AHEMEDABAD: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday released the Adi Shankaracharya Granthavli, a monumental 15-volume series, in Ahmedabad, describing the event as both a cultural milestone and a historic moment for Gujarati literature.
The Adi Shankaracharya Samager Granthavli, published by the 117-year-old Sastu Sahitya Mudranalaya Trust and edited by eminent scholar Gautambhai Patel, was unveiled by Shah, who linked the publication not only to the intellectual legacy of Adi Shankaracharya but also to the revival of an institution that has served affordable knowledge for over a century.
Reflecting the broader significance of the occasion, the Union Minister said the release symbolised how “India’s ancient wisdom is once again reaching the common citizen in their mother tongue”.
Explaining the importance of the publication, Amit Shah said that with this series, “the knowledge of Adi Shankaracharya is now available at the fingertips of Gujarati youth”, adding that the effort by Sastu Sahitya to publish such a vast body of work at affordable prices was “a big event not only for Gujarati literature but for India’s cultural consciousness”.
He underlined that translating and compiling Adi Shankaracharya’s philosophical ocean into Gujarati bridges generations and ensures continuity of Sanatan thought.
Linking the publication to institutional revival, Shah announced that the 117-year-old Sastu Sahitya institute, founded by Swami Akhandananda, has been re-established after years of decline.
“This institution has sat up again,” he said, asserting with confidence that it “will continue to serve excellent literature for the next 50 years”.
He described editor Gautambhai Patel’s work of translating Adi Shankaracharya’s Jnana Sagar into Gujarati as placing “a great debt on the readers of Gujarat”, because it democratises access to profound Sanskrit knowledge.
Dwelling on the life and legacy of Adi Shankaracharya, Shah said it was “impossible to describe in words” how the acharya reshaped Indian philosophy in a lifespan of just 32 years.
He interlinked Shankaracharya’s personal journey with India’s civilisational framework, noting that “he completed his study of the Vedas at the age of eight, became a scholar by twelve, and went on to revive Sanatan Dharma across the length and breadth of India”.
By establishing four monasteries in the four directions, Shah said, Adi Shankaracharya did not merely set up religious centres but founded “universities for the preservation of the Vedas and Upanishads”.
Emphasising how deeply Adi Shankaracharya’s influence is woven into daily life, the Home Minister remarked, “The worship systems and chants we recite today, whether of Ganga, Yamuna or Narmada, are authored by Adi Shankaracharya”, thereby connecting ancient philosophy with living traditions still practised in millions of homes.
Praising editor Gautambhai Patel’s commitment, Shah said that making Jnanasagar available in Gujarati was an act of cultural courage.
“That Adi Shankaracharya’s Sanskrit wisdom is now available in the mother tongue is a big event for the new generation of Gujarat,” he said, directly urging young readers to engage with works such as Vivek Chudamani and Bhaj Govindam.
Expressing long-term confidence, he added that “when literature is discussed 50 years from now, the publication of this Granthavli will be remembered in golden letters”.
The Home Minister also connected personal memory with institutional legacy while speaking about Sastu Sahitya.
Recalling his grandfather’s words, he said emotionally, “My grandfather used to say read Akhandananda’s literature, it will bring good fortune to the house,” using the anecdote to underline the moral and cultural impact the institution once had on Gujarati society.
He assured that the trust, which had been in a moribund state, has now been fully revived, noting that as recently as March 2025, new editions of 24 old books were released and received an unprecedented response from readers.
Concluding his address, Amit Shah credited the revival and publication effort to collective dedication, stating that this “Bhagirath work” was possible due to the guidance and constant follow-up of senior Sangh leader Suresh Soni, while describing editor Gautambhai Patel as “a personality completely devoted to the service of Sanskrit”.
By interlinking individual effort, institutional revival and civilisational heritage, the Home Minister framed the event not merely as a book release, but as a renewed cultural movement anchored in India’s philosophical roots.