Gaudapada
By Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya
Summary
This short note analyses a verse from Gaudapada’s Agamasastra (fourth chapter) that has been variously interpreted. The verse states that according to the Buddha who teaches the path, knowledge does not approach the elements of existence (dharmas), and that neither dharmas nor knowledge was taught by the Buddha. The article explains that the phrase 'naitad buddena bhasitam' ('this was not spoken by the Buddha') cautions against attributing dualistic doctrines to the Buddha. Drawing on Prajñakarati’s commentary on the Aryadevacarya‑vatara and passages from the Vajracchedika, it argues that ultimate knowledge transcends subject‑object distinctions and that the Buddha did not posit an ultimate duality between knowledge and dharmas. The note also clarifies the technical term tayin (the guide) and shows that Gaudapada aligns with Mahayana teachings on nondual wisdom. Thus the verse should be understood as rejecting misinterpretations rather than as contradicting the Buddha.
Conclusion
This exegesis clarifies a subtle doctrinal point in Gaudapada’s Agamasastra by showing that the phrase 'not spoken by the Buddha' rejects dualistic readings of Buddhist doctrine. Gaudapada aligns with Mahayana scriptures in asserting that ultimate knowledge transcends subject‑object distinctions. Recognising this alignment dispels misconceptions about Gaudapada’s fidelity to the Buddha’s teaching and highlights the continuity between Advaita Vedanta and Mahayana nondualism. The article demonstrates how careful philological analysis can illuminate intertextual connections across Buddhist and Vedantic texts.