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Translation of the PREFACE (in Samskrt) by His Holiness JAGADGURU SRI ABHINAVA VIDYATIRTHA SVĀMINAH ŠAMKARĀCĀRYA OF SRI SARADĀPĪTHA, ŚRNGAGIRI
To the Original Samskrt Edition
Om
Bhagavān Śrī Vāsudeva who incarnated to rescue the men of the world from the dense darkness of avidyā spoke of the knowledge of the ātman (adhyātma-vidyā) as the most eminent of all kinds of knowledge when He told Arjuna who had supplicated to Him, that He was "adhyātma-vidyā vidyānām". That adhyātmavidyā should be understood from the Upanişads which are the acme of the Vedas. The doubts that may arise in the minds of men in respect of their teachings are to be resolved only by reasoning prescribed in the Śārīrakamāmāmsā of Sage Vyāsa. The Bhagavad Gitā is the quintessence of the Upanişads. Bhagavān Samkara, taking the form of Paramahamsa Parivrājaka, wrote commentaries on the triad of the Upanişads, the Brahma Sūtras and the Bhagavad Gita in words of clear and majestic import and clearly conveyed the truth about the ātman which is taught in the Upanişads. Thinking that the comprehension of the truth of the ātman by examination of the import of the Upanişads etc., is difficult for generality of men, Śrī Samkarācārya wrote many treatises like the Vivekacūdāmani which are easy to understand. This work called “The Vivekacūdāmani" is the most popular everywhere of all of them and shines as the crest-jewel among them. The truth about the ātman, however difficult of comprehension, becomes clear like the myrobalan fruit in the palm of the hand. Even those who feel diffident to enter into a study of the Upanişad commentaries etc., will find this text easy to study.
Our revered Acārya graciously thought: 'if there is also an authoritative commentary to the pre-eminent work of this nature, it will be like adding fragrance to a flower of gold,' and he wrote a Commentary for clear understanding of the work and its deep insight. About the excellence of the Commentary nothing need be said by us. To produce conviction of the superior merit of the Commentary, it is enough to affirm that our revered Acārya was an eminent tapassvin, master of all the śāstras, uncompromising in the scrupulous observance of all that is intimated in them, one who had direct realisation of his ātman, a rare jīvanmukta.
