Rules and regulations of Brahmanical asceticism: Yatidharmasamuccaya of Yadava Prakasa (Sri Garib Dass oriental series)

Book Details:

• Author: Patrick Olivelle

• Publisher: Sri Satguru Publications

• Language: Sanskrit and English

• Edition: 1997

• ISBN: 9788170305156

• Pages: 460

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 inches

• Weight: 640 gm

About the Book:
Rules and Regulations of Brahmanical Asceticism presents the critical edition and English translation of a rare 12th-century Sanskrit treatise authored by Yadava Prakasa—an influential thinker believed to have taught the renowned Vaishnava theologian Ramanuja. This work is the earliest and most detailed medieval Sanskrit composition to systematically address the ascetic practices specific to Brahmanical tradition.

Yadava Prakasa boldly examines the legitimacy of ascetic life for Brahmins, a controversial issue in the Brahmanical order. He methodically explores a wide array of themes, such as eligibility criteria for ascetic initiation, rituals of renunciation, permitted garments and possessions, meditation techniques, daily routines including bathing and alms-seeking, etiquette for interaction, seasonal residence rules (especially during the rains), methods of expiation, and even funerary practices.

The introduction by Patrick Olivelle provides deep scholarly insight into the historical and literary significance of the text. He places Yadava’s work within the broader context of Brahmanical asceticism, tracing the roots of renunciation in Indian philosophy and examining how ascetic orders evolved in institutional and literary terms.

Ideal for scholars of Indian religion, Sanskrit literature, and Hindu philosophy, this bilingual edition serves as an indispensable reference for understanding the ascetic dimensions of Brahmanical orthodoxy and the complexities of renunciate life.