Tattva-dipika by Baladeva Vidyabhusan

Tattva-dipika is another unique work by this esteemed scholar. Most likely taking his cue from Madhavacarya's Sarva-darsana-sangraha, the author attempts to establish the acintya-bhedabheda-vada of Sri Caitanya as the best school of darsana, taking all other systems as its purva-paksa. While commenting on Tattva-sandarbha (Anuccheda 1) of Sri Jiva Gosvami, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana writes, "Out of lethargy people will not read an elaborate commentary, therefore I am only writing briefly on this esoteric composition." He has truly followed this same principle of brevity while writing Tattva-dipika, even more so than in his Tattva-sandarbha commentary. Tattva-dipika is extremely terse, and that is probably the reason that it never became popular even among Gaudiya followers. Gaudiya Vaisnavas are more inclined to engage in nama-kirtana, nama-japa, lila-smarana and vigraha-seva than the study of philosophical texts, especially those of outside schools. Thus it is no surprise that a work like Tattva-dipika remained unknown. Its lack of expansiveness might also have prevented it from achieving widespread circulation.