Adi Shankara (pronounced [a d i k ]; early 8th century CE[2][note 1]) was a Hindu philosopher and theologian from India, most renowned exponent of the Advaita Vedanta school of philosophy, from whose doctrines the main currents of modern Indian thought are derived.[1][3][4] His works in Sanskrit discuss the unity of the tman and Nirguna Brahman "brahman without attributes".[5] He wrote copious commentaries on the Vedic canon.