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The system of ''Prasthantrayi'' (samskrit:प्रस्थानत्रयी) is a hermeneutic for understanding the import of vedanta and of vedas established by Sripad Adi Shankaracharya .

Prasthana-trayi (Samskrit:प्रस्थानत्रयी) include the three fundamental texts of Indian Philosophy required to understand the import of every system of Vedanta. Every system of Vedanta declares that it derives its doctrines from three texts or Prasthana-traya. Each school holds that its interpretation of the texts is the only correct version and those of the others wrong. Thus we have the different systems of Vedanta being fastened on to one and the same text. This has been possible because of the presence of more than one way of looking at and interpreting the texts.<ref>Nagaraja Rao, P. (1958) ''Introduction to Vedanta.'' Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. (p.39)</ref>

There are six systems of philosophy known as sad-dharsanas. They accept the vedas as authority but they have different interpretations of what the vedas mean. Shankaracharya established that vedanta is the conclusion of the vedas (gives actual conclusive import of the vedas). But then what is the import of vedanta ? There can be different opinions about this also.  

There are six systems of philosophy known as [[Shad Darshanas (षड्दर्शनानि)|Shad Darshanas]] of which [[Vedanta (वेदान्तः)|Vedanta]] is one. Astika Darshanas accept the Vedas as authority but they have different interpretations of what the Vedas mean. Shankaracharya established that Vedanta is the concluding portion of the Vedas (gives actual conclusive import of the Vedas). ''Prasthana'' means a textual composition which establishes principles or by which one is led and ''trayi'' is indicative of the quantity three.  

Now which books to quote to prove a point. That is primary canon. To resolve this, Sripad Adi Shankaracharya came up with this system.

 

 

 

Upanishads are the first authoritative texts dealing with the doctrines of Vedanta, namely Atman and Brahman. The Vedas and their end portions, Upanishads are regarded Apourusheya, meaning "not of human origin" and are regarded as divine revelations. The Upanishads are also called as Uttara Mimamsa and Vedanta purely designated by their being concluding or gnostic portion of Vedic text. Adi Shankaracharya has given commentaries on at least eleven (some opine 12 and 13) Upanishads, which were later called as Mukhya Upanishads. The goal of Upanishads is to lead the seekers to Brahmajnana and the path to that goal is expounded variously based on the Vedanta school. 

 

“Vedanta,” then, generally refers to the teachings of the  principal Upanishads and was later extended to other works about or based on them. Although this makes for a fairly well circumscribed group of Vedantic texts, there is a great variety of viewpoints expressed in them that has fostered a great variety of interpretations.

 

Second authoritative work is “Brahmasutra”, which is said to have been authored by Badarayana Vyasa. The Brahma Sutras also called Vedanta Sutras has been written in four chapters, each divided into four quarters or sections.<ref name=":0">Hiriyanna, M. (2008). ''The Essentials of Indian Philosophy''. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd. pp.&nbsp;151, 152.</ref> The cryptic sutras are open to a variety of interpretations, resulting in the formation of numerous Vedanta schools, each interpreting the texts in its own way and producing its own commentary. As a consequence, the divergence of views, originally prevalent in the form of seemingly diverse verses of the [[Upanishads (उपनिषदः)|Upanishads]], re-asserted themselves and have continued in more or less the same form even after the composition of the sutra.<ref name=":0" /> Thus, all the three leading philosophical schools, Advaita (non-dualism), Visishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism), and Dvaita (dualism) have learned treatises written by the leading proponents and teachers of these schools, commenting on the sutras found in this text. The commentaries of these three Acharyas (teachers) on Brahmasutra are the foundation of philosophy of these schools. 

 

[[Sutras (सूत्राणि)|Sutra]] works can be easily memorized and condensed within themselves a great deal of thought and teaching. They were apparently didactic tools used to teach the tenets of the [[Shad Darshanas (षड्दर्शनानि)|six Darshanas]]. Though easily memorized, understanding the full meaning of a sutra work required the help of an explanation from a teacher who had himself studied the sutra from a teacher. Eventually those explanations were transformed into written commentaries and the most authoritative of the commentaries became recognized as the major commentary or [[Bhashya (भाष्यम्)|bhashya]]. Through the Brahmasutras, the school of Vedanta distinguished itself from the other developing schools of thought. A number of different sub-schools of Vedanta grew up, each with its own main commentary or bhashya on the Brahmasutra. They later came to be known as different sub-schools of Vedanta based on the school’s position on the fundamental question of the relationship of Brahman (the supreme truth recognized in the Upanishads) to the living being (forms of life). These include Advaita (non-dualism), Visishta-advaita (qualified non-dualism), Dvaita (dualism), Dvaitadvaita (dualism and non-dualism), Suddhadvaita (pure non-dualism), and others.

== The Three Prasthanas ==

The first four sutras of Badarayana give us in brief the outlines of the vedanta philosophy. In the first sutra, the spiritual aspirant is exhorted to inquire into the nature of Brahman. Brahman is defined in the second sutra as the originator, sustainer, destroyer, etc., of the Universe. The third sutra states that scripture is the pramana in respect of the knowledge of Brahman. The fourth points out that all the terms in the scripture signify Brahman.<ref>Nagaraja Rao, P. (1958) ''Introduction to Vedanta.'' Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p.124</ref>

S Radhakrishnan writes the following<ref>Radhakrishnan, S. (1926). ''Hindu view of life''. George Allen And Unwin Ltd, London.</ref>:

 

"The three Prasthanas or divisions of Vedanata are: The [[Upanishads (उपनिषदः)|Upanishads]], Brahma Sutra and the [[Bhagavad Gita (भगवद्गीता)|Bhagavad Gita]]. The three Prasthanas answer roughly to three stages of faith, knowledge and discipline. The Upanishads embody the experience of the sages. Logic and discipline are present in them though these are not the chief characteristics of those texts. The Brahma Sutra attempts to interpret in logical terms, the chief conclusions of the Upanishads. The [[Bhagavad Gita (भगवद्गीता)|Bhagavad Gita]] is primarily a Yoga Sastra giving us the chief means by which we can attain the truly religious life. These three form together the absolute standard of the Hindu tradition".

In the first six chapters, the secret of [[Nishkama Karma (निष्कामकर्म)|Nishkama Karma]] Yoga has been explained, in the second six chapters, the secret of Bhagavad [[Bhakti Yoga (भक्तियोगः)|Bhakti Yoga]] and in the third six chapters, the secret of [[Jnana Yoga]] has been explained.

== Unanimous acceptance ==

== Unanimous acceptance ==

The system (that particular structure) of Prasthan trayi was accepted by subsequent acharyas also. Sripad Madhvacharya, Sripad Ramanujacharya, Sripad Baladev Vidyabhushan and others have all commented on this Prasthan trayi and thats how they established the authenticity of their sampradayas.

 

 

The system (that particular structure) of Prasthan trayi was accepted by subsequent acharyas also. Sri Madhvacharya, Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Baladev Vidyabhushan and others have all commented on this Prasthan trayi and through that way they established the authenticity of their sampradayas.