Introduction to Vedānta
Class 1 – 29th July 2018
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in सदा शव-समार भां श कराचाय- म यमाम ् अ मदाचाय- पय तां व दे गु -पर पराम ्
sadāśiva-samārambhāṃ śaṅkarācārya- madhyamāṃ asmadācārya-paryantāṃ vande guru- paramparām
Beginning with Sadāśiva, through Adi Śaṅkarācārya in between and upto my own Guru I bow with reverence to the entire tradition of Guru lineage
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Swami Paramarthananda
(http://www.vedantavidyarthisangha.org/)
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Disclaimer: The spiritual journey is a long one spanning a life time, often multiple life times (janmas). This course is only to present a brief overview. It is not a substitute for a consistent and systematic study for a length of time under a live and competent Guru (in the words of my Guru)
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Coverage
1. PURUṢĀRTHA 2. SCRIPTURES 3. VARṆA DHARMA 4. ĀŚRAMA DHARMA 5. KARMA YOGA 6. UPĀSANĀ YOGA 7. JÑĀNA YOGA 8. BHAKTI YOGA 9. PREPARATION FOR SELF ENQUIRY 10. ŚARĪRATRAYAM-– HUMAN PERSONALITY 11. THREE STATES AND FIVE KOŚAS 12. ĀTMĀ 13. CREATION 14. JĪVA IŚVARA AIKYAM 15. LAW OF KARMA 16. SUMMARY
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Topic -1 PURUṢĀRTHA
पु षाथः
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in PURUṢĀRTHA पु षाथः Meaning 1. Meaning 2. Wealth 3. Human Goal
Free will Choice Effort or prayatnaḥ
That which is sought after by every human being is called Puruṣārtha पु षाथः
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in आहार-िन ा-भय-मैथुनं च सामा मेतत् पशुिभन राणाम् । बु िह तेषामिधको िवशेषः बु ा िवहीनाः पशुिभः समानाः ॥ Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṃ ca sāmānyametat paśubhirnarāṇām | buddhirhi teṣāmadhiko viśeṣaḥ buddhyā vihīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ
Source: Hitopadesha
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Result of an intellect • self consciousness • self complex development • self judgment and therefore projection of the future
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in • Entire life of animals is governed by instinct • Human beings have instincts also. Because there are certain common features with animals • capacity to choose their future • human beings entertain lot of goals
• Goals are countless or anantāḥ. • four categories- चत ु वध -प ु षाथ caturvidha puruṣārtha
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 1-Artha-अथ
• everything that one procures for the sake of one’s security • food, clothing, shelter and health • Future security
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 2-Kāma-काम
• Luxury • Comforts • entertainment
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 3-Dharma-धम
• Invisible form of wealth • Good luck or good fortune-adṛṣṭam-(अ टम)् (पु यम)् • One can acquire dharma • It can help in this janma to get artha and kāma • It can help in future janmas too
Dharmārthakāma or धमा थकाम ( ेयः)
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 4-Mokṣa-मो
• Freedom from slavery with regard to preyaḥ ेयः
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in कठोप नष KAṬHA-UPANIṢAD
ेय च ेय च मन ु यमेतः, तौ स पर य व वनि त धीरः।
ेयो ह धीरोऽ भ ेयसो वणृ ीते, ेयो म दो योग ेमा वणीतेृ ॥१.२.२॥
śreyaśca preyaśca manuṣyam etaḥ tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ
śreyo hi dhīro'bhi preyaso vṛṇīte preyo mando yogakṣemād vṛṇīte II 1.2.2॥
Śreyas and preyas approach the human being. Having very clearly considered them, the discriminative (person) distinguishes (them). Indeed, the discriminative one chooses śreyas rather than preyas. The indiscriminate one chooses preyas for the sake of acquisition and preservation.
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 4-Mokṣa-मो
• Freedom from slavery with regard to preyaḥ ेयः • Object or Person • Absence or Presence Mokṣa is I am comfortable – without things dharmārthakāma – with dharmārthakāma This inner strength, inner maturity, inner mastery is called mokṣa. Also called śreyaḥ. ेयः
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in TOPIC 2- SCRIPTURES
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in THE BIG PICTURE
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Systems of philosophy (prevalent around Śankarācārya’s time)
आि तक-दशना न नाि तक-दशना न Āstika-darśanāni Nāstika-darśanāni
पूव उ र मीमांसा मीमांसा बौ ध याय सा य योग चावा क जैन वैशे षक pūrva uttara Buddhism nyāya vaiśeṣika sāṅkhya yoga cārvāka Jainism mīmāṃ mīmāṃ (4) sā sā
Acintya- Viśiṣṭād Dvait- śuddh- advaita dvaita vaita ādvaita ādvaita bhedāb heda
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Advaita philosophy (Primary- Śankarācārya)
आि तक-दशना न नाि तक-दशना न Āstika-darśanāni Nāstika-darśanāni
पूव उ र मीमांसा मीमांसा बौ ध याय सा य योग चावा क जैन वैशे षक pūrva uttara Buddhism nyāya vaiśeṣika sāṅkhya yoga cārvāka Jainism mīmāṃ mīmāṃ (4) sā sā
Acintya- Viśiṣṭād Dvait- śuddh- advaita dvaita vaita ādvaita ādvaita bhedāb heda
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in आि तक-दशना न Āstika-darśanāni
पूव- मीमांसा उ र-मीमांसा Pūrva-mīmāṃsā Uttara-mīmāṃsā
Vedas cater to both- Veda-pūrva bhāga and Veda-anta bhāga
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in शा म-् scriptures
• śāstram means a literature which commands the human beings in the initial stages and then teaches in the later stages. • And by way of commanding and teaching the scriptures saves a person from all human problems • since it teaches, commands and thus saves the humanity, it is called the śāstram – śās means to teach, tra means to save. śāsanāt trāyate iti śāstram.
शासनात ् ायते इ त शा म ्
• That which saves the humanity from problems by commandment in the initial stages and by enlightenment in the later stages.
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in वेदाः - Vedas • ऋ वेदः - ṛgveda- ṛg mantras which are poetic compositions or padya compositions in the form of metrical composition • यजुव दः -Yajurveda-yajur mantras which are prose composition, in the form of prose or gadya • सामवेदः - sāma veda sāma mantras (gānam) which are in the form of music • अथवणवेदः – Atharvaṇa veda –mantras
Veda means a treasure house of knowledge
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 1) वेदः- ु तः-Śruti
guru upadeśena śrūyate iti śruti: ग ु उपदेशने ूयते इ त ु त: • That which is received by hearing. • Called Vedas, called mantra, called śruti and since it is not born out of human intellect, it is born of supra origin • Apauruṣeya pramāṇam. अपौ षेय- माणम ् – Apauruṣeya means not born out of human intellect. – Pramāṇam means source of knowledge. • So these Vedas, these śrutis, these mantras, these apauruṣeya śabdas form the first, the foremost and the primary scriptural literature. • All the other scriptural literature is based on this vedic foundation only. And that is why our culture is called vedic culture – vaidika sampradāya वै दक-सं दाय
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in Veda • Divided into – Samhita – Brāhmaṇa – Āraṇyaka – Upaniṣad • Also categorized as – Veda purva or karma kanda – Vedānta or jnana kanda (Upaniṣad)
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 6 layers of शा म-् śāstram
1) ु तः śruti
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 2) स ू ा ण-sūtrāṇi-Aphorisms
• Dharma-sūtrāṇi • Gṛhya-sūtrāṇi • Śrauta-sūtrāṇi • Gautama-sūtrāṇi • Āpastamba-sūtrāṇi • Parāśara-sūtrāṇi
• Codification and clarification
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 6 layers of शा म-् śāstram
1) ु तः śruti (apauruṣeya pramāṇam. अपौ षेय- माणम)्
2) स ू ा ण sūtrāṇi (pauruṣeya pramāṇam. पौ षेय- माणम)्
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 3) म ृ तः – Smṛti • Metrical literature • Remembered wisdom • Neatly arranged
• Manu Smṛti • Yājñavalkya Smṛti • Parāśara Smṛti
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 4) इ तहासः - Itihāsa
• Rāmāyaṇam- रामाणयम-् 24,000 verses • Mahābhāratam-महाभारतम-1,00,000् verses
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 5) पुराणा न – Purāṇas
• Codify clarify and magnify • One value is taken and expanded… – satyam vada - Hariścandra purāṇa – Pitṛ devo bhava – Rāmāyaṇa or Naciketa story • Written by Vyāsācārya-18 purāṇas and 18 upapurāṇas
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in N Purāṇa N Purāṇa o Verses Verses name o. name . 1 Agni 15,400 10 Matsya 14,000 2 Bhāgavata 18,000 11 Nārada 25,000 3 Brahma 10,000 12 Padma 55,000 4 Brahmāṇḍa 12,000 13 Śiva 24,000 Brahmavaiva 5 17,000 14 Skanda 81,100 rta 6 Garuḍa 19,000 15 Vāmana 10,000 7 Kūrma 17,000 16 Varāha 24,000 8 Liṅga 11,000 17 Vāyu 24,000 9 Mārkaṇḍeya 9,000 18 Viṣṇu 23,000
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 6) भा यम ्– Bhāṣyam • Śaṅkarācārya has written bhāṣyams on Gita, Upanisads • Bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad bhāṣyam – by Śaṅkarācārya – Vārtikam by Sureśvarācārya-12000 verses – Then Vidyaranya’s swami’s bhāṣyam on the vārtikam – Individual verses commented upon extensively- eg: pañcadaśī-chapter 7-297 verses on 1 verse 4.4.12 of bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad • Sampradaya is very important, mere translations are not recommended
Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 6 layers of शा म ्– śāstram
अपौ षेय- apauruṣeya ु तः śruti
सू ा ण sūtra
पौ षेय- म ृ तः smṛti pauruṣeya इ तहासः itihāsa
पुराणा न purāṇa
भा यम ्bhāṣya
शा म ् śāstras help us attain puruṣārthas पु षाथ Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in 6 layers of शा म-् shastram
Veda pūrva अपौ षेय- śruti apauruṣeya ु तः Veda anta सू ा ण sūtra
पौ षेय- म ृ तः smṛti pauruṣeya इ तहासः itihāsa
पुराणा न purāṇa
भा यम ्bhāṣya
शा म ् śāstras help us attain puruṣārthas पु षाथ Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in ॐ पूणमदः पूण मदं पूणा पुणम ुद यते पूण य पूणमादाय पूणमेवाव श यते ॥ ॐ शाि तः शाि तः शाि तः ॥
oṁ pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṁ Pūrṇātpurṇamudacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamēvāvaśiṣyate ॥ oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
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Email: [email protected] Smt. Rama Sivaraman – Introduction to Vedānta www.sanskritfromhome.in