Origins of Vedanta

For thousands of years, Vedanta's profound teachings were guarded by lineages, passed from guru to student through an unbroken oral tradition. These weren't ordinary teachings but direct insights from rishis — seers who perceived the absolute truth — carefully preserved by sampradayas (teaching lineages) long before writing existed.

Though we cannot know exactly when these teachings first emerged, we do know they were eventually recorded in texts now called the Upanishads — writings so transformative they've influenced spiritual thought for millennia and continue to offer wisdom which can't be contradicted from any angle.

These teachings would later form the foundation of what we now call…

The Triple Canon of Vedanta: Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutras

After the Upanishads, followed two other scriptures — the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras, which both served to make the enigmatic and sometimes-cryptic teachings contained the Upanishads more accessible.

These three works form the primary (shruti), secondary (smriti), and logical analysis (nyaya-prasthana) of Vedanta.

In Sanskrit all three texts are are referred to as prasthana-traya, which means “the triple canon or foundation” of Vedanta. Or in short, shruti (scriptures).

All three unequivocally teach the same doctrine: Atman, the individual self, and Brahman, the absolute universal awareness, are one.

1) Shruti

Shruti literally means “that which is heard” and is believed to be divinely revealed knowledge. It’s considered the primary authority in Vedanta because it is not attributed to any single human author.

2) Smriti

Smṛti means ‘that which is recollected' and is considered secondary to Śruti because, unlike Śruti, which is regarded as eternal and authorless (apaurusheya) — Smṛti is composed by sages who recollected the teachings of the Vedic knowledge. Meaning the sages brough shruti knowledge to their mind, and in the light of that knowledge, they wrote a story such as the Bhagavad Gita, thus Bhagavad Gita is the famous smriti text.

3) Nyaya-prasthana

Nyaya-prasthana refers to the logical or analytical treatises that provide systematic reasoning to support Vedantic teachings.

The Vedas: The Most Ancient Scriptures

The Upanishads are part of a larger body of scriptures known as the Vedas. The Vedas are not the product of any one individual, but are a compilation of the wisdom of numerous sages over many generations.

Of all the scriptures in existence, the Vedas are the most ancient. The word veda is derived from the Sanskrit root vid, which means “to know,” and is the root of the English word “wisdom.”

The Vedas are tomes of wisdom containing knowledge concerning virtually every aspect of human life, from science to sex to securing a pleasant afterlife experience.

The great poet-sage Veda Vyasa compiled and codified the entire wealth of Vedic knowledge into four books: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda.

Let's briefly look into brilliance of each Veda…

1. Rig Veda – The Search for Truth and the Power of Thought

The Rig Veda is the oldest and most foundational of the four Vedas. It contains hymns (suktas) that praise the divine forces of nature — Agni (fire), Vayu (wind), Surya (sun), and Indra (the king of gods). But beyond mythology, these hymns explore deep philosophical questions:

• Where did the universe come from? (Nasadiya Sukta – the Hymn of Creation)
• What is the nature of reality?
• How do thoughts and words shape our destiny?

2. Yajur Veda – Action, Discipline, and the Power of Intentions

The Yajur Veda is about rituals and sacred actions, but not just in the sense of religious ceremonies. It teaches the importance of discipline, focus, and aligning actions with higher principles. The rituals are symbolic of mindful living — how every action we take should be done with awareness and purpose.

• It speaks about the law of cause and effect (karma)—how our actions shape our lives.
• It emphasizes self-discipline and ethical living, which are still relevant today in areas like productivity, leadership, and personal growth.
• The Veda also contains the famous Shanti Mantras (peace prayers), which teach us how to cultivate inner peace despite the chaos of the world.

3. Sama Veda – Music, Emotion, and the Science of Sound

The Sama Veda is often called the “Veda of Music” because it takes the hymns of the Rig Veda and sets them to melody and rhythm. But it’s more than just music — it’s about how sound and vibration influence the mind and emotions.

• It lays the foundation for Indian classical music, which is still practiced today.
• It teaches that sound can heal and uplift consciousness — something modern science confirms through studies on sound therapy and meditation.
• The chanting style of the Sama Veda was designed to create a meditative and deeply spiritual state, showing the power of sound in calming the mind.

4. Atharva Veda – Health, Protection, and Everyday Well-Being

The Atharva Veda is the most practical and relatable of the four Vedas because it deals with everyday life — health, relationships, emotional well-being, and even protection from negative influences.

• It contains early references to Ayurveda (the science of life and healing), including remedies for diseases, herbal treatments, and mental well-being.
• It speaks about psychological health, offering prayers and techniques to overcome fear, anxiety, and negative thinking.
• It includes charms and prayers for protection, success, and happiness — things people seek even today through affirmations and positive thinking.
• The Veda also touches upon society, governance, and ethics, discussing how a just society should function.

Now, Let’s Look Into Some Useful Teachings of the Vedas…

The Vedas are more than just ancient texts — they are a living source of wisdom with something for everyone. Whether you seek spiritual enlightenment, practical life guidance, inner peace, or a deeper understanding of the universe, the Vedas offer insights that remain profoundly relevant today.

They explore the nature of existence, the principles of right action (dharma), the law of karma, and the path to self-realization, while also providing knowledge on well-being, ethics, and success.

No matter your background or beliefs, the teachings of the Vedas can inspire clarity, purpose, and transformation in your life. Let's look at some of those teachings…

Karma Kanda: How Vedic Rituals Can Transform Your Life

The first three sections of a Veda is referred to as the karma kanda, or “ritual portion.” Because nearly everyone seeks happiness in the limited-world, rather than freedom from the limited-world — the majority of Veda deals with knowledge related to security, pleasure, and virtue.

In other words, people want security, pleasure, and virtue but are often uncertain about how to get them. So the main part of the Vedas deals with how to get what one wants through actions that accord with the universal ethics.

It reveals the means, such as prayers and rituals, that lead you to desired ends. Desired ends in this life may include good health, progeny, and professional success. Or how to attain different worlds, such as heaven, after death.

Karma and Dharma: Helps You Live a Successful, Meaningful Life

The Vedas also reveal the existence of the law of karma.

In simple English: Your every action creates a seen or unseen consequence that defines your life. Your life today is a product of yesterday. And yesterday is a product of two day ago. Like this, all the way back to a time you don't remember. 

The word karma can mean either “action” or “result of action”. 

Essentially, everything that happens within the space-time continuum is karma. Understanding the law of karma is imperative for anyone who wants to have a successful life – because objects are only obtained by means of karma (action).

Moreover, the law of karma controls the cycle of rebirth, where a person goes through many lives and experiences. Each life offers a chance to learn, grow, and understand the true nature of reality. Through this process, a person can eventually break free from the cycle of birth and death and “come out” of the space-time continuum.

In order to have law of karma help you – it can only do so when it's aligned to law of dharma – universal ethics. 

Because the individual wants certain results from his actions, he needs to have knowledge of the world and how it works. Despite all appearances, the world is governed solely by chance. Rather, it is a vast, intricately designed, and well-ordered machine – governed by impartial laws.

For example, when you tell an untruth, guilt automatically follows through. That's the physiological law in effect. 

Awareness as the Cause of Creation: Answers Questions Science Can't

Vedas shows you that Awareness, or Consciousness is both the upadana karana (the substance or material of the creation), and the nimitta karana (intelligence that operates the laws that govern the behavior of all the objects in creation — and puts together the material into intelligent assemblage all the way from the smallest sub-atomic particle, to the atom, molecule, cell, tissue, bone, human-heart).

In short, Awareness is both the material and the efficient, or intelligent, cause of the creation. This knowledge is inaccessible to science.

The Impersonal Nature of Dharma: Stops You Taking Things So Personally

Dharma is basically the collection of laws that govern the universe. Though impersonal in nature, it is personified as “God”, and its functioning is often referred to in anthropomorphic terms such as God’s will or God’s plan.

Thus, dharma is not a sentient entity that is out to reward you for your obeisance or punish you for your transgressions. It is simply the set of natural laws by which the grand machine of the universe functions.

As long as we know these universal dharmas and do not transgress them, these laws protect us in the sense that they keep the vast field of existence orderly. This is the order that allows us to take deliberate action that we can reasonably expect will produce our desired result.

Cause and Effect in a Non-Dual Reality: Makes You Effortlessly Responsible

Every action you take creates a chain of effects that spread through the system, affects the whole, and eventually come back to you, the original doer of the action.

This is because reality is non-dual — whatever you do, you are essentially doing to yourself. But also because that's just how the law is setup. The domino effect of your action, winds its way back to the original initiator of the action, you.

In this way, you are eventually held accountable for your actions. One way or another, you enjoy the rewards of your dharmic actions and suffer the consequences of those that are adharmic (those that violate universal laws).

Dharma: Physical and Psychological Laws – They're Always Guiding You

Dharma includes physical and psychological/moral laws.

Physical law can be exemplified by fire: because the nature of fire is heat, if you stick your finger in a flame, your finger will get burned.

Psychological or moral law is evident after telling a lie. Because the essential nature of the mind is truth, the guilt you feel when you tell a lie lets you know that you have violated dharma.

If you have any doubt about what is right and wrong, you can consult the karmic section of the Vedas. It proscribes rituals for getting what you want and doing it in such a way that the creation is not disturbed.

For this reason, the karma-kanda is referred to as dharma-shastra — the scriptures on dharma.

The Upanishads: Knowledge that Gives You Everything, At Once

The knowledge that is relevant to the pursuit of freedom is called higher knowledge and is contained in a small number of texts that are appended to the end of each Veda.

These texts comprise the jnana-kanda, or knowledge section, of the Vedas. Only those who realize that the transient joys and sorrows of samsara are not for them – are free to pursue the higher knowledge.

The texts that comprise the section of the Vedas that reveals the higher knowledge are called the Upanishads.

The Upanishads constitute the concluding portion of each of the four Vedas.

The total content of all these Upanishads is called Vedanta.

The word Vedanta is made up of two Sanskrit words — veda, which means “knowledge,” and anta, which means “the end.”

Vedanta, therefore, can mean “the end portion of the Vedas” or “the knowledge that brings the end to your constant pursuit of karma-kanda”.

Exoterically, Vedanta is simply the knowledge that concludes each Veda.

Esoterically, Vedanta is the ultimate knowledge — the knowledge that ends the search for knowledge — the knowledge that, once known, renders all else as good as known.

Because the Upanishads came from different sources at different times, there occasionally occur within them statements that seemingly contradict one another.

Additionally, due to the concise style in which they are written, the verses of the Upanishads are in many cases like seeds. The trees of wisdom that grow out of them can come to fruition when properly unfolded by a qualified teacher.

Many of the Upanishads have been lost over time, but 108 remain. Of these remaining 108, ten are considered major Upanishads. They are given that distinction mainly because these ten are the Upanishads for which Adi Shankara (the eighth-century sage who revived Vedanta and established the four orders of teaching monks in India) – wrote bhashyas (commentaries) in which he resolved all of the apparent contradictions.

The Brahma Sutras: Logics That Put AI to Shame

Though at times perplexing and in certain instances paradoxical, the meaning of the Upanishads is clarified and the veracity of the Vedantic vision of non-duality irrefutably established in the Brahma Sutras.

Brahman means the self, awareness. A sutra is a thread, a symbol for a train of thoughts on a specific topic. The Brahma Sutras are a series of 555 mantras, or verses, that systematically address and lay to rest every conceivable doubt concerning the true meaning of the non-dual message of the Upanishads.

The Brahma Sutras were written by the sage Badarayana (Vyasa) and organized in the form of aphorisms, or sutras. It is an extremely sophisticated analytical text intended to be studied only after one has established a thorough familiarity with the Upanishads.

Adi Shankara has also written an extensive commentary on the Brahma Sutras.

The Brahma Sutras not only analytically demonstrate the vision of all the Upanishads, but also defend its position by exhaustively refuting the views of the prominent schools of philosophy existing at those times — namely Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisesika, and some schools of Buddhism.

The Brahma Sutras begin with the statement, “Now, the inquiry into Brahman.”

Unfortunately, over time the word Brahman, like the word God, has taken on such an aura of majesty, grandeur, and mystery that it can easily serve to confuse and hinder investigation.

Brahman simply means awareness or consciousness — ordinary awareness or consciousness.

In other words, it is simply awareness in the “light” of which all things are known.

Though technically not a knower itself (for reasons we will discuss later) — pure awareness is the “light” because of which you know what you know and know what you don’t know.

The Mandukya Upanishad — which is considered the king of the Upanishads — says that the self “is neither inward-turned nor outward-turned consciousness, nor both. It is not an undifferentiated mass of consciousness. It neither knows nor does not know. It is invisible, ineffable, intangible, devoid of characteristics, inconceivable, indefinable. Its sole essence is the consciousness of its own self. It is the coming to rest of all relative existence, and it is utterly quiet, peaceful, and blissful. It is without a second. This is the self to be realized (7).”

The significance of the first verse of the Brahma Sutras is that it establishes Vedanta as a means of knowledge.

The word inquiry implies that awareness is not something we must blindly believe in, but rather “something” to be rationally investigated.

Vedantic self-inquiry is not an attempt to prove the existence of awareness, because awareness is self-evident. Rather, it is an attempt to clearly reveal the true nature awareness (which is unchanging) as indicated by the scriptures – through negation of misconceptions about it.

The Bhagavad Gita: It Guides You To Liberation

The Bhagavad Gita, a more recent text that is perhaps two thousand years old, is itself a complete means of knowledge.

The entire text is actually the central portion of a voluminous, well-known epic poem, the Mahabharata.

It is written in the form of a dialogue between a teacher, Krishna, who is a personification of the self or awareness — and his student, Arjuna, who is a warrior reluctant to participate in the battle in which he is supposed to engage — which is symbolic of the spiritual “war” that takes place between the self and ignorance.

In terms of the Vedantic tradition, the Mahabharata enjoys the same status as an Upanishad since it deals with the same subject matter. It is both a dharma shastra, a scripture on ethical law — and a moksha shastra, a scripture on liberation or self-realization.

In addition to unfolding reality, the Bhagavad Gita analyzes in length the values and ethics, action, meditation, and devotion as means of purifying the mind and thus, gaining the maturity necessary to understand the non-dual vision of Vedanta.

Subsidiary Literature: You're Covered from Many Angles

In addition to the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita – there are also several layers of subsidiary literature involving thousands of texts based on these three sources.

1. Prakarana Granthas: 
   Unlike Sutras, which are extremely concise and cryptic — Prakarana Granthas explain philosophical concepts in a structured and accessible way, something a common man can relatively easily grasp and follow along. They help resolve doubts, clarify key ideas, and guide seekers in understanding the non-dual vision of Vedanta. Some noteworthy texts include: Tattva Bodha, Atma Bodha, Drg Drishya Viveka, Aparokshanubhuti, and Vivekachudamani by Adi Shankara, Vedantasara by Sadananda Swami, and Panchadasi by Vidyaranya Swami.

2. The Smritis: 
   Smritis are auxiliary scriptures that explain and expand upon the source texts. The term Smriti means “that which is remembered,” indicating that these texts were composed by human authors. They primarily focus on dharma (ethics) and personal experience (of the non-dual understanding), keeping with the teachings of Upanishads. While Smriti literature is vast, the most renowned text is the Bhagavad Gita. More recent examples include Upadesha Saram and Saddarshanam by Ramana Maharshi.

3. The Itihasas: 
   The Itihasas are epic stories that blend history, philosophy, and spirituality to teach important life lessons. Though based on real events and historical figures, they are written in a way that makes their wisdom timeless and relatable. These stories explore themes like dharma (duty), devotion, righteousness, and the consequences of one's actions, making them valuable guides for everyday life. The two most famous Itihasas are the Ramayana (the story of Lord Rama, his exile, the kidnapping of Sita, and his battle against Ravana, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil). And the Mahabharata (a vast epic centered around the Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and Kauravas, with the Bhagavad Gita as its spiritual core, offering deep insights into duty, ethics, and self-realization). These epics are not just ancient texts but living traditions, influencing everything from literature and art to daily life and festivals. Their lessons on honor, love, sacrifice, and wisdom continue to inspire people across generations.

4. The Puranas: 
   These are a collection of eighteen books that dramatize the scriptural truths of the Upanishads in stories about the lives of saints, divine incarnations, and other inspired beings. It is in these stories that gods and goddesses such as Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesh, Lakshmi, and Kali appear. They offer symbolic illustrations of subtle spiritual principles in order to make these principles more appealing and understandable to common people. They are basically the wisdom of Vedanta in code.

5. The Bhashyas: 
   Serve as commentaries on all of the aforementioned forms of literature. They thoroughly elucidate the main points of the texts and resolve any apparent contradictions existing within them. The most influential Bhashyas are those written by Adi Shankara on the ten major Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.

Each layer of literature — Sutras, Smritis, Itihasas, Puranas, Bhashyas — plays a part in unfolding Vedantic truth. They bring the teachings to life through stories, codes, or clarifications so that people from all walks of life can appreciate and absorb the knowledge in relatable ways.