Vedānta-sūtra (Brahma-sūtra)—Śrīla Vyāsadeva's conclusive summary of Vedic philosophical knowledge, written in brief codes. The philosophy of the Absolute Truth, which finds implicit expression in the Vedas and the Upaniṣads, was put into a systematic and more explicit form in the Vedānta-sūtra. All apparent contradictory statements of the vast literature of the Vedas are resolved by the great Vyāsa in this work. In this work there are four divisions 1) reconciliation of all scriptures; 2) the consistent reconciliation of apparently conflicting hymns; 3) the means or process of attaining the goal (spiritual realization); and 4) the object (or desired fruit) achieved by the spiritual process. The Vedānta-sūtra establishes that Godhead exists, that devotion is the means of realizing transcendental love for Godhead, and that this love is the final object of man's endeavors. This book is the textbook of all theistic philosophy, and, as such, many commentators have elaborated on the significance of its conclusions; This most important work of nyāya-prasthāna (Vedic logic), which is also known as Brahma-sūtra, Śārīraka, Vyāsa-sūtra, Bādarāyaṇa-sūtra, Uttara-mīmāṁsā and Vedānta-darśana, was composed by the great sage Vyāsa 5000 years ago. Sūtra means code. The Vedānta-sūtra is a book of codes that present, in concise form, brahma-jñāna, i.e. conclusive Vedic knowledge. These codes are very terse, and without a fuller explanation, their meaning is difficult to grasp. In India there are five main schools of Vedānta, each established by an ācārya (founder) who explained the sūtras in a bhāṣya (commentary). The natural commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra is the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. See Advaita, Dvaita, Brahmajyoti, Brahman, Four Vaiṣṇava Sampradāyas and Siddhāntas, Śaṅkarācārya, Six systems, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Upaniṣads, Vedānta, Vyāsa.