Prakriya - Vedanta's Teaching Methods Explained

Vedanta uses several prakriyas (prakriyās) or methods to teach Self-knowledge and help the seeker discriminate (viveka) between the Self and not-Self. Vedantic methodology typically begins by pointing out the known identities, and then shows how they hide the truth creating a false reality. Below are some of the more common prakriyas used in the tradition:

The Three States of Experience (avastha-traya-viveka-prakriya)

The three states of experience (waking, dreaming, sleeping) are used to show that the I-sense (ego) isn’t always present, and that the only constant in all three states is the Self—that which remains unmodified by experience.

Scriptural References

• Mandukya Upanishad – Verses 3–7 describe the waking (jagrat), dream (svapna), and deep sleep (sushupti) states and their relationship to turiya.

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.3.9–4.3.33 – Yajnavalkya’s dialogue with Janaka on the Self beyond the three states.

The Seer and the Seen (dṛg-dṛshya-viveka-prakriya)

A fundamental method for discriminating between the true subject (the Self) and objects. We most identify with gross objects such as the body and with subtle objects such as thoughts, but we cannot be that which is known by us. The teaching shows that the seer can never be the seen, and that the actual witness can never be objectified.

Scriptural References

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.4.2 – “You cannot see the seer of seeing…”

• Katha Upanishad 2.2.13 – “The Self is the seer, unseen…”

The Real and the Apparent (satya-mithya-viveka-prakriya)

A method showing the difference between what’s real (always present; never changing) and what’s apparently real (not always present; changing). In the end, the seeker is shown that only pure awareness can be shown to be real, while the entire world is only apparently real and has the qualities of a dream due to its constant change and lack of substantiality.

Scriptural References

• Chandogya Upanishad 6.1.4–6.1.6 – Sat alone is real; names and forms are mithya.

• Bhagavad Gita 2.16 – “The unreal has no existence, the real never ceases to be.”

The Cause and the Effect (karana-karya-viveka-prakriya)

This method shows that the cause is non-separate from the effect. All objects (the effect), come out of and fall back into consciousness (the cause). While all objects are dependent on consciousness, consciousness is not dependent on objects. In the end, all objects owe their existence to pure consciousness.

Scriptural References

• Chandogya Upanishad 6.1.4–6.1.6 – Clay and pot analogy.

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.7 – All beings have their origin in the Self.

The Five Sheaths (pancha-kosha-viveka-prakriya)

A well-known method for negating the attributes which define the individual and apparently hide one’s true nature. The five sheaths are systematically negated starting from the gross body sheath and continuing through to the subtle bliss sheath. Once all five sheaths are negated, the seeker is shown their true identity as the Self.

Scriptural References

• Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1–2.5 – The five koshas: annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya, anandamaya.

The Three Bodies (sharira-traya-viveka-prakriya)

Using a similar approach as the previous method, the seeker is shown the illusory quality of personhood through analysis of the gross body (physical body), subtle body (mind-intellect-ego) and causal body (subconscious).

Scriptural References

• Mandukya Karika 3.1–3.2 – Describes gross, subtle, and causal bodies in relation to the three states.

• Panchadashi (Vidyaranya) – Systematic exposition on the three bodies.

The Five Subtle Elements (tanmatra-viveka-prakriya)

This method proposes how Creation and objects evolve from pure consciousness and resolve back into consciousness at the end of its cycle, only later to manifest again.

Scriptural References

• Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1 – Creation sequence beginning from ākāśa.

• Chandogya Upanishad 6.2.3 – Manifestation of elements.

The Location of Objects (vishaya-sthiti-prakriya)

In this method, the teacher refutes the common belief that objects exist “out there” by showing that all objects actually exist as thoughts in consciousness constructed from sense data. And if objects are really just a thought in consciousness, the question is how far are objects from me?

Scriptural References

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.4.2 – All perception takes place in the Self.

• Yoga Vasishtha (Utpatti Prakarana) – The mind projects and experiences the world internally.

The Three Orders of Reality (paramarthika-vyavaharika-pratibhasika-viveka-prakriya)

The discrimination between absolute reality (pure consciousness; the Self), God’s Creation, and the individual’s “Creation” based on their conditioning, like and dislikes, values, etc.

Scriptural References

• Mandukya Karika 3.29–3.31 – Gaudapada explains waking as vyavaharika, dream as pratibhasika, turiya as paramarthika.

Substrate and Name-Form (adhishtha-nama-rupa-viveka-prakriya)

Often used with this method is the analogy of the clay and the pot, showing that clay is the substrate and “pot” is only name-form. One is real, while the other is apparently real.

Scriptural References

• Chandogya Upanishad 6.1.4–6.1.6 – Clay and pot, gold and ornaments, iron and tools.

Superimposition and negation (adhyaropa-apavada-viveka-prakriya)

This method uses the well-known analogy of the snake and the rope to show how the mind superimposes attributes which can only be negated through right knowledge. For example, what is thought to be a snake in dim light, is known to be a rope in bright light.

Scriptural References

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.1.20 – Removal of superimpositions through knowledge.

• Vivekachudamani 108–110 – Snake-rope analogy.

The Reflected Consciousness (chidabhasa-prakriya)

This methodology elucidates how pure consciousness (chit) appears as the individual self (jiva) through reflection in the mind (buddhi). Similar to how a mirror reflects sunlight, the intellect reflects original consciousness, giving rise to chidabhasa, "the semblance of consciousness." This reflected consciousness enables cognition and the sense of individuality, yet is ultimately recognized as an illusion upon the realization of one’s true nature as pure awareness.

Scriptural References

• Panchadashi 2.13–2.27 – Explains chidabhasa and its role in individual cognition.

• Vedanta Paribhasha (Dharmaraja Adhvarindra) – Classical definition and analysis of reflected consciousness.

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In addition to specific prakriyas that analyze states, bodies, or sheaths, Vedanta also employs broader explanatory frameworks to address the very question of creation. These meta-prakriyas do not just dissect experience; they provide the seeker with a vision of how the world appears without compromising the non-dual truth of Brahman. Two of the most important are vivarta-vada, the doctrine of apparent transformation, and ajata-vada, the doctrine of no-birth.

The Apparent Transformation (vivarta-vada-prakriya)

This method explains that creation is not a real transformation of Brahman, but an apparent one, similar to mistaking a rope for a snake in dim light. The snake is seen, but never truly born; the rope remains unchanged. In the same way, Brahman is never modified, though the world appears. This helps the seeker reconcile the appearance of creation with the truth of non-duality.

Scriptural References

• Chandogya Upanishad 6.1.4–6.1.6 — clay and pot analogy.

• Bhagavad Gita 9.4–5 — Krishna pervades creation yet remains unchanged.

• Shankara's commentaries — frequent use of the rope–snake example.

The Doctrine of No-Birth (ajata-vada-prakriya)

Taught most clearly by Gaudapada in the Mandukya Karika, ajata-vada proclaims that from the highest standpoint (paramarthika satya), there is no creation at all. The world, the individual, bondage, and liberation are never truly born. Only brahman, unborn and changeless, exists. For most seekers, this is revealed only after long preparation, since it requires a very mature mind to appreciate.

Scriptural References

• Mandukya Karika 3.48 — “No creature is ever born; there is no origination of anything.”

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.19 — “This Self is unborn, eternal.”

• Bhagavad Gita 2.20 — “The Self is never born, nor does it ever die.”

Among these methods, many teachers present vivarta-vada as the most accessible explanatory framework, while ajata-vada is regarded as the highest vision—together representing the culmination of the prakriya tradition.

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Root & Meaning

Prakriyā — from the Sanskrit root pra- (“forth, forward”) and kriyā (“action, process”), meaning “method,” “procedure,” or “teaching device.” In Vedanta, it refers to a systematic pedagogical approach used by teachers to unfold the truth of non-duality in a step-by-step manner.

Scriptural References

• Bhagavad Gita 4.34 — “…the wise who have realized the truth will instruct you in knowledge” (implying a process of instruction).

• Mundaka Upanishad 1.2.12 — “The truth of Brahman is to be taught systematically to the worthy disciple.”

• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.4, 4.5 — Multiple layered approaches (neti-neti, analogies, etc.) showing structured teaching.

• Taittiriya Upaniṣad 2.1–2.5 — The method of the five sheaths (panchakosha prakriya).

Traditional View

In the Advaita tradition, a prakriya is a teaching framework used to guide the student from their present understanding to the vision of oneness. Different teachers may choose different prakriyas depending on the student’s readiness (adhikaritva) and temperament. The aim is not to create new knowledge but to remove ignorance by revealing what is already true.

Vedantic Analysis

Since the Self (atman) is ever-present and self-evident, Vedanta does not “produce” knowledge in the sense of bringing something new into existence. Instead, a prakriya works like a mirror—it reveals what was hidden by misunderstanding. Each prakriya addresses specific misconceptions and provides multiple “entry points” to realization.

Common Misunderstandings

• “Prakriyas are philosophical systems competing with each other.” (Vedanta: They are complementary tools, not rival theories.)

• “One must master all prakriyas to be enlightened.” (Vedanta: Even one effective prakriya, fully assimilated, can remove ignorance.)

• “Prakriyas are just intellectual wordplay.” (Vedanta: They are skillful means rooted in scripture, designed for direct recognition.)

Vedantic Resolution

A prakriya is like a ladder—necessary for climbing, but left behind once the goal is reached. The teacher uses it according to the student’s capacity, starting with accessible concepts and refining them until only pure knowledge of the Self remains. Though the details vary, all prakriyas ultimately converge on the same non-dual truth: tat tvam asi—“That thou art.”