Prastana traya

Vedanta philosophy accepts the Prasthana Traya texts, the Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutra as authoritative and primary sources that teach the means to strive for salvation. No study of Vedanta is considered complete without a close examination of the Prasthana Traya texts. The Vedas and the Upanishads are Sruti Prasthana, that is, revealed texts. ‘Sruti’ literally means that which is heard, and is considered as sacred knowledge that has been handed down from days of yore through the oral tradition of communication.

The Bhagavad Gita, the Puranas, etc, are known as Smriti Prasthana. These are the compositions of sages based on their understanding of the valuable insights in the Vedas and their ability to remember and recall these. The Brahma Sutra compiled by Vyasa is known as Nyaya Prasthana or Sutra Prasthana, wherein the philosophical doctrines are analysed logically and systematically. Just as the various river ghats help people to have a dip in the deep waters these texts guide the spiritual aspirant to enter the river of jnana, pointed out Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal in a discourse. All Vedanta texts speak in one voice about the one and only Brahman who is the sole cause of the universe and of His nature as the essence of eternal consciousness and bliss, sat-chit-ananda. In the Brahma Sutra this is reinforced to show that there is no scriptural text that can be effectively used against the Vedanta teachings. There is no way by which the validity of any system that is opposed to the Vedas can be established in a foolproof manner. Vedanta system makes extensive use of Smriti texts such as Manu Smriti, Vishnu Purana, etc, to argue convincingly about Brahman as the intelligent primary cause of the universe.

Bondage of Karma,

Sastras explain that karma has no beginning or end and that all beings are bound to samsara by the ties of karma. All actions, good or bad, are called karma and produce the effects of joy or sorrow respectively. So, actions that are done when being prompted by inner desires and vasanas are the karma and to face the effects thereon, people are born repeatedly. This naturally hinders their chances of liberation.

But Vedanta study offers the path of Jnana or Vidya by which one can circumvent the endless cycle of karma and strive to escape from this in a tangential manner, pointed out Sri K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Even the study of Vedanta, if it remains at the theoretical and intellectual level, becomes ineffective for realisation of Brahman. But it becomes a great boon when the spiritual aspirant utilises it to get rid of karma and to get liberated. The fundamental teaching reinforced in the Gita is that each one should be aware that he is a unique blend of the physical and the spiritual. The self within the body is the witnessing consciousness responsible for the functioning of the body and is the knower of all, the Kshetrajna. This self is the essence of permanent joy.

The body is compared to a field, Kshetra, where events happen. There is birth, growth decline and death. The five gross elements, the ego sense, intellect including the unmanifest, the karmendriyas and the jnanendriyas, are the constituents of the field. But being ignorant of the exceptional and immortal indwelling self that is of the essence of bliss, many are deluded into believing that joy can be sought in the external world. He who understands the invaluable quality of one’s present birth as a chance to strive for salvation is really blessed, since no one has any clue about what is in store in each one’s prarabdha karma account.