THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO DECIPHERING THE HIDDEN MEANING: SCRIPTURE AND THE HERMENEUTICS OF LIBERATION IN EARLY ADVAITA VEDĀNTA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE DIVISION OF THE HUMANITIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CIVILIZATIONS BY ALEKSANDAR USKOKOV CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2018