Mandukya-karika

The Mandukya-karika is a key text in Advaita Vedanta, a school of Indian philosophy. Attributed to Gaudapada, it serves as a commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad.

The karika is divided into four parts:
* Explanation of the Upanishad.
* Establishing the unreality of the world.
* Defending the oneness of reality.
* Alatashanti ("Extinction of the Burning Coal"), discussing release from suffering.

Gaudapada's philosophy, influenced by Madhyamika Buddhism, posits that all things are unreal, like a dream, and that there is no true production or destruction. He argued that duality is an illusion (maya) imposed on a single, unborn reality, a concept known as ajativada. While agreeing with Buddhist idealists on the unreality of the world, Gaudapada rejected the idea that mind is ultimately real. The medieval philosopher Shankara later moderated Gaudapada's views, emphasizing that brahman is real and the world is an unreal appearance.12