A Vaisnava Interpretation of the Brahmasutras

"Brahmas?tras" BS] is a corpus of Ved?nta. Although an interpretation of the central teachings of Upanisads, "BS" has itself been a subject of numerous hermeneutical forays. It somehow suited the Orientalist and Hindu scholars since the early 19th century to promote one interpretation of this seminal text, viz., from the monistic view of Advaita. Radically different trajectories of Hindu cultural selfunderstanding were by and large ignored: one re-interpretative attempt comes from the Vais?ava followers of ?r? Caintanya. Sri Rampada Chattopadhyay in this volume attempts such a novel reading. His basic thesis is: the "Bh?gavata Pur a or ?r?mad Bh?gav?ta," a key scripture in Vais?ava theology, was the best available commentary on the original "BS," In other words, as Professor Matilal explains in his Preface, in order to understand the theistic and devotional nature of religious philosophy that underlies Ved?nta, one has to depend upon the theological teachings of the Bh?gavata. Chattopadhyay draws on these teachings to correlate with issues pondered upon in the Upanisads, and their subsequent influence on Ved?nta, the "Brahmas?tras" in particular. He follows the traditional pattern of commenting on each section and chapter according to which the "s?tras" have been devided. While copiously elucidating on the Vais?ava approach, he engages in criticism of ?amkara and other Ved?nta commentators on "BS," The book is of immense importance to scholars and students in this late phase of Indian thought.