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Aparokshanubhuti

The Aparokshanubhuti (Sanskrit: अपरोक्षानुभूतिः) is a work attributed to Adi Shankara, though his authorship is doubtful. It is a popular introductory work (prakarana grantha) that expounds Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

Etymology

Aparokṣānubhūti is a compound consisting of aparokṣa ("perceptible") and anubhūti (अनुभूति)("knowledge"), meaning "direct cognition" or "direct experience of the Absolute." Swami Vimuktananda renders it as "Self-realization."

Contents

  • Verse 89-99 deal with prarabdha, the karmic consequences of past deeds in the present life. Whereas Shankara supports the common notion that even a jnani bears those consequences in the present birth after realization, the Aparokshanubhuti argues against this view.
  • Verse 100-129 describe Raja yoga as the means to attain samadhi and dwell in Brahma-consciousness. The synthesis of Advaita Vedanta with yoga is typical for late medieval Advaita Vedanta, incorporating elements from the yogic tradition and texts like the Yoga Vasistha and the Bhagavata Purana, and Vidyāraņya's Jivanmuktiviveka (14th century) has been dubbed "yogic Advaita."

Commentaries

The oldest extant commentary on this work is a Sanskrit commentary (Dipika or 'Elucidation') by Sri Vidyaranya (14th century). This work has been repeatedly translated and commented upon in other languages.

References

Sources

Printed sources
Web-sources

External links