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From Wikipedia:

Prasthanatrayi (Sanskrit: प्रस्थानत्रयी, IAST: Prasthānatrayī), literally, three sources (or axioms), refers to the three canonical texts of Divine philosophy, especially of the Vedanta schools. It consists of:

The Upanishads, known as Upadesha prasthana (injunctive texts), and the Śruti prasthāna (the starting point or axiom of revelation), especially the Principal Upanishads. The Brahma Sutras, known as Nyaya prasthana or Yukti prasthana (logical text or axiom of logic) The Bhagavad Gita, known as Sadhana prasthana (practical text), and the Smriti prasthāna (the starting point or axiom of remembered tradition)

The Upanishads consist of twelve or thirteen major texts, with a total of 108 texts. The Bhagavad Gītā is part of the Mahabhārata.The Brahma Sūtras (also known as the Vedānta Sūtras), systematize the doctrines taught in the Upanishads and the Gītā.

  • So, how was it decided that only those aforementioned particular scriptures (in the bold) will be part of the group and not any other?

  • And, which people were responsible for the formulation of the list? Is such a formulation already indicated in the scriptures or explicitly mentioned in them?

Rickross
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I am providingn partial answer from the bengali biography of Acharya Sankar by Swami Apurvananda(a direct disciple of Maa Sarada Devi), published by Udbodhan (page 31)

At Varanasi, Lord Shiva appeared in front of Acharya Sankar in form of an outcaste...When Acharya understood this, He started praising the Lord by chanting a hymn. Mahadeva was pleased and ordered Acharya to preach Advaita-vaada by writing a commentary of Brahma-Sutra.

So according to this book, one of the three was selected by Lord Shiva Himself.The author then mentions that Acharya wrote commentaries of the twelve Upanishads, Bhagabad-gita, Vishnu-sahasranama and Sanat-Sugatiya along with of the Brahma-Sutra(page 40).

  • But how Lord Shiva ordering him to write a commentary on that book imply that it is one of the prasthantrayi? Lord Shiva can order in a similar way for many such books, then are we take all those books part of a group? Sorry I could not understand the logic here – Rickross Mar 06 '19 at 06:16
  • @Rickross That Shankar accepted Brahmasutra as a part of prasthanatrayi is caued by this reason if this is true –  Mar 06 '19 at 06:19
  • @Rickross Who did choose the three as trayi before Shankar BTW? –  Mar 06 '19 at 06:20
  • Btw if adi shankara did create this classification, then why would his rival scholars ( the other acharyas) accept it? Isnt it normal for thm to hv their own classifications ? Something like say prasthana panchaka etc? – Rickross Mar 06 '19 at 06:46
  • @Rickross i wd enquire.but so far as i know all such formalisations started with Sankar and others wrote commentaries to point out their difference of opinion –  Mar 06 '19 at 06:48
  • @Rickross no Acharya of other sects was His contemporary BTW –  Mar 06 '19 at 06:50
  • Tht’s true but that did not stop them from disagreeing with his opinions – Rickross Mar 06 '19 at 06:54
  • @Rickross yes because they differed and formed new sects –  Mar 06 '19 at 07:01
  • This classification was created obviously by a human being who is recent .. this is no way a scriptural classification .. also the person's credibilty seems doubtful specially whn we see Gita is included in Smriti-Prasthana whr as it is an Itihasa and not a Smriti .. So, this classification does not mean anything to me .. It is a man made classification – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:00
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    Smritis are Kalpa Granthas ..they hv far more authority than texts that are popular now and texts like Brahma Sutras.. Adi Shankar's acceptance is a proof? We hv become that much weak? I don't think Hinduism is relying on one or two Kali Yuga born acharyas ... Smritis are the Dharma Satras, several scriptures prove it .. including BG in the Smriti group is wrong – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:16
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    If we rely too much on a human being then what is the difference between our religion and others? Ours is only the religion which does not depend on persons – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:21
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    You said "since MR X accepted thr shd be no doubt" .. that is not right at all .. that is over-dependence on a person ..that's what lead to fanaticism ... all these followers of Vedanta are fanatics .. they know only how to debate and demean others .. Real spiritual persons are the Yogis and the Tantrics .. but in todays time everyone talks about only Vedanta .. that's due to the nature of the Yuga – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:26
  • If not, Hinduism is one of the most heinous religions of the world, -- what will u say if u are given the chance to see how sinners are tortured in the Hells? It is the fear of punishments that is the ruler here as well as in the next worlds .. although I do not believe in such punishments of the Sudras and I do not know whtr those are added later verses or not – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:34
  • Also why only the Smritis? all scriptures can be interpolated .. According to Swami Vivekananda, Gita was entirely created by Adi Shankara ... that Adi Shankara is a Jagad Guru for Kali is nothing more than a personal belief .. no scriptures mention such a thing .. people who are followers of Sai Baba say the same about him too .. but those are all beliefs .. but we can't be like other religions which are wholly dependent on what a person has said – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:37
  • So the people who commits heinous crimes will go ununpunished? That will be the most wrong system ever ..God can not create such a system .. severe punishments shd be there – Rickross Apr 02 '19 at 06:40
  • @Rickross Adi Sankara Himself said it and its accepted by the saints.Also Swamiji told that some say Gita is written by Sankara.He Himself did not support it –  Apr 02 '19 at 06:40
  • @Rickross punishment should be not torturing or killing like that except grave crimes.You cant cut body for sitting beside a brahmin.Thats brutal –  Apr 02 '19 at 06:42