Advaita Vedanta

==Texts==
The [[Upanishads]], the [[Bhagavad Gita|Bhagavad Gitā]] and [[Brahma Sutras]] are the central texts of the Advaita Vedānta tradition, providing doctrines about the identity of ''Atman'' and ''Brahman'' and their changeless nature.{{sfn|Koller|2013|pp=100–101}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|p=35}}

Adi Shankara gave a nondualist interpretation of these texts in his commentaries. [[Adi Shankara]]'s ''[[Bhashya]]'' (commentaries) have become central texts in the Advaita Vedānta philosophy, but are one among many ancient and medieval manuscripts available or accepted in this tradition.{{sfn|Nakamura|2004|pp=221, 680}} The subsequent Advaita tradition has further elaborated on these sruti and commentaries. Adi Shankara is also credited for the famous text [[Nirvana Shatakam]].

===''Prasthanatrayi''===
The ''Vedānta'' tradition provides exegeses of the ''[[Upanishads]]'', the ''[[Brahma Sutras]]'', and the ''[[Bhagavad Gita|Bhagavadgita]]'', collectively called the ''[[Prasthanatrayi]]'', literally, ''three sources''.{{sfn|Grimes|1990|pp=6–7}}{{sfn|Koller|2013|pp=100–101}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|p=35}}
# The ''[[Upanishads]]'',{{refn|group=note|Many in number, the ''Upanishads'' developed in different schools at various times and places, some in the Vedic period and others in the medieval or modern era (the names of up to 112 ''Upanishads'' have been recorded).{{sfn|Dasgupta|1955|p=28}} All major commentators have considered the twelve to thirteen oldest of these texts as the principal ''Upanishads'' and as the foundation of Vedanta.}} or ''Śruti prasthāna''; considered the ''[[Sruti|{{IAST|Śruti}}]]'' (Vedic scriptures) foundation of ''Vedānta''.{{refn|group=note|The Śruti includes the four Vedas including its four layers of embedded texts&nbsp;– the ''Samhitas'', the ''Brahmanas'', the ''Aranyakas'', and the early ''Upanishads''.<ref>Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (1988), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', Manchester University Press, {{ISBN|0-7190-1867-6}}, pp. 2–3</ref>}}{{sfn|Klostermaier|2007|p=26}}{{sfn|Coburn|1984|p=439}}{{sfn|Deutsch|2000|p=245–248}} Most scholars, states [[Eliot Deutsch]], are convinced that the Śruti in general, and the Upanishads in particular, express "a very rich diversity" of ideas, with the early ''Upanishads'' such as ''[[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad]]'' and ''[[Chandogya Upanishad]]'' being more readily amenable to ''Advaita Vedānta'' school's interpretation than the middle or later ''Upanishads''.{{sfn|Deutsch|1988|pp=4–6 with footnote 4}}{{sfn|Sharma|2007|pp=18–19}} In addition to the oldest ''Upanishads'', states Williams, the ''Sannyasa Upanishads'' group composed in pre-''Shankara'' times "express a decidedly ''Advaita'' outlook".<ref>Stephen Phillips (1998), ''Classical Indian Metaphysics'', Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814899}}, p. 332 note 68</ref>
# The ''[[Brahma Sutras]]'', or ''Nyaya prasthana'' / ''Yukti prasthana''; considered the reason-based foundation of ''Vedānta''. The ''Brahma Sutras'' attempted to synthesize the teachings of the ''Upanishads''. The diversity in the teachings of the ''Upanishads'' necessitated the systematization of these teachings. The only extant version of this synthesis is the ''Brahma Sutras'' of ''[[Badarayana]]''. Like the ''Upanishads'', ''Brahma Sutras'' is also an aphoristic text, and can be interpreted as a non-theistic ''Advaita Vedānta'' text or as a theistic ''Dvaita Vedānta'' text. This has led, states Stephen Phillips, to its varying interpretations by scholars of various sub-schools of ''Vedānta''.<ref>Stephen Phillips (1998), ''Classical Indian Metaphysics'', Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|978-8120814899}}, p. 332 note 69</ref> The ''Brahmasutra'' is considered by the Advaita school as the ''Nyaya Prasthana'' (canonical base for reasoning).{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|pp=35–36}}
# The ''[[Bhagavad Gita|Bhagavad Gitā]]'', or ''Smriti prasthāna''; considered the ''[[Smriti]]'' (remembered tradition) foundation of ''Vedānta''.{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|pp=35–36}} It has been widely studied by ''Advaita'' scholars, including a commentary by ''Adi Shankara''.{{sfn|Rambachan|1991|pp=xii–xiii}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|pp=35–36, 77, 210–212}}

===Textual authority===
The Advaita Vedānta tradition considers the knowledge claims in the Vedas to be the crucial part of the Vedas, not its ''karma-kanda'' (ritual injunctions).{{sfn|Koller|2013|pp=100–101}} The knowledge claims about self being identical to the nature of ''Atman-Brahman'' are found in the [[Upanishads]], which Advaita Vedānta has regarded as "errorless revealed truth."{{sfn|Koller|2013|pp=100–101}} Nevertheless, states Koller, Advaita Vedantins did not entirely rely on revelation, but critically examined their teachings using reason and experience, and this led them to investigate and critique competing theories.{{sfn|Koller|2013|pp=100–101}}

Advaita Vedānta, like all orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, accepts as an [[epistemic]] premise that [[Śruti]] (Vedic literature) is a reliable source of knowledge.{{sfn|Klostermaier|2007|p=26}}{{sfn|Coburn|1984|p=439}}{{sfn|Deutsch|2000|p=245–248}} The Śruti includes the four Vedas including its four layers of embedded texts – the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the early Upanishads.<ref>Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (1988), Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism, Manchester University Press, {{ISBN|0-7190-1867-6}}, pp. 2–3</ref> Of these, the Upanishads are the most referred to texts in the Advaita school.

The possibility of different interpretations of the Vedic literature, states Arvind Sharma, was recognized by ancient Indian scholars.{{sfn|Sharma|2007|p=17–19, 22–34}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|pp=35–36, 77, 210–212}} The [[Brahmasutra]] (also called Vedānta Sutra, composed in 1st millennium BCE) accepted this in verse 1.1.4 and asserts the need for the Upanishadic teachings to be understood not in piecemeal cherrypicked basis, rather in a unified way wherein the ideas in the Vedic texts are harmonized with other means of knowledge such as perception, inference and remaining [[pramana]]s.{{sfn|Sharma|2007|p=17–19, 22–34}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|pp=35–36}} This theme has been central to the Advaita school, making the [[Brahmasutra]] as a common reference and a consolidated textual authority for Advaita.{{sfn|Sharma|2007|p=17–19, 22–34}}{{sfn|Mayeda|2006|pp=6–7}}

The Bhagavad Gitā, similarly in parts can be interpreted to be a monist Advaita text, and in other parts as theistic Dvaita text. It too has been widely studied by Advaita scholars, including a commentary by Adi Shankara.{{sfn|Rambachan|1991|pp=xii–xiii}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|pp=35–36, 77, 210–212}}

===Other texts===
A large number of texts are attributed to Shankara; of these texts, the Brahma Sutra Bhasya (commentary on the Brahma Sutras), the commentaries on the principal Upanishads, and the [[Upadesasahasri]] are considered genuine and stand out. 

Post-Shankara Advaita saw the composition of both scholarly commentaries and treatises, as well as, from late medieaval times (14th century) on, popular works and compositions which incorporate Yoga ideas. These include notable texts mistakenly attributed to Shankara, such as the [[Vivekachudamani]], [[Atma bodha]], and Aparokshanubhuti; and other texts like [[Advaita Bodha Deepika]] and [[Dŗg-Dŗśya-Viveka]]. Texts which influenced the Advaita tradition include the [[Avadhuta Gita]], the [[Yoga Vasistha]], and the [[Yoga Yajnavalkya]].