THE PANCHADASI:- SECTIN 1. Salutations be to my Guru Sree SHANKARANANDA who is non-different from the Supreme Self & who is the chife resort for the destruction of infatuity & its attend- ant evils derived from conceit & egoity, leading to ineffable misery every being acting under the influence of free will, like to those fearful animals—the dog, crocobile & other living in water. 2. Love & reverance to the said Guru will produce a pure heart, & enable the individual to disringuish the Real from the non-real objective world together with the elements of which it is made. This I proceed to consider. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SECTION II.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From the Sruli we gather that before the evolution of the objective world, there was present only ‘existence’ (Sat)—the secondless Reality Brahma—from which all thing have been derived, hence an analysis of the several elements is necessary for the cognition of Brahma. For such a purpose, these are now being considered. *The Sanskrit word ‘shakha’has been converted into ‘branch’ ; of it Reg Veda has 21, Sam1,000, Yajur 109, & Atharua 50 branches. Vyas divided one Veda into form parts & subdivided them into branches as above ; each branch has its representative or follower, then it is difficult to say it is yet 50. But this much is certain that the practices enjoined in the several branches are not indiscriminately adopted by all alike, but by the particular sect who is a follower of that branch, & each branch has one Upanished : generally the names of the branch & its corresponding Upanishad are jbentical, & we have altogether 1180 Branches & Upanishads, of which 840 Upanishads deal on works & are called Karmahando, & 232 treat on the worship of Brahma for which they are called Upasanakanda. But authors include devotional exercise in works therefore all the above are classed under the Karmakanda leaving 108 which help the cognition of Brahma ; & as these are the concluding portions of the Vedas, or contain the essence of their doctrines, they are called Vedanta or Janakanda. (SRI SATGURU PUBLICATIONS)