Gaudapada and others, at last culminating in the majestic deliberations of the great, Sankara. Towards the end, we take a happy sojourn in the vales of modern Advaitic teachers like Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, and others.

I am sure the seeker after truth would enjoy the incredible and refreshing experience that he would eventually gather.

I had prepared a Malayalam work on Advaita, titled Advaita Shikharam Theti (In search of the Advaitic Heights), simultaneously with the present volume and it was published last year. Both the creations have close affinity and they are twin sisters keeping their distinct identities.

Before concluding, let me add this much also:

Some Vedic and Upanishadic mantras (stanzas) have been quoted from famous translators like T.H. Griffith and W.B. Yeats. English translations of Brahmasutra-bhashya and Srimad Bhagavadgita-bhashya of Sri Sankara by Swami Gambhirananda and A.G. Krishna Warrier, respectively were of immense help.

**Contents and Sample Pages**