Gaudapadas

Gaudapada was an Indian philosopher and the likely author of the Gaudapada Karika, a foundational text in Advaita Vedanta. His exact dates are uncertain, but he is generally placed between the 6th and 8th centuries CE. Gaudapada is traditionally considered to be the guru of Govinda Bhagavatpada, who in turn was the guru of Adi Shankara, the principal exponent of Advaita Vedanta.

The Gaudapada Karika is a commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad. It is significant for its systematic exposition of core Advaita principles, including the non-duality of the self and Brahman, the illusory nature of the phenomenal world (maya), and the concept of the unmanifested, unchanging reality. Gaudapada employs arguments from logic and dialectics, often drawing parallels with Buddhist philosophy, particularly the concept of sunyata (emptiness), while ultimately asserting the Vedanta's unique perspective on ultimate reality.

His philosophy emphasizes the transcendence of all duality, including subject-object distinctions, waking-dreaming-deep sleep states, and even the distinction between samsara (cycle of birth and death) and moksha (liberation). Gaudapada argues that the apparent diversity of the world is a product of illusion and that true reality is a single, unchanging consciousness. His work provided a philosophical framework that was further elaborated and popularized by Adi Shankara, solidifying Advaita Vedanta as one of the major schools of Indian philosophy.