Vedanta

Ve·dan·ta

noun \vā-ˈdän-tə, və-, -ˈdan-\

Definition of VEDANTA

: an orthodox system of Hindu philosophy developing especially in a qualified monism the speculations of the Upanishads on ultimate reality and the liberation of the soul

— Ve·dan·tism \-ˈdän-ˌti-zəm, -ˈdan-\ noun

— Ve·dan·tist \-ˈdän-tist, -ˈdan-\ noun

Origin of VEDANTA

Sanskrit Vedānta, literally, end of the Veda, from Veda + anta end; akin to Old English ende end

First Known Use: 1788

Vedanta

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

One of the six orthodox systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy and the one that forms the basis of most modern schools of Hinduism. Its three fundamental texts are the Upanishads, the Bhagavadgita, and the Brahma Sutras, which are very brief interpretations of the doctrine of the Upanishads. Several schools of Vedanta have developed, differentiated by their conception of the relationship between the self (atman) and the absolute (Brahman). They share beliefs in samsara and the authority of the Vedas as well as the conviction that Brahman is both the material and instrumental cause of the world and that the atman is the agent of its own acts and therefore the recipient of the consequences of action (see karma).