वेदान्त आधार: प्रस्थानत्रयी एवं अद्वैत
Vedanta Foundations: Prasthanatrayi & Non-Duality
The three scriptural pillars, Shankara’s Advaita, and Jivanmukti
अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा ॥ जन्माद्यस्य यतः ॥ शास्त्रयोनित्वात् ॥ तत्तु समन्वयात् ॥
athāto brahmajijñāsā || janmādyasya yataḥ || śāstrayonitvāt || tattu samanvayāt ||
“Now therefore the inquiry into Brahman. From which is the origin, sustenance, and dissolution of this universe. Because scripture is the source of its knowledge. But that Brahman is known by the harmonization of all Vedic texts.”
आरम्भो ज्ञानस्य दीपः — Every journey begins with a quiet breath of inquiry.
Philosophical Objective & Scope
Vedanta ("the end/culmination of the Vedas") is the rigorous intellectual and experiential crown of Indian spirituality. It addresses the ultimate questions: What is real? Who am I? What is this world? Through uncompromising logic and contemplative discernment, it reveals the non-dual Truth.
Scholarly Lineage & Canonical Context
Built upon the three authoritative sources (Prasthānatrayī): Śruti Prasthāna (Upanishads), Smṛti Prasthāna (Bhagavad Gita), and Nyāya Prasthāna (Brahma Sutras). Interpreted by Adi Shankara (Advaita), Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita), and Madhva (Dvaita).
Core Learning Outcomes (प्राप्ति)
- ✦Master the structure and purpose of the Prasthānatrayī
- ✦Analyze the Adhyāsa Bhāṣya: how illusion arises through superimposition
- ✦Distinguish the three orders of reality (Pāramārthika, Vyāvahārika, Prātibhāsika)
- ✦Develop the fourfold qualifications of an aspirant (Sādhana Catuṣṭaya)
- ✦Understand Jīvanmukti: freedom while still living in this physical body
Dialectical analysis: Adhyāropa-Apavāda (superimposition and sublation), Drig-Drishya Viveka (seer vs seen), and Sadhana Chatushtaya.
Prior exposure to the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita.
“Grasp the crowning philosophical system of Hindu thought—exploring the three scriptural pillars of the Prasthanatrayi (Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras), the doctrine of Maya and Adhyasa (superimposition), the qualifications for liberation (Sadhana Chatushtaya), and the state of living liberation (Jivanmukti).”
Lessons in this Pathway (6)
Toggle completion as you read. Open any lesson to review key verses and concepts.
The Triple Canon: Prasthanatrayi
The foundation of all Vedantic acharyas: revelation (Upanishads), application (Gita), and logic (Brahma Sutras).
अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा
“Now, therefore, the inquiry into the nature of Brahman.”
— Brahma Sutra 1.1.1The Fourfold Qualifications: Sadhana Chatushtaya
Viveka (discernment), Vairagya (dispassion), Shatka-sampatti (six inner virtues), and Mumukshutva (longing for freedom).
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः ।
“Brahman is the sole Reality; the world is an appearance; the individual soul is none other than Brahman.”
— Adi Shankara, VivekachudamaniAdhyasa: The Mechanics of Illusion & Superimposition
Shankara’s famous rope-and-snake analogy: how the mind superimposes the unreal upon the Real.
The Three Orders of Reality: Satta Traya
Resolving contradictions: absolute reality (Paramarthika), empirical everyday reality (Vyavaharika), and dream/illusion (Pratibhasika).
Drig-Drishya Viveka: Discerning the Seer from the Seen
Objects are seen by eyes; eyes are seen by mind; mind is witnessed by the Self. The Seer cannot be an object.
Jivanmukti: Living Free in the World
The marks of the liberated sage who walks the earth with serene, unbroken joy, untouched by praise or blame.