Vivek Chudamani

Author(s): Chandrashekhar Bharti Swami, P Sankaranarayan
Publisher: Bharatiya Vidyabhavan

Page 12

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
It was little over fifty four years ago that I had first introduction to Advaita Vedānta through Śrī Śamkara's Vivekācüdāmaņi. Since then, I have been reading the work a number of times and each reading gave me a new insight into its contents and produced a deeper understanding. Of all the Prakaranagranthas of Bhagavān Śrī Śarkara, this stands in a class by itself for its exhaustiveness of treatment, lucidity of its style and directness of its expression. In fact, the reader feels that the Guru in this work takes him by hand and leads him step by step to the grand finale so picturesquely described in the concluding slokas. That is why the Vivekacūdā. mani had all along a special fascination for me as for all students of Vedānta.
This fascination increased a great deal when, in 1958, by a stroke of good fortune, I happened to see in the camp at Tiruchirapalli of His Holiness the present Samkarācārya of śrngagiri a printed copy of the Vivekacūdāmani with the Commentary in Samskrt by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Candrasekhara Bhārati Pujyapādāḥ who adorned the śộngagiri Pītha succeeding with rare distinction that lion among ascetics, Jagadguru Sri Saccidānanda Siva-Abhinava Nțsimha Bhāratī Mahāsvāminah. In the well-chosen words of the full-throated tribute that the present Ācārya tenders to him which cannot be bettered, Śrī Candrasekhara Bhārati Svāminaḥ was kytatapaścaryāḥ, sarvatantrasvatantrāḥ śāstropadiştārthānusthānanisthagaristhāh, aparokşikrta-ätmatattvāḥ and jīvanmuktāḥ. He was both a scholar and saint of outstanding eminence. His Commentary on this work modelled on Sri Samkara's Bhāsyas bears not only the impress of his deep knowledge of the source-books of Advaita Vedānta from which he quotes to give point to the Bhagavatpäda's teachings, but also reveals the touchstone of his personal anubhava against which he has verified the truths that he elucidates.
From the time that I saw the book and went through the Commentary, I conceived a strong desire to translate it into English to come into grips with it and understand it with greater intimacy and clarity, and also to make available to those who could not read the original, but are ardent votaries of Advaita Vedānta, a classica Commentary true to tradition, without diluting it to suit the so