Indica Events

Symposium On 'Prakarana Granthas'
2024-12-29 09:00 - 16:00 (Asia/Kolkata)
Prakarana Granthas are authoritative texts that elucidate complex concepts in an accessible manner, providing clarity on technical terms and terminologies used in the Shastras. They also serve an important pedagogical function, namely facilitating a graded teaching of Shastras wherein a student is first taught these texts before taking them to a study of more advanced texts. Thus, they serve as invaluable companions for students embarking on deeper study of the Shastras.
The Vedanta tradition encompasses a profound journey of self-discovery, involving the renunciation of ego-driven desires, mastery over the mind and eventual transcendence of all notions of duality. It is essentially a path of Knowledge or Jnanayoga which involves deep inquiry into the Upanishadic teachings accompanied by contemplation and meditation on those teachings which would cultimate in realization of the Absolute Truth (Tattva-Jnana). Known as Sravana (listening to Vedantic teachings from Guru), Manana (intellectual enquiry), Niddhidhyasana (contemplation on truth), these constitutes the three stages of Vedanta Sadhana (or Jnanayoga) which cultimates in Atma-Jnana or Self Knowledge.
This being the case, a systematic study of Vedanta Shastras plays a central role in Vedanta Sadhana.
To facilitate this, Adi Shankara Bhagavadpadacharya, the great master in his utmost compassion had authored a large number of works for communicating Vedantic knowledge to everyone. He authored the Prashthana Trayi Bhashyas for the intellectually leaning panditas. He composed a large number of Stotras for the devotionally oriented seekers. And finally, he composed numerous Prakarana Granthas both as introductory texts introducing the subject of Vedanta and as texts imparting directly the essential teachings of Advaita helpful for the Mumukshus in their quest for liberation.
Following Bhagavadpadacharya, many other Advaita Acharyas have composed a larger number of Prakarana Granthas as well. The purpose of these Vedanta Prakarana Granthas are three fold:

Introduce the student to the essential teachings of Vedanta in a simple manner, thereby providing a comprehensive overview of the entire system.
Introduce the student to all the Shastriya concepts and terminologies, and other preliminaries necessary for a student.
Facilitate the beginner student to gradually become competent to take up study of advanced Vedanta texts such as Prasthanatrayi Bhashya.

Some of the prominent Vedanta Prakarana Granthas by Bhagavadpadacharya and his lineage of acharyas in the Advaita Sampradaya include:
Vivekachudamani
Upadesha-Sahasri
Atma-Bodha
Aparokshanubhuti
Vakya-Vritti
Panchikarana
Dasha Sloki
Tattva bodhaa
Nirvana Shatkam
Panchadashi
Vedanta Sara
Vedanta Paribhasha
Advaita Makaranda
Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka
The symposium seeks to highlight some of the distinguishing features of Vedanta Prakarana Granthas as well as shed light on its important teachings.
Schedule

Time
Speaker
Title of Talk

9.00 AM-9.15 AM
Nithin Sridhar
Director & Chief Curator, INDICA Moksha
Opening Remarks

9.10 AM-10.00 AM
Mahamahopadhyaya Swamini Bramaprakashananda
Chief Acharya, Dr. Shrikant Jichkar Memorial Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam, Nagpur
Significance Of Prakarana Granthas In Advaita Parampara

10.00 AM-10.30 AM
Kathirasan K
Certified Mindfulness Teacher. Founder CEO of the Centre for Mindfulness, Singapore
Upadeshasahasri: A Unique Perspective On The Teaching Of Vedanta

10.30 AM-11 AM
Vidwan K Giridhara Sarma
Traditional Vidwan of Vedanta and Mimamsa. Electronic Engineer.
Insights From Panchadashi Of Swammi Vidyaranya

11.00 AM-11.30 AM
Gokulmuthu Narayanaswamy
Director of Product Development at Itron India, Bangalore
Tattvabodha – The book Of Vedanta Vocabulary

11.30 AM – 12.00 PM
Br. Ved Chaitanya
Student of Sanskrit and Vedanta
Aparokshanubhuti: The Intimate Experience Of the Reality

12.00 PM – 12.30 PM
Sudhanshu Shekhar
Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Pune
Ajnana In Sushupti As Per Naishkarmya Siddhi

12.30 PM – 1.00 PM
Dr. Suryanarayana Jammalamadaka
Senior Project Manager, Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation,
Co-founder, Kameswari Foundation
Why so many Prakarana Granthas in Vedanta

1.00 PM – 1.30 PM
Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan
Vedanta Acharya. Runs Aarsha Vidya Varshini Gurukulam at Kallidaikurichi
Shabda Pramana In Vedanta Paribhasha

1.30 PM – 2.00 PM
Dr. Srinivas Jammalamadaka
Scholar – IKS Courses, Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation,
An Analysis of Functionality Of Unreal: From Shastra-Siddhanta-Lesha-Sangraha By Appayya Dikshita

2.00 PM – 2.30 PM
Vidwan P V Rajaraman
Traditional Vidwan and Chief Technology Officer, Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology in Kaladyy
Unveiling the Greatness Of Vivekachudamani: A Guide To Liberation

2.30 PM – 3.00 PM
Vidwan Manikandan Iyer Traditional Vidwan and Banker
Drk Drsya Viveka- A deliberation Of The First Verse Of The Text

3.00 PM – 3.30 PM
Jayakumar S. Ammangudi
Founder and Managing Trustee of Arsha Seva Kendram
Uniqueness Of Atmabodha

3.30-4.00 PM
Nithin Sridhar
Director & Chief Curator, INDICA Moksha
Conclusion and Vote of Thanks
