Jiva Gosvamin's Tattvasandarbha: A Study on the Philosophical and Sectarian Development of the Gaudiya Vaisnava Movement

Tattvasandarbha is an outstanding work by Jiva Gosvamin whose preeminence among the early intellectual stalwarts of Gaudiya Vaisnava School has remained undisputed. Successive generations of Gau¡diya Vaisnava have been reared on the text of Tattvasandarbha which forms the first part of Jiva's six-volume magnum opus known as Bhagavata-sandarbha or Satsandarbha. 

The present edition begins with chapters which are devoted to outlining biographical sketches of Caitanya, Jiva, Baladeva and Radhamohana. An attempt is made to trace the historical development of philosophical ideas of the Gau¡diya Vaisnava School from its early foundation day to the present time. This is followed by complete Sanskrit text of Tattvasandarbha and its English translation with extensive notes from the Commentaries of Baladeva and Radhamohana as well as other relevant sources. Some ‘`preliminary remarks’ throw light on various aspects of the work.

The volume is written in a simple moving style without cliches. Though addressed to the students of Indian religion and philosophy, it will not be without interest for the general reader.

 About the Author:

Stuart Elkman (b. 1948, Philadelphia) graduated in philosophy from North western University in 1970. Later, he joined the University of Pennsylvania and studied Indian philosophy, Sanskrit and Bengali. In 1981, he obtained his Ph.D. In the same year, he embraced monastic order of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. Since then he has been one of its enthusiastic members.

Dr. Elkman visited India after his graduation in 1970. At present, he resides in Trabuco Canyon, California.