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Adi Shankara

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                       Adi Shankara
   Date of birth:  See Dates
   Place of birth: Kalady, Kerala, India
   Birth name:     Shankara
   Date of death:  See Dates
   Guru/Teacher:   Govinda Bhagavatpada
   Philosophy:     Advaita Vedanta
   Titles/Honours: Founded Dashanami Sampradaya, Shanmata

   Adi Shankara ( Malayalam: ആദി ശങ്കരന്‍, Devanāgarī: आदि शङ्कर, Ādi
   Śaṅkara, IPA: [aːd̪i ɕəŋkərə]); c. [See Dates Section], also known as
   Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya ("the teacher at the feet of God"), and Ādi
   Śaṅkarācārya ("the first Shankara in his lineage") was the first
   philosopher to consolidate the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a
   sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul
   and God, in which God is viewed as simultaneously personal and without
   attributes. In the Smārta tradition, Adi Shankara is regarded as an
   incarnation of Shiva.

   Adi Shankara toured India with the purpose of propagating his teachings
   through discourses and debates with other philosophers. He founded four
   mathas ("abbeys") which played a key role in the historical
   development, revival and spread of post-Buddhist Hinduism and Advaita
   Vedanta. Adi Shankara was the founder of the Dashanami monastic order
   and the Shanmata tradition of worship.

   His works in Sanskrit, all of which are extant today, concern
   themselves with establishing the doctrine of Advaita (Sanskrit,
   "Non-dualism"). Adi Shankara quotes extensively from the Upanishads and
   other Hindu scriptures in forming his teachings. He also includes
   arguments against opposing schools of thought like Samkhya and Buddhism
   in his works.

Life

   The traditional source for accounts of Adi Shankara's life are the
   Shankara Vijayams, ("Victory of Shankara"), which are poetic works that
   contain biographical material written in the epic style of legend. The
   most important among these biographies are the Mādhavīya Śaṅkara
   Vijayaṃ (of Mādhava, c. 14th century), the Cidvilāsīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ
   (of Cidvilāsa, c. between 15th century and 17th century), and the
   Keraļīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ (of the Kerala region, extant from c. 17th
   century). According to these texts, Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, a
   village in Kerala, India, to a Namboothiri brahmin couple, Shivaguru
   and Aryamba and lived for thirty-two years.

Birth and childhood

   The birth place of Adi Shankara at Kalady
   Enlarge
   The birth place of Adi Shankara at Kalady

   Adi Shankara's parents were childless for many years. They prayed at
   the Vadakkunnathan temple (also known as Vrishachala) in Thrissur,
   Kerala, for the birth of a child. Legend has it that Shiva appeared to
   both husband and wife in their dreams, and offered them a choice: a
   mediocre son who would live a long life, or an extraordinary son who
   would not live long. Both the parents chose the latter; thus a son was
   born to them. He was named Shankara (Sanskrit, "bestower of
   happiness"), in honour of Shiva (one of whose epithets is Shankara).

   His father died while Shankara was very young. Shankara's upanayanaṃ,
   the initiation into student-life, was performed at the age of five. As
   a child, Shankara showed remarkable scholarship, mastering the four
   Vedas by the age of eight. Following the customs of those days,
   Shankara studied and lived at the home of his teacher. It was customary
   for students and men of learning to receive Bhikṣā ("alms") from the
   laity; on one occasion, while accepting Bhikṣā, Shankara came upon a
   woman who had only a single dried amalaka fruit to eat. Rather than
   consuming this last bit of food herself, the pious lady gave away the
   fruit to Shankara as Bhikṣā. Moved by her piety, Shankara composed the
   Kanakadhārā Stotram on the spot. Legend has it that on completion of
   the stotra, golden amalaka fruits were showered upon the woman by
   Lakṣmi, the Goddess of wealth.

Sannyasa

   From a young age, Shankara was attracted to sannyasa ("monastic life").
   His mother was against his becoming a monk, and refused him formal
   permission. However, once when Shankara was bathing in the Purna River
   near his house, a crocodile gripped his leg and began to drag him into
   the water. Only his mother was nearby, and it proved impossible for her
   to rescue him. Shankara asked his mother to give him permission to
   renounce the world then and there, so that he could be a sannyāsin at
   the moment of death. This mode of entering the renunciatory stage is
   called Āpat Sannyāsa. At the end of her wits, his mother agreed.
   Shankara immediately recited the mantras that made a renunciate of him.
   Miraculously, the crocodile released him and swam away. Shankara
   emerged unscathed from the water.

   With the permission of his mother, Shankara left Kerala and travelled
   towards North India in search of a Guru. On the banks of the Narmada
   River, he met Govinda Bhagavatpada, the disciple of Gaudapada. When
   Govinda Bhagavatpada asked Shankara's identity, he replied with an
   extempore verse that brought out the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
   Govinda Bhagavatapada was impressed and took Shankara as his disciple.
   Adi Shankara was commissioned by his Guru to write a commentary on the
   Brahma Sutras and propagate Advaita Vedanta. The Madhavīya
   Shankaravijaya states that Adi Shankara calmed a flood from the Reva
   River by placing his kamaṇḍalu ("water pot") in the path of the raging
   water, thus saving his Guru, Govinda Bhagavatpada, who was engaged in
   Samādhi ("meditation") in a cave nearby.

   On his mission to spread the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, Adi Shankara
   travelled to Kashi, where a young man named Sanandana from Choladesha
   in South India, became his first disciple. In Kashi, Adi Shankara was
   on his way to the Vishwanath Temple, when he came upon an untouchable
   with four dogs. When asked to move aside by Shankara's disciples, the
   untouchable replied: "Do you wish that I move my ever lasting Ātman
   ("the Self"), or this body made of food?" Understanding that the
   untouchable was none other than god Shiva, and his dogs the four Vedas,
   Shankara prostrated himself before him, composing five shlokas known as
   Manisha Panchakam.

   On reaching Badari in the Himalayas, he wrote the famous Bhashyas
   ("commentaries") and Prakarana granthas ("philosophical treatises").
   Afterwards he taught these commentaries to his disciples. Some, like
   Sanandana, were quick to grasp the essence; the other disciples thus
   became jealous of Sanandana. In order to convince the others of
   Sanandana's inherent superiority, Adi Shankara summoned Sanandana from
   one bank of the Ganga River, while he was on the opposite bank.
   Sanandana crossed the river by walking on the lotuses that were brought
   out wherever he placed his foot. Adi Shankara was greatly impressed by
   his disciple and gave him the name Padmapāda ("lotus-footed one"). The
   sage, Vedavyāsa, visited Adi Shankara in the guise of an old brāhmaṇa.
   Adi Shankara debated with the brāhmaṇa for over eight days when at
   last, Vyasa revealed his real identity and blessed Adi Shankara.

Meeting with Mandana Mishra

   One of the most famous debates of Adi Shankara was with the ritualist
   Mandana Mishra. Mandana Mishra's Guru was the famous Mimamsa
   philosopher, Kumarīla Bhaṭṭa. Shankara sought a debate with Kumarīla
   Bhaṭṭa and met him in Prayag where he had buried himself in a slow
   burning pyre to repent for sins committed against his Guru: Kumarīla
   Bhaṭṭa had learnt Buddhist philosophy incognito from him in order to be
   able to refute it. This constitutes a sin according to the Vedas.
   Kumarīla Bhaṭṭa thus asked Adi Shankara to proceed to Mahiṣmati (known
   today as Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh) to meet Mandana Mishra and debate
   with him instead.

   Adi Shankara had a famous debate with Mandana Mishra in which the wife
   of Mandana Mishra, Ubhaya Bhāratī, was the referee. After debating for
   over fifteen days, Mandana Mishra accepted defeat. Ubhaya Bhāratī then
   challenged Adi Shankara to have a debate with her in order to
   'complete' the victory. This debate was to be on the subject of
   kāmaśāstra ("science of sex-love"). But Adi Shankara, being a sannyasi,
   had no knowledge of this subject; thus, after requesting for some time
   before entering into this fresh debate, he entered the body of a king
   by his yogic powers and acquired the knowledge of kāmaśāstra. Later,
   however, Ubhaya Bhāratī declined to debate with him and allowed Mandana
   Mishra to accept sannyasa with the monastic name, Sureśvarācārya as per
   the agreed rules of the debate.

Dig-vijaya

   Sharada temple at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri
   Enlarge
   Sharada temple at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri

   Adi Shankara then travelled with his disciples to Maharashtra and
   Srisailam. In Srisailam, he composed Shivanandalahari, a devotional
   hymn to Shiva. The Madhaviya Shankaravijayam says that when Shankara
   was about to be sacrificed by a Kapalika, the god Narasimha appeared to
   save Shankara on Padmapada's prayer to him. So Adi Shankara composed
   the Laksmi-Narasimha stotra. He then travelled to Gokarṇa, the temple
   of Hari-Shankara and the Mūkambika temple at Kollur. At Kollur, he
   accepted as his disciple a boy believed to be dumb by his parents. He
   gave him the name, Hastāmalakācārya ("one with the amalaka fruit on his
   palm", i.e., one who has clearly realised the Self). Next, he visited
   Śṛngeri to establish the Śārada Pīṭham and made Toṭakācārya his
   disciple.

   After this, Adi Shankara began a Dig-vijaya ("missionary tour") for the
   propagation of the Advaita philosophy by controverting all philosophies
   opposed to it. With the Malayali King Sudhanva as companion, Shankara
   passed through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha. He then started
   towards Karnataka where he encountered a band of armed Kapalikas. King
   Sudhanva, with his army, resisted and defeated the Kapalikas. They
   safely reached Gokarna where Shankara defeated in debate the Shaiva
   scholar, Neelakanta.

   Proceeding to the west in Dwarka, Shankara defeated the Vaiṣṇavas in
   debate. Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara of Ujjayini, the proponent of Bhedābeda
   philosophy, was humbled. All the scholars of Ujjayini (also known as
   Avanti) accepted Adi Shankara's philosophy. He then defeated the Jainas
   at a place called Bahlika. Later, he had an encounter with a tantrik,
   Navagupta at Kamarupa. Navagupta pretended to have become a disciple,
   but later caused Adi Shankara to develop a rectal fistula. However, Adi
   Shankara was soon cured and Navagupta later died of the same disease.

   Adi Shankara thus travelled throughout India, from the South to Kashmir
   and Nepal, preaching to the local populace and debating philosophy with
   Hindu, Buddhist and other scholars and monks along the way.

Accession to Sarvajnapitha

   Statue of Adi Shankara at his Samadhi Mandir in Kedarnath, India
   Enlarge
   Statue of Adi Shankara at his Samadhi Mandir in Kedarnath, India

   Adi Shankara visited Sarvajñapīṭha in Kashmir (now in Pakistan-occupied
   Kashmir). The Madhaviya Shankaravijayam states this temple had four
   doors for scholars from the four cardinal directions. The southern door
   (representing South India) had never been opened, indicating that no
   scholar from South India had entered the Sarvajna Pitha. Adi Shankara
   opened the southern door by defeating in debate all the scholars there
   in all the various scholastic disciplines such as Mimamsa, Vedanta and
   other branches of Hindu philosophy; he ascended the throne of
   Transcendent wisdom of that temple. The Madhaviya Shankaravijayam
   states that Goddess Saraswati ("goddess of knowledge and all literary
   arts") herself proclaimed the unquestioned scholarly triumph of Adi
   Shankara on this occasion.

   Towards the end of his life, Adi Shankara travelled to the Himalayan
   area of Kedarnath- Badrinath and attained videha mukti ("freedom from
   embodiment"). However, there are variant traditions on the location of
   his last days. One tradition, expounded by Keraliya Shankaravijaya,
   places his place of death as Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur, Kerala.
   The followers of the Kanchi Matha say that he ascended the
   Sarvajñapīṭha in Kanchipuram ( Tamil Nadu), not Kashmir, and also spent
   his last days in Kanchipuram itself.

Dates

   Modern scholarly opinion is that Sankara's date should lie somewhere in
   the mid-8th century CE. It has proved impossible to reach agreement on
   Adi Shankara's precise dates of birth or death. Traditional sources
   from the Shankara Maṭhas give two different dates; some cite 788 – 820
   CE, while others cite 509 – 477 BCE. The Śṛṅgeri Śāradā Pīṭham, accepts
   the 788 – 820 CE dates.Of the other major Shankara Maṭhas active today,
   the ones at Dwaraka, Puri and Kanchi ascribe the dates 509 – 477 BCE to
   Adi Shankara. If these dates were true, they would require moving back
   the date of Buddha (which serves as an anchor for modern academic
   history of India). (See also Mathas). According to Swami Niranjanananda
   Saraswati's biography of Adi Shankara, published in his book Sannyasa
   Darshan, Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, Kerala, in 686, and attained
   mahasamadhi at Kedarnath, Uttaranchal, in 718.

Mathas

   Vidyasankara temple at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri
   Enlarge
   Vidyasankara temple at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri

   Adi Shankara founded four Maṭhas, to guide the Hindu religion. These
   are at Sringeri in Karnataka in the south, Dwaraka in Gujarat in the
   west, Puri in Orissa in the east, and Jyotirmath (Joshimath) in
   Uttaranchal in the north. Hindu tradition states that he put in charge
   of these mathas his four main disciples: Sureshwaracharya,
   Hastamalakacharya, Padmapadacharya, and Totakacharya respectively. The
   heads of the mathas trace their authority back to these figures. Each
   of the heads of these four mathas takes the title of Shankaracharya
   ("the learned Shankara") after the first Shankara. The matha at Kanchi,
   Tamil Nadu, claims that it was founded by Adi Shankara. The below table
   gives an overview of the four Amnaya Mathas founded by Adi Shankara and
   their details.
   Śishya Maṭha Mahāvākya Veda Sampradaya
   Hastāmalakācārya Govardhana Pīṭhaṃ Prajñānam brahma (Brahman is
   Knowledge) Rig Veda Bhogavala
   Sureśvarācārya Śārada Pīṭhaṃ Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) Yajur Veda
   Bhūrivala
   Padmapādācārya Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ Tattvamasi (That thou art) Sama Veda
   Kitavala
   Toṭakācārya Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman)
   Atharva Veda Nandavala

Philosophy and religious thought

   The swan is an important motif in Advaita Vedanta. Its symbolic
   meanings are: firstly; upon verbally repeating hamsa (the Sanskrit word
   for Swan), it becomes so-aham (Sanskrit, "I am That"). Secondly, even
   as a swan lives in water its feathers are not soiled by water, a
   liberated Advaitin lives in this world full of maya but is untouched by
   its illusion. Thirdly, a monk of the Dashanami order is called a
   Paramahamsa ("the supreme swan")
   Enlarge
   The swan is an important motif in Advaita Vedanta. Its symbolic
   meanings are: firstly; upon verbally repeating hamsa (the Sanskrit word
   for Swan), it becomes so-aham (Sanskrit, "I am That"). Secondly, even
   as a swan lives in water its feathers are not soiled by water, a
   liberated Advaitin lives in this world full of maya but is untouched by
   its illusion. Thirdly, a monk of the Dashanami order is called a
   Paramahamsa ("the supreme swan")

   Advaita ("non-dualism") is often called a monistic system of thought.
   The word "Advaita" essentially refers to the identity of the Self (
   Atman) and the Whole (Brahman). The key source texts for all schools of
   Vedānta are the Prasthanatrayi– the canonical texts consisting of the
   Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras.

   Adi Shankara was the first in its tradition to consolidate the
   siddhānta ("doctrine") of Advaita Vedanta. He wrote commentaries on the
   Prasthana Trayi. A famous quote from Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, one of his
   prakarana granthas that succinctly summarises his philosophy is:

     Brahma satyaṃ jagat mithyā, jīvo brahmaiva nāparah

     Brahman is the only truth, the world is unreal, and there is
     ultimately no difference between Brahman and individual self.

   Advaita Vedanta is based on śāstra ("scriptures"), yukti ("reason") and
   anubhava ("experience"), and aided by karmas ("spiritual practices").
   This philosophy provides a clear-cut way of life to be followed.
   Starting from childhood, when learning has to start, the philosophy has
   to be realised in practice throughout one's life even up to death. This
   is the reason why this philosophy is called an experiential philosophy,
   the underlying tenet being "That thou art", meaning that ultimately
   there is no difference between the experiencer and the experienced (the
   world) as well as the universal spirit (Brahman). Among the followers
   of Advaita, as well those of other doctrines, there are believed to
   have appeared Jivanmuktas, ones liberated while alive. These
   individuals (commonly called Mahatmas, great souls, among Hindus) are
   those who realised the oneness of their self and the universal spirit
   called Brahman.

Advaita Vedanta in summary

   Adi Shankara's Bhashyas (commentaries) on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad
   Gita and the Brahma Sutras are his principal and almost undeniably his
   own works. Although he mostly adhered to traditional means of
   commenting on the Brahma Sutra, there are a number of original ideas
   and arguments to establish that the essence of Upanishads is Advaita.
   He taught that it was only through direct knowledge of Brahman that one
   could be enlightened.

   Adi Shankara's opponents accused him of teaching Buddhism in the garb
   of Hinduism, because his non-dualistic ideals were a bit radical to
   contemporary Hindu philosophy. However, it may be noted that while the
   Later Buddhists arrived at a changeless, deathless, absolute truth
   after their insightful understanding of the unreality of samsara,
   historically Vedantins never liked this idea. Although Advaita proposes
   the theory of Maya, explaining the universe as a "trick of a magician",
   Adi Shankara and his followers see this as a consequence of their basic
   premise that Brahman alone is real. Their idea of Maya emerges from
   their belief in the reality of Brahman, rather than the other way
   around.

Historical and cultural impact

   At the time of Adi Shankara's life, Hinduism had begun to decline
   because of the influence of Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism had become
   divided into innumerable sects, each quarrelling with the others. The
   followers of Mimamsa and Sankhya philosophy were atheists, insomuch
   that they did not believe in God as a unified being. Besides these
   atheists, there were numerous theistic sects. There were also those who
   rejected the Vedas, like the Charvakas.

   Adi Shankara held discourses and debates with the leading scholars of
   all these sects and schools of philosophy to controvert their
   doctrines. He unified the theistic sects into a common framework of
   Shanmata system. In his works, Adi Shankara stressed the importance of
   the Vedas, and his efforts helped Hinduism regain strength and
   popularity. Many trace the present worldwide domination of Vedanta to
   his works. He travelled on foot to various parts of India to restore
   the study of the Vedas.

   Even though he lived for only thirty-two years, his impact on India and
   on Hinduism was striking. He reintroduced a purer form of Vedic
   thought. His teachings and tradition form the basis of Smartism and
   have influenced Sant Mat lineages. He is the main figure in the
   tradition of Advaita Vedanta. He was the founder of the Daśanāmi
   Sampradāya of Hindu monasticism and Ṣaṇmata of Smarta tradition. He
   introduced the Pañcāyatana form of worship.

   Adi Shankara, along with Madhva and Ramanuja, was instrumental in the
   revival of Hinduism. These three teachers formed the doctrines that are
   followed by their respective sects even today. They have been the most
   important figures in the recent history of Hindu philosophy. In their
   writings and debates, they provided polemics against the non-Vedantic
   schools of Sankhya, Vaisheshika etc. Thus they paved the way for
   Vedanta to be the dominant and most widely followed tradition among the
   schools of Hindu philosophy. The Vedanta school stresses most on the
   Upanishads (which are themselves called Vedanta, End or culmination of
   the Vedas), unlike the other schools that gave importance to texts
   authored by their founders. The Vedanta schools have the belief that
   the Vedas, which include the Upanishads, are unauthored, forming a
   continuous tradition of wisdom transmitted orally. Thus the concept of
   apaurusheyatva ("being unauthored") came to be the guiding force behind
   the Vedanta schools. However, along with stressing the importance of
   Vedic tradition, Adi Shankara gave equal importance to the personal
   experience of the student. Logic, grammar, Mimamsa and allied subjects
   form main areas of study in all the Vedanta schools.

   A well known verse, recited in the Smarta tradition, in praise of Adi
   Shankara is:

     श्रुति स्मृति पुराणानामालयं करुणालयं|
     नमामि भगवत्पादशंकरं लॊकशंकरं ||
     Śruti smṛti purāṇānāṃālayaṃ karuṇālayaṃ|
     Namāmi Bhagavatpādaśaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaraṃ||
     I salute the compassionate abode of the Vedas, Smritis and Puranas
     known as Shankara Bhagavatpada, who makes the world auspicious.

Works

   Adi Shankara's works deal with logically establishing the doctrine of
   Advaita Vedanta as he saw it in the Upanishads. He formulates the
   doctrine of Advaita Vedanta by validating his arguments on the basis of
   quotations from the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures. He gives a high
   priority to svānubhava ("personal experience") of the student. His
   works are largely polemical in nature. He directs his polemics mostly
   against the Sankhya, Buddha, Jaina, Vaisheshika and other non-vedantic
   Hindu philosophies.

   Traditionally, his works are classified under Bhāṣya ("commentary"),
   Prakaraṇa gratha ("philosophical treatise") and Stotra ("devotional
   hymn"). The commentaries serve to provide a consistent interpretation
   of the scriptural texts from the perspective of Advaita Vedanta. The
   philosophical treatises provide various methodologies to the student to
   understand the doctrine. The devotional hymns are rich in poetry and
   piety, serving to highlight the relationship between the devotee and
   the deity.

   Adi Shankara wrote Bhashyas on the ten major Upanishads, the Brahma
   Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. In his works, he quotes from
   Shveshvatara, Kaushitakai, Mahanarayana and Jabala Upanishads, among
   others. Bhashyas on Kaushitaki, Nrisimhatapani and Shveshvatara
   Upanishads are extant but the authenticity is doubtful. Adi Shankara's
   is the earliest extant commentary on the Brahma Sutras. However, he
   mentions older commentaries like those of Dravida, Bhartrprapancha and
   others.

   In his Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Adi Shankara cites the examples of
   Dharmavyadha, Vidura and others, who were born with the knowledge of
   Brahman acquired in previous births. He mentions that the effects
   cannot be prevented from working on account of their present birth. He
   states that the knowledge that arises out of the study of the Vedas
   could be had through the Puranas and the Itihasas. In the Taittiriya
   Upanishad Bhashya 2.2, he says:

     Sarveśāṃ cādhikāro vidyāyāṃ ca śreyah: kevalayā vidyāyā veti siddhaṃ

     It has been established that everyone has the right to the knowledge
     (of Brahman) and that the supreme goal is attained by that knowledge
     alone.

   Among the independent philosophical treatises, only Upadeśasāhasrī is
   accepted as authentic by modern academic scholars. Many other such
   texts exist, among which there is a difference of opinion among
   scholars on the authorship of Viveka Chudamani. The former pontiff of
   Sringeri Math, Shri Shri Chandrashekhara Bharati III has written a
   voluminous commentary on the Viveka Chudamani.

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