Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s10.t10.2

v1.c7.s10.t10.2

The Brahma-sūtra consists of 555 succinct sutras or aphorisms, whose meanings sometimes can only be determined by referring to relevant ancient commentaries. The sutra spawned a large number of commentaries, which tended to construe the text of the Sūtra in different ways. Among the assortment of commentaries, the most famous ones include the commentaries by three prominent philosophers in ancient India, ie Shankara (788-820 CE), Ramanuja (around 11-12 century CE) and Madhava (around 13 centry CE).