Aitareya Upanishad is the only one of the ten Upanishads commented on by Shankara that hails from the Rig-Veda. It forms the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the second Aranyaka of Aitrareya Brahmana. The first reveals Atma as the creator that creates the world and enters into it as the experience. The second chapter […]
The Five verses on the Essence of Mankind or Wisdom of Unity. The legendary story connected with these five verses by Shankara is as follows. One day in Varanasi in the early morning Sri Shankara was returning from a bath in Ganga and, as is the tradition even now among all monks, proceeded to have the
This celebrated Stotram in praise of the greatness of the Lord begins with the question “who can praise the one whom even the Sruti (Veda) tentatively explains by the removal of not that? It then uses this very method to reveal the nature of reality, Brahman. This Stotram touches on dialectics and draws on illustrations
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The great sayings of Upanisads as characterized by the Avaita school of Vedanta with Maha meaning great and Vakya a sentence. Aham Brahmasmi – I am Brahman (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) Ayam Atma Brahma – This Self (Atma) is Brahman (Mandukya Upanishad) Prajnanam Brahma – Consciousness is Brahman (Aitareya Upanishad) Tattvamasi – You are That ( Chandogya
The Dakshinamurti Stotram, in praise of the glory of Ishvara, holds a significant place in the literature of Shankara. “ I am the whole, with time, place and everything therein”. This essence unfolded by the Upanishads, is captured beautifully in thee verses by Shankara. They depict the self as self-revealing consciousness and the objects that
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Lord Krishna elaborates on the crucial topic of karma yoga in the third chapter. An Audio Course on Vedanta Texts- Bhagavad Gita : Chapter 3 by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.
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The form is the seen; the eye is the seer. The eye is the seen, but the mind is the seer. The thoughts are seen. The witness is always the seer, but never becomes the seen.” With this verse begins the text known as DrgDrsyaviveka, an inquiry into the truth of the seer and seen.
These five compact verses of means (sadhana) tell us all that is necessary for the one who wants to know the reality of oneself, the world and the ‘cause’ of the world. They cover preparatory means, both external, in terms of personal conduct and situations to be sought or abandoned; and internal, such as our
In the fifth chapter the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, Prajapati’s children, the denizens of heavenly realms, devas; those committed to sense pursuits, the asuras; and humans beings, ask him to teach them. Prajapati imparts to them teaching of restraint, giving, and compassion. These qualities, when imbibed in adequate measure, prepare one for the freeing knowledge of reality.
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Laghu Vakya Vritti by Sri Shankaracharya consists of eighteen verses seems to be and abridged version of Vakya Vritti. This works aim at clarifying the meanings and implications of the Mahavakyas – the great Vedic sentences dealing with the unity of the individual self and the supreme Self. An Audio Course on Vedanta Texts- Prakarana
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