Complete Works of Sri Sankaracarya (Set of 20 Volumes)

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Vol- 1-3: Brahma sutra Bhasya

Vol- 4: Upanisad-Bhasya: Isa, Kena, Katha and Prasna

Vol- 5: Upanisad-Bhasya: Mundaka, Mandukya and Aitareya

Vol- 6: Upanisad-Bhasya: Taittiriya and Chhandogya Parts I-III

Vol- 7: Upanisad-Bhasya: Chhandogya Parts IV-VIII

Vol- 8: Upanisad-Bhasya: Brihadaranyaka Chapters I & II

Vol- 9: Upanisad-Bhasya: Brihadaranyaka Chapters III & IV

Vol-10: Upanisad-Bhasya: Brihadaranyaka, Chaps. V & VI and Nrisimhapurvtapani

Vol- 11: Bhagavad-Gita-Bhasya-Chapters 1-9

Vol-12: Bhagavad-Gita-Bhasya-Ch. 10-18

Vol- 13: Sahasranama and Sanatsujatiya Bhasya

Vol-14: Vivekachudamani and Upadesa-sahasri

Vol-15: Miscellaneous Prakaranas Aparoksanubhuti, etc. [7 works]

Vol-16: Miscellaneous Prakaranas Prabodha-sudhakara, etc. [25 works]

Vol- 17: Stotras-1 [30 works]

Vol- 18: Stotras- 2 [35 works and Lalita Trisati Stotra Shift Bhasya]

Vol- 19 & 20: Prapanchasara

Adi Sankara is undoubtedly a very charismatic spiritual leader revered as Jagadguru, who is a rare combination of Jnana, Yoga, Bhakti and Tantra. He is the first known philosopher who was equally adept in exquisite poetry and profound philosophy.

In him, we find a fine blend of a true scholar with a profound understanding of the scriptures enriched by his personal Yogic experience of the Ultimate Reality; and a great devotee endowed with staunch devotion to the Reality that he had preached throughout his life.

He revived, on the strength of scriptures and sound logic, the sacred Vedic philosophy as presented in the ancient scriptures especially in the Upanisads, as encoded in the Brahma Sutra and as elucidated in the Bhagavad Gita. He alone paved the royal path into Vedanta for all the coming teachers of Vedanta inspiring them to restudy the scriptures and interpret. He resuscitated the Vedic philosophy in its original form as has been preserved throughout several centuries by great saints of the yore.

He organized the Dasanami monastic order and unified the Sanmata or the six systems or traditions of worship. At a tender age, he produced vast amount of literature on Philosophy, religion, culture, Tantra and devotion for the benefit of differently qualified individuals in the world and toured across Bharat on foot to spread the message of the Vedic culture.

The Upanisads, Brahma Sutra and The Bhagavad Gita are called Prasthana Trayain Indian Spiritual tradition.

The Upanisads - Sriti Prasthana

. The Bhagavad Gita - Smriti Prasthana

The Brahma Sutra - Yukti or Nyaya Prasthana

The Brahma Sutra text is in four chapters each having four sections. In these sections, about 191 topics are discussed in 555 Sutras or pithy sentences. The number of Sutra and sections varies in each Vedantasystem.

First chapter (Samanvaya Adhyaya)

The Brahman is defined and various Upanisad sentences are interpreted in the context of this Brahman.

Second chapter (Avirodha Adhyaya):

It is shown as to how there would not be any contradiction with other systems.

Third chapter (Sadhana Adhyaya):

The means to achieve the highest Reality are elaborated in this chapter.

Fourth chapter (Phala Adhyaya):

The final goal of human life i.e. liberation is elaborated in this.

The Upanisads are the earliest texts on many spiritual matters such as the nature and purpose of life, the ultimate Reality, need of spiritual discipline and absolute liberation etc. But these texts consist of some theories that appear to be contradictory and a common reader will not be able to find a coherent understanding from them. They need explanations.

Thus, apparently contradictory statements baffle a common man and cannot lead to an articulate understanding of the Reality. Sage Vyasa realized that this would ultimately lead to spiritual chaos and people would prefer to keep away from these Upanisad texts if such apparent contradictions were not answered in a logical manner synthesizing the Upanisadic statements.

Sage Vyasa studied all Upanisad texts, all Sastras and compiled the views of his predecessors and contemporary scholars in a text called Brahma Sutra. This magnum opus text has led to the development of a great system in Bharat as Vedanta.

Due to the nature of the Sutra that it tends to be brief and many a time obstruse, people could not truly grasp its essence. Thus, some commentaries to explain the meaning of the text were written even before Adi Sankara.

Even before sage Badarayana, there were many Vedanta scholars who interpreted the Upanisads in their own way and held a particular theory as the import of the Upanisads.

The Vedas are in the form of four kinds of texts as Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanisad. The first three deal with rituals. The Mimamsa sastra considered these three as principal, analyzed the sentences of these three kinds of texts and laid down the theory that performance of karma enjoined in the Veda alone is the final import of the Veda. The Upanishadic sentences discussing the absolute reality and spiritual experience are treated as secondary.

In ancient Bharat, however, some seekers of truth did not find solace in the performance of rituals and began searching for a meaning in the Veda leading a disciplined life in a solitary place. In the Vedic texts there are many references to such people involved in deep contemplation and scholarly deliberations. Sage Yajnavalkya, Gargi, Maitreyi, Nachiketa, Sanatkumara, Pippalada, Narada, Swetaketu and many other are the best examples of such spiritual quest. The inner search for a meaning of life opened in them a new vision that they presented in their discourses.

These have come down to us in the form of various sermons in the Upanisad texts.

The Upanisad texts are called the Vedanta proper.

These sermons contain the personal experience of the absolute reality that the such spiritual masters of yore had obtained as the cosmic consciousness. They lived in that state and preached the same when the qualified aspirants approached them with a request. It was a personal communication between the preceptor and the disciple.

Science investigates matter and consciousness. It tries to explore the secrets of creation objectively. Vedanta, however, takes the subjective approach and prefers experiential exposition of reality. Matter, Self, purpose of life and Highest Reality are the cardinal topics that interest the scientist and the philosopher equally.

What is the essential meaning of the Veda, that can be called as Vedanta? To this it can be stated that the Vedas do endorse the performance of various rituals explicitly.

This kind of meaning is known as the direct meaning. But as we can know from our experience that in our daily communication also, the sentences we use carry the implied meaning and the suggested meaning, different from the direct meaning. Thus, it is clear that the direct meaning alone cannot be the essence of something.

**Contents and Sample Pages**