The Prasthana Traya: A Reading Order for the Serious Student

The Prasthana Traya: A Reading Order for the Serious Student

The three texts that constitute the canonical foundation of Vedanta - the Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras - are together known as the Prasthana Traya (threefold source). Each serves a distinct role:

• Sruti Prasthana (the Upanisads): Direct revelation, the scriptural foundation
• Smrti Prasthana (the Gita): Teaching in narrative form, addressing human concerns
• Nyaya Prasthana (the Brahma Sutras): Systematic philosophy, logical defense

But in what order should the student approach them? And which commentaries are most helpful? This article provides a practical reading order for the serious student.

Phase One: The Gita First

Counterintuitive as it may seem, the Bhagavad Gita is the best starting point - even though it is traditionally considered smrti (secondary) rather than sruti (primary). The reason is accessibility.

The Gita presents Vedantic teaching embedded in a dramatic narrative. The student is drawn into the story of Arjuna’s crisis and Krishna’s response, and the philosophy emerges naturally from the human situation. The abstract principles of Vedanta - karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga - are grounded in the lived experience of the characters.

Recommended approach:

• Read the Gita straight through once, without commentary, to grasp the narrative
• Then study each chapter with a commentary
• Best commentaries: Samkara’s (for Advaita), Swami Chinmayananda’s (for practical application), or S. Radhakrishnan’s (for scholarly context)

Key chapters for the beginner: 2 (the essence of the teaching), 3 (karma yoga), 12 (bhakti yoga), 13 (field and knower), 15 (the supreme self), 18 (summary)

Phase Two: The Upanisads

With the conceptual framework gained from the Gita, the student turns to the Upanisads themselves. The Upanisads are not a single book but a collection of texts of varying length, style, and depth. A progressive approach is essential.

Beginner level (short, accessible):

1. Isa Upanisad - 18 verses, the shortest of the principal Upanisads
2. Kena Upanisad - explores the nature of the witness behind perception
3. Katha Upanisad - the dialogue of Naciketas and Yama, accessible and profound

Intermediate level (more detailed): 4. Mundaka Upanisad - two levels of knowledge, the two birds 5. Mandukya Upanisad - the four states of consciousness and Om (only 12 verses, but requires careful study) 6. Prashna Upanisad - six questions and answers, systematic format 7. Taittiriya Upanisad - the five sheaths, the search for Brahman as bliss

Advanced level (extensive and dense): 8. Aitareya Upanisad - creation account, consciousness as Brahman 9. Svetasvatara Upanisad - theistic Vedanta, Rudra as Brahman 10. Chandogya Upanisad - one of the largest, contains tat tvam asi 11. Brhadaranyaka Upanisad - the most extensive, contains aham brahmasmi

Recommended commentaries: Samkara’s commentaries are the gold standard for the Advaita tradition. For those who find Samkara’s Sanskrit commentaries challenging, Swami Gambhirananda’s English translations are excellent. Swami Nikhilananda’s four-volume set is another accessible option.

Phase Three: The Brahma Sutras

The Brahma Sutras should be studied last. They presuppose familiarity with the Upanisads and engage in detailed arguments that require prior knowledge of the texts under discussion.

The Brahma Sutras consist of 555 sutras (aphorisms) divided into four chapters:

1. Samanvaya - Establishing that all Upanisadic texts teach Brahman
2. Avirodha - Refuting opposing philosophical views
3. Sadhana - The means of spiritual practice
4. Phala - The nature of liberation

Recommended approach:

• Read a summary of each adhyaya before diving into individual sutras
• Study with a commentary - Samkara’s is definitive for Advaita
• Do not expect to understand every sutra on first reading; the Brahma Sutras reward repeated study

Recommended resources: Swami Vireswarananda’s translation with Samkara’s commentary is the standard. For a more accessible introduction to the themes, “The Brahma Sutras: The Philosophy of Spiritual Life” by S. Radhakrishnan provides helpful context.

Phase Four: The Prakarana Granthas

After the Prasthana Traya, the student should turn to the independent treatises that synthesize and elaborate the teaching:

1. Vivekachudamani by Samkara - The most beloved prakarana text
2. Panchadasi by Vidyaranya - A comprehensive exposition in fifteen chapters
3. Vedanta Sara by Sadananda - A concise summary of the entire system
4. Drg-Drsya-Viveka (attributed to Samkara) - The discrimination between seer and seen
5. Aparokshanubhuti by Samkara - Direct experience of the Self

A Sample Study Schedule

For the student who can devote one hour daily:

Months 1-3: Tattva Bodha + Bhagavad Gita (chapters 1-6) Months 4-6: Gita (chapters 7-18) + Isa, Kena, Katha Upanisads Months 7-9: Mundaka, Mandukya, Prashna, Taittiriya Upanisads Months 10-12: Aitareya, Svetasvatara, Chandogya (selections) Months 13-15: Brhadaranyaka Upanisad (key sections) Months 16-18: Brahma Sutras (adhyayas 1-2) Months 19-21: Brahma Sutras (adhyayas 3-4) + Vivekachudamani Months 22-24: Review + Panchadasi or Vedanta Sara

This is a two-year plan. Most students will take longer, and that is entirely appropriate. The goal is not to complete a syllabus but to internalize the teaching.

Conclusion

The Prasthana Traya is vast, and the tradition that has grown up around it is even vaster. The student should not be overwhelmed. The teaching is ultimately simple: You are That. The study of the texts is the means for removing the obstacles that prevent this recognition.

As Samkara says in the Vivekachudamani (verse 7):

Vedanto nityam adhiyatam, suddhatma nityam cintyatam | Dvaitam tyajyatam, brahma bhavyatam, muktis saksat kriyatam ||

“Let Vedanta be ever studied. Let the pure Self be constantly contemplated. Let duality be abandoned. Let Brahman be realized. Let liberation be directly accomplished.”

The study of the Prasthana Traya is the path to that realization.