Bhasya Books | Tacit Design

Prasthana Traya Bhasya Books

Client : Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri

Editorial Design

Design of Prasthanatraya Bhasya—a four-volume series comprising the Brahmasutra Bhasya, Bhagavad Gita Bhasya, and the Upanishad Bhasya (in two volumes), with its earlier edition dating back to 1890 by the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. With an integrated approach to the cover design for the series, we also created a comprehensive design system for the publication, enabling its structured implementation in LaTeX by the peetham.

The cover case uses an off-white base with gold accents as a whole, drawing from the quiet presence of Saraswati - suggesting wisdom in its purest form. In parts, it is interpreted through colour, extending into red, blue, and burnt sienna for the books.

Each volume was anchored by a distinct symbolic representation - the Brahmasutra Bhasya by the Chin Mudra, the Bhagavad Gita Bhasya by the peacock feather associated with Krishna, and the Upanishad Bhasya by Om, the sacred syllable.

The layout is restrained. Three vertical lines, inspired by traditional tāḷe-gari manuscripts, structure the page, allowing the content to lead. This was further shaped by the discipline of LaTeX-based typesetting, ensuring clarity and consistency without excess.

Colour extends into the Sanskrit verses within, creating continuity between exterior and interior.

The portrait format lends the books a sense of monumentality, in keeping with the scale of the content. The typeface Sanskrit 2020 was chosen for its full support of diacritics, enabling precise and faithful rendering of the text.