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School · 700 CE–1317 CE

Vedānta

Vedānta is interpretations of the Upaniṣads, Brahma Sūtras, and Bhagavad Gītā concerning ultimate reality, self, knowledge, devotion, and liberation.

Shared questions

  • What is the relation between self, world, and ultimate reality?

Internal disagreements

  • Whether liberation is best understood through nondual knowledge, qualified unity, devotional relation, or dualist distinction.

Key texts

  • Brahmasūtra — The aphorisms are so compressed that the commentaries on them constitute the schools; Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja and Madhva read the same text incompatibly.
  • Brahmasūtrabhāṣya — Śaṅkara's commentary is the founding statement of Advaita, and the target of the later Vedāntins.