Taken together the texts provide a better sense of the breadth and variety of Vedantic thought in Hinduism than has been given by many of the previous presentations of the Vedanta in Western languages. In addition to the juxtaposition of the texts with each other and of the English translations with their Sanskrit sources on opposite pages, the texts are supported by thorough introductions and detailed annotations. A glossary of important terms is given in back of the book along with a useful Sanskrit pronunciation and script guide, making it an ideal text not only for learning the basic ideas of Vedanta, but also for cultivating the basic reading skills of beginning students of Sanskrit. Finally, as an appendix, a brief overview of Vedantic thought by a modern master of the tradition, Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharya, is given for the first time in English. First Steps is the first volume of four containing coupled texts of increasingly greater complexity and sophistication from opposite ends of the Vedantic spectrum. Volume two is already under preparation.

    This is the inaugural volume of Global Scholarly Publications' series, Bilingual Studies in Classical Sanskrit Texts. This series will present new, bilingual translations of major Sanskrit texts in the areas of religion, philosophy, literary criticism, hermeneutics, and literature belonging to various Indic traditions (Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism).