Buddhists and addresses their various criticisms against Mahayana. According to Qvarnström, Bhavya's Madhyamakahrdayakārikā and its Tarkajvālā commentary is one of the earliest sources on early (pre-Shankara) Vedanta (aside from the Brahmasūtra, the Vākyapadīya and the Gaudapādīyakārikā). Regarding Bhavya's view of Vedanta, Qvarnström writes:the Vedāntatattvaviniścaya of the Madhyamakahrdayakārikā and Tarkajvālā is interesting because it is the first Buddhist text to distinguish Madhyamaka philosophy from purely Vedanta notions. In VTV, Bhavya maintains that the notion of a "Self'- or in his terminology, an "intrinsic nature" - actually was borrowed from the Madhyamaka school. Bhavya consequently considers it his duty not only to refute the Vedanta interpretation of this notion, but also to outline his own view on this matter at great length. The question of "intrinsic nature" or "Self' constitutes, therefore, the main object of the polemics between the Vedāntavādins and the Mādhyamikas in VTV. Bhavya may thus be said to have initiated on a systematical basis the main issue of the prolonged controversies between Buddhist and Brahmanical philosophy which were to continue well beyond his time. Works Heart of the Middle and Blaze of Reasoning Bhāviveka wrote an independent work on the Madhyamaka entitled the Madhyamakahrdayakārikā (MHK, Verses on the Heart of the Middle Way) which Bhavya in turn wrote an autocommentary upon entitled the Tarkajvālā (Blaze of Reasoning). Bhāviveka's Madhyamakahrdayakārikā and his commentary Tarkajvālā therein, states (Malcolm) David Eckel, provide a "unique and authoritative account of the intellectual differences that stirred the Buddhist community in this creative period". However, the Blaze of Reasoning also contains different layers, and it seems like at least parts of it where also authored by a later figure, possibly Bhāvaviveka II. The text survives in an incomplete Sanskrit manuscript as well in Tibetan translation by Atiśa and Lotsawa Jayaśīla (which has allowed for a reconstruction of the full Sanskrit). According to Qvarnström, this text outlines the main views found in the Buddhist Śrāvakayāna and Yogācāra schools as well as the Brahmanical Vaiśeṣika, Sāṃkhya, Vedānta and Mīṃāṃsā schools. All these schools are presented as the pūrvapaksa (opponent's view). Their views are critiqued and the Madhymaka view is then outlined as the uttarapakṣa (superior view). The Madhyamakahrdayakārikā is divided into the following chapters: Not Giving Up the Mind of Awakening (bodhicittāparityāga) Taking the Vow of an Ascetic (munivratasamāśraya) Seeking the Knowledge of Reality (tattvajñānaiṣaṇā) Introduction to the Analysis of Reality According to the Sravakas (śrāvakatattvaviniścayāvatāra) Introduction to