Śivarahasya is a book of history like Mahābhārata having similar magnitude. It is mainly centred on Bhagavān Śiva. In its 12 aṃśas (parts) except the sixth one is the history in the form of stories or glories of devotion to Śiva, the order (krama) in which Śiva is to be worshipped, lots of hymns of Śiva, Śivasahasranāma (thousand names of Bhagavān Śiva), description of Śivakṣetras (places of pilgrimage where Śiva is worshipped), Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅga (twelve prominent Śiva-liṅgas), etc.

Its sixth aṃśan expounds the Upaniṣad-pratipādya advaya Brahman. Sage Ṛbhu, the mānasa-putra (the son born by just volition) of Brahmā (one of the trio, the other being Viṣṇu and Mahes̍vara) got this Brahmavidyā from Bhagavān Śiva in the form of Brahmasūtras as taught by him to sages Vyāsa in every manvantara (a span of 71 caturyugas, each containing a group of Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas, equivalent to 30,67,20,000 human years). Sage Ṛbhu (the elder brother of Sage Vasiṣṭha) is a jīvanmukta. The sixth aṃśa of Śiva-rahasya, popularly known as Ṛbhu-gīta consists of an elaborate description of Ṛbhu’s aparokṣa-anubhuva (direct self-evident experience without the experiencer) of his cit- svarūpa wherein the self-evident, tripuṭiless caitanya (pure consciousness) alone is there to the total exclusion of māyā, Īśvara, jagat and hitherto jīva.

During the waking state, different sense-objects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) are perceived through the five sense-organs ( ज्ञानेन्द्रिय). Though the objects perceived differ from one another, saṃvit (cit) ( संवित्, चित्) – the knowledge-principle or the pure awareness – which illumines (makes known) any given object whereby knowledge of that object takes place, is one and the same. In the dream, similarly the dream objects vary, but saṃvit in the presence of which dream objects are known, is the same. In the deep sleep the ignorance of all perceptions of objects, beings, time, event and even of oneself is cognised. This can be verified. On waking up, a person recollects absence of his knowledge of objects, which proves the presence of saṃvit even during deep sleep without perception. Saṃvit in the three states of consciousness is the same on any given day which is equally true for all periods of time. It never ceases to exist and so is sat – indestructible (ever-existent principle).

Ṛbhu Gītā (ऋभुगिता) is the sixth aṃśa (part) of the epic Śivarahasya. Unlike rest of the portion of Śivarahasya, which is centred on Bhagavān Śiva, the text Ṛbhu gītā is a treatise on the jīvanmukta’s experience of advaya-brahman (non-dual Brahman). It is an attempt to describe an atīndriya (imperceptible) entity which happens to be ‘I’ in reality and yet is indescribable. Actually, it is beyond the scope of words which can describe only that which fits in the categories of jāti (species), guṇa (attributes), kriyā (action), saṃbandha (relation) and rūḍhi (customary practice). Such an entity is self-evident cit (caitanya, pure awareness/consciousness principle) and cit alone to the total exclusion of seeming transient appearances of jīva (the individual saṃsārī entity), jagat (Creation) and Īśvara (the Creator principle). True to his pāramārthika (absolutely real) direct experience of non-dual cit-brahma which is totally free from jīva, jagat and Īśvara, Ṛbhu totally dismisses their existence.

And yet, almost all the chapters containing Ṛbhu’s teaching conclude with a verse in praise of Bhagavān Śiva, which apparently is not in sequel to the non-dual teaching on Brahman by Ṛbhu. It is noteworthy that these praises are composed by none-other than Skanda the main narrator of Śivarahasya and who is the elder son of Bhagavān Śiva. Some of them are by Sūta, a famous sub-narrator of epics, Purāṇas and ādhyātmika lore.

To accomplish anything worthwhile in life a clear-cut knowledge of the goal and its means are indispensable. Any pursuit without knowledge of their exact nature is only a groping in darkness. Gaining ātmajñāna/ Brahmajñāna is not an exception to this rule. On the contrary this knowledge is all the more necessary in this case since ātmā/Brahman is atīndriya (अतीन्द्रिय) (imperceptible) in contrast to the entities that can be known empirically. The means of knowledge (pramāṇas) employed to know an empirical entity are futile to know ātmā/Brahman. We have to resort to the highest pramāṇa (प्रमाण), the Vedas. There is no other alternative.

In the entire gamut of English Vedāntic literature of date, topics of vital importance such as the exact nature of aparokṣa ātmajñāna/Brahmajñāna, Brahmasākṣātkāra, mokṣa (liberation), the source and the nature of the Veda as svataḥ-pramāṇam, the modus operandi of Vedānta pramāṇa, the defectless sāmagrīs (prerequisites) necessary for the Vedānta pramāṇa to function, an analysis of when a pramāṇa fails to function, the role and the criterion of correctness of Vedāntic prakriyās (modes of teaching) are rarely described comprehensively with scriptural authenticity and corroboration. On the contrary, several wrong notions about these are found freely floating around based on mere hearsay.This lacuna prompted me to write this small book compiling my scriptural findings which is an outcome of thorough research.

All of us including all the living creatures without any exception seek happiness and shun sorrows whole lifelong. This is a universal fact. Invariably the method adopted is to do something and gain its result. But the annals of human history records that so far no one has ever accomplished the total fulfilment by such method.

And yet, this perennial hunting unabatedly continues. Upaniṣads contained in the Vedas address this problem.

The Upaniṣads diagnose our mistaken identity as the root cause of above human problem, popularly known as saṃsāra. Erroneously we assume as I the actual inert mass of our embodiment (though seemingly sentient) riddled with calamitous sorrows. We are totally unaware of our real ‘I’ which happens to be the ever-existent, self-evident, ever-experiencing, paramānanda (limitless happiness) totally free from even the least trace of sorrows.

But, this true ‘I’, being imperceptible, the words fail to describe it with their literal meanings and the mind bounces being unable to objectify it as ‘this’. Therefore, Upaniṣad resort to indirect methods of teaching which needs to be unfolded by competent masters. Envisaging this difficulty, the genius teacher Śrī Vidyāraṇya Muni has taught with utmost clarity the twelve Upaniṣads in twenty chapters entitled Anubhūtiprakāśa. The lucid and precise English commentary does full justice to the subject-matter.

All of us including all the living creatures without any exception seek happiness and shun sorrows whole lifelong. This is a universal fact. Invariably the method adopted is to do something and gain its result. But the annals of human history records that so far no one has ever accomplished the total fulfilment by such method.

And yet, this perennial hunting unabatedly continues. Upaniṣads contained in the Vedas address this problem.

The Upaniṣads diagnose our mistaken identity as the root cause of above human problem, popularly known as saṃsāra. Erroneously we assume as I the actual inert mass of our embodiment (though seemingly sentient) riddled with calamitous sorrows. We are totally unaware of our real ‘I’ which happens to be the ever-existent, self-evident, ever-experiencing, paramānanda (limitless happiness) totally free from even the least trace of sorrows.

But, this true ‘I’, being imperceptible, the words fail to describe it with their literal meanings and the mind bounces being unable to objectify it as ‘this’. Therefore, Upaniṣad resort to indirect methods of teaching which needs to be unfolded by competent masters. Envisaging this difficulty, the genius teacher Śrī Vidyāraṇya Muni has taught with utmost clarity the twelve Upaniṣads in twenty chapters entitled Anubhūtiprakāśa. The lucid and precise English commentary does full justice to the subject-matter.

All of us including all the living creatures without any exception seek happiness and shun sorrows whole lifelong. This is a universal fact. Invariably the method adopted is to do something and gain its result. But the annals of human history records that so far no one has ever accomplished the total fulfilment by such method.

And yet, this perennial hunting unabatedly continues. Upaniṣads contained in the Vedas address this problem.

The Upaniṣads diagnose our mistaken identity as the root cause of above human problem, popularly known as saṃsāra. Erroneously we assume as I the actual inert mass of our embodiment (though seemingly sentient) riddled with calamitous sorrows. We are totally unaware of our real ‘I’ which happens to be the ever-existent, self-evident, ever-experiencing, paramānanda (limitless happiness) totally free from even the least trace of sorrows.

But, this true ‘I’, being imperceptible, the words fail to describe it with their literal meanings and the mind bounces being unable to objectify it as ‘this’. Therefore, Upaniṣad resort to indirect methods of teaching which needs to be unfolded by competent masters. Envisaging this difficulty, the genius teacher Śrī Vidyāraṇya Muni has taught with utmost clarity the twelve Upaniṣads in twenty chapters entitled Anubhūtiprakāśa. The lucid and precise English commentary does full justice to the subject-matter.