Word

Mandukya_Karika

Sanskrit

माण्डुक्य कारिका

IAST

Māṇḍukya kārikā

In General

Mandukya Karika of Gaudapatha is one of the earliest exposition of Advaita, the monistic school of Vedanta Philosophy. Brahma sutra is definitely earlier and more authentic but it is too elusive even to the learned minds. So, the Gaudapatha Karika, an explanatory work on Mandukya Upanishad popularized and laid strong foundation for advaita philosophy.

Veda

The great advatin acharya sri Gaudapada have wrote this karika for 12 mantras of Mandukya Upanishad. It is written in four prakarana or parts. In 215 karika the acharya define the meaning of the Upanishad and reaffirmed the foundation of Advaita Vedanta. As Sri Sankara’s guru Govindacharya was a disciple of Gaudapada, Sankara took it as his responsibility to write a bhasya on the Karika of Gaudapada and accomplished in his effort.

Four Prakarana of Gaudapada karaka are: Agama Prakarana, Vythathya Prakarana, Advaita Prakarana, Alathasanthi Prakarana