श्रः Preface My acquaintance with Advaita is as old as that with Visishtadvaita. When I began in 1919 studying the latter as expounded by Ramanuj in his Sri Bha shya, it may be said, I began studying also the former, since the work elaborately and in a detailed manner deals with this too. though for the sake of criticism. seen in the light o Ramanuja's criticisms Advaita appeared a weak and absurd philosophy. I wanted to know whether it was really so. There arose a strong desire in me to satisfy myself as to whether Ramanuja's criticisms against Advaita were quite reasonable and justified aad srce whether it is not possible to defend it against them. With this end in view I had equal interest in understanding both the philosophies and read not only all the important works on Visishtadvaita but also those on Advaita The question of Brahaman's contact with maya or avidya, or to put it in another form, the question of yc or guidyc eclipsing Brahman the absolute, is a very difficult one. It is absolutely impossible for me to connect with each other the two concepts : The Absolute, the Nirvisesha, Brahman and the false wa१०. Saying this I am obviously r::12-sang that I belong to the group of men whom Amalananda, the author of the Kalpataru, calls undo, meaning those of small intelligence. But I have made honest and sincere at
