ABSTRACT
This chapter presents central themes in Vedānta philosophy prior to the eighth century CE by outlining the Vedāntic teachings of three works: the Brahma-sūtra of Bādarāyaṇa, the Vākyapadīya of Bhartṛhari, and the Māṇḍūkya-kārikā of Gauḍapāda. Understanding these three texts’ varied presentations of Vedānta helps to underscore the diversity of Vedāntic philosophical traditions, and shows how early Vedāntic texts contained the seeds for later developments in Advaita and Bhedābheda Vedānta.
