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Yajur Upākarma Mahāsaṅkalpa (Reflection) – 2025 Aug 8th/9th

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maha saṅkalpam (reflection via free translation) mamopātta-samasta-durita-kṣaya-dvārā śrī-parameśvara-prītyarthaṃ For the sake of pleasing (prītyarthaṃ) śrī-parameśvara , as a means (dvārā) for the destruction (kṣaya) of all (samasta) accumulated (upātta) sins (durita). (This is the essence of Karma Yoga – Doing vaidika karma with īśvarārpaṇa buddhi and īśvara-prasāda buddhi.) tad-eva lagnaṃ sudinaṃ tad-eva, tārā-balaṃ candra-balaṃ tad-eva, That indeed (tad-eva) is the auspicious moment (lagnaṃ), that indeed is the good day (sudinaṃ), that indeed is the strength (balaṃ) of the stars (tārā) and the strength of the moon (candra). vidyā-balaṃ daiva-balaṃ tad-eva, lakṣmī-pateḥ aṅghri-yugam smarāmi. That indeed is the strength (balaṃ) of knowledge (vidyā) and the strength of fortune (daiva); when I remember (smarāmi) the pair of feet (aṅghri-yugam) of the Lord of Lakṣmī (lakṣmī-pateḥ). (The idea is tithi, vāram, etc. become indeed auspicious, when we hold on to the feet of Swāmi.) apa...
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Meeting Swami Paramārthānandaji - July 14th, 2025, 5 PM at Swamiji’s Abhirāmapuram Dwelling, Chennai.

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  After the initial introduction and remembering/thanking Sangeetha (my undergraduate friend and student of Swamiji), who sought an appointment for me to meet Swamiji, and profusely acknowledging Swamiji’s grace in granting us the time, I proceeded to begin speaking along the following lines, seeking Swamiji’s guidance.   1. On Deepening Nididhyāsanam in G ṛ hastha Āśrama I started off saying that if śrava ṇ am is “advitīya vastu tātparya avadhāra ṇ am” , mananam is “advitīya vastu anāvarta anucintanam” , and nididhyāsanam is “advitīya svasvarūpa vastu anāvarta anusandhānam” . How can one go deeper into nididhyāsanam, especially while living in the g ṛ hastha āśrama, where constant svasvarūpa-anusandhānam is the goal, but vikṣepas keep showing up in the form of vikalpas ? Swamiji smilingly acknowledged my framing and said mananam is reflecting upon the tattvam based on the yuktis learnt from the teacher. Then nididhyāsanam is mananam that happens continuously, even...
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Epistemic Clarity Paves the Way to Vedānta as a Pramāṇa-Śāstra

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  Epistemic Clarity Paves the Way to Vedānta as a Pramā ṇ a-Śāstra One of the most overlooked but foundational aspects of spiritual life, especially in the Advaita Vedānta sampradāya , is the necessity of epistemic clarity. Let’s take a brief detour to get a Glossary 101 on this—epistemology, epistemic, pramā , pramā ṇ a . Etymology & Mapping: Epistemic, Epistemology ↔ Pramā, Pramā ṇ a Epistemology : From Greek: epistēmē ( ἐ πιστήμη) meaning “knowledge” + logos (λόγος) meaning “discourse” or “study.” → Epistemology is the study of knowledge: its nature, sources, limits, and validity. Epistemic : Derived from epistēmē , it means “relating to knowledge or to the degree of its justification.” → Anything epistemic pertains to what counts as knowledge or how knowledge is formed. Pramā ( प्रमा ) : Valid, true, non-contradicted knowledge. Pramā ṇ a ( प्रमाण ) : Means of valid knowledge, e.g., perception ( pratyak...
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A Dialogue on Kāraṇatvam in Advaita Vedānta

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"The snake does not exist, but only the rope exists — it merely appears as the snake." Questioner: I have a question as a student of Vedānta. Why do we need nimitta-kāraṇam or upādāna-kāraṇam when vivarta-kāraṇam seems like the most logical explanation in support of Bhagavatpāda’s teachings? The creator of the pot or the clay does not in reality exist. The snake does not exist, but only the rope exists; but it appears to be a snake. What am I missing? Responder: Anna — I I've taken time to prepare a pramāṇika exposition . Hence the time to respond. (Something I'm sure you will enjoy, as one āstika enjoys tīrtha-snānam ). Good point — very valid as well. Yet, there is a nuance here. The problem in communicating Advaita epistemology (i.e., pramā , pramāṇa-tattvam ) lies in straddling two horses at the same time — the language of pāramārthika (where non-duality alone is) and the language of vyāvahārika (the relative plane of duality). All discussions on...
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Simple Nididhyāsana Exercise with Vijñāna Bhairava (after Upaniṣads, Gītā, and the works of Śri Śaṅkara and Sureśvara)

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Simple Nididhyāsana Exercise with Vijñāna Bhairava In the depths of the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra , we find some of the most profound instructions for nididhyāsana —the meditative absorption on the nature of the Self. Unlike other techniques that rely on ritual or verbal repetition, this method uses the raw power of awareness itself to dissolve all distinctions. But the prequel to nididhyāsana is śraddhā-pūrvaka mananam —the contemplative reflection upon śruti and Bhagavān bhāṣyakāra -vachanam PREQUEL Mananam before Nididhyāsana: On Gha ṭ ākāśa and the Self Before we sit for nididhyāsana —that silent soaking of the mind in the truth heard—we must contemplate . Not as intellectual gymnastics, but as mananam in the Advaitic tradition: firming up conviction ( niścaya ) that what the śruti says is indeed so. Let us take one such idea— gha ṭ ākāśa , the space in a pot—and follow it across the Upaniṣads , Gītā , and the works of Śri Śa ṅ kara and Sureśvara . 1. Gha ṭ ākāś...
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viṣṇoḥ stavarāja-nirūpaṇe (Chapter Sixteen of the Śrī Nṛsiṃha Purāṇa) - Nrusimha Jayanti 2025

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 viṣ ṇ o ḥ stavarāja-nirūpa ṇ e (Chapter Sixteen of the Śrī N ṛ si ṃ ha Purā ṇ a) śrīśuka uvāca— 1. sa ṃ sārav ṛ kṣam āruhya dva ṃ dvapāśaśatair d ṛḍ hai ḥ / badhyamāna ḥ sutaiśvaryai ḥ patito yonisāgare // NsP 16.1 Having mounted (āruhya) the tree (v ṛ kṣam) of worldly existence (sa ṃ sāra), he is firmly bound (badhyamāna ḥ ) by hundreds of strong (d ṛḍ hai ḥ ) snares (pāśaśatair) of dualities (dva ṃ dva) and, fettered (badhyamāna ḥ ) by sons (suta) and riches (aiśvarya), plunges (patita ḥ ) into the ocean (sāgara) of wombs (yoni).   2. ya ḥ kāmakrodhalobhais tu viṣayai ḥ paripī ḍ ita ḥ / baddha ḥ svakarmabhir gau ṇ ai ḥ putradāraiṣa ṇ ādibhi ḥ // NsP 16.2 He who is tormented (paripī ḍ ita ḥ ) by sense‑objects (viṣayai ḥ ) through desire (kāma), anger (krodha), and greed (lobha), and is bound (baddha ḥ ) by his own (sva) secondary (gau ṇ a) actions (karmabhi ḥ ) such as the craving (eṣa ṇ ā) for sons (putra), wife ...
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