---
type: Reference
bundle: upanishadic-core
id: upadesasahasri
title: "Upadesasāhasrī"
description: "Shankara's Thousand Teachings; his major authenticated non-commentarial work."
tradition: Advaita Vedānta
author: "Śaṅkarācārya (c. 788–820 CE) — authorship generally accepted"
language: Sanskrit
approximate_date: "c. 8th century CE"
key_concepts_in_bundle: [brahmabhavana, laksana-brahman, shravana, manana, nididhyasana]
timestamp: "2026-07-01"
okf_version: "0.2"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# Upadesasāhasrī — उपदेशसाहस्री

"A Thousand Teachings." Śaṅkara's own pedagogical manual — less commentary, more direct instruction on the method of teaching Advaita Vedānta. Two parts: Gadya (prose, 19 chapters on the teaching method and the student-teacher relationship) and Padya (verse, 19 chapters on specific Upaniṣadic passages and their Advaita significance).

## Key Passages for Bundle Concepts

| Passage | Concept | Content |
|---------|---------|---------|
| 17.1–5 | Lakṣaṇa / Brahmabhāvanā | Svarūpa Lakṣaṇa as instrument of Ātma-jñāna |
| 18.1–10 | Brahmabhāvanā | The process of stabilizing Brahma-jñāna as identity |
| Gadya 1 | Śravaṇa-Manana-Nididhyāsana | The teacher-student relationship and the method |

## Why This Text Matters for OKF

The Upadesasāhasrī is uniquely valuable because it is practical and methodological, not just doctrinal. Śaṅkara addresses specific student confusions — "what is the difference between knowing Brahman and being a Jīvanmukta?" "How does the Mahāvākya function as pramāṇa rather than just a statement?" — with the directness of a teacher addressing a live student. This makes it particularly valuable for the OKF's mission of preventing misreading.

## Recommended Editions

- Sengaku Mayeda translation and critical edition (Motilal Banarsidass — scholarly standard)
- Swami Jagadananda translation (Ramakrishna Math)
