What is "gaudapada"

Gaudapāda (c.6th century CE), also referred as Gaudapādacharya, was an early medieval era scholar of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. While details of his biography are uncertain, his ideas inspired others such as Adi Shankara who called him a Paramaguru (highest teacher).

Gaudapada was the author or compiler of the , also known as Gaudapada Karika. The text consists of four chapters (also called four books), of which Chapter Four uses Buddhist terminology thereby showing it was influenced by Buddhism. However, doctrinally Gaudapada's work is Vedantin, and not Buddhist. The first three chapters of the Gaudapada's text has been influential to the Advaita Vedanta tradition, parts of the first chapter that include the Mandukya Upanishad have been considered a Sruti by Dvaita and Vishistadvaita sub-schools of Vedanta, but nothing from chapter four with Buddhist flavor has found acceptance or use in the Vedanta school of Hinduism.