17
votes
Accepted
What are all doctrines or philosophies discussed in Brahma Sutra?
Here are the main philosophical schools discussed by Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras (which you can read here:
Vedanta: The Brahma Sutras are the defining text of Vedanta school, so in some sense all the ...
- 98.2k
12
votes
Accepted
Why did Vedvyasa mention his shishya Jaimini's opinion/saying in Brahma Sutra?
It's because Vyasa and Jaimini were working together. Vyasa and two of his disciples, Jaimini and Kasakritsna, together composed a unified work called the Mimamsa Shastra, designed to analyze the ...
- 98.2k
11
votes
From which scripture does Adi Shankara quote about Maheswara shaping name and forms of all beings from the words of Veda?
This quote with slight variation is present in Chapter 7, Purvabhaga of Kurma Purana.
अव्ययं च व्ययं चैव द्वयं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। तेषां ये यानि कर्माणि
प्राक् सृष्टेः प्रतिपेदिरे॥ ६४॥ तान्येव ते ...
- 31.5k
11
votes
How many people have written commentaries on Brahma Sutras?
There are at least 34 commentaries. Let me try to enumerate as many commentaries as I can. Note that I'm only naming one commentary from each commentator, even if they wrote multiple. And for the ...
- 98.2k
10
votes
Do the Devas not actually eat or drink?
The verse is actually there in the ChAndogya Upanishad (CU).
CU 3.6.1 states:
Tad yat prathamamritam tad vasava upajivantyAgninA mukhena | na
vai deva asnanti na pivantyeadevAmritam drishtvA ...
- 112k
9
votes
Interpreting Bhagavad Gita verse 8.16
A literal interpretation of the Gita 8.16 would be disastrous since it would contradict Sruti. We know from Manu Smriti that when there is any difference between Sruti and Smriti then Sruti will ...
- 37.6k
9
votes
Why does the Jiva reside in Brahman during deep sleep?
It is explained in the Chhandogya Upanishad - Aadhyaya-6, Khanda-8.
What is the Sushupti actually and why do we experience it?:
उद्दालको हारुणिः श्वेतकेतुं पुत्रमुवाच स्वप्नान्तं मे सोम्य
विजानी...
- 26.2k
9
votes
From which scripture does Adi Shankara quote about Maheswara shaping name and forms of all beings from the words of Veda?
There are three variants of this Shloka available: Vishnu Purana 1.5, Linga Purana 1.70, and Kurma Purana 1.7.
The Vishnu Purana quote is:
nāmarūpaṃ ca bhūtānāṃ kṛtyānāṃ ca prapañcanam / (63.1)
...
- 23.9k
8
votes
Accepted
What scriptures describe scorpions born from cow dung?
This information is present in Chapter 7 of Upodghāta Pada, Brahmānda Purana.
In this chapter, the birth of many creatures is described. Birth of scorpions is also mentioned.
जन्तवस्तुरगादिभ्यो वि...
- 26k
8
votes
Why does the Pancharatra Agamas contradict the Vedanta Sutras?
As per the Pancharatra Agamas which are followed by the Sri Vaishnava community, there is no restriction for followers and learners based on varna. Shudras even serve as priests in the Vaishnava ...
- 98.2k
8
votes
Accepted
Are the Vedanta Sutras Smriti or Shruti?
From Manu Smriti 2.10:
Srutis tu vedo vigneyo dharmashAstram tu vai smriti |
OR By Sruti is meant the Veda and by Smritis are meant the Dharma
ShAstras.
So, the VedAnta Sutras is a Darshana ...
- 112k
8
votes
Why is it believed Brahma Sutras were written by Rishi Ved Vyasa?
The possible explanation of your question is provided by author of the book Vedanta-Darshan (Brahma Sutra) Harikrishna Das Goyandaka by Gita Press.
In his introduction of the book , the author is ...
- 32.2k
8
votes
Accepted
Where can I find a good comparitive study of the prasthana trayi commentaries?
Following are some books on Brahma Sutra comprising analysis of principal commentaries of Adi Shankaracharya (Advaita), Sri Ramanujacharya (Vishishtadvaita and Madhvacharya (Dvaita) available on ...
- 26.2k
7
votes
Are there any surviving quotes from Baudhayana's commentary on the Brahma Sutras?
Yes, Ramanujacharya quotes from Baudhayana's Vritti several times.. First of all, in this section his commentary on Adhyaya 1 Pada 1 Sutra 1 of the Brahma Sutras, Ramanujacharya gives two quotes from ...
- 98.2k
7
votes
How come Vyasa rejected Panchratra Agamas in Vedanta Sutras yet referred back to Bhagavad Gita which is also considered to be a Panchratra scripture?
First of all, you're right that the Bhagavad Gita is part of the Pancharatra tradition. Here is what this chapter of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, which describes how the Pancharatra tradition ...
- 98.2k
6
votes
What does Brahma sutras say about Susupti state?
The Jiva dwells in Brahman during deep sleep.. In this section of his Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Adi Shankaracharya says that even though the Upanishads speak of the Jiva dwelling in the veins or ...
- 98.2k
6
votes
From which scripture does Adi Shankara quote about Maheswara shaping name and forms of all beings from the words of Veda?
Here is a verse that's only found in the Southern recension of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata that's almost identical to the verse given by Adi Shankaracharya:
nānārūpaṃ ca bhūtānāṃ karmaṇāṃ ...
- 98.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Where can I read online the Vedanta Sutras along with commentaries of Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya and Madhvacharya in English?
1. Here is the link of The Vedanta-sutras, with the
Sri-bhashya of Shree Ramanujacharya : You can Download as
well as can read the book Online.
2. Here is the link of The Vedanta Sutras with ...
- 32.2k
6
votes
Accepted
How many Brahma Sutras are there?
In his Introduction to his translation of Ramanuja's Sri Bhasya, Swami Vireswarananda writes (p xxviii):
It has already been stated that the Sutra literature, owing to its extreme brevity of ...
- 24.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Is initiation/diksha carried over to the next birth?
Krishna answers this in Gita chapter 6, verses 37-45. The Lord says (Swami Nikhilananda translator):
Arjuna said: A man who is endowed with faith, but not with steadfastness, and whose mind has ...
- 24.1k
6
votes
How many sages are referred to in the badrayana vyasa's Brahma sutras?
Here are all the figures that Vyasa names in the Brahma Sutras other than himself (using the Sutra numbering here)
Jaimini: He's mentioned 17 times, starting in Adhyaya 1 Pada 2 Sutra 28:
...
- 98.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Why is it believed Brahma Sutras were written by Rishi Ved Vyasa?
According to Kanchi Paramacharya (Chandrashekarendra Saraswati) too, Veda Vyasa and Badarayana are the same person.
He mentions about this in this chapter of the book called "Hindu Dharma", which is ...
- 112k
5
votes
How do the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras refer to each other?
Bhagavad Gita is older than (or prior to) Brahma Sutra of Vedavyasa according to the Timeline of Hindu texts or say the chronology of Hindu texts.
Here is what Adi Shankaracharya said in his Bhasya ...
- 26.2k
5
votes
Accepted
What kind of scripture is Vyasa's BrahmaSutras technically?
The Brahma Sutras are one of the three basic texts (prasthanatrayi) of Vedanta (modern day Hinduism), the other two being the Upanishads (original texts, mula-prasthanatrayi) and the Bhagavad Gita. ...
- 24.1k
5
votes
Accepted
How has the Vedanta school refuted Mimamsa arguments for multiple omnipresent souls?
At least argument 2 has been refuted. Vyasa discusses the size of the Jivatma in Adhyaya 2 Pada 3 of the Brahma Sutras (which you can read here)
Topic-13: Soul’s Dimensions
(The individual soul must ...
- 98.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Did Vedavyasa ever write his own commentary on the Brahma Sutras?
No, Bādarāyaṇa Vyāsa did not write commentary on own work Brahma sutras.
Nārāyaṇa Panditācārya, a contemporary of Madhvācārya gave a list of commentators on Brahma sutras. He wrote a biography on ...
- 26k
5
votes
Accepted
Where do the Vedas describe dreaming of a black-skinned man?
I found this verse in two places in the Rig Veda. First of all, in this chapter of the Aitareya Aranyaka of the Rig Veda:
Next come the dreams. If he sees a black man with black teeth, and that ...
- 98.2k
5
votes
Accepted
How do Neo-Vedantists intepret Vedanta Sutras 1.3.38?
There is no direct reference to that verse in Complete Works and that's because Swami Vivekananda did not agree that Shudras are forbidden to study the Vedas.
Complete Works / Volume 6 / Epistles - ...
- 5,351
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible