Publications
India of the age of the Brāhmaṇas
This book, written by Jogiraj Basu, offers a detailed history of ancient Indian society and culture as found in the Brāhmaṇa texts. The book contains four major parts, each part containing many more chapters. The first part (Book I) contains a discussion on the social and economic aspects of ancient society. The second part (Book II) contains a discussion on the political and military aspects of the ancient society. In the third part (Book III) one finds a description of the religio- philosophical speculations of the ancient society. The last part (Book IV) contains a discussion on the flora and the fauna, the ideas of calendar and astronomy as found in Brahmanic literature.
Philosophical Foundation of Bengal Vaisnavism
In this book, written by Sudhir Chandra Chakrabarti, one finds a detailed exploration of the philosophical ideas as found in the Vaiṣṇava philosophical school of Bengal. The philosophy of achintyabhedābheda has been explained. The nature of bhakti as the means of attaining the ultimate goal of human life viz. Love for God has been elucidated. The aesthetic significance of the conception of Krṣṇa as the embodiment of all rāsas have been presented. The fifteen chapters in the book are 1. The attitude towards epistemology, 2. The psychological basis of knowledge and the nature of the error, 3. A synoptic view of Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 4. Jīva Goswamin’s conception of Bhagavat, 5. The Bhagavat as the Ground of Jīva-śakti and Māya-śakti, 6. The doctrine of Causation in Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 7. Kriṣṇa and His incarnations, 8. Bhakti, the means of God-Realisation, 9. The supreme realisation, 10. Bengal Vaiṣṇavism and Kierkegaard’s Existentialism, 11. The Place of Ethics in Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 12. Acintya-Bhedābheda, 13. Rāsa (Relish), 14. Christianity and Bengal Vaiṣṇavism, 15. Conclusion.
Vedānta-sūtram (Volume-2) বেদান্তসূত্রম (২য় খন্ড)
This volume is a detailed Bengali translation and explanation of the Vedanta Sutras contained in the second chapter of the entire Vedānta Sūtras. The Bengali translation and explanation is done by Nrtyagopal Pancatirtha. In this book, one gets a detailed explanation of the meaning of the Vedic sentences that appear to be conflicting with each other concluding that all the Vedic sentences aim at establishing Brahman as the ultimate reality. This is followed by an explanation and refutation of all the philosophical views that are contrary to the Vedic conclusion. The author defends the theory of Acintyabhedābheda as determining the relation between the ultimate reality and an individual self.
Vedānta-Sūtram (Volume-3) বেদান্তসূত্রম (৩য় খন্ড)
This volume is a detailed Bengali translation and explanation of the Vedānta Sūtras contained in the third chapter of the entire Vedānta Sūtras. The Bengali translation and explanation are done by Nrtyagopal Pancatirtha. In this book, one gets a detailed explanation of the futility of the mundane rituals and argues for the pañcagni vidyā as found in Chāndogya Upaniṣad. There is also discussion on how the self goes out of the physical body and enters a new body after rebirth. The second part undertakes a discussion on the nature of sādhanabhakti which is the way to attain liberation. In the third section, one gets an analysis of the nature of Śrī Hari which is the goal to reach. The fourth part presents an analysis of the nature and varieties of vidya, i.e. Haribhakti.