The Ocean of Inquiry
Subtitle: A Neglected Classic of Late Advaita Vedanta
Contributors: Patil, Parimal G.; Clooney, Francis X.; Monius, Anne E.
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Description: 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.
Notes: Keywords: Advaita Vedanta, Hindi, Niscaladasa, Niscaldas, vernacular, Vicarasagara.

Thesis Ph.D. Harvard University 2013