Preface

Advaitasiddhi is the magnum opus of Madhusudana-sarasvati who was one of the greatest stalwarts of the philosophy of Advaita. The book is a verbatim reply to Nyayamrta, the masterpiece of Vyasatirtha, the great champion of the philosophy of Dvaita. Nyayamrta and Advaitasiddhi together constitute the fountain-head of neo-Vedanta; both marvel as the best specimens of the controversy between advaitins and advaitins.

What is intended in the present book is a modest attempt in the study of Advaitasiddhi. In the study of Advaitasiddhi one has to pass through certain hurdles. In the first place, there is the absence of a complete translated of the text in English. Secondly, since Advaitasiddhi is written employing throughout the method of Navya Nyaya, an acquaintance with the same has to be acquired before embarking upon the study of Advaitasiddhi. Thirdly, since Advaitasiddhi is a verbatim retort to Nyayamrta the study of the latter is a pre-requisite. I have tried my best to get over these difficulties. The incomplete English translation of Advaitasiddhi by Pandit Ganganath Jha, though it contains only the first twenty-six topics out of the total of one hundred and twelve, was of immense help to me. I have taken pains to compare the work with Nyayamrta as and when found necessary.