Advaita Vedānta rests upon a core scriptural triad traditionally known as the *Prasthāna-traya*. At the heart of this triad stand the principal Upaniṣads, regarded as *śruti* or revealed wisdom. Texts such as Īśa, Kena, Kaṭha, Praśna, Muṇḍaka, Māṇḍūkya, Taittirīya, Aitareya, Chāndogya, and Bṛhadāraṇyaka are especially central, since they articulate the non-dual identity of Ātman and Brahman in a variety of voices and styles. Alongside them, the *Bhagavad Gītā*, a portion of the *Mahābhārata*, is received as *smṛti* and read through a non-dual lens, especially where it treats the nature of the Self and the supreme reality. Completing the triad, the *Brahma Sūtra* (or *Vedānta Sūtra*), attributed to Bādarāyaṇa, systematizes the often scattered Upaniṣadic insights into a coherent philosophical framework.

The authority of these texts within Advaita is inseparable from their classical commentarial tradition. Above all, the *bhāṣyas* of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya on the major Upaniṣads, the *Bhagavad Gītā*, and the *Brahma Sūtra* provide a definitive non-dual interpretation and have shaped what is now recognized as Advaita Vedānta. These commentaries do not merely gloss the scriptures; they draw out an underlying vision in which all apparent multiplicity is grounded in a single, undivided reality. Later sub-commentaries by figures such as Sureśvara and Padmapāda extend and clarify this Advaitic reading, ensuring that the original scriptural voice continues to be heard through a rigorous philosophical lens.

Alongside these scriptural and commentarial pillars stand the *prakaraṇa-granthas*, independent treatises that distill Advaita’s insights into more accessible, systematic expositions. Works traditionally associated with Śaṅkara, such as *Vivekacūḍāmaṇi*, *Ātma-bodha*, *Aparokṣānubhūti*, and *Upadeśa-sāhasrī*, function as guides for the seeker, elaborating themes like discrimination between the real and the unreal, the nature of the Self, and the means to direct realization. The *Māṇḍūkya Kārikā* of Gauḍapāda, closely linked with the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, occupies a special place as a profound and early articulation of radical non-duality, showing how the four states of consciousness point to a single, unchanging awareness.

Later Advaitic authors continue this unfolding tradition while remaining anchored in the same scriptural foundation. Thinkers such as Sureśvara, Padmapāda, Vidyāraṇya, and Madhusūdana Sarasvatī compose works that defend, refine, and practically apply the Advaitic vision. Texts like *Naishkarmya-siddhi*, *Pañcadaśī*, and *Advaita-siddhi* deepen the exploration of topics such as actionlessness, liberation while living, and the logical defense of non-duality. Through this layered corpus—Upaniṣads, *Bhagavad Gītā*, *Brahma Sūtra*, classical commentaries, and later treatises—Advaita Vedānta presents a continuous stream of reflection on the one reality in which all distinctions ultimately dissolve.