Suddha-Sankara-Prakriya-Bhaskara (Light on the Vedantic Method According to Sankara)

Suddha-Sankara-Prakriya-Bhaskara (Light on the Vedantic Method According to Sankara)

  • $25.00
    Unit price per 
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.


Book Specification

Item Code: NAB782
Author: Sri Sri Satchidanandendra Saraswathi Swamiji
Publisher: Adhyatma Prakashan Karyalaya, Bangalore
Edition: 2001
Pages: 196
Cover: PAPERBACK
Other Details 8.5 inch X 5.5 inch
Weight 230 gm

Book Description

Back of the Book

Shri Satchidanandendra Saraswathi Swamiji (1880-1975 A.D) the founder of Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya Holenarsipur Hassan Dist. Karnataka a public charitable trust wrote and published more than 200 books in Kannada, English and Sanskrit with a view to propagate pristine pure Advaita Vedanta as expounded by Shri Gaudapada Shri Sankara Bhagavatpada and Shri Sureshwara in their famous extant works based on the three canonical Vedantic texts viz ten principal Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita and Vedanta Sutras (Popularly known as Brahma Sutras). The revered Swamiji carried out research for over six decades with a profound sense of dedication and missionary zeal so as to cleanse Advaita Vedanta of the dross and distortions that it has acquired in the post Sankara era. Although the Swamiji has authored nearly 20 odd books in English and over 25 books in Sanskrit many of his masterpieces were written in Kannada. In order to provide the benefit of these gems the Karyalaya has brought out several books in English which are faithful translations of the original texts in Kannada for the guidance and benefit of ardent students of Advaita Vedanta. He was not just a rare and accomplished individual but a mighty and magnificent institution.

About The Author

The author was born in Karnataka in 1880, & assumed the name of Y. SubbaRao. He taught English in Bangalore as a house holder till retirement in 1935. Initiated for the study of S'ankara by the Jagadguru of Shringeri at about the age of 20, he devoted his life as layman and monk to the study and propagation of S'ankaras interpretation of the upanishads, in its theoretical & practical aspects.

Publishers’ Note to the Second (Comprehensive) Edition

All the booklets of the series printed during the First Edition its sold out and as there is a great & incessant demand from jignas us of English knowing people not only in India but also in foreign countries, the second (comprehensive) edition now is brought out. All the three booklets, which contain continuous matter of the title, have been now combined & published as one book. We hope that this will facilitate all the readers to obtain a clear thought of the subject in full.

Sri Subhana Saxena, an Indian settled in London, has held senior positions in a number of multinational companies. He has studied many books of Swamiji through the grace of his Gurus from Mattur village, in Shimoga, Karnataka. We hope through his mission Swamiji's message & works will find a place throughout foreign countries.

The Karayalaya owes a deep debt of gratitude to Shri Subhana Saxena, who has financed the entire cost of bringing out this comprehensive edition.

May we hope that the readers will give wide publicity to this: a comprensive edition dealing with pure pristine S'ankara's Vedanta.

Publishers’ Note (First Booklet-First Edition)

Kindly go through the prefatory remarks attached by us to the first installment of the series of Sanskrit booklets of this name. This free translation of it is to help those that want to understand the Sanskrit original better. It is a companion to the original work and is intended for those who know English better, but would still like to assimilate Vedantic thoughts through that sacred language if only they could secure some assistance.

At our request Swamiji has effected a few additions and alterations in this English version which it is hoped will enhance the usefulness of the original contribution. A generous donor who prefers to do this piece of service incognito has laid us under a deep debt of inexpressible gratitude by financing the publication.

My we hope will give wide publicity to this new translation series of Vedantic booklets?

Preface (First Booklet-First Edition)

This booklet is a free translation of the Suddha Sankara Prakriya Bhaskara written by me in Sanskrit. The aim of the series of booklets of which this is the first installment may be learnt from the publisher’s prefatory remarks to the Sanskrit original. It is intended for readers who wish to have an outline of the thoughts contained in my Vedanta Prakriya Pratyabijna a Sanskrit work which contains a comparative study of all the important Vedantic systems available from the most ancient times up to the time of Sarvajnatma just to illustrate how all the post Sankara Vedantins up to that epoch no less than the ancient monists have failed to recognize the only method which holds the key to the right understanding of the Upanishadic teaching.

The present series is complete is itself and can be studied independently by those who wish to be acquainted with this Unique method of the Upanishads without taxing their brains at the very outset with all the details of the argument.

As it was felt that an English translation of the series might facilitate its study for those whose knowledge of Sanskrit is limited this first installment of the translation series has been placed before the public to see how far it serves the purpose. Whether the second installment should be undertaken at all depends on how my readers receive this one.

Any suggestions calculated to improve the translation series so as to make it more useful to those for whom it is intended will be thankfully received.

All rights of printing & publishing this brochure has been unconditionally made over to the Adhyatma Prakasha karyalaya Holenarasipur as in the case of all my previous writings.

Contents

1. The System of Vedanta
1 Non Advaitic Vedantins never referred to by Sankara 1
2 Vedantins at the time of Sankara were all Advaitins 3
3 No Vedantin recognizing the distinction of the individual and the supreme self during badarayana’s time 4
4 Various Doctrines of other Advaitic Schools referred to by Sankara 6
5 Conclusion 13
2. The Tradition of Sankara’s School
6 Sankara the Resuscitator of an old tradition 14
7 Gaudapada himself refers to more ancient teachers 16
8 Sankara’s earnestness with regard to tradition 18
9 Dravidacarya 19
10 Teacher Brahmanandin 24
11 Uapvarshacarya 27
12 Dvaita Vedanta conspicuous by its absence during Sankara’s time 29
13 Conclusion 31
3. Landmarks in Sankara-Vedanta
14 Self evident nature of Brahman as one’s own self 32
15 The Individual self is by his very nature no doer of action for he is identical with Brahman as pure being 34
16 The Individual soul is essentially brahman not cognizer 37
17 Pramanas are such only till knowledge accrues 41
18 How Sastra is the Final Pramana 45
19 Conclusion 49
4. The Method of Sankara Vendanta
20 The Method in a nut shell 51
21 Assumption of specific features is only a device employed for the purpose of teaching 52
22 The Deliberate superimposition employed in Vedanta never affects its validity 56
23 Why the Method of Superimposition and Rescission alone is employed exclusively in Vedanta 58
24 That Brahman is known only through the negation of the superimposed is a teaching common to all the three Prasthanas 59
25 Teaching by means of superimposition is only for negating what is not 60
26 Extracts from the Bhashyas 63
5. Varieties of the Vedantic Method
27 Relation of the sequel to the preceding section 67
28 The Method of distinguishing Vidya and Avidya 67
29 The Method of Sastra Pramanya 70
30 The Method of Creation 73
31 The Method of Cause and Effect 76
32 Brahman’s entry into creation as a jiva 80
33 The Method of Religious works and Meditation 82
34 The Method of the Five Kosas 83
35 The of the self effulgence 85
36 Exit Going away and returning are all from the stand point of imputation 86
37 The Method of the Universal and the Particular 88
38 The Method of three states also a device 90
39 The Convention of Bondage and Release & Co. 91
6. Sankara’s School of Vedanta as contrasted with other schools
40 Relation of the sequel to the preceding section 98
41 Common characteristics of ancient schools 98
Defects in the Ancient Schools
42 The Dogma that the Upanishads are injunctive in their Aim 102
43 The Inconsistency of the Sariraka being composed afresh 104
44 No Need for Aproaching an Acarya 105
45 The Misconception that Final Release is an effect 106
46 The Doctrine of Release as the destruction of Avidya 106
47 Vedic Authority cannot exculpate the schools 110
48 Bringing forward a controverted argument 110
Special features of Snakara’s Tradition
49 Sruti and Reason conformable to intuition 111
50 The Upanishads purpost to teach reality as without specific features 113
51 Release from Actual bondage not assumed 116
52 All charges rebuted by assuming two different stand points 118
7. Vedanta Contrasted with Buddhism
53 Objection 122
54 Suspicion of the admixture of Buddhisitic doctrine in this system 124
55 Reason for trusting the Karika tradition 129
56 The Disparity of the two teachings with regard to reality 130
57 Divergence of the two system with regard to non organization 134
58 Disparity in the methods of establishing reality 140
59 Conclusion of the comparison with the sunya doctrine 146
60 Vedantic Vijnana contrasted with Buddhistic Vijnana 150
61 Dissimilarity in the method of rejection of the external object in the two systems 154
62 Mere employment of the word Citta does not entail similarity 158
63 Not even the employment of the term Lokattara can engender the similarity of the systems 160
64 Dependence on Yoga and the absence of it sharply distinguish the two systems 162
65 Conclusion of the contrast 165
66 Conclusion of the repudiation of Buddhistic influence 169
67 Conclusion of the section 170

Sample Pages










We Also Recommend