The ocean of Inquiry: a neglected classic of late Advaita Vedanta

The Ocean of Inquiry (Vicar-sagar) is a vernacular compendium of Advaita Vedanta, one of the most influential traditions of South Asian religion and philosophy, especially in modern times. Its author, Niscaldas (ca. 1791 - 1863), was a classically trained pandit and a sadhu of the Dadu Panth. His wo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Allen, Michael S. (Author)
Format: Print Book
Language:English
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Published: Ann Arbor, MI UMI 2013
In:Year: 2013
Series/Journal:UMI dissertation services
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Hindi religious literature / Advaita
RelBib Classification:BK Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism
Further subjects:B Thesis
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Summary:The Ocean of Inquiry (Vicar-sagar) is a vernacular compendium of Advaita Vedanta, one of the most influential traditions of South Asian religion and philosophy, especially in modern times. Its author, Niscaldas (ca. 1791 - 1863), was a classically trained pandit and a sadhu of the Dadu Panth. His work was widely read in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, both in its Hindi original and in regional translations: Vivekananda once referred to it as the most influential book in India. Surprisingly, however, The Ocean of Inquiry remains virtually unknown to Western scholars; even specialists in Hinduism have rarely heard of it. This dissertation aims to draw attention both to Niscaldas's work and to the broader genre of vernacular Vedanta; it also calls into question the notion that late Advaita Vedanta represents a period of intellectual decline