Vedantic

Vedantic is an adjective relating to Vedanta, a major tradition of Hindu philosophy that examines the nature of reality and the path to liberation. It draws on the Upanishads, and is notably organized in the Brahma Sutras and the later commentaries that form its classical corpus. As a field, Vedanta encompasses several sub-schools that interpret the relationship of Brahman, Atman, and the world.

Core ideas center on Brahman as the ultimate reality. Advaita Vedanta teaches that Atman and Brahman are identical and that the phenomenal world is illusory due to maya; Vishishtadvaita holds that Atman is real and distinct yet inseparable from a personal Brahman; Dvaita asserts a strict dualism between individual souls and a personal God.

Methodology relies on pramana, or valid means of knowledge, such as perception, inference, and scriptural testimony. Key texts include the Upanishads, Brahma Sutras, and Bhagavad Gita; exegetical tradition often uses argumentative methods to interpret identity, difference, and liberation, with notable meditation on jnana (knowledge), bhakti (devotion), and prapatti (self-surrender) as paths to moksha.

History notes Vedanta's development from early Upanishadic thought to classical systems. Adi Shankaracharya (8th–9th century) is credited with consolidating Advaita Vedanta and composing influential commentaries. Later figures such as Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita) and Madhva (Dvaita) shaped alternative interpretations, expanding devotional practice and philosophical debate within the Vedantic tradition.

Today, Vedantic ideas influence Hindu theology, scholarship, and contemporary philosophy. The label Vedantic also denotes scholars and schools that trace their lineage to Vedanta, continuing to engage with questions about the nature of reality, the self, and the possibility of liberation.