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Brahma Sutra Shankara Bhashya of Adi Shankaracharya (Commentary on the Brahma Sutras) The text: Brahma Sutra is a fundamental text of Vedanta Philosophy. It is a collection of short and cryptic sentences called Sutras composed by Bhagawan Badarayana. It critically reviews all Indian Philosophical and religious systems, viz. Charvaka, Bauddha, Jaina, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Purvamimamsa, Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta and establishes Vedanta as the supreme philosophical system leading towards the attainment of the ultimate Reality in accordance with the prescriptions of Vedic revelation. Its importance: Vedanta is the standard and the characteristic philosophy of India. Based on the oldest spiritual intuitions of the Upanishads, developed, systematized and updated by an unbroken tradition of sages and Acharyas to the present point of time, it embodies man’s perennial pursuit of Perfection. Prasthanatraya is a set of three courses that forms the literary basis of Vedanta. (i) The Upanishads, constituting the heart of Vedic revelation, (ii) The Brahma Sutras of sage Badarayana, and (iii) the famous Bhagawad Geeta forming a part of Mahabharata, are the three traditional courses or prasthanas. The Upanishads are mainly metaphysical in their direction, and spiritually intuitive in their approach. The Bhagawad Geeta concentrates on the practical ways of realization of the Supreme Goal. Brahma Sutras undertakes an intellectual analysis of the various philosophical positions and establishes the pre-eminence of Vedanta as the final import of Vedic revelation. The Bhashya: Acharya Shankara is the undisputed master and exponent of Advaita Vedanta. He consolidated Vedic religion at a time when it was being attacked externally and was disintegrating internally. He is indeed the shanmatha-sthapana-acharya (the preceptor who consolidates and establishes the six religious systems of Hinduism). He set aside the prevailing confusions and misinterpretations of his time and re-established the Vedic path towards Perfection. His bhashyas (commentaries) on the Upanishads, the Bhagawad Geeta and Brahma Sutra are invaluable treasures of light and wisdom handed down to us out of his love and compassion for the suffering humanity. The Shankara Bhashya on the Brahma Sutra is an indispensable guide for the study of Brahma Sutra. Over the centuries, the bhashya has attracted many scholarly commentaries and further chains of sub-commentaries from various thinkers and philosophers. These writings have contributed a great deal to the cultural and emotional integration of our land. Each and every subsequent philosophical system Brahma Sutra Shankara Bhashya file:///C|/Documents and Settings/Mahesh/Desktop/Project-1.htm (1 of 2) [11/12/2003 2:16:38 AM]

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Page 1: 5554674 Bhahmasutras and Shankara Bashyam

Brahma Sutra Shankara Bhashya

of

Adi Shankaracharya

(Commentary on the Brahma Sutras)

The text:

Brahma Sutra is a fundamental text of Vedanta Philosophy. It is a collection of short and crypticsentences called Sutras composed by Bhagawan Badarayana. It critically reviews all Indian Philosophicaland religious systems, viz. Charvaka, Bauddha, Jaina, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga,Purvamimamsa, Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta and establishes Vedanta as the supreme philosophicalsystem leading towards the attainment of the ultimate Reality in accordance with the prescriptions ofVedic revelation.

Its importance:

Vedanta is the standard and the characteristic philosophy of India. Based on the oldest spiritual intuitionsof the Upanishads, developed, systematized and updated by an unbroken tradition of sages and Acharyasto the present point of time, it embodies man’s perennial pursuit of Perfection.

Prasthanatraya is a set of three courses that forms the literary basis of Vedanta. (i) The Upanishads,constituting the heart of Vedic revelation, (ii) The Brahma Sutras of sage Badarayana, and (iii) thefamous Bhagawad Geeta forming a part of Mahabharata, are the three traditional courses or prasthanas.The Upanishads are mainly metaphysical in their direction, and spiritually intuitive in their approach.The Bhagawad Geeta concentrates on the practical ways of realization of the Supreme Goal. BrahmaSutras undertakes an intellectual analysis of the various philosophical positions and establishes thepre-eminence of Vedanta as the final import of Vedic revelation.

The Bhashya:

Acharya Shankara is the undisputed master and exponent of Advaita Vedanta. He consolidated Vedicreligion at a time when it was being attacked externally and was disintegrating internally. He is indeedthe shanmatha-sthapana-acharya (the preceptor who consolidates and establishes the six religioussystems of Hinduism). He set aside the prevailing confusions and misinterpretations of his time andre-established the Vedic path towards Perfection. His bhashyas (commentaries) on the Upanishads, theBhagawad Geeta and Brahma Sutra are invaluable treasures of light and wisdom handed down to us outof his love and compassion for the suffering humanity.

The Shankara Bhashya on the Brahma Sutra is an indispensable guide for the study of Brahma Sutra.Over the centuries, the bhashya has attracted many scholarly commentaries and further chains ofsub-commentaries from various thinkers and philosophers. These writings have contributed a great dealto the cultural and emotional integration of our land. Each and every subsequent philosophical system

Brahma Sutra Shankara Bhashya

file:///C|/Documents and Settings/Mahesh/Desktop/Project-1.htm (1 of 2) [11/12/2003 2:16:38 AM]

Page 2: 5554674 Bhahmasutras and Shankara Bashyam

and religious movement has derived inspiration from this magnum-opus of Sankara and thecommentaries thereon.

The Present Publication:

The existing editions of the Brahma Sutra Bhashya differ from one another in their readings in certainplaces. Besides, different commentators of the Bhashya follow, at times, different readings. The presentedition seeks to record all the variants and proposes to bring out an authentic and standard edition.

Easy accessibility in terms of being student-friendly and thorough authenticity in terms of being textuallyaccurate are the twin characteristics of this edition.

The available English translations of the text, besides ignoring the textual variations, tend to be bulky,being verbatim translation of the original. For a student trained in the modern ways of punctuation andpresentation, the Brahma Sutra appears formidable and the various views and their lines of argumentfound in the Bhashya remain intractable. Both in nature and content, the text is at once rigorous andsubtle. Hence a student-friendly simple translation of the text arranged into manageable sections will beof great assistance for a clear understanding of the work. The present edition proposes to deliver exactlythese attributes. It also proposes to arrange the various views and arguments mentioned in the Bhashya ina systematic manner.

Brahma Sutra Shankara Bhashya

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