It is difficult to ascertain the time when the _Brahma-sutras_ were written, but since they contain a refutation of almost all the other Indian systems, even of the S'unyavada Buddhism (of course according to S'a@nkara's interpretation), they cannot have been written very early. I think it may not be far from the truth in supposing that they were written some time in the second century B.C. About the period 780 A.D. Gau@dapada revived the monistic teaching of the Upani@sads by his commentary on the Ma@n@dukya Upani@sad in verse called _Ma@n@dukyakarika_. His disciple Govinda was the teacher of S'a@nkara (788--820 A.D.). S'a@nkara's commentary on the _Brahma-sutras_ is the root from which sprang forth a host of commentaries and studies on Vedantism of great originality, vigour, and philosophic insight. Thus Anandagiri, a disciple of S'a@nkara, wrote a commentary called _Nyayanir@naya_, and Govindananda wrote another commentary named _Ratna-prabha_. Vacaspati Mis'ra, who flourished about 841 A.D., wrote another commentary on it called the _Bhamati._ Amalananda (1247--1260 A.D.) wrote his _Kalpataru_ on it, and Apyayadik@sita (1550 A.D.) son of Ra@ngarajadhvarindra of Kanci wrote his _Kalpataruparimala_ on the _Kalpataru._ Another disciple of S'a@nkara, Padmapada, also called Sanandana, wrote a commentary on it known as _Pancapadika_. From the manner in which the book is begun one would expect that it was to be a running commentary on the whole of S'a@nkara's bhasya, but it ends abruptly at the end of the fourth sutra. Madhava (1350), in his _S'a@nkaravijaya,_ recites an interesting story about it. He says that Sures'vara received S'a@nkara's permission to write a varttika on the bhasya. But other pupils objected to S'a@nkara that since Sures'vara was formerly a great Mima@msist (Ma@n@dana Misra was called Sures'vara after his conversion to Vedantism) he was not competent to write a good _varttika_ on the bha@sya. Sures'vara, disappointed, wrote a treatise called _Nai@skarmyasiddhi._ Padmapada wrote a @tika but this was burnt in his uncle's house. S'a@nkara, who had once seen it, recited it from memory and Padmapada wrote it down. Prakas'atman (1200) wrote a commentary on Padmapada's _Pancapadika_ known as _Pancapadikavivara@na. _Akha@n@dananda wrote his _Tattvadipana,_ and the famous N@rsi@mhas'rama Muni (1500) wrote his _Vivara@nabhavaprakas'ika_ on it. Amalananda and Vidyasagara also wrote commentaries on _Pancapadika,_ named _Pancapadikadarpa@na_ and _Pancapadika@tika_ respectively, but the _Pancapadikavivara@na_ had by far the greatest reputation. Vidyara@nya who is generally identified by some with Madhava (1350) wrote his famous work _Vivara@naprameyasa@mgraha_ [Footnote ref 559], elaborating the ideas of _Pancapadikavivara@na_; Vidyara@nya wrote also another excellent work named _Jivanmuktiviveka_ on the Vedanta doctrine of emancipation. Sures'vara's (800 A.D.) excellent work _Nai@skarmyasiddhi_ is probably the earliest independent treatise on S'a@nkara's philosophy as expressed in his bha@sya. It has been commented upon by Jnanottama Mis'ra. Vidyara@nya also wrote another work of great merit known as _Pancadas'i,_ which is a very popular and illuminating treatise in verse on Vedanta. Another important work written in verse on the main teachings of S'a@nkara's bha@sya is _Sa@mk@sepas'ariraka_, written by Sarvajnatma Muni (900 A.D.). This has also been commented upon by Ramatirtha. S'rihar@sa (1190 A.D.) wrote his _Kha@n@danakha@n@dakhadya_, the most celebrated work on the Vedanta dialectic. Citsukha, who probably flourished shortly after S'rihar@sa, wrote a commentary on it, and also wrote an independent work on Vedanta dialectic known as _Tattvadipika_ which has also a commentary called _Nayanaprasadini_ written by Pratyagrupa. S'a@nkara Mis'ra and Raghunatha also wrote commentaries on _Kha@n@danakha@n@dakhadya._ A work on Vedanta epistemology and the principal topics of Vedanta of great originality and merit known as _Vedantaparibha@sa_ was written by Dharmarajadhvarindra (about 155OA.D.). His son Ramak@r@snadhvarin wrote his _S'ikhama@ni_ on it and Amaradasa his _Ma@niprabha._ The _Vedantaparibha@sa_ with these two commentaries forms an excellent exposition of some of the fundamental principles of Vedanta. Another work of supreme importance(though probably the last great work on Vedanta) is the _Advaitasiddhi_ of Madhusudana Sarasvati who followed Dharmarajadhvarindra. This has three commentaries known as _Gau@dabrahmanandi_, _Vi@t@thales'opadhyayi_ and _Siddhivyakhya_. Sadananda Vyasa wrote also a summary of it known as _Advaitasiddhisiddhantasara_. Sadananda wrote also an excellent elementary work named _Vedantasara_ which has also two commentaries _Subodhini_ and _Vidvanmanoranjini_. The _Advaitabrahmasiddhi_ of Sadananda Yati though much inferior to _Advaitasiddhi_ is important, as it touches on many points of Vedanta interest which are not dealt with in other Vedanta works. The _Nyayamakaranda_ of Anandabodha Bha@t@tarakacaryya treats of the doctrines of illusion very well, as also some other important points of Vedanta interest. _Vedantasiddhantamuktavali_ of Prakas'ananda discusses many of the subtle points regarding the nature of ajnana and its relations to cit, the doctrine of _d@r@stis@r@stivada_, etc., with great clearness. _Siddhantales'a by Apyayadik@sita is very important as a summary of the divergent views of different writers on many points of interest. _Vedantatattvadipika_ and _Siddhantatattva_ are also good as well as deep in their general summary of the Vedanta system. _Bhedadhikkara_ of Nrsi@mhas'rama Muni also is to be regarded as an important work on the Vedanta dialectic.
The above is only a list of some of the most important Vedanta works on which the present chapter has been based.