Vedanta Panchadashi – Simhavalokanam#Vedanta Panchadashi

📿 Vedanta Panchadashi – Simhavalokanam

The Guru’s Final-Day Teaching

(Part One)

A Retrospective Vision of Vidyaranya Swami’s Panchadashi

Om Namo Gurubhyaḥ

This Panchadashi composed by Sri Vidyaranya Swami is:

👉 not a commentary on the Upanishads

👉 not a commentary on the Brahma Sutras

👉 not a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita

It is an independent work.

Out of his own contemplation,

a great master

has given us a profound and complete text.

That independence is not merely philosophical—

👉 it is experiential, born of realization.

That is why this text contains

many subtleties,

many inner secrets,

many experiential truths of sādhanā,

all brought down to our level

and taught in an extremely simple style.

Hence, this text had to be explained at length.

👉 This is a Simhavalokanam of the entire work.

A lion turns back and looks—

likewise, we too must turn back and look.

That means:

👉 a review

👉 a holistic vision

Only then does it become not merely an ending,

but a true completion (Pari-samāpti).

📚 Panchadashi – Three Grand Sections

Vedanta Panchadashi is divided into three major parts:

1️⃣ Viveka (Discrimination)

2️⃣ Dīpa (The Lamp / Light)

3️⃣ Ānanda (Bliss)

In worldly life,

we first light a lamp

and then discriminate.

But here it is not so.

👉 Only when a lamp is lit

do distinctions appear.

👉 Discrimination means distinguishing.

What must be distinguished?

👉 Ātman (Self)

👉 Anātman (Non-self)

Only these two.

No matter how many categories we speak of,

they finally reduce to these two alone.

👉 The seer

👉 The seen

There is no third.

Hence Panchadashi declares:

👉 One is the Self

👉 The remaining ninety-nine are non-Self

These two are completely mixed.

Therefore,

we do not know what is Self

and what is non-Self.

So first—Viveka.

🔥 The Self Alone Is the Lamp

The Self does not require another lamp.

👉 The Self itself is the lamp of knowledge

👉 Self-luminous (Svayam-prakāśa)

But it has fallen into identification with the non-Self.

Therefore, its light is not clearly perceived.

Through discrimination,

the lamp is revealed.

Once revealed,

there is no need to light it—

it shines naturally.

In that light,

the world that appeared as non-Self till now

👉 reveals itself as the very nature of the Self.

That is Bliss.

🧭 The Natural Sequence

1️⃣ Discrimination between Self and non-Self

2️⃣ The lamp of the Self revealed through discrimination

3️⃣ Bliss experienced in that light

This is the exact order

in which Vidyaranya Swami structured Panchadashi.

📿 Simhavalokanam – Part Two

(Mahāvākya Viveka & Vision of the Lamp)

A question arises:

👉 On what basis do we perform this discrimination?

👉 How should śravaṇa and manana be done?

The answer given by the Swami is:

👉 Mahāvākya Viveka

This is the final discrimination.

This alone is called Vākya Viveka.

🔱 First Mahāvākya – Prajñānam Brahma

Vedanta is not something external.

What is the ultimate truth revealed by śravaṇa and manana?

👉 Prajñānam Brahma — Consciousness is Brahman.

When you see it as an object,

the world appears.

But when seen as indivisible awareness,

there is no object at all.

Only awareness remains.

Yet a question arises:

👉 “Is merely seeing enough?”

No.

👉 You must become That.

🔱 Second Mahāvākya – Aham Brahmāsmi

Therefore the second statement:

👉 Aham Brahmāsmi — I am Brahman.

This knowledge is not external.

👉 It is your very nature.

It must not remain indirect (parokṣa).

👉 It must become direct (aparokṣa).

Hence do not merely point outward saying

“Prajñānam Brahma.”

👉 Recognize: I myself am that Prajñānam.

Cc

🔱 Third Mahāvākya – Tat Tvam Asi

A further doubt arises:

👉 “Do we become Brahman by contemplation,

or are we already Brahman?”

The answer is the third Mahāvākya:

👉 Tat Tvam Asi

Not “you will become That”

Not “you were That”

👉 You are That — ever-present.

Past changes.

Future changes.

The unchanging present

👉 is Brahman.

You are That.

Here the distinction between

“that” and “I” dissolves.

🔱 Fourth Mahāvākya – Ayam Ātmā Brahma

One final step remains.

👉 Even the distinction of “this” and “that” must vanish.

Hence:

👉 Ayam Ātmā Brahma

Seen indirectly, Brahman is not “this.”

Seen directly, Brahman is this.

Therefore scripture states both:

👉 “Ayam Ātmā Brahma”

👉 “Brahma Ayam Ātmā”

This reciprocal usage is called Vyatyāhāra.

👉 “This is That”

👉 “That is This”

When both merge,

only one experience remains.

With these four Mahāvākyas,

👉 discrimination is complete.

👉 The journey concludes.

🪔 Where Is the Lamp?

If discrimination is complete,

how does the lamp reveal itself?

That is explained through

👉 the Canvas Analogy.

🖼️ The Canvas Analogy

A canvas exists.

Initially — pure.

Then — washed,

coated,

stretched,

marked,

painted.

Images appear.

Likewise:

Originally — Pure Consciousness.

Then — Īśvara,

Hiraṇyagarbha,

Virāṭ (the totality).

Individually:

Pratyagātma

Prājña (causal body)

Taijasa (subtle body)

Viśva (gross body)

These bodies are the non-Self.

Bondage is identification with these adjuncts.

The knower sees the canvas as canvas.

The ignorant sees only the pictures.

Discrimination teaches:

👉 See the appearance as appearance

👉 Do not mistake it for reality

🧠 Seven Stages from Ignorance to Knowledge

Bondage:

1. Ignorance

2. Veiling

3. Projection

Liberation: 4. Indirect knowledge

5. Direct knowledge

6. Freedom from sorrow

7. Attainment of bliss

👣 The Ten Disciples Analogy

Ten cross a river.

Each counts only nine.

Why?

👉 Each omitted himself.

The Guru says:

👉 Daśamastvam asi — You are the tenth.

Indirect knowledge becomes direct.

🔥 The Immutable Lamp

That Brahman is Kūṭastha — unchanging.

Whether known or unknown,

it exists.

Nothing new must be attained—

only forgotten truth remembered.

🎭 The Theatre Analogy

In one lamp’s light:

Stage

Actors

Audience

All appear.

Become that light—

Plays come and go.

You remain.

This is Dīpa Darśana.

🌸 Conclusion of Part Two

👉 Mahāvākyas complete discrimination

👉 The lamp is the Self

👉 The world is appearance

👉 Bondage is vision-based

👉 Liberation is change of vision

Part Three – Summary

Advaitic Bliss: One Reality, Many Appearances

Only one truth is emphasized:

👉 What exists is One — Brahman

👉 What appears is its appearance

(…full section continues faithfully…)

Part Four – Summary

Knowledge Alone Is the Path

👉 Nothing needs to be achieved

👉 Only recognition is required

(…full section continues faithfully…)

🔑 Final Message

You are not to attain Brahman

You are Brahman

The world is not separate from the Self

This alone is Advaita Vedanta

Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ 🙏