Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

Shankara on all "Isms"

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

Guest guest

Namaste, learned members,

 

 

 

I am quoting the following slokas from “Sarva Vedanta sidhanta saara samgraham”

authored by Adi Shankaracharya. As one can see, he has accepted every school of

philosophies, including Shoonyavada. He cannot but accept all, being the

exponent of Advaita Vedanta.

 

“Aham brahasmi aham Brahmasmi

 

Brahamasi aham iti nischyaha

 

Chidaham chidaham cha iti

 

Sa jeevan mukta uchyate”

 

**I am Brahman, I am Brahman for certain, I am Consciousness, and I am

Consciousness–so knows a Jeevan Mukta.**

 

 

 

“Jeevan mukti padam tyaktwa

 

swadeham kalasat kruthe

 

visatya dehamuktitwam

 

pavanaha aspandatam iva

 

 

 

**The one who has Jeevanmukti, leaves his body as time passes, like the wind

reaching a state of nonmoving, leaves jeevanmukti status and enters bodiless

mukti.**

 

 

 

“tataha sambhabhoova asou

 

yad giraam api gocharam

 

yad shoonyavadinaam shoonyam

 

brahma brahma vidaam cha yad,

 

“vijanam vijnavidaam

 

malanam cha malaatmakam

 

purushaha saamkhya drushtyaanam

 

iswaraha yoga vadinaam

 

“Sivaha saiva aagama stanaam

 

kalaha kalaikavaadinaam

 

yad sarva saastra siddhaantam

 

yad sarva hrudayaanugam

 

yad sarvam sarvaagam vastu

 

tat tatwam tat asou stithaha

 

 

 

**The One, which is not a subject for words, which is shoonya for shoonya vadis,

brahma for knowers of brahma, mala (body) for the malavadis (those who argue

body is self, i.e charvakas), purusha for samkhyavadis, iswara for yogavadis

(patanjali), siva for saiva agama vadis, kala, (time) for those who argue

everything is kala (time); becomes that and he, that jeevanmukta; what is the

ultimate proclamation of all sastras, what is permanently in the heart of all,

and what pervades everywhere and what is everything, remains as that, which is

vastu and which is tatwa.**

 

 

 

Warm regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

**The One, which is not a subject for words, which is shoonya for shoonya

vadis, brahma for knowers of brahma, mala (body) for the malavadis (those

who argue body is self, i.e charvakas), purusha for samkhyavadis, iswara

for yogavadis (patanjali), siva for saiva agama vadis, kala, (time) for

those who argue everything is kala (time); becomes that and he, that

jeevanmukta; what is the ultimate proclamation of all sastras, what is

permanently in the heart of all, and what pervades everywhere and what is

everything, remains as that, which is vastu and which is tatwa.**

 

 

praNAm prabhuji,

Hare Krishna

 

I dont know, how far we can stretch this *all roads lead to rome* analogy

by holding some prakaraNa grantha-s as authentic interpretation of advaita

siddhAnta of shankar when the very authorship of these prakaraNa-s being

questioned in traditional circle. Moreover, we have ample evidences in

shArIrika mimAmsa of shankara wherein he categorically refuted other

schools like sAnkhya, shUnya, dhyAnaniyata, pAshupathya, gANapatya, vyUha &

karma-jnAna samucchaya vAdins. IMHO, it is better for us to stick to

shankara's prasthAna trayi bhAshya, when drawing conclusions on shankara

siddhAnta.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Namaste Bhaskar Prabhuji and all advaitins

 

I can relate to what you say.

However, as a hesitant seeker, I have always been wary of schools or

groups which say "stay with me, I am the best school that offers you

the truth, others offer lesser truth or are deluded " ...etc.

 

As such, one is looking for the one school that is tolerant of all

others without being contemptuous or patronising.

 

Afterall the greatest quality of Sanatana Dharma is its ability to

absorb the best thoughts and practise whichever religion or practise

these may come from.

In some of the advaita discussions one does run into the occasional

dissonance which is disturbing. As such, at times I think, but for

faith in the 'all roads lead to rome/realization', half baked seekers

like me may be completely lost and disillusioned.

Many thousand namaskarams to all advaitins

Sridhar

 

> shArIrika mimAmsa of shankara wherein he categorically refuted other

> schools like sAnkhya, shUnya, dhyAnaniyata, pAshupathya, gANapatya,

vyUha &

> karma-jnAna samucchaya vAdins. IMHO, it is better for us to stick

to

> shankara's prasthAna trayi bhAshya, when drawing conclusions on

shankara

> siddhAnta.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Namaste, Bhaskeerji,

Prakarana Grandhas are for people like me who cannot assimilate clearly what is

said in the Prasthana Thraya/Bhashyas. Prakarana Grandhas are always taught in

any class teaching Vedanta. Authorship, I think, is not very important, what is

said in such grandhas are important; isn't it?

I quoted the particular slokas more for sharing whatever little I have managed

to grasp only.

warm regards and hari om

 

bhaskar.yr wrote:

 

**The One, which is not a subject for words, which is shoonya for shoonya

vadis, brahma for knowers of brahma, mala (body) for the malavadis (those

who argue body is self, i.e charvakas), purusha for samkhyavadis, iswara

for yogavadis (patanjali), siva for saiva agama vadis, kala, (time) for

those who argue everything is kala (time); becomes that and he, that

jeevanmukta; what is the ultimate proclamation of all sastras, what is

permanently in the heart of all, and what pervades everywhere and what is

everything, remains as that, which is vastu and which is tatwa.**

 

 

praNAm prabhuji,

Hare Krishna

 

I dont know, how far we can stretch this *all roads lead to rome* analogy

by holding some prakaraNa grantha-s as authentic interpretation of advaita

siddhAnta of shankar when the very authorship of these prakaraNa-s being

questioned in traditional circle. Moreover, we have ample evidences in

shArIrika mimAmsa of shankara wherein he categorically refuted other

schools like sAnkhya, shUnya, dhyAnaniyata, pAshupathya, gANapatya, vyUha &

karma-jnAna samucchaya vAdins. IMHO, it is better for us to stick to

shankara's prasthAna trayi bhAshya, when drawing conclusions on shankara

siddhAnta.

 

 

 

 

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman

and Brahman.

Advaitin List Archives available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin/

 

advaitin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Namaste Maniji,

 

Not necessarily so. There are many prakarana granthas that can confuse

seekers too. For example, the very text that you have quoted (Sarva Vedanta

Siddhanta Sangraha) lays lots of emphasis on Savikalpa & Nirvikalpa Samadhi,

which is something Shankara does not dwell upon in his Prasthana Traya

Bhashyas. I do agree that Prakarana Granthas are useful but there are many

texts ascribed to both Shankara and Advaita Vedanta Sampradaya that oppose

the Siddhanta of Shankara. At the same time I must mention that prakarana

granthas such as Tattva Bodha, Vivekachudamani, Atma etc.. made Vedanta more

accessible to me in the early years. If not for these books, I would not

have been able to understand the many profound discussions in this List and

the commentaries of Shankara.

 

best regards,

K Kathirasan

>

> R.S.MANI [sMTP:r_s_mani]

> Wednesday, March 31, 2004 4:08 PM

> advaitin

> Re: Shankara on all "Isms"

>

> Namaste, Bhaskeerji,

> Prakarana Grandhas are for people like me who cannot assimilate clearly

> what is said in the Prasthana Thraya/Bhashyas. Prakarana Grandhas are

> always taught in any class teaching Vedanta. Authorship, I think, is not

> very important, what is said in such grandhas are important; isn't it?

> I quoted the particular slokas more for sharing whatever little I have

> managed to grasp only.

> warm regards and hari om

>

> bhaskar.yr wrote:

>

> **The One, which is not a subject for words, which is shoonya for shoonya

> vadis, brahma for knowers of brahma, mala (body) for the malavadis (those

> who argue body is self, i.e charvakas), purusha for samkhyavadis, iswara

> for yogavadis (patanjali), siva for saiva agama vadis, kala, (time) for

> those who argue everything is kala (time); becomes that and he, that

> jeevanmukta; what is the ultimate proclamation of all sastras, what is

> permanently in the heart of all, and what pervades everywhere and what is

> everything, remains as that, which is vastu and which is tatwa.**

>

>

> praNAm prabhuji,

> Hare Krishna

>

> I dont know, how far we can stretch this *all roads lead to rome* analogy

> by holding some prakaraNa grantha-s as authentic interpretation of advaita

> siddhAnta of shankar when the very authorship of these prakaraNa-s being

> questioned in traditional circle. Moreover, we have ample evidences in

> shArIrika mimAmsa of shankara wherein he categorically refuted other

> schools like sAnkhya, shUnya, dhyAnaniyata, pAshupathya, gANapatya, vyUha

> &

> karma-jnAna samucchaya vAdins. IMHO, it is better for us to stick to

> shankara's prasthAna trayi bhAshya, when drawing conclusions on shankara

> siddhAnta.

>

>

>

>

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Links

>

>

> advaitin/

>

>

> advaitin

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.

>

>

>

>

>

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

> Links

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Namaste, Bhaskeerji,

Prakarana Grandhas are for people like me who cannot assimilate clearly

what is said in the Prasthana Thraya/Bhashyas. Prakarana Grandhas are

always taught in any class teaching Vedanta. Authorship, I think, is not

very important, what is said in such grandhas are important; isn't it?

I quoted the particular slokas more for sharing whatever little I have

managed to grasp only.

warm regards and hari om

 

praNAm prabhuji

Hare Krishna

 

Kindly pardon me prabhuji if I hurt your feelings. I do agree that these

prakaraNa grantha-s are indispensable for neophytes like us. But at the

same time we should be aware of conspicuous contradictions in these

prakaraNa grantha-s when compared to commentaries on prasthAna trayi. As

Kathirasan prabhuji rightly pointed out, statements such as *advaita gnAna

can be achieved only in nirvikalpa samAdhi*, prasankhyAna etc. totally

alien theories to shankara's shuddha, shruti pratipAdya advaita sidhhAnta.

 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Maniji writes ...

>

> **The One, which is not a subject for words, which is shoonya for

shoonya vadis, brahma for knowers of brahma, mala (body) for the

malavadis (those who argue body is self, i.e charvakas), purusha for

samkhyavadis, iswara for yogavadis (patanjali), siva for saiva agama

vadis, kala, (time) for those who argue everything is kala (time);

becomes that and he, that jeevanmukta; what is the ultimate

proclamation of all sastras, what is permanently in the heart of all,

and what pervades everywhere and what is everything, remains as that,

which is vastu and which is tatwa.**

 

I have never read anything like this before . This is so Divine . Our

beloved Shankara has often been criticized for being a 'mayavadi' etc

by Gaudiya vaishavites. How can a divine soul who composed such

devotional hymns as the 'Baja govindam' and 'Lakshmi-narsimha'

stotram be a mayavadi? Adi shankara is the incarnation of Lord siva

himself. Those who criticize him do so out of ignorance.

 

he is a videhamukta, not just a jivanmukta.

 

Salutations to the lotus feet of JAGADGURU Adi Shankara!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Namaste, Kathirasanji,

 

Yes, Prakarana Granthas can confuse, but it can confuse only those who are

already confused. The purpose of Prakarana Granthas is to help one to do more

and more “manana” of the Tatwa unfolded in the Upanishads. One should approach

PGs with “Hamsa Budhi” and not “Baka Budhi” i.e. to accept what is Shreyas for

you, based on Tatwa, unfolded in the Upanishads. After “intellectually”

understanding “Tatwam Asi, Aham Brahmasi, Ekam eva adviteeyam Brahma” etc. and

“Jeeva Brahmaiva naapara”, study of more and more PGs makes such intellectual

knowledge more and more assimilated. It is this assimilation, which takes place

during “manana” or meditation or contemplation, leading to nidhidhyaasana.

Viewed from this angle, I think even Brahma Sutras, is a PG.

 

Another point, I think we should not have any biased approach that we should

read only Shankara’s works. The Hamsa even if it goes to a dirty pond, it will

pick up only the pearls if available there and reject other things.

 

As for the authorship of the particular book, name is too long, the one I have

is in Malayalam published by Ramakrishna Advaita Ashramam, Kaladi (birthplace of

Shankara). In the said book, it is clearly mentioned “Sri Shankaracharya

Virachitam”, and in the preface of the book, it says, there were many such books

found in the birthplace of Shankara, in manuscript form, and they, i.e. RK

Advaita Ashramam published this particular book for the benefit of the seekers.

 

I have just got confirmation from a reliable source:

 

“The particular book (Sarva Vedantha Sidhanta Sara Samgraham)enquired by you has

been authored by Sri Adi Sankaracharya.”

 

Hari Om

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K Kathirasan NCS <kkathir wrote:Namaste Maniji,

 

Not necessarily so. There are many prakarana granthas that can confuse

seekers too. For example, the very text that you have quoted (Sarva Vedanta

Siddhanta Sangraha) lays lots of emphasis on Savikalpa & Nirvikalpa Samadhi,

 

 

 

 

 

Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway - Enter today

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest guest

Namaste Maniji,

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you that one should approach the Prakarana

Granthas with Hamsa Buddhi.

 

best regards,

K Kathirasan

>

> R.S.MANI [sMTP:r_s_mani]

> Thursday, April 01, 2004 10:41 PM

> advaitin

> RE: Shankara on all "Isms"

>

>

Namaste, Kathirasanji,

>

> Yes, Prakarana Granthas can confuse, but it can confuse only those who are

> already confused. The purpose of Prakarana Granthas is to help one to do

> more and more "manana" of the Tatwa unfolded in the Upanishads. One should

> approach PGs with "Hamsa Budhi" and not "Baka Budhi" i.e. to accept what

> is Shreyas for you, based on Tatwa, unfolded in the Upanishads. After

> "intellectually" understanding "Tatwam Asi, Aham Brahmasi, Ekam eva

> adviteeyam Brahma" etc. and "Jeeva Brahmaiva naapara", study of more and

> more PGs makes such intellectual knowledge more and more assimilated. It

> is this assimilation, which takes place during "manana" or meditation or

> contemplation, leading to nidhidhyaasana. Viewed from this angle, I think

> even Brahma Sutras, is a PG.

>

> Another point, I think we should not have any biased approach that we

> should read only Shankara's works. The Hamsa even if it goes to a dirty

> pond, it will pick up only the pearls if available there and reject other

> things.

>

> As for the authorship of the particular book, name is too long, the one I

> have is in Malayalam published by Ramakrishna Advaita Ashramam, Kaladi

> (birthplace of Shankara). In the said book, it is clearly mentioned "Sri

> Shankaracharya Virachitam", and in the preface of the book, it says, there

> were many such books found in the birthplace of Shankara, in manuscript

> form, and they, i.e. RK Advaita Ashramam published this particular book

> for the benefit of the seekers.

>

> I have just got confirmation from a reliable source:

>

> "The particular book (Sarva Vedantha Sidhanta Sara Samgraham)enquired by

> you has been authored by Sri Adi Sankaracharya."

>

> Hari Om

>

>

>

>

K Kathirasan NCS <kkathir wrote:Namaste Maniji,

>

> Not necessarily so. There are many prakarana granthas that can confuse

> seekers too. For example, the very text that you have quoted (Sarva

> Vedanta

> Siddhanta Sangraha) lays lots of emphasis on Savikalpa & Nirvikalpa

> Samadhi,

>

>

>

>

>

> Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway - Enter today

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

> Links

>

>

>

>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...