Bhāmatī

Bhāmatī A sub-commentary on Śaṅkara's Brahmasūtrabhāṣya by Vācaspati Miśra, synthesizing Śaṅkara's views with those of Maṇḍana Miśra.

Subsequently the Bhāmatī gave its name to a school of interpretation within the Advaita Vedānta tradition, one which stressed the importance of yoga and contemplation as means to liberating knowledge, and defined ignorance (avidyā) as being peculiar to the individual.

Bhamati is a subschool of Advaita Vedanta. It's name is derived from Vachaspati Misra's commentary on Adi Shankara's Brahmasutra Bhashya.

Origins: According to Mithila folklore, Bhāmatī was the wife of Vachaspati Mishra.

While Vachaspati Mishra was writing his commentary, his wife Bhāmatī served him without any expectations for years.

He was so busy that he had forgotten that he had a wife. After completing his work when he finished writing, he asked Bhamti, "Who are you?" She replied, "I am your wife".

Vachaspati was shocked by his own neglect of his wife, that he named his commentary after her.

The Bhāmatī, as it is well known, is the name of the Commentary written by Vācaspati Miśra on the Brahmasūtra-Śāṅkara-bhāṣya, while the Pañcapādikā-Vivaraṇa, also known as the Vivaraṇa, is the Commentary written by Prakāśātman on the Pañcapādikā which itself is another Commentary on the Brahmasūtra-Śāṅkara-bhāṣya written by Padmapāda, a close disciple of Śaṅkara.

The Bhāmatī and the Vivaraṇa assumed so much importance in the realm of Advaita Vedānta that the very trend of Advaita philosophy was given a new direction with their advent. So influential were they that each one came to be known eventually as an independent school of thought.

Hence the appellations Bhāmatī-Prasthāna and Vivaraṇa-Prasthāna by which they are respectively known today in philosophical circles.

bhamati : (bham + a) revolves; whirls about; roams.

From: Bhāmatī in A Dictionary of Hinduism.