Publications

Parāmārthāsara the essence (sāra) of the Supreme Truth (parāmārtha) is an adaptation by the great tenth century teacher and philosopher Abhinavagupta of an earlier Vaishnavite work. Abhinavagupta has adapted it into an exposition of the key teachings of the nondual Shaiva tradition of Kashmir. Its hallmark is an all-embracing vision of unity, the recognition that the world is a manifestation of a single supreme Consciousness, the divine Self, identified as Shiva.

In the 11th century Yogarāja wrote a commentary (vivṛtti) on the Parāmārthasāra. Included in this edition, the commentary explains and expands Abhinavagupta's teachings drawing comparisons with the other important religious philosophies that thrived in Kashmir at that time, such as Vedānta, Yogācāra Buddhism, Sāṅkhya and Nyāya Vaiśeṣika.

The translation and introduction are by Dr. Deba Brata SenSharma, a member of the Muktabodha faculty and contemporary authority on the nondual Shaivism of Kashmir. During his distinguished career, Dr. SenSharma held the position of Professor and Chairman of the Department of Sanskrit and Director of the Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies at Kurukshetra University. He was recently awarded the Certificate of Honor by the President of India for his contributions to the field of Sanskrit.

Meditation Revolution a History and Theology of the Siddha Yoga Lineage is a clear and insightful collection of essays exploring the origin, development, teachings and practices of a contemporary spiritual movement. The subject is Siddha Yoga, a path of meditation rooted in the Indian philosophical tradition that has had tremendous impact on contemporary students of spirituality since the 1970's. This book centers around the work of two teachers: Swami Muktananda, who introduced Siddha Yoga and its teachings to the West, inspiring what he termed a meditation revolution, and Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, who has brought Siddha Yoga to maturity as a global spiritual movement. Meditation Revolution examines one particular tradition in its historical and theological context, illuminating issues that will be of interest to serious students of religion and spirituality. The contributing authors, including Drs Paul E. Muller-Ortega, William K. Mahoney, and Constantina Rhodes Bailly, are all world renowned scholars and practitioners in varied fields of modern Indology who bring both profound knowledge as well as experience to their exploration of this perceptive work.

The Iśvara-pratyabijñā-kārikā of Utpaladeva is considered one of the foremost works of the pratyabijñā-darśana, the philosophy of Self Recognition, an important school of Kashmir Shaivism. Written in the tenth century, it presents core arguments in support of a comprehensive monistic ontology as well as refutations of and disputations with Buddhist, Vedantic and ritualist traditions that were current at the time. This translation and commentary by the late Dr B.N. Pandit offers readers an accessible and lucid presentation of this important work. Dr Pandit was a renowned scholar of Kashmir Shaivism and Tantra. He received the prestigious Viśiṣṭa-puraskāra award and taught for many years at Himachal University and the Arts College, Jammu. The second edition is currently being printed and will be available in 2010.

The Kātyāyana-iṣṭi-prayoga is an explanatory manual, or paddhati, composed by Devayājñika on the Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra and other similar texts that were composed locally and remain unpublished. The text distills and clarifies the procedures of the New and Full Moon sacrifices of the Kātyāyana school of the Śukla-yajur-veda. The translation and commentary by Dr T.N. Dharmadhikari is based on his long association and deep familiarity with the material, which he has studiously augmented by careful observation of the rituals as performed by the last few remaining ritualists of this very important branch of Vedic ritual performance. This work should prove indispensable for scholars interested in the ritual procedures of the New and Full Moon sacrifices and for future performers of these rituals who are themselves situated in the hereditary classical traditions of Shrauta performance. Dr. Dharmadhikari is ideally situated to write this book. He served for many years as the director of the Vaidika Samshodhana Mandala (VSM) in Pune, the premier institute in the world that has been exclusively dedicated to the publication of primary Vedic texts and the explication of Srauta ritual. (from the Introduction by Dr Fred Smith, PhD.)

This book is currently in production and is expected in the coming year.

Ordering Information
These publications may be ordered from the Siddha Yoga Bookstore