Saḍvidhaliñgas
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Śravaṇa,[1] manana[2] and nididhyāsana[3] is the standard method of Vedānta sādhanā.[4] When the aspirant listens to the statements of the Śrutis,[5] he must be able to understand their meaning and purport very clearly. Then only the next two steps are possible.
To get a clear understanding of the scriptural statements one has to apply the test of ṣaḍvidhaliṅgas. Saḍ means six and a liṅga is a characteristic sign. These are:
- Upakrama and upasaṅhāra - statement of the subject in the beginning and reiterating it at the end
- Abhyāsa or repetition - repeated emphasis on this subject to fix it in the mind
- Apurvatā or originality - showing that the meaning of this sentence cannot be gathered from any other source since it has never been stated earlier
- Phala or use - the utility of following the teaching thus obtained
- Arthavāda or eulogy - praising the greatness of the topic to make it palatable
- Upapatti or reasoning - logic in the support of main subject
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore