---
type: Reference
bundle: upanishadic-core
id: vedantasara
title: "Vedāntasāra"
description: "Sadananda's standard Advaita primer; the adhyaropa-apavada method and the fourfold qualification."
tradition: Advaita Vedānta
author: "Sadānanda Yogīndra (c. 15th century CE)"
language: Sanskrit
approximate_date: "c. 15th century CE"
key_concepts_in_bundle: [upadhi, pancha-kosha, shravana, manana, nididhyasana]
timestamp: "2026-07-01"
okf_version: "0.2"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# Vedāntasāra — वेदान्तसार

"Essence of Vedānta." A short systematic primer (226 paragraphs) on Advaita Vedānta by Sadānanda Yogīndra. One of the standard introductory texts in Advaita monastic education. Covers: the four qualifications (Sādhana Catuṣṭaya), the nature of Brahman, the three bodies, the five sheaths, the three states, the three Karma types, Śravaṇa-Manana-Nididhyāsana, and Jīvanmukti/Videhamukti.

## Key Passages for Bundle Concepts

| Passages | Concept | Content |
|----------|---------|---------|
| 60–68 | Upādhi | Three bodies as Upādhis; the limiting-adjunct analysis |
| 69–80 | Pañcakośa | The five-sheath analysis; Anātman status of each |
| 88–97 | Avasthā-Traya | Three states and what each reveals |
| 105–115 | Śravaṇa-Manana-Nididhyāsana | Definitions and relationships |
| 116–130 | Mahāvākya | Function of the Mahāvākya as Brahma-jñāna pramāṇa |

## Why This Text Matters for OKF

The Vedāntasāra is the most systematic and concise of the Advaita primers, covering all the major concepts of the upanishadic-core bundle in a structured sequence. Its treatment of the three bodies as Upādhis (60–68) is the source most directly behind the upadhi.md table of three Upādhi types. The text is designed as a teaching sequence: each section assumes the previous, which mirrors the Śravaṇa-Manana-Nididhyāsana progression.

## The Three-Body / Five-Sheath Mapping

The Vedāntasāra provides the clearest classical mapping between the three-body (Trayaśarīra) and five-sheath (Pañcakośa) models:

| Sheath | Body |
|--------|------|
| Annamaya Kośa | Sthūla Śarīra (gross body) |
| Prāṇamaya + Manomaya + Vijñānamaya Kośas | Sūkṣma Śarīra (subtle body) |
| Ānandamaya Kośa | Kāraṇa Śarīra (causal body) |

This mapping is referenced in pancha-kosha.md and upadhi.md.

## Recommended Editions

- Swami Nikhilananda translation (Ramakrishna Math — with extensive notes, recommended)
- Sadananda Yogindra / M. Hiriyanna (scholarly)
