The Contribution Of Anandabodha To Advaita

This book deals with the main doctrines of Advaita as set forth in the writings of Anandabodha. Anandabodha is a great name in the history of Advaita Vedanta. He is not only a metaphysician of great insight but also a dialectician of great skill and ability. He is credited with the authorship of four works on Advaita of which ?Nyayamakaranda? is the most important. He was a source of inspiration to some of the greatest dialecticians of not only the Sankara school but of the other schools as well. He does not deal with Advaita in all its details but presents only such doctrines that are of fundamental character. This first and foremost task of the Advaitin is to refute difference and establish identity. This Anandabodha does with consummate skill. Anandabodha next seeks to establish the Advaitin?s theory of error, viz. anirvacaniyakhyati, by a dialectial criticism of the other main theories of error, viz. akhyati, anyathakhyati, atmakhyati and asatkhyati. But what is most original and suggestive in Anandabodha is his interpretation of avidya and avidyanivrtti.