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For an account of the theology and the philosophy, ethics and religious doctrines of Assam Vaisnavism, we have to turn mainly to Sankaradeva's Bhakti-ratnakara, a work in Sanskrit, besides his other works in Assamese and the writings of other Assamese Vaisnavas. But it is not a work on the theology and, much less of philosophy, properly so called. This doctrinal treatise, however, exhibits a wide-learning, limited only by a sectarian view, and a fine analytic scholarship work. It is also interesting to note how Sankara caught hold of works of such variety of forms. And the materials collected are always set forth in a finely systematic manner. Sankaradeva and others of his school interepted the Bhagavata -purana in the local language and let it out as the secret of the Vedanta (Vedantaroguhya).

Several early schools of Vaisnavism had prepared each a commentary on the Brahma sutras. Sankaradeva of Assam and Caitanya of Bengal did not, however, deem it necessary to follow the example of these sects. Sankaradeva in his Bhakti-ratnakara. Madhavadeva in his Namaghosa, and Bhattadeva in his Bhakti Viveka cite the authority of the Bhagavata-purana itself (12,13,15) to say that this purana is the essence of all Vedanta (Sarva-vedanta-saram). Jiva Gosvami the philosophical apologist of Caitanyaism declares that the purana is Vyasa's own commentary of the aphorism of Vedanta. The verse cited by Sankaradeva and others need not, however be taken as a reference to the systematized philosophy of the Brahmaputras as much as to the Vedantic thought in its process of growth as in the Upanisads. In Bhakti-ratnakara as elsewhere. Sankaradeva relies absolutely upon the authority of the Bhagavata-purana the Bhagavadgita other visnuite puranas and sectarian texts.

Vedic Thought

Sankardeva nowhere tries to work out an independent system of thought ; and his philosophical views have, therefore , to be culled and put together before we can give it a name and a place in the history of Indian thought . The philosophic teaching of the Bhagavata - purana , as Farquhar points out , " stand nearer to Sankara's system then to the theistic Sankhya which dominates earlier Puranic works " . In the interpretation of the purana , moreover , Sankardeva and other Assamese Vaisnavas greatly leaned back upon the commentary of Sridhara-svami, the mahant of the Sankarite (advaitin) Govardhanamatha at Puri (c. 1400) combiing and tempering the severe monistic idealism of advaita with the emotionalism of bhakti. It is thus naturai that Sankardeva and others of his school should tend to be monist.