Response to David Buchta’s Review of First Steps in Vedånta: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

In formulating a response to David Buchta’s recent review of First Steps in Vedånta in this journal (vol. 13, no. 1, Fall 2004), I would like first to thank him for the careful and thorough job he did in reviewing the book. I found his review fair and balanced and believe that the faults in the work that he pointed out and his suggestions for improvements are valuable and will certainly be useful to me if I have an opportunity to bring out a second edition. Certainly, many of the points he made will be on my mind as I work on the next three installments of the series, the second of which, pairing Baladeva’s Siddhånta-ratna with Dharmaråja Adhvarîndra’s Vedåntaparibhåßå, is already underway. There is really only one major issue that I think merits more discussion, and that is the issue of Baladeva’s caste.