Vedanta-sutras
Quick Summary
The Vedanta-sutras are a foundational text in Hindu philosophy, forming one of the three core scriptures of Vedanta, alongside the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Composed of brief, aphoristic verses, the sutras aim to reconcile and systematically explain the teachings found in the Upanishads.123
The text is organized into four books, each with four chapters, addressing the nature of brahman (the absolute reality), the relationship between the individual self (atman) and brahman, and the path to liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirth. Various schools of Vedanta, such as Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, and Dvaita, have developed different interpretations of these texts, focusing on varying degrees of identity or difference between the individual and the absolute.412
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Indian philosophyThe Vedanta-sutrasAlong with Badari and Jaimini, Badarayana, a contemporary of Jaimini, was the other major interpreter of Vedic thought. Just as the Mimamsa-sutra traditions of Badari’s tradition were revived by Prabhakara, a 7th–8th-century scholar, and Jaimini’s were defended by Shabara and…
Read MoreAlong with Badari and Jaimini, Badarayana, a contemporary of Jaimini, was the other major interpreter of Vedic thought. Just as the Mimamsa-sutra traditions of Badari’s tradition were revived by Prabhakara, a 7th–8th-century scholar, and Jaimini’s were defended by Shabara and…
Read More
Indian philosophyVarieties of Vedanta schools…texts are the Upanishads, the Vedanta-sutras, and the Bhagavadgita—known as the three prasthanas (the basic scriptures, or texts) of the Vedanta. The founders of the various schools of Vedanta have all substantiated their positions by commenting on these three sourcebooks. The problems and issues around which their differences center are…
Read More…texts are the Upanishads, the Vedanta-sutras, and the Bhagavadgita—known as the three prasthanas (the basic scriptures, or texts) of the Vedanta. The founders of the various schools of Vedanta have all substantiated their positions by commenting on these three sourcebooks. The problems and issues around which their differences center are…
Read More