Tatvabodha
TATVABODHA (Adi Shankaracharya) by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Sri gurubhyo namaha tattva: essence/Truth bOdha: knowledge
‘Knowledge of Truth’ ie tatvabOdha
Now that we have familiarized ourselves with what Vedanta is let us get a little more closer to this rarefied world. What are its core ideas, its oft repeated phrases, its bandied about imagery, its values if any, how are they formed, why? Before plunging into a study of the Upanishads, they provide DIRECT knowledge remember via a guru (from previous blogs on INTRODUCTION TO VEDANTA, 1-6), certain concepts of Vedanta have to be extremely clear. For this very purpose are prakaraNa granthas written.
This particular prakaraNa grantha is by Shankaracharya. His, like most others, can be subdivided into three categories:
1. bhaashya granthas (commentaries on Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras, constituting the core of vaidika dharma, called prasthaana trayee)
2. prakaraNa granthas (dealing with the fundamentals of Vedanta, works like Tattvabodha, Atmabodha, Vivekachoodamani etc)
3. stotra granthas (hymns or meditation verses such a Soundarya Lahari, Annapurnashtakam, Mahishasura Mardhini Stotram, Sadhana Panchakam etc)
We are all seeking eternal happiness (nitya sukham) but we have understood through careful reflection/analysis via previous blogs that we are already that which we are seeking! Now what? Our innate nature is that of bliss and completeness it is said– our svaroopa lakshaNa – but things are yet hazy. I see myself in the mirror and see a body, it has a name and form, I look at my friends list on social media and there are more than I can handle, I look at my calendar and there is more stuff to do than I can manage in my lifetime. None of these relationships, these activities and my image in the mirror (especially this) is giving me total happiness or showing me my svaroopa lakshaNa, I wonder why!
Oops! I forgot! It is because I am trying to find that nirvana I seek via
Sri gurubhyo namaha tattva: essence/Truth bOdha: knowledge
‘Knowledge of Truth’ ie tatvabOdha
Now that we have familiarized ourselves with what Vedanta is let us get a little more closer to this rarefied world. What are its core ideas, its oft repeated phrases, its bandied about imagery, its values if any, how are they formed, why? Before plunging into a study of the Upanishads, they provide DIRECT knowledge remember via a guru (from previous blogs on INTRODUCTION TO VEDANTA, 1-6), certain concepts of Vedanta have to be extremely clear. For this very purpose are prakaraNa granthas written.
This particular prakaraNa grantha is by Shankaracharya. His, like most others, can be subdivided into three categories:
1. bhaashya granthas (commentaries on Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras, constituting the core of vaidika dharma, called prasthaana trayee)
2. prakaraNa granthas (dealing with the fundamentals of Vedanta, works like Tattvabodha, Atmabodha, Vivekachoodamani etc)
3. stotra granthas (hymns or meditation verses such a Soundarya Lahari, Annapurnashtakam, Mahishasura Mardhini Stotram, Sadhana Panchakam etc)
We are all seeking eternal happiness (nitya sukham) but we have understood through careful reflection/analysis via previous blogs that we are already that which we are seeking! Now what? Our innate nature is that of bliss and completeness it is said– our svaroopa lakshaNa – but things are yet hazy. I see myself in the mirror and see a body, it has a name and form, I look at my friends list on social media and there are more than I can handle, I look at my calendar and there is more stuff to do than I can manage in my lifetime. None of these relationships, these activities and my image in the mirror (especially this) is giving me total happiness or showing me my svaroopa lakshaNa, I wonder why!
Oops! I forgot! It is because I am trying to find that nirvana I seek via