Reading list

The three schools of Vedānta

Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita and Dvaita, read in their own words and set side by side.

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Orientation

Tradition
Vedānta
The shared foundations: the Upaniṣads, the Brahma Sūtras and the Gītā.
Concept
Brahman
How the three schools answer the question of what Brahman is.

Tradition
Advaita Vedānta
Non-difference of self and Brahman, the levels of reality, and liberation by knowledge.
Text
The Vedânta-Sûtras, with the Commentary by Sankarâkârya
Śaṅkara, tr. George Thibaut, 1890
Śaṅkara’s commentary, especially the introduction and the first four sūtras.

Tradition
Viśiṣṭādvaita
One Brahman with a real body of selves and matter, and liberation by devotion.
Text
The Vedânta-Sûtras, with the Commentary by Râmânuga
Rāmānuja, tr. George Thibaut, 1904
Rāmānuja’s critique of Advaita in the opening of the Śrībhāṣya.

Tradition
Dvaita Vedānta
The five differences and the independence of Viṣṇu alone.
Author
Vyāsatīrtha
The great Dvaita critic of Advaita, and the debate his critique began.

Cite this entry

Chicago (bibliography): “The three schools of Vedānta.” Reading list. The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society. Last modified November 7, 2026. https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/reading-lists/three-schools-of-vedanta.
Chicago (note): “The three schools of Vedānta,” reading list, The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, last modified November 7, 2026, https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/reading-lists/three-schools-of-vedanta.
MLA: “The three schools of Vedānta.” The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, 7 Nov. 2026, www.unitiveknowledge.org/reading-lists/three-schools-of-vedanta.
BibTeX: @misc{reading-lists-three-schools-of-vedanta, title = {{The three schools of Vedānta}}, howpublished = {The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society}, note = {Reading list. Last modified November 7, 2026}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/reading-lists/three-schools-of-vedanta} }