The idea of compiling a bibliography of all works belonging to the school of Visişţâdvaita and publishing it in English had taken shape even as the Academy was being formed in 1978. For, the absence of such a work was recognised as a gap in the available reference literature. The Academy is gratified that its efforts have borne fruit and it is indeed happy to bring out this BIBLIOGRAPHY in two volumes. A good bibliography is an invaluable companion in any research endeavour, and often becomes a tool of research. At times a bibliography even helps to define the topic of research and to outline its scope. Data collection for this work was begun almost with the inception of the Academy and after considering several alternative modes of compilation the work of preparing these volumes began in 1983.
The learned scholars and researchers who have prepared this work have introduced features which one hopes will be found useful by all research workers, librarians and seekers of knowledge. All the recorded publications are put into two major catagories as Printed Works and Works in Manuscripts. Based on subject-matter the publications have been arranged in 13 sections of which 5 are included in this Volume and the remaining 8 have been taken to Volume II. Apart from giving separate sub-headings to text, commentaries and translated works in each section, a brief narration is provided for each work, which explains its contents and purpose. Besides, four independent alphabetical Indices for Authors and Titles, for Printed Works and Manuscripts separately, are given. We hope these features will be found useful for cross-reference.
The Academy offers this work to the world of scholars and researchers and to the public in the hope that it will be a stimulus and an invitation for study of one of the great philosophical traditions of India. However it considers this bibliography as a beginning, although a substantial one, of its exploration into the available literature. For it is possible that there are works, many unpublished and a few published, which might have escaped the compilers' enumeration. We hope that this publication will lead to the discovery of these hidden pleasures.
THE ACADEMY OF SANSKRIT RESEARCH, an autonomous body devoted to extensive research work in the field of Viśişţâdvaita Vedanta formally started functioning from 1978. One of the important projects among several others undertaken by the Academy is the Publication of Bibliography in which an extensive study has been carried out regarding extant works on Viśişţadvaita Vedanta. Though the number of such works are less, compared to those on Advaita Vedanta, no attempt seems to have been made so far by individuals or institutions to bibliograph these works systematically. Realising the imperative need to prepare such a source-work, the Academy engaged a few scholars and started working in right earnest from 1978 itself.
Works on Viśişţadvaita are written mostly in Sanskrit, Tamil and their mixture, Manipravâlam. Comparatively few works are available in English, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali etc. Many of the major and popular works are printed publications.
But there are also a good number of un-published works. It is really difficult to assemble information about such works which are scattered all over India. As a first step, sincere efforts were made to collect information regarding various published works which are in vogue. This also involved many difficulties. Some of them are out of print or found only in libraries of old institutions and individuals. Scholars of the Academy had to make frequent visits to such libraries and meticulously collect information, as many of such libraries have no lending facilities. Some of the older publications did not have the title or half-title page. Hardly any information was available regarding the publishers/ authors/ year of publication etc. In spite of these difficulties every effort has been made to collect and collate information by looking into various sources, oral or written, and piece them together in preparing this work.
works are available in English, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali etc. Many of the major and popular works are printed publications.
The Academy is hesitant to claim that this work is an exhaustive compilation. Some information on extant works might have escaped our attention. It has ventured on this maiden attempt out of necessity, to fill an existing gap of a Bibliography. Incidentally, this work has paved the way for writing a history of Vistişțâdvaita Vedanta, which the Academy intends to take up soon, as a new project.
Some scholars may dispute the claim of the compilers who have taken it for granted that the listed Upanisads, Works on Brahmasûtras etc., belong to the field of Viśişţâdvaita. Similarly, Stotra works, extolling the virtues of Vişnu, Nârâyaņa and such other Vaishnavite deities are also included herein. Upaniṣads, Brahmasûtras and Bhagavadgita form the bedrock of all traditions of Vedanta, as Prasthana-Traya. Each vedåntin claims that these works naturally belong to his own tradition. Besides, a scholar desirous of conducting research in Śrīvaishnavism invariably needs detailed information on such works. Hence, these works are rightly included as Viśistâdvaitic works as they belong to Vaisnava tradition as well.
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