आत्मबोधः
Ātma Bodhah
by
Adi Shankaracharya
प्रकरणग्रन्थ:
Prakaraṇagranthah
A text that explains the fundamentals of Vedanta
आत्मबोधः
Ātma Bodhah
by
Adi Shankaracharya
प्रकरणग्रन्थ:
Prakaraṇagranthah
A text that explains the fundamentals of Vedanta
When: 10 Saturdays starting Aug. 2, 2025
7:00 AM -8:00 AM PST, 4:00 PM-5:00 PM CET, 7:30PM -8:30 PM IST
Presenter : Ganesh Balachandran, Ph.D. (Bio)
Format: Online using slides (similar to the Bhagavad Gita Study Series)
Video recordings will be provided to all participants
Cost (for 10 classes): $60 (US).
If you have financial difficulty or live in another country, please send me a detailed note indicating your interest in the topic and how much you can afford to pay. If you have deep respect for these scriptures and have a deep desire to learn, I will do my best to accommodate.
Paypal, Venmo (Please use the friends and family option to avoid a fee). If you want to use Zelle, please contact me.
Registration Link: Please read the link fully and kindly only register if you are serious about attending classes and making up for missed sessions using recordings. This will be a small focussed group. Please register early to secure a spot.
A description of this text
Ātma Bodhah- आत्मबोधः is a Prakarana Grantah, which is an introductory text which is traditionally studied before one begins the study of Vedantic scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, or the Upanishads or even, for that matter, the Yoga Sutras, which is akin to an advanced scientific document. The purpose is to elucidate the core concepts in these texts before one ventures into a detailed study of the above mentioned texts.
The topics discussed are, broadly, the following:
The nature of the individual -the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body , and,
the nature of the consciousness (which is the true "I")
The nature of God and that of the Universe (Creation, sustenance and dissolution cycles).
The law of karma- our past actions creating a seed for future births or Janma.
What is the specialty of this text ?
This text is unique in several ways as compared to other Prakarana Grantāh (introductory texts ) because:
It is written by Adi Shankaracharya himself in his classic style that is known as Gambiram (majestic) and Prasannam( elegant and simple).
It is in verse (shloka) form with almost all verses in the simple anushtuph meter. The verses are very melodious to chant.
Almost every verse has an analogy, which makes it easier to understand than many other texts.
Format of study
We will use these slides and correlate with verses from the Bhagavad Gita and also include stories from the Mahabharata and the puranas where appropriate. We will also learn to chant in the appropriate meters.