“By whom (kena, i.e., by whose mere intent) is the impelled mind directed?” With this profound question, the Kena Upanishad begins. One of the shortest Upanishads, Kena offers one of the most thorough presentations of Vedanta in its first two chapters. The prose of the last two chapters narrates how the gods take credit for […]
Part of the Krishna Yajurveda, and one of the most popular Upanishads, Katha Upanishad comprises two parts and 120 verses. It is one of the ten Upanishads Shankara commented on, and comes to us in the form of a dialogue between young seeker Nachiketa and Lord Yama (Death). Lord Yama test Nachiketa’s qualifications as a
A Free Video Course on Vedanta Texts- Prakarana Granthas : Drg Drsya Viveka (Summary) by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.
In this section of the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, the great Mahavakya, “Aham Brahmasmi, I am Brahman” asserts the oneness of the self with the cause of the world. This profound assertion, naturally, gives rise to a series of questions. Swamiji will continue his elucidation of this profound aphorism in the dialog between Maharishi Yajnavalkya and his
The dialogue between the sage Yajnavalkya and his wife, Maitreyi, on the knowledge of Brahman, which is the truth of the world and the individual, is found in two places in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. Adi Sankaracarya has commented on both. In this retreat Swami Viditatmanandaji will teach both commentaries, giving clarity and depth to this
An Audio Course on Vedanta Texts- Upanisad: Brhadaranyaka Upanisad- Bhasyam (2013) by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.
Brhadaranyaka Upanisad (2.4.1): This chapter of the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad (2.4.1 onwards) reveals the nondual vision of the Upanisad by teaching the reality of what is generally taken to be real, satyasyasatyam. Presented in the form of teacher-student dialogues, the Upanishad also shows the method by which this is taught, and what is expected of the
For a seeker of self-knowledge, there are two committed lifestyles proffered by the Bhagavad Gita (3.3): Pursuit of knowledge while performing one’s duties and Total commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, renouncing all other pursuits. Which should one choose? In these Eight Classes, Swamiji addresses this highly relevant topic. A Video Course (Course Code –
The sastra teaches us that all that is here is Isvara. If this is understood, Isvara cannot be brought in or discarded: Isvara just is. If it is not understood, we need to first come to some relative appreciation of this fact, by deliberately “bringing” Isvara into our lives. How? If Isvara is already everything
Our quality of life is always threatened by conflict. In these courses, Swamiji shows that the root of all conflict is not outside, but within, and that we encounter this inner conflict whenever we must negotiate personal desires versus universal values. Swamiji addresses how to manage-and resolve-this pervasive conflict during this series of classes. A
