Prasthanatrayi-" The 3 sources of authority "or

or Institutes of Vedā
Vedāntic teaching

Compiled by
Dr. Medicherla Shyam Sunder Kumar
samc108@gmail.com
 Prasthanatraya
Three divisions of Knowledge

1- The Upanishads,
Upanishads 2- The Bhagavad Gita, 3- Brahma Sutras,
Sutras
or
Vedanta Sutra as

Upadesha prasthana Smriti prasthāna

(injunctive texts), and (the starting point of
the Śruti prasthāna
remembered tradition) Nyaya prasthana or
Sadhana prasthana Yukti prasthana
HEARING (practical text)
(the starting point of (logical text)
revelation)

VEDIC INSTUCTIONS Indicating Logical texts sets forth the

ultimate goal philosophy systematically:

of life

https://www.slideshare.net/amritanandadas/bhagavad-gita-introduction
 Prasthanatrayi
(Sanskrit: )
" Prasthana “ + "trayi"
" The sources of authority " " Three “
or
Institutes of Vedāntic teaching

" The three sources of authority. “

1- The Upanishads,
Upanishads 2- The Bhagavad Gita, 3- Brahma Sutras,
Sutras
or
Vedanta Sutra as

https://www.sringeri.net/history/sri-adi-shankaracharya/works-of-sri-adi-shankaracharya/prasthanatraya-bhashyam
 Three divisions of Knowledge
Prasthanatraya
http://www.shiningworld.com/site/files/resources/VedicScriptureChart.jpg
 BRAHMA SUTRA
The Brahma sutra is known by many names:
it is also called the Vedanta sutra, Uttara-mimamsa sutra, Shariraka sutra and the Bhikshu sutra.

While the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita are authoritative Vedanta texts,
it is in the Brahma sutra that the teachings of Vedanta
are set forth in a systematic and logical order.
The Brahma sutra consists of 555 aphorisms or sutras, in 4 chapters, each chapter being divided into 4 sections each

3.The third chapter 4. The fourth chapter

1. The first chapter
(Samanvaya: harmony)
explains that all the
Vedantic texts talk of
Brahman, the ultimate
reality, which is the goal
of life.
2.The second chapter
(Sadhana: the means) (Phala: the fruit) talks of
(Avirodha: non-
describes the process the state that is achieved
conflict) discusses
by which ultimate in final emancipation.
and refutes the
emancipation can be
possible objections
achieved
against Vedanta
philosophy.

https://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110424020159AA1WY1I
 Commentaries upon the Brahma-sutra:

1-Dvaita philosophy states that the Vishishtadvaita School accepts

consciousness (insentient entity),
human body (sentient entity) and
the Brahman (God)
are completely different entities
and all three are real.
2-Dvaita says that the Brahman is
the supreme entity.
that the consciousness, world
and the Brahman are separate
entities, Advaita Vedanta considers the idol
as an instrument to understand
but it asserts that the infinite and pervasive Brahman.
consciousness and the world are This concept is described
parts of the supreme Brahman.

Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita schools believe in devotion towards the

personal God or the idol for self-realization. This is not true for the
Advaita School.
https://candidplace.blogspot.com/
 Commentaries upon the Brahma-sutra:
Bhakti with Advaita Vedanta’s perspective: Application towards meditation

at certain point in this practice

duality exists during the initial
stages of the meditation
https://candidplace.blogspot.com/
Initially, Consciousness and the
idol are different entities.
However,
after certain amount of practice,
the consciousness dissolves into
the idol due to dualistic love. The
mind acquires characteristics of
the idol.
The mind reflects actions and
thinking attributed to the idol. For
example, if the idol is of Krishna
(a Hindu deity), our mind will
become like Krishna. We would
act and think like Krishna.
Krishna will disappear and what
will remain behind is the pure state
of the mind. This state represents a
non-dual nature of the self. This
state of the mind is our true nature,
our true self, the Brahman! This
true self is infinite, shapeless,
formless, dimensionless, colorless,
and name-less. This Brahman is
occupied in the entire universe and
it must have some form and shape
for all of us to imagine and
concentrate upon. Therefore,
Advaita Vedanta uses an idol to
facilitate the meditation.
 GITA-Chapter 11/54
3 STEP LADDER TO SALVATION JNANA MARGA

KOHAM NAHAM SOHAM

Who am I? I am not the body I AM THAT

JNATUM DRASTUM PRAVESHTAM

TO KNOW TO SEE TO ENTER

Knowledge Experience it Enjoy

(without experience there is no joy)

Apple digested
Example merged in you
Knowledge Eating an apple Enjoying the apple
of an apple (Experience)
( Enjoy)
You feel seperate from God
connect with God through devotion
DEVOTION You are part of God You are God
GOD GOD &
You ADVAITA
Man
VISISHITA are one
DVAITA ADVAITA
Jesus said
I AM MESSENGER OF GOD SON OF GOD ME & FATHER ARE THE SAME
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/essays/devotion-and-meditation-in-hinduism.asp
Om- let all the deficiencies of this PPT go away
Tat- let this give Bhagavan great happiness
Sat- let this give true lasting benefits

OM SHANTI
OM SHANTI
OM SHANTI