The Threefold Scriptural Foundation

Advaita Vedānta rests upon a clearly defined scriptural foundation, often referred to as the threefold canon. Together, the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Brahma Sūtras form the prasthāna-trayī, the triad from which Advaita draws its scriptural authority and within which its non-dual vision is articulated.

The Upaniṣads

At the heart of this foundation stand the Upaniṣads, especially the principal ones:

• Īśa
• Kena
• Kaṭha
• Praśna
• Muṇḍaka
• Māṇḍūkya
• Taittirīya
• Aitareya
• Chāndogya
• Bṛhadāraṇyaka

The Bhagavad Gītā and Brahma Sūtras

Alongside the Upaniṣads are the Bhagavad Gītā and the Brahma Sūtras, also known as the Vedānta Sūtras, attributed to Bādarāyaṇa.

Śaṅkarācārya’s Role in Advaitic Interpretation

Within the tradition, the Advaitic understanding of these foundational texts is shaped decisively by the works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. His commentaries (bhāṣyas) on the principal Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Brahma Sūtras are regarded as classical expressions of the non-dual standpoint.

Independent Treatises Associated with Śaṅkara

In addition to these commentaries, several independent treatises (prakaraṇa-granthas) associated with Śaṅkara serve as systematic guides that distill and clarify the core Advaitic insight that the individual self (Ātman) is not other than Brahman. These include:

• Vivekacūḍāmaṇi
• Ātma-bodha
• Upadeśasāhasrī
• Aparokṣānubhūti

Later Advaita Works and Teachers

Subsequent Advaita teachers further elaborated this vision through their own works. While secondary to the prasthāna-trayī, these texts have become integral to the living study of the tradition.

• Pañcadaśī by Vidyāraṇya
• Advaita-siddhi by Madhusūdana Sarasvatī
• Writings by Sureśvara, Padmapāda, and Toṭaka

These works deepen and defend the non-dual interpretation of the canonical scriptures. Manuals like Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka also serve as contemplative tools, helping seekers discern the distinction between the seer and the seen, and thereby internalize the teaching that all apparent multiplicity ultimately resolves into the one reality of Brahman.