Showing results by author "Aurobind Padiyath" in All Categories

The Mandukya Upanishad is an important Upanishad, particularly to its Advaita Vedanta school. It succinctly presents several central doctrines, namely that "the universe is Brahman," "the Self (Atma) exists and is Brahman," and "the four states of consciousness". The Mandukya Upanishad, the shortest of all, also presents several theories about the syllable Aum, and that it symbolizes self. It is in prose, consisting of twelve short verses, and is associated with a Rig Vedic school of scholars and is assigned to Atharvaveda.One of the first known extant metrical commentary on this Upanishad was...

Kathopanishad is one of the ten major Upanishads of Indian Vedic philosophy on the spiritual experiences for humankind. An esoteric work in the form of dialogue between Nachiketa, a teenager and Lord of Death, Yama. The boy wanting to know the state after death what happens.Talks on Kathopanishad Verses followed by Q&A on the day's talk.

Adi Shankara wrote two commentaries on Kenopanishad. One is called Kenopaniṣad Padabhāṣya and the other is Kenopaniṣad Vākyabhāṣya. In his commentary on the third khanda of Kena Upanishad, Shankara equates Atman-Brahman with Ishvara-Parameshvara. This equality is repeated by Shankara in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhasya in verses III.7.3 and IV.4.15, in the Bhasya on Chandogya Upanishad's verses I.1.1 and V.18.1, Katha Upanishad's Bhasya on hymn 11.2.13.Kena Upanishad is notable in its discussion of Brahman with attributes and without attributes. It asserts that the efficient cause of...

A Unique prayer written by Adi Sankara, who has written very many great Stotras (prayers) but here is an out standing one, which is not only a prayer but a summary of all the Adviata philosophy that he has taught. Even during his time, this stotra was difficult to comprehend and it became necessary for one of his disciples, Sri Sureshwaracharya to write a commentary called Manasollasa to this stotra for the easy understading of the philosophy in the prayer.

The Prashna Upanishad is a Hindu philosophical text presented as a series of six questions ("prashna") posed by different disciples to the sage Pippalada, primarily focusing on the nature of Brahman (the ultimate reality), the relationship between the individual self (Atman) and the universal Self, and the path to liberation through meditation, with key themes including the importance of "Prana" (life force) and the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, and deep sleep)Exploration of the concept of Brahman, the nature of Atman, the significance of Prana (life force), and the ...

The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the most prominent among the major group of philosophical and mystical texts of the triad of Indian Culture, being constituted of the Upanishads, the Brahmasutras and the Bhagavadgita. Among the ten major Upanishads, the Chandogya and the Brihadaranyaka stand above the rest in their grand stature and majesty, these two texts being viewed by scholars as representing the cosmic and the a-cosmic aspect of Reality. The Chandogya, tries to be more realistic in its rather matter-of-fact consideration of the issues of life.The sections of the Chandogya Upanishad, is ...

One of the ten major Upanishads of Indian Vedic philosophy on the spiritual experiences for humankind. An esoteric work of high intellectual analysis.

A Primary text of Advaita based on Sri Sanakaracharya's non-dualism. This is a group study and discussions based on the Advaita text of Sri Sankaracharya along with commentary of Sri Vidhyaranya Muni.

The Nāsadīya Sūkta is a hymn from the Rigveda that explores the origin of the universe and the nature of existence: Name: The name comes from the word na-asid, which means "it did not exist". Location: It is the 129th hymn in the 10th mandala of the Rigveda. Content: The hymn begins with the statement, "Then, there was neither existence, nor non-existence". It contemplates the origins of the universe, but does not provide a definitive answer. Significance: The hymn questions whether it is possible to know all the details of the universe's origins. It also discusses skepticism ...

The Taittiriya Upanishad, part of the Yajur Veda, primarily focuses on the concept of Brahman as the ultimate reality, describing it as "Truth, Knowledge, and Infinite Bliss," and explaining that everything in the universe, including the individual self, is a manifestation of this Brahman; it notably introduces the "five sheaths" theory, detailing different layers of human consciousness, from the physical body to the pure Self, and emphasizes the importance of seeking liberation through understanding and realizing this underlying unity through practices like meditation and ...