What did Sankara really teach!

[Guest guest]

WHAT DID SANKARA REALLY TEACH?:

A SELECTIVE SUMMARY OF

SWAMI PARAMANANDA BHARATI'S

VEDANTA PRABODHA

 

 

If there is one Indian philosopher whose teachings have been so

subtle that their unity and import have successively eluded clear

understanding even by his ardent followers for Centuries, it is

undoubtedly SrI Sankara Bhagavatpada. In the long history of Advaita.

Several attempts have been made by commentators and writers

to " reconcile " what appeared to them clearly contradictory statements

in Sankara's writings. But the truth is that such contradictions are

perceived because of failure on the part of those writers to

properly understand the teachings and not because Ankara's writings

are unclear or ambiguous.

 

Sankara simultaneously executes at least three different tasks in his

writings: formulating the doctrine of Advaita in a very systematic

way. Teaching that doctrine in a Systematic way to those who

wanted to understand it and also adopting many techniques and

arguments to resolve confusions and doubts. These three different

tasks require different ways of speech and expressions and sometimes,

require even the same expression to be used with an entirely

different meaning. Added to this, we pass through the process of

understanding the doctrine and as our knowledge become clearer and

clearer.

Newer levels are reached and we begin to see in an entirely new way,

These newer ways of seeing are also communicated by using the same

expressions as before. But they are now laden with entirely new

meanings. While someone who is able to se in a new way encounters no

difficulty, someone else who does not, encounters a sudden change of

meaning that is puzzling. This someone struggles to resolve the

puzzlement by advancing his own ideas and theories to make Sankara's

teaching clear.

..

The history of Advaita is thus largely the history of continual

attempts at making Sankara's teachings " clear " to the readers. Such

attempts have led to the arising of new problems and questions that

originally did no exist in Sankara, and also to equally new answers

and theories that are not logically required by the original

teaching. Thus there has been a profusion of commentaries and

supplementary works over the centuries. adding more heat than light

in the process.

 

It is at this juncture that SwamI Paramananda Bharati enters the

scene with his Vedanta Prabhoda. This work is written in Kannada

which is a major language of South India and was published in June

2001 and had seen a third edition by 2004 The translation to Hindi

has seen two editions and now we have a translation to Telugu.It is

such a beautiful and path-breaking work that it deserves to be

brought to the notice of Scholars all over the world. This 286 page

work is written almost entirely on the basis or Sankara's

commentaries on the Brahmasutra, the Bhagavadgita the Upanishads.

There is almost no reference to any other work of Sankara or of any

other writer. He has constantly kept in view the " three different

tasks " undertaken by Sankara . . The important consequence of this

practice is that it helps showing that there is " unity " ( " ekavyata "

as he put in a private conversation) in Sankara' s teachings. When

such " unity " is seen and accepted. no additional concepts and

theories become necessary to demonstrate the clarity of the

teaching. The teaching is already clear as it stands. What the

SwamijI is doing in this work is to just show us that Sankkara's:,

teaching is clear and .consistent. He does this by drawing our

attention to what Sankara himself has .said -and many times by

what :he has repeatedly :said - in his central writings.

 

Vedanta Prabhoda (hereafter abbreviated as VP) is in nineteen

sections that are sub- divided into 183 sub-sections in all. each of

which addresses a specific issue or topic and offers clear and

original information on it from Sankara's works. The structuring of

the work seem's to be focused primarily on the needs of liberation

seekers (mumuksu) but even plain knowledge seekers can benefit

greatly from it. Nearly two dozen major questions (which are listed,

at the beginning of the work) are discussed in detail. It is not

possible to give even a very brief summary of all of them and

therefore only a kind of a sample is offered here. Swamiji's own

sentences wilI he offered in English translation or a summary of them

will be given followed by relevant page number:--. Indicated within

square bracket:--. Sankara's passages in support of what is being

said will also be similarly translated, but these will be indicated

in round brackets.

Issue 1 : Is " Anupalabdhi " a " Pramana " According to Sankara?

 

It is common knowledge that some Mimmamsakas accept Anupalabdhi as a

Pramana yielding us knowledge of the absence of things. This is due

to their treating both things and the absence of things (abhava) as

distinct kinds of knowable entities (padartha). They distinguished

four types of abhava and regarded them all as knowable. Many

Advaitins also tend to accept Anupalabdhi as a Pramana on the ground

that in matters of Vyayavahara, the Bhatta school of Mimamsa is

followed ( Vyavahare bhattanayah) This Is unacceptable to

Swamiji who says: " That which produces correct knowledge of an

existing object is " Pramana " . Even when there is an object and

doubtful or wrong knowledge occurs about that object. Nobody either

cites or asks for a pramana for such knowledge. Such being the

case, how can there be any talk of any object or its correct

knowledge in the total absence of the object itself? ... it becomes

quite evident that an object does not exist when. During vyavahara .

no Pramana is ever able to attain its knowledge, Therefore it is

superfluous to imagine the absence of such an object as itself a kind

of an object and then proceed to imagine a special and separate

pramana to account for its knowledge " [VP. p. 211]. His support

for this stand is derived from Shankara's statement that one must

realize all the lokas to be unsubstantial by examining them with

pramanas {cit. Mundokopanishad 1.2.12 IDBS. Pp508- 509}. Here the

insubstantiality (nissarata) of the lokas. being (abhavarupa in

character,. should have elicited the mention of anupalabdhi if that

had really heen considered a pramana by Sankara.

 

 

Issue 2 : Ananyatva of Karya-karana......

 

 

Vedanta Prabhodhamu

(Telugu)

By Swami Paramanda Bharati

 

This book was earlier published in Kannada and in Hindi, Now

available in Telugu;

 

The book has the review's by Swami Maheshanandgiri, Swami

Tribhuvandasji and Swami Shanti Darmanada Saraswathi besides

Mahamahapadyaya Pullela Ramachandrudu garu specifically for the

telugu edition.

 

The Telugu book is uses premium quality paper in A4 size and is Hard

Bound, in Vacuum sealed dust proof condition with 270 pages weighing

850 grams (tare) and I Kg (gross) is priced Rs.. 150.00 - Cash and

carry.

 

Copies of the first print are available for sale can be obtained at

the following places:

 

Hyderabad: Smt Lakshmi (LB Nagar)(cell) 9949910834

Dr. GS Murty (Nallakunta) (040)27426132

T Sri Ram( Himayatnagar) (cell) 9441901651

Shri. C Krishna Murthy (040)23012897

Ahmadabad Shri PNN Nair (cell) 9979546988

Bangalore Shri L Sashidhar (cell) 9880270895

Delhi Shri K Ramapathi Rao (cell) 9868032058

Mumbai Shri Dheerubhai Mehta (cell) 9324622334

 

Mail orders can be placed with

T. Sri Ram,

3-6-361/15 & 16/305 Surabhi Nest,

Himayatnagar, Hyderabad 500029

 

Add handling Charges and Postage of Rs. 45.00 for first copy and Rs.

20.00 for every additional copy for orders within India.

 

After reading this book, Critical comments if any are welcome and

they may be sent to tensriram for review and discussion

by Swami Paramanda Bharati.

[Guest guest]

Sir PraNAms

 

We have been discussing in this list serve for the

past few years what exactly shankara taught.

 

I suggest you should change your title to

 

What Swami Pramananda Bharatiji thinks what Shankara

taught, if it is different from what we have been

discussing on this list, pointing out the diferences

specifically and basis for those differences.

 

If it is the same thing that we have been discussing

then there is no reason for briging to the attention

of then why to bring to our attention of what the

swami has written. Just tell us what shankara has

written directly since that is the topic of our

advaitin list.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

--- Tenneti Sri Ram <tensriram wrote:

 

>

> WHAT DID SANKARA REALLY TEACH?:

> A SELECTIVE SUMMARY OF

> SWAMI PARAMANANDA BHARATI'S

> VEDANTA PRABODHA

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the message

 

kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada wrote: Sir PraNAms

 

We have been discussing in this list serve for the

past few years what exactly shankara taught.

 

I suggest you should change your title to

 

What Swami Pramananda Bharatiji thinks what Shankara

taught,

[Guest guest]

Pranams to our modreatorji

I NEED SOME HELP

Could you suggest a title for a message that could like to introduce a book to

readers where all topics of Vedanta are addressed with reference to the Bhasya's

of Sankracharya - restricted to his prastanatrya Bhasyas alone- with no

reference to any other's Bhasya's or woks

 

with Namaskars

 

kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada wrote:

Sir PraNAms

 

We have been discussing in this list serve for the

past few years what exactly shankara taught.

[Guest guest]

advaitin , sriram tenneti <tensriram wrote:

>

> Could you suggest a title for a message that could like to

introduce a book to readers where all topics of Vedanta are addressed

with reference to the Bhasya's of Sankracharya - restricted to his

prastanatrya Bhasyas alone- with no reference to any other's Bhasya's

or woks

 

Namaste,

 

I think this is pointing somewhere.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/690490.cms

 

hu.

[Guest guest]

Sorry , It does not point to this article - It is all about the book Vedanta

Prabhodamu - The book is focussed and does no have comparitve studies of

different schools - It stickd to the Original Bhasya's only

 

hupa_ramdas <hupa_ram> wrote: --- In

advaitin , sriram tenneti <tensriram wrote:

>

> Could you suggest a title for a message that could like to

introduce a book to readers where all topics of Vedanta are addressed

with reference to the Bhasya's of Sankracharya - restricted to his

prastanatrya Bhasyas alone- with no reference to any other's Bhasya's

or woks

 

Namaste,

 

I think this is pointing somewhere.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/690490.cms

 

hu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sriram gaaru

 

First - the purpose of my note was just to remind you

as well as those others who post just announcements on

the list- the purpose of this list serve is to have

discussion on the topics on Advaita Vedanta as

propounded by Shankaracarya.

 

While it is important to bring to the attention of the

audience about the new books and their critical

reviews, the forum should not be used for the sole

purpose of advertisement of the works.

 

Since Shankara Bhaashyas are available and as you have

noticed there are many scholars in this list who are

familiar with the bhaashyas, and if your intension is

to bring out Shree Swamiji interpretation of the

bhaashyas as unique, there is no problem - but the

discussion should be centered on the uniqueness aspect

of his interpretation and how and why it differs from

others. Obviously there will be opinions that may

contradict Swamiji opinions and that is what is

expected in the open discussion forum.

 

Suggesting a title of a book, without knowing the

contents other than that it deals with Shankara

bhaashyas on prasthana traya - is different issue. If

all three prathaana traya bhaashyas are involved just

say simple without any adjectives of what is real

teaching vs. unreal teaching of Shankara.

 

I will just title - 'ON SHANKARA PRASTAANATRAYA

BHASHAS' - would indicate it is Swamiji version on

Shankara prasthaanatraya bhaashyas. Any differences

from the conventional interpretation of Shankara

bhaashyas can be noted within the text and preface

without advertising on the title.

 

If the prakaraNa granthas of Shankara are also

covered - I would have simply suggested as 'On

Advaita Vedanta'.

 

Anyway I am not expert on titles - just a suggestion,

since you asked.

 

By the by the intention of my note was something else

- and Happy New Year.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

 

--- sriram tenneti <tensriram wrote:

 

> Pranams to our modreatorji

> I NEED SOME HELP

> Could you suggest a title for a message that could

> like to introduce a book to readers where all topics

> of Vedanta are addressed with reference to the

> Bhasya's of Sankracharya - restricted to his

> prastanatrya Bhasyas alone- with no reference to any

> other's Bhasya's or woks

>

> with Namaskars