Advaita Vedanta

====Advaita Vedanta sub-schools====
Two defunct schools are the ''Pancapadika'' and ''Istasiddhi'', which were replaced by Prakasatman's Vivarana school.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=40}} The still existing [[Bhāmatī]] and [[Vivarana]] developed in the 11th-14th century.<ref group=web name =BhamatiVivarana/>{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p={{page needed|date=February 2022}}}} These schools worked out the logical implications of various Advaita doctrines. Two of the problems they encountered were the further interpretations of the concepts of [[Maya (illusion)|māyā]] and [[Avidya (Hinduism)|avidya]].<ref group=web name =BhamatiVivarana />

[[Padmapada]] (c. 800 CE),{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=38}} the founder of the defunct Pancapadika school, was a direct disciple of Shankara. He wrote the ''Pancapadika'', a commentary on the ''Sankara-bhaya''.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=38}} Padmapada diverged from Shankara in his description of ''avidya'', designating ''prakrti'' as ''avidya'' or ''ajnana''.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=39}}

Sureśvara (fl. 800–900 CE){{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=30}} was a contemporary of Shankara,{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=29}} and often (incorrectly) identified with Maṇḍana Miśra.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=29}}{{refn|group=note|name=karlpottermms|{{harvnb|Potter|2008|pp=346–347, 420–423}}: "There is little firm historical information about Suresvara; tradition holds Suresvara is same as Mandanamisra."}} Sureśvara has also been credited as the founder of a pre-Shankara branch of Advaita Vedānta.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=30}}

Mandana Mishra's student [[Vachaspati Miśra]] (9th/10th century CE),{{sfn|Fowler|2002|p=129}}{{sfn|Isaeva|1993|p=85-86}}{{sfn|Larson|Bhattacharya|1987|p=301-312}} who is believed to have been an incarnation of Shankara to popularize the Advaita view,{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=34}} wrote the ''[[Bhamati]]'', a commentary on Shankara's ''Brahma Sutra Bhashya'', and the ''Brahmatattva-samiksa'', a commentary on Mandana Mishra's ''Brahma-siddhi''. His thought was mainly inspired by Mandana Miśra, and harmonises Shankara's thought with that of Mandana Miśra.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=35}}<ref group=web name=BhamatiVivarana>{{Cite web |url=http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/bhavir.html |title=The Bhamati and Vivarana Schools |access-date=11 September 2012 |archive-date=7 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407053224/http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/bhavir.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bhamati school takes an ontological approach. It sees the [[Jiva]] as the source of avidya.<ref group=web name=BhamatiVivarana /> It sees contemplation as the main factor in the acquirement of liberation, while the study of the Vedas and reflection are additional factors.{{sfn|King|1999|p=56}}{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=37}}

Vimuktatman (c. 1200 CE){{sfn|Dasgupta|1955|p=198}} wrote the ''Ista-siddhi''.{{sfn|Dasgupta|1955|p=198}} It is one of the four traditional ''siddhi'', together with Mandana's ''Brahma-siddhi'', Suresvara's ''Naiskarmya-siddhi'', and Madusudana's ''Advaita-siddhi''.{{sfn|Dasgupta|1955|pp=198–199}} According to Vimuktatman, absolute Reality is "pure intuitive consciousness".{{sfn|Dasgupta|1955|p=199}} His school of thought was eventually replaced by Prakasatman's Vivarana school.{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=40}}

Prakasatman (c. 1200–1300){{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=40}} wrote the ''Pancapadika-Vivarana'', a commentary on the ''Pancapadika'' by [[Padmapadacharya]].{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=40}} The ''Vivarana'' lends its name to the subsequent school. According to Roodurmun, "[H]is line of thought [...] became the leitmotif of all subsequent developments in the evolution of the Advaita tradition."{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=40}} The Vivarana school takes an epistemological approach. It is distinguished from the ''Bhamati'' school by its rejection of action and favouring Vedic study and "a direct apprehension of Brahma."{{sfn|King|1999|p=56}} Prakasatman was the first to propound the theory of ''mulavidya'' or ''maya'' as being of "positive beginningless nature",{{sfn|Roodurmun|2002|p=41}} and sees Brahman as the source of avidya. Critics object that Brahman is pure consciousness, so it cannot be the source of avidya. Another problem is that contradictory qualities, namely knowledge and ignorance, are attributed to Brahman.<ref group=web name=BhamatiVivarana />

Another late figure which is widely associated with Advaita and was influential on late Advaita thought was [[Shriharsha|Śrīharṣa]].