The ancient Indian wisdom was the product of natural development of human instinct. Names of God did not matter, variations in spiritual practices did not count, social differences are of no avail, and the methods of worship followed might be different, only the common religious ideal remained. These made the people of ancient India, accept toleration and absorption as fundamental to their wisdom. The ideal is all embracing and non-antagonistic. This led to free religious thought and the foundations of different philosophic system. In addition to the basic eternal religion of the country, the birth of several indigenous religions, like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc., and the respectful place offered to foreign religion like Christianity, Islam etc., in this country and the value they attached to different religions are by itself the proof for tolerance of the Vedic people. Vedic religion is the mother of all religions, which had taught and continued to teach, the world, tolerance and universal acceptance.

This book, first published in 1962, is an analysis of the history of the philosophy of a country that has never distinguished philosophy from religion. Indian philosophy is not merely metaphysical speculation, but has its foundation in immediate perception. This insistence upon immediate perception rather than abstract reasoning is what distinguishes the Indian philosophy of religion from philosophy as Western nations know it.

Compares India's sacred culture with the culture of the Western world.

The echoes of ancient Indian wisdom can be heard from the oldest of scriptures that existed many years ago. Even thousands of years before they were written down on palm leaves, the teachings were passed on from generations to generations, from the teachers to the disciples in their oral form. These works are amongst the oldest of humanity. They laid the foundation of one of the most tolerant and diverse religions in the world, the Sanatan Dharma or Hinduism, which is marked by a wide range of ethos and philosophical approaches. Covering the vastness and immensity of the ancient Indian scriptures is akin to capturing a gigantic ocean in a small pitcher. Thus, in this book, the author has tried to catch a few 'echoes' resonating with age-old wisdom and has presented them to the readers. the book unravels the knowledge hidden inside the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads of the Shruti that form the Vedas, and in the Smriti like Agamas, Dharma Shastras and so on. In short, it provides a glimpse, or rather a macro view of the ancient treasure of India.

In the timeless expanse of truth, eternal and boundless, lies a wisdom that transcends human grasp. Its divine origin eludes even the most brilliant minds, floating far above our earthly realm, beyond the tumultuous skies where thunder and lightning are born, and even farther than the cosmic sea where celestial bodies dance in the vast ether. This truth, originating from the Infinite, the Unmanifest, the Great Silence, is where all creation stirs, and all harmony breathes. It is from this profound depth that Truth takes its pure and unblemished form. While the entirety of this wisdom is beyond human perception, the aspiring soul catches glimpses of its glory, like fleeting sparks of perfection. Those who are attuned to this cosmic source receive inspirations, divine insights that shed light on the shadows of our mortal existence. Throughout history, such enlightened souls have illuminated the world with their wisdom. Their divine messages, transcending time and space, have been gathered in sacred texts across civilizations – be it the Vedas, Upanishads, the Quran, or the Bible. No single culture or sage holds exclusive rights to this universal wisdom. The Eternal Source is a fountain with innumerable streams, and even if these were all merged, the vast reservoir of Divine Truth would remain largely untapped. As humanity evolves, shedding materialistic tendencies and embracing spiritual illumination, the soul's thirst for higher truth grows. Such earnest yearnings are always answered. Pure-hearted messengers, shaped by life's trials and tribulations, are chosen to convey these profound truths to mankind.

Just a thousand years ago, India was dotted with universities across its length and breadth, where international students flocked to gain credentials in advanced education. This illustrated book describes how these multi-disciplinary centers of learning existed in several forms such as forest universities, brick-and-mortar universities and temple universities. It examines the funding for these citadels of learning and their graduation ceremonies. The process by which India’s ancient systems of education helped to fuel a knowledge revolution around the world with its manuscripts, forming the basis for monographs and academic papers, is explained with references. The marauding incursions by Muslim invaders, which disrupted the idyllic world of university learning in India, followed by European colonization, which led to further erosion and degeneration of India’s traditional learning systems, have been taken up in some detail. Readers will get a snapshot view of India's education system down the ages from ancient to modern times.