BHASYA

(Sanskrit: that which has to be discussed), in Indian philosophy, a long commentary on a basic text of a system or school, (shorter commentaries are called vakyas, or vrttis). Bhasyas may be primary, secondary, or even tertiary. The primary bhasyas are those written on the basic sutras (or texts), such as the Nyaya Sutras, the Vedanta Sutras, and the grammatical sutras of Panini. Outstanding examples are Patajali's Mahabhasya, on Panini, and Sankara's Sankarabhasya and Ramanuja's Sribhasya, both on the Vedanta Sutras.