The Gaudapada-karikas is the earliest extant Advaita Vedanta text.
Also included are an essay on early Vedanta, who the author(s) of this text may be, and the influence of Buddhism on the text (especially Nagarj.
The text is presented here in a plain English translation with notes.
Its philosophical doctrines makes it worthy of study in its own right and sets the stage for Shankara\'s slightly different Advaita.
It is only explicitly Advaita text deemed worth saving from before Shankara\'s time.
The Gaudapada-karikas is the earliest extant Advaita Vedanta text