The document discusses the philosophy of Shankar and Advaita Vedanta. It explains that Vedas saw God as Brahman who could be pleased by sacrifices. Upanishads focused on realizing God and were written after Vedas. Advaita Vedanta teaches that Brahman is the sole reality and that all things are an appearance of Brahman due to Maya or ignorance. The individual soul (Atman) is ultimately non-different from Brahman but considers itself separate due to Avidya or wrong knowledge.

1. Philosophy of Shankar

2. Contd.
• Vedanta: Means Ends of Vedas.
• Vedas Are four in number.
• Vedas idea of God was Brahman. (The supreme
creator)
• Who could be pleased by various yagnas.
• Yagnas were offering to the Gods ( Like Indra,
Varun etc.
• Gods when pleased would reward us with various
earthly goods.

3. Upnishad’s
• Upnishad’s stand for ( being near to God)
• They were written at various times but after
the Vedas were composed.
• They were philosophical in nature.
• They focused on realization of God.

4. Atman
• The individual self is the highest thing we
know nearest to absolute.
• Its real nature is pure consciousness, self
shining, self proved and always the same.
• It is called the ultimate witness sakshi.
• It is one with the supreme.
• The senses, the mind, the intellect, the feeling
and will are all products of Avidya (False
Knowledge)

5. Contd.
• They invariably surround the Atman.
• It remains immortal and always the same.
• The eye, the body, the mental state, the
stream of consciousness are all mere
instruments and objects of self.
• The self is universal.
• The whole universe lives and moves and
breathes in it.

6. Contd.
• The self can not be identified by body, nor can
it be regarded as product of matter.
• The ego limited by space and time, by birth
and death, is a miserable creature.
• The self as subject must oppose itself to an
object.
• In Deep sleep there is no objects, either real
or imaginary , hence the object ceases to
exist.

7. Contd.
• The self in the waking state enjoys gross
objects.
• It has consciousness of external world and is
called “Vishwa”.
• In deep sleep there is no subject. The subject-
object duality is transcended and is called
pragjna.
• In sleep we have absence of pain.
• We have neither dreams nor desires.

8. Contd.
• We have the shadow of supreme bliss.
• It is called shadow because we do not enjoy
positive bliss.
• There is a higher state the Fourth state called
“Turiya” where in there is a state of pure
Consciousness and there is enjoyment of
positive bliss.
• All ignorance vanishes, the self shines in its
own light.

9. Advaita Vedanta
• Advaita (Monism)means one and only one reality.
• Shankar says Brahman is one and only one reality.
• All things seen are mere appearance of him (
Maya)
• Ex. Just as all things made up of gold are the
same , with different names ( Ring, Chain)
similarly every thing in this world is the same
(Nama Rupa) but with a different name.
• The objects of the world are denied separate
existence.

10. Contd.
• Brahman is also described as a reality not a
creator.
• It is not describable, being not only
unspeakable but not even unthinkable.
• Differences in the world is only due to Maya.
Maya is also known as avidya.

11. Maya
• Brahman is only reality. The world is
ultimately false.
• Individual soul is no different from Brahman.
• Brahman and Atman are synonymous terms.
• The individual self on account of its inherent
Avidya considers himself different from
Brahman.
• Maya is not pure illusion it is positive wrong
knowledge.

12. Jiva
• It is called sakshin or seer.
• It s subject element is pure consciousness.
• It s object element is internal organ called
Antaahkarana( your inner self)
• It is composed of five elements.
• With the predominance of Tejas which makes it
active always.
• The source of the individual organ is avidya
which causes individuality.