Panchadashi Chapter 8

Panchadashi, the famous composition of Bharati Tirtha and Swami Vidyaranya, is a compendium of 15 Foundational Texts or prakarana-granthas. This epic text is a singular treatise on the philosophical teachings of Advaita-vedanta, composed with an intention to dispel the ignorance of seekers by bringing to them an overall and complete grasp of the essentials of Vedanta. Truly any study of Advaita-vedanta is incomplete without a thorough study of Panchadashi.

The term ‘kutastha’ means ‘unchanging like an anvil’ and refers to the inner Consciousness, the pratyagatman. In reality, this ‘kutastha’ is verily the pure unlimited Consciousness, the shuddha-chaitanya. How then does the unlimited appear to be limited? And, how can a seeker recognise the seemingly limited inner Consciousness, that is the kutastha-caitanya or pratyagatman, to be truly the unlimited pure Consciousness, that is the shuddha-chaitanya? Swami Vidyaranya unravels these mysteries in the Kutastha Dipa Prakarana, the 8th chapter of the Panchadashi.

This album contains discourses by Swami Advayananda, President of CIF, recorded during the webinar sessions held at Adi Sankara Nilayam from April to June 2023.