Bhagavadgītā: With the commentary of śaṅkarācārya

by Adi Shankaracharya, Gambhirananda (Translator)

The Brahma Sutras are the third of the canonical texts and are regarded as the Nyaya-prasthana, because they explain the teachings of Vedanta in a logical order. The work is known by other names including Vedanta-sutra, Sariraka-sutra, and Bhiksu-sutra.The Brahma Sutra Bhasya is an important but difficult Vedanta scripture. This is our most popular translation, and is regarded by some as indispensable for all students of Vedanta. Includes word for word meaning of each aphorism under its Sanskrit text, followed by a running translation, with additional words in brackets for clarification.Translation based primarily on the Ratnaprabha.

Genres: Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy, Hinduism, Mysticism, Nonfiction, India

826 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 800

About the author

Adi Shankara(788 CE - 820 CE), also known as Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya and Ādi Śaṅkarācārya was an Indian guru from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta. His teachings are based on the unity of the ātman and brahman— non-dual brahman, in which brahman is viewed as nirguna brahman, brahman without attributes.

Shankara travelled across India and other parts of South Asia to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He is reputed to have founded four mathas ("monasteries"), which helped in the historical development, revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta. Adi Shankara is believed to be the organizer of the Dashanami monastic order and the founder of the Shanmata tradition of worship.

His works in Sanskrit concern themselves with establishing the doctrine of advaita (nondualism). He also established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa school established strict ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. Shankara represented his works as elaborating on ideas found in the Upanishads, and he wrote copious commentaries on the Vedic canon (Brahma Sutra, principal upanishads and Bhagavad Gita) in support of his thesis. The main opponent in his work is the Mimamsa school of thought, though he also offers arguments against the views of some other schools like Samkhya and certain schools of Buddhism.

AKA Śaṅkarācārya; Śaṃkara; Śaṃkarācārya; Ṣaṅkara Āchārya; Shamkaracharya; Çamkara; Śaṃkara-bhagavat-pāda; Shankara; Çankara; Ādi Śaṅkara; Shankarâchârya; Śaṁkarācharya; Sankara; Shang-chieh-lo; Shangjieluo; Śankaracharya; Adi Sankar; Āticaṅkarācārya Svāmikaḷ; Caṅkarācārya Svāmikaḷ; Adi Sankaracharya; Āticaṅkar; Āticaṅkarācāriyar; Āticaṅkarar; Adi Sankaracarya; Adi Shankaracharya; Camkaracarya

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew... That was one of the longest and most difficult books I've ever read. It's difficult because of the number of topics that require a large array of contextual knowledge. The third book of four was the most difficult of these. But very interesting and nuanced. His handling of rival philosophies is masterful.

[Nirav Acharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book on Advaita Philosophy. It is precise, simple and lucid.

[Venkat Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ultimate treatise on Advaita Vedanta.

Prasthāna-traya (triple canon or three basic texts) of Vedanta comprises the Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, and the Brahma-sūtra of Bādarāyana Vyāsa. Brahma-sūtra sets forth the teaching of Vedanta in a logical order by systematizing the Upanishads. The Brahma-sūtra is an exquisite garland made out of Upanishad-blossoms.

Swami Vivekananda (Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 4.3.11) wrote: "If one be asked to point out the system of thought towards which as a centre all the ancient and modern Indian thoughts have converged, if one wants to see the real backbone of Hinduism in all its various manifestations, the Sutras of Vyasa will unquestionably be pointed out as constituting all that."

The Brahma-sūtra contains 555 sūtras (aphorisms) divided into four chapters. In the first chapter on Samanvaya (harmony), Bādarāyana teaches that the Vedantic texts have for their purport Brahman, the non-dual Reality. The second chapter entitled Avirodha (non-conflict) discusses the objections that may be raised against the metaphysics of Vedanta. The third chapter is on Sādhana, the means to release. The last chapter is on Phala, the fruit of meditation and following the path of knowledge.

Śaṅkara's bhāṣya is the earliest extant commentary on Bādarāyana's text. It is celebrated for its lucidity and depth. Śaṅkara's commentary has served as the model for all subsequent commentators, who have been knowingly or unknowingly influenced by it. Several annotations and glosses have been written on Śaṅkara's illuminating bhāṣya.

Anyone interested in a thorough understanding of Advaita Vedanta must definitely study this book very diligently.

[Povilas Kimutis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable book. One of the masterpieces of humanity.

[Painofboredom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accusing your rival to be nihilists while some of your own doctrines hover close to nihilism is certainly amusing