The publication of the TS along with its commentary, Pañjikā (TSP) in 1926 was an epoch-making event in the history of Indian philosophical studies. It is a voluminous work consisting of 3645 verses divided into twenty six chapter. 2 Śāntarakṣita, the author of the work, was the rector (upādhyāya) of the University of Nalanda (the remains of which are still to be seen in Bihar) in the second half of the eighth century CE. He then left for Tibet where he founded bSam-yas, modelled on the Buddhist monastery of Odantapurī. Tibetan scholars in this institute were trained to translate Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan. After staying in Tibet for twenty five years or so, Śāntarakṣita died in the first decade of the ninth century.

The commentary on his work was written by his disciple, Kamalaśīla, who had accompanied his master to the land of snow. He is said to have been killed by some rivals whom he defeated in a public debate.

Both Śāntarakṣita and Kamalaśīla belonged to the Yogācāra school of Buddhist philosophy. The TS was written with a view to refuting all other philosophical systems and establishing the Yogācāra view. The book has been called “a veritable encyclopaedia for us of Indian philosophy current in his (sc. Śāntarakṣita's) time.”

One of the many philosophical systems that Śāntarakṣita examines in the TS is the Lokāyata (Chapter 22). As usual he first presents the exponent's view (pūrvapakṣa) and then proceeds to refute it.