[Advaita-l] structured approach to learning advaita

[Sunil Bhattacharjya]

Dear Sriramji,

If you permit me I shall elaborate what you said. Yes the prakarana granthas are to be studied before going to the Vedantic  Prasthanatraya, which includes the Sruti and Smriti in it. In fact the study of Vedanta comes after the study of Veda. Now the Mahabharata says that the vedas should be read after reading the Puranas and the Itihasas (ie. the fifth-Veda). So one has raelly to start with the puranas and the Itihasas. May be for an absolute beginner a study of the Bhagavatam might do to start with if one does not have the time to study all the Puranas and the Itihasas before studying  the Prakarqana granthas and the Prasthanatraya.. 

Regards,

Sunil KB

--- On Wed, 5/25/11, Venkata sriram P <venkatasriramp at yahoo.in> wrote:

From: Venkata sriram P <venkatasriramp at yahoo.in>
Subject: [Advaita-l] structured approach to learning advaita
To: advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 12:15 AM

Namaste,
 
There are 2 aspects that need to be emphasized.
 
1) Learning Advaita for academic purpose 
2) Learning Advaita as a part of AdhyAtmika sAdhana
 
In either case, good knowledge of Sanskrit is necessary.  
 
Now, our concern is for the 2nd aspect only.  That said, nitya / naikittika karmas are
mandatory for this 2nd aspect.  One should never start prasthAna-traya directly without 
thorough study of laghu prakarana granthas. 
 
The tradition starts with Dakshinamurty Stotra, Vivekachudamani, Upadesa Sahasri,
Aparoksha Anubhuti, Vedantasara of Sadananda, Vedanta Paribhasha, Vedanta Panchadasi, Jivanmukti Viveka, Satasloki, Vasudeva Mananam etc. 
 
But to start with, IMHO, Dakshinamurty Stotram is the ideal one that explain the 
basic advaitic tenets in a simple & lucid style.  We chant this hymn everyday without
fail alongwith Gurupaduka Stotra and Guru Parampara Stotra.
 
regs,
sriram 
 
 
 
 
 
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