Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya

The Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya is the commentary on the Brahma Sūtras (Vedānta Sūtras) by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, the most influential work of Advaita Vedānta philosophy.

Overview

Composed by Śaṅkara in the early 9th century CE, this commentary is the foundational text of Advaita Vedānta. Śaṅkara interprets the Brahma Sūtras through the lens of non-dualism, arguing that Brahman (the absolute reality) is the sole reality and that the individual self is identical with Brahman.

Content and Structure

The Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya systematically interprets each sūtra of the Brahma Sūtras according to Advaita principles. Śaṅkara argues against the interpretations of Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, and Mīmāṃsā schools, as well as against Buddhist and Jain positions. He establishes the doctrine that Brahman is nirguṇa (without qualities) and that the phenomenal world is māyā (appearance).

Significance

The Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya is the single most important work of Indian philosophy after the Upaniṣads. It established Advaita Vedānta as the dominant philosophical tradition in India and influenced all subsequent philosophical discourse. The commentary remains the primary text for the study of Advaita Vedānta in traditional śāstric institutions.

Verification Notes

• Composed by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya (c. 788–820 CE); one of the three commentaries on the Brahma Sūtras (along with Rāmānuja’s Śrī Bhāṣya and Madhva’s Anuvyākhyāna).
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).