Invoking th grace of the divinities to aid him write this commentary, its author, His Holiness the Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekara Bharati PujyapAdah, Head of the Sri SaradApItha at Sringeri says:
samsArasAgara-nimagna janoddidhIrsuh
yo'vAtaracchiva-nrsimha-gurucchalena|
jAdyAndhakAraharaNam karuNAsamudram
tam daksiNAsyaminSam hrdi bhAvayAmi ||
jn~anasvarUpe vAgdevi bhagavatpAdapUjite |
cUdAmani vivekAdimvyAkuruSva mukhAnmama||
prasannAnAm gabhIrAnAm vAcasAm desikesituh|
bhAvastvatkrpayA citte bhAsatAm mama sArade||
ratnagarba ganesAna vighnadhvAnta-vibhAkara|
nirvighnam pUrayasvemAm vyAkhyAm kArunyaSevadhe||
candramaulIsvara vibho brahmavidyAsamAsrita|
svAnubhUtim prayacchAsu cinmudrAvilasatkara||
I incessantly adore in my heart Sri DakshinAmurti, the ocean of mercy, who destroys the deepest darkness of avidya, and who, to salvage men caught up in the ocean of samSara, descended down to earth in the form of
Sri Sivanrsimha Guru. O! Goddess of Speech! The embodiment of wisdom who was worshipped by Sri BhagavatpAda, be pleased to explain the VivekachUdAmani through my lips.
SArada! May the import of the clear and majestic words of the best teachers (sri Sankara) shine in my mind through your grace. O! ratnagarbha Ganesha! the dispeller of all
obstacles! Thou mine of mercy! enable me to complete this task without any hindrace. O! ChandramaulIsvara! who shines by the effulgence of BrahmavidyA and who
displays the cinmudra! pray, endow me quickly with the realisation (of the Supreme Truth)