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Vivekachudamani
Vedanta is truly the "Science of Life". Sankara the great interpreter of Vedanta, not only gave the world his commentaries on the Upanishads,the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Geeta,but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker into the joys of Vedanta.One of the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta,is the Vivekachoodamani, meaning "The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination". A careful study of these verses with the full freedom to inquire will give any student a correct understanding of the entire theory of Vedanta and the reader can,even without a very serious study of the scriptures,start the daily practices with tremendous benefit. The book's popularity is such that it has run into six reprints and with a total of 17,000 copies printed in the past twenty years.
777 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Chinmayananda
386 books144 followersChinmayananda Saraswati, also known as Swami Chinmayananda and born Balakrishnan Menon, was an Indian spiritual leader and teacher who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission in 1953 to spread the message of Vedanta. The organization, which was founded by his disciples and led by him, has over 300 centres in India and internationally.
He was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati at Rishikesh, who founded the Divine Life Society. He was later advised by Sivananda to study under Tapovan Maharaj in Uttarkashi in the Himalayas.
He was a disciple of Sivananda Saraswati at Rishikesh, who founded the Divine Life Society. He was later advised by Sivananda to study under Tapovan Maharaj in Uttarkashi in the Himalayas.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 18, 2014
Extraordinary philosophy. In significant ways deeper and more complete than much Western philosophy. Uniquely compatible with current physics and perception theory.
December 31, 2021
It's the best commentary in English you can find. Swamiji's commentary makes it easier to grasp the deep philosophical concepts of AdiShankara's Vedanta treatise.
April 13, 2026
Given the relatively massive uptick in interest in neo-Advita practices, philosophy and insights. Including my own. But also (oddly) including a good chunk on the internet (something I never saw coming - but I have to admit, that I’m both excited and cringed out by). I have been focusing on the core Advaita Vedanta (non-dual Hindu) literature lately.
Adivta-Vedanta was (basically) introduced to the West beginning with teachers like Ramana Maharishi and Vivekananda, and continuing with Krishnamurthi and Papji, And more recently with figures like Eckhart Tolle and Rupert Spira. And currently with like 1 million people on YouTube trying to be non-dual teachers. That’s the cringe part for me.
But whatever.
I get it.
It’s exciting.
And the world needs it.
So here we are.
Anyway.
My goal is to read the core texts (both classical and contemporary) in non-dual Buddhism, Advita and the non-dual Tantric traditions.
And perhaps beyond.
No idea really where this reading adventure will take me.
So far it’s been pretty unpredictable.
I’m currently working my way through the bibliography suggesting in Adi Da’s Basket of Tolerance (BOT). I am not a Da-votee. Although I deeply appreciate and admire his early writing. I am using BOT as a curated/ranked reading list.
And it actually fucking rules for that.
So anyway.
Regarding the book that I’m supposed to be reviewing:
Adya Shankara’s Vivekachudamani (“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”) is a classic text of Advaita Vedanta, probably written in the 8th century CE. It is a practical guide to liberation (moksha) through self-knowledge (jnana) and discernment (viveka).
Its central teaching is that our true Self (Atman) is not the body, mind, or ego. Our real nature is pure, limitless consciousness, which is identical with Brahman, the absolute reality.
Human suffering is caused by ignorance (avidya), especially the mistaken belief that we are the body, mind, and personality. This misidentification leads to attachment, fear, and bondage to the cycle of suffering and rebirth (samsara).
Liberation comes through disciplined preparation and insight. Shankara emphasizes discernment between the real and the unreal, detachment from fleeting pleasures, a sincere longing for liberation, and the cultivation of inner steadiness and ethical self-control.
He describes the “sixfold inner wealth” (shat-sampatti), which includes calmness of mind (shama), control of the senses (dama), withdrawal from distractions (uparati), endurance (titiksha), trust in the teaching (shraddha), and one-pointed concentration (samadhana). Together, these qualities stabilize the mind and prepare it for realization. Ethical discipline, including non-harming, truthfulness, and self-discipline, also supports this path.
The core practice is self-inquiry: examining experience and rejecting everything that is not the true Self through the method of neti, neti (“not this, not this”). Through this inquiry, one directly realizes one’s identity as pure awareness.
The result is liberation. Nothing new is gained; rather, one recognizes what has always been true. The liberated person lives free from bondage, established in non-dual awareness.
5/5 stars ⭐️
Adivta-Vedanta was (basically) introduced to the West beginning with teachers like Ramana Maharishi and Vivekananda, and continuing with Krishnamurthi and Papji, And more recently with figures like Eckhart Tolle and Rupert Spira. And currently with like 1 million people on YouTube trying to be non-dual teachers. That’s the cringe part for me.
But whatever.
I get it.
It’s exciting.
And the world needs it.
So here we are.
Anyway.
My goal is to read the core texts (both classical and contemporary) in non-dual Buddhism, Advita and the non-dual Tantric traditions.
And perhaps beyond.
No idea really where this reading adventure will take me.
So far it’s been pretty unpredictable.
I’m currently working my way through the bibliography suggesting in Adi Da’s Basket of Tolerance (BOT). I am not a Da-votee. Although I deeply appreciate and admire his early writing. I am using BOT as a curated/ranked reading list.
And it actually fucking rules for that.
So anyway.
Regarding the book that I’m supposed to be reviewing:
Adya Shankara’s Vivekachudamani (“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination”) is a classic text of Advaita Vedanta, probably written in the 8th century CE. It is a practical guide to liberation (moksha) through self-knowledge (jnana) and discernment (viveka).
Its central teaching is that our true Self (Atman) is not the body, mind, or ego. Our real nature is pure, limitless consciousness, which is identical with Brahman, the absolute reality.
Human suffering is caused by ignorance (avidya), especially the mistaken belief that we are the body, mind, and personality. This misidentification leads to attachment, fear, and bondage to the cycle of suffering and rebirth (samsara).
Liberation comes through disciplined preparation and insight. Shankara emphasizes discernment between the real and the unreal, detachment from fleeting pleasures, a sincere longing for liberation, and the cultivation of inner steadiness and ethical self-control.
He describes the “sixfold inner wealth” (shat-sampatti), which includes calmness of mind (shama), control of the senses (dama), withdrawal from distractions (uparati), endurance (titiksha), trust in the teaching (shraddha), and one-pointed concentration (samadhana). Together, these qualities stabilize the mind and prepare it for realization. Ethical discipline, including non-harming, truthfulness, and self-discipline, also supports this path.
The core practice is self-inquiry: examining experience and rejecting everything that is not the true Self through the method of neti, neti (“not this, not this”). Through this inquiry, one directly realizes one’s identity as pure awareness.
The result is liberation. Nothing new is gained; rather, one recognizes what has always been true. The liberated person lives free from bondage, established in non-dual awareness.
5/5 stars ⭐️
July 15, 2020
"The divine Theory of detachment vivekachudamani has made a sense of attachment over it" A real gem of Liberation by Acharya adi Shankara....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2021
My first first into advait vedanta....This is just the beginning.
September 8, 2026
Even in deep sorrow, if the experiences are continuous, the experiencer must come to smile in his sorrow, else, we would not have had even one peel of laughter from slum areas.
Detachment is the fructification of discrimination. It manifests to the degree to which we have been convinced that my shadow is not really me, it does not take an iota of my energy to rid myself of the sorrows of my shadow. Even if ten thousand elephants pass over it, I shall still smile and be happy for I know that no matter how much my shadow is trampled upon, it cannot bring me any pain.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but itself, love possesses naught, nor would it be possessed, for
love is sufficient unto love. The best of love is in the lover’s attunement with the beloved. The attunement is successful to the degree the lover identifies himself with the beloved. Thus, identification is the measuring rod of love. When the identification is complete, love is fulfilled.
To live as the Self and to meet others in life, standing upon this solid foundation of the true nature of the Self, is the culmination of knowledge and this is termed by Śaṅkara as ‘bhakti’. That is, he defines bhakti as both the means and the end, love is the means to gain love. The path of the seeker is to love through love.
Detachment is the fructification of discrimination. It manifests to the degree to which we have been convinced that my shadow is not really me, it does not take an iota of my energy to rid myself of the sorrows of my shadow. Even if ten thousand elephants pass over it, I shall still smile and be happy for I know that no matter how much my shadow is trampled upon, it cannot bring me any pain.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but itself, love possesses naught, nor would it be possessed, for
love is sufficient unto love. The best of love is in the lover’s attunement with the beloved. The attunement is successful to the degree the lover identifies himself with the beloved. Thus, identification is the measuring rod of love. When the identification is complete, love is fulfilled.
To live as the Self and to meet others in life, standing upon this solid foundation of the true nature of the Self, is the culmination of knowledge and this is termed by Śaṅkara as ‘bhakti’. That is, he defines bhakti as both the means and the end, love is the means to gain love. The path of the seeker is to love through love.
December 29, 2025
A life changing text..
August 9, 2026
Deeply profound explanation of Advaita Vedanta. Great commentary by Swami Chinmayananda. I plan on reading this book repeatedly.
April 29, 2023
A thorough and detailed commentary on Adi Shankara's Vivekacūḍāmaṇi.
Vivekacūḍāmaṇi is the best stand-alone treatise for understanding who we really are. For someone who does an intense study of this text, there will be no necessity to read any other book.
This can serve as an incredible textbook for students striving for an intellectual exploration into the Infinite and the Eternal.
A careful study of this book will give any student a correct understanding of the entire Vedanta. Students can start their practices with tremendous benefit, even without a serious study of the Upanishads. An exhaustive study of this book will help to avoid all pitfalls on the way to progress.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (in the introduction to his Tamil translation of Vivekacūḍāmaṇi) wrote: "Sri Shankaracharya's commentaries on Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, and Brahma-Sutras are of little use to those ardent seekers who are intent upon realizing the bliss of liberation, but have not the scholarship necessary for studying them. It is for such as these that Sri Shankara revealed the essence of the commentaries in his Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. It explains in detail the points that have to be grasped by those who seek liberation, and thereby directing them to the true and direct path."
This book has divided Vivekacūḍāmaṇi into various sections with proper section headings, making it easier to understand the content.
Vivekacūḍāmaṇi is the best stand-alone treatise for understanding who we really are. For someone who does an intense study of this text, there will be no necessity to read any other book.
This can serve as an incredible textbook for students striving for an intellectual exploration into the Infinite and the Eternal.
A careful study of this book will give any student a correct understanding of the entire Vedanta. Students can start their practices with tremendous benefit, even without a serious study of the Upanishads. An exhaustive study of this book will help to avoid all pitfalls on the way to progress.
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (in the introduction to his Tamil translation of Vivekacūḍāmaṇi) wrote: "Sri Shankaracharya's commentaries on Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, and Brahma-Sutras are of little use to those ardent seekers who are intent upon realizing the bliss of liberation, but have not the scholarship necessary for studying them. It is for such as these that Sri Shankara revealed the essence of the commentaries in his Vivekacūḍāmaṇi. It explains in detail the points that have to be grasped by those who seek liberation, and thereby directing them to the true and direct path."
This book has divided Vivekacūḍāmaṇi into various sections with proper section headings, making it easier to understand the content.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews