This first full-length study of renunication in Sankara's Advaita Vedanta shows that Sankara's position has been misinterpreted by both traditional and modern commentators and brings his actual position to light.

This book is the first full-length study of renunciation in Śakara's Advaita Vedānta. It shows that a major misinterpretation occurred concerning Śakara's position on renunciation early within his own tradition, and has persisted amongst modern Indologists. Most interpreters of Śakara understand that he saw the monastic way of living as a sine qua non for full knowledge of the Self and spiritual freedom. But this study brings Śakara's real position to light and shows that, for him, inner renunciation of ego and doership was the only indispensable form of renunciation. Monasticism was quite useful, but not mandatory. Using Śakara's own hermeneutical principles as well as the modern philological approach, Marcaurelle shows the basic processes of interpretation and misinterpretation that can shape fundamental aspects of a spiritual tradition.

Included with the work is a discussion of particular interest given the world-wide revival of Eastern forms of meditation: a clarification of Śakara's view of the value of meditation.