Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara
Dates:	788 to 820 CE There is some debate regarding this issue. Sankara-Digvijaya, Swami Tapasyananda, pp. xv-xxiv gives this date. See also dates
Birth place:	Kaladi, Kerala, India
Philosophy:	Advaita Vedanta
Teacher:	Govinda Bhagavatpada
Influenced:	Hinduism, Hindu philosophy
Founded:	Dashanami Sampradaya, Shanmata

Adi Shankara (Devanāgarī ; Malayalam ; IAST '; IPA ^*), also known as (the first Śankara in his lineage), ' (the teacher at the feet of the Lord), 788 — 820 CE, There is some debate regarding this issue. Sankara-Digvijaya, Swami Tapasyananda, pp. xv-xxiv gives this date. See also dates was the first philosopher in in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta to formulate the siddhanta (doctrine'') of this tradition in his many works in Sanskrit. In addition to writing, he held many seminal debates with other philosophers, in which he established his siddhanta.

Born in the southern state of Kerala, he toured India on foot, propagating his teachings. He founded four mathas in India at the four cardinal directions. These institutions play an important role today in the propagation of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and Hinduism. These mathas are mainly followed by Hindu Smartas. He was the founder of the of Hindu monasticism and Shanmata tradition of Smarta sampradaya. He also introduced the form of worship.

Life

The traditional source for accounts of Adi Shankara's life are the Shankara Vijayams (IAST '). Literally meaning Victory of Shankara, these works contain much historical material along with legends. The most important among these biographies are the ', the ', the ', and the .

All the Shankara Vijayams agree that Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, Kerala, India, to a Namboothiri brahmin couple, Shivaguru (IAST ') and Aryamba (IAST ') and that he lived for thirty two years.

Birth and childhood

Adi Shankara's parents were childless for many years. They prayed at the Vadakkumnathan temple in Thrissur, Kerala, for the birth of a child. Legend has it that Śiva 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 Shivaguru and Aryamba chose the latter. A son was born at Veliyanad, at Edakkattuvayal Village in Ernakulam District, Kerala, India. He was named Shankara, in honour of Shiva.

Shivaguru died while Shankara was very young. Shankara's was performed at the age of five by his uncle. As a child, Shankara showed remarkable scholarship and mastered the four Vedas by the age of eight. Following the common practice of that era, Shankara studied and lived at the home of his teacher. It was customary for students and men of learning to receive (alms) from the laity; on one occasion, while accepting , Shankara came upon a woman who had nothing to eat in her house, except a single dried amalaka fruit (Indian gooseberry, Emblica officinalis). Rather than consume this last bit of food herself, the pious lady gave away the fruit to Shankara as . 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 , the Goddess of wealth.

Sannyasa

From a young age, Shankara was attracted to sannyasa (IAST ). However, his mother, Aryamba, was entirely against his becoming a sannyasi (ascetic), and consistently refused him her formal permission, which was required before he could take sannyasa. Once when Shankara was bathing in the river, a crocodile gripped him by the leg and began to drag him into the water. Only his mother was nearby, and it proved impossible for her to get him away from the grip of the crocodile. Shankara then told his mother that he was on the verge of death; if she would give him her formal permission verbally, he would at this moment renounce the world and die a sannyasi. At the end of her wits, his mother agreed; Shankara immediately recited the that made a renunciate of him, entered sannyasa, and awaited death. But inexplicably, the crocodile released him from its very jaws and swam away. Shankara emerged unscathed from the river, now a sannyasi.

Seeing in this incident the hand of God, Aryamba put no further obstacles in the path of her son. Shankara then left Kerala and travelled throughout India. When he reached the banks of the river Narmada, he met Govinda Bhagavatpada (IAST '), the disciple of Gaudapada (IAST '). The Madhavīya Shankaravijaya states that Adi Shankara once calmed a flood from the Reva River by placing his (water pot) in the path of the raging water, thus saving his Guru Govinda Bhagavatpada who was immersed in in a cave nearby. Govinda Bhagavatpada is said to have asked Adi Shankara who he was. Adi Shankara then replied with a verse composed extempore, that brought out clearly the Advaita philosophy in regard to the Self. Shankara was then initiated as Govinda Bhagavatapada's disciple, thus formally entering sanyasa.

Adi Shankara was then commissioned by his Guru to write a Bhashya (commentary) on the Brahma Sutra and spread the Advaita philosophy far and wide. Adi Shankara travelled to Kashi, where a young man from South India, (Madhaviya Shankaravijaya says he was from Choladesha) named Sanandana, became his first disciple. He had a well-known encounter with an untouchable. On his way to the Vishwanath temple in Kashi, he came upon an untouchable and his four dogs. When asked to move aside by Shankara's disciples, the untouchable asked: "Do you wish that I move my ever lasting Ātman, or this body made of food?" Seeing the untouchable as none other than Lord Shiva and his dogs as the four Vedas, Shankara prostrated himself before Ishwara, composing five shlokas known as Manisha Panchakam.

Then, reaching Badari, he wrote the famous Bhashyas and many (philosophical treatises) in his twelfth year. Leaving Badari, he then taught these commentaries to his disciples. Some, like Sanandana, were quick to grasp the essence. The other disciples became rather jealous of Sanandana. So, in order to convince them of his inherent superiority, Adi Shankara one day called that disciple, who was then standing on the opposite bank of the Ganga River, to come to him immediately. Then Sanandana is said to have 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 (the lotus-footed one).

One day, sage visited Adi Shankara, who was seated ont he banks of the Ganga River, in the guise of an old . Adi Shankara is said to have debated with the 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 of these debates was with the famed ritualist Mandana Mishra (IAST ). Mandana Mishra's Guru was the famous (Mimamsa philosopher), . Shankara met the in Prayag when he was committing self-immolation by burying himself in a slow burning pyre in order to repent for his sins by him committed against his Guru. The had learnt Buddhist philosophy incognito from that Guru in order to be able to refute it. The then asked Adi Shankara to proceed to to meet Mandana Mishra and debate with him.

Adi Shankara, once he reached , proceeded to the house of Mandana Mishra. He then had a famous debate with him in which the wife of Mandana Mishra, (an incarnation of Saraswati), was the referee. After debating for over fifteen days, Adi Shankara won the debate and Mandana Mishra accepted defeat. But 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 (science of sex-love). Now, Adi Shankara, being a sannyasi, had no knowledge of this subject. After requesting for some time before entering into this fresh debate, he is said to have entered the body of a king by his yogic powers and acquired that knowledge. Later, however, declined to debate with him and allowed Mandana Mishra to accept sannyasa with the yoga patta as per the agreed rules of the original debate.

Dig-vijaya

Adi Shankara then travelled with his disciples to Maharashtra and then on to Srisailam, where he composed Shivanandalahari a devotional hymn to Shiva. According to legend, once he was saved by Narasimha, who is said to have manifested because of Padmapada's prayer, from being sacrificed by a Kapalika. He then composed the Laksmi-Nrsimha stotra.

He then travelled to and the temple of Hari-Shankara. Then he travelled to the temple at Kollur. While there, he accepted a boy, who was believed to be dumb by his parents, as his disciple named (one with the amalaka fruit on his palm, i.e., one who has clearly realised the Self). He then travelled to where he founded the and made his disciple.

He then travelled with King Sudhanva on a Dig-vijaya (missionary tour) for the propagation of the Advaita philosophy by controverting all philosophies opposed to it. He passed through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha. He then started towards Karnataka where he encoutered a band of armed Kapalikas. These were resisted by King Sudhanva, who was accompanying Adi Shankara's party, and eventually defeated. Then he reached Gokarna where he defeated the Shaiva acholar, Neelakanta.

Then he proceeded to Dwarka, where he defeated in debate, the , and Ujjayini where he defeated in debate. All the scholars of Ujjayini (also known as Avanti) are said to have accepted Adi Shankara's philosophy. He then defeated the Jainas at a place called Bahlika. He then had an encounter with a tantrik, Navagupta at Kamarupa. Navagupta pretended to have become a disciple, but later caused Adi Shankara to get a rectal fistula on his body. But Adi Shankara was soon cured and Navagupta then died of the same disease. It is a traditional belief that Adi Sankara installed at Srirangam a yantra called janakarshana to attract pilgrims to this sacred temple, just as at Tirupati he installed the dhanakarshana yantra. Indeed, Srirangam is the most visited Hindu temple in the world, and Tirupati is the richest.

Adi Shankara travelled throughout India thrice, 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

Adi Shankara to have visited the Sarvajnapitha (IAST ) (now in PoK) in Kashmir. The Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya states this Pitha 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 Sarvajnapitha. The Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya states that Goddess Sharada herself proclaimed the unquestioned scholarly triumph of Adi Shankara on this occasion.

He then travelled to Kedarnath and attained videha mukti at the age of thirty two. However, there are many variant traditions on the location of his last days. The Kanchi matha followers believe he achieved the same in Kanchi. Another tradition expounded by Keraliya Shankaravijaya places his place of death as Vadakkumnathan temple in Thrissur, Kerala.

Dates

Modern scholarship is agreed on the 788–820 CE date, though it has proved impossible to reach agreement on Adi Shankara's precise dates of birth or death. Some Shankara , however, ascribe much earlier dates to him. 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).

Of the major Shankara active today, the ones at Kanchi, Dwaraka, and Puri ascribe the dates 509–477 BCE to Adi Shankara. The , on the other hand, accepts the 788–820 CE dates. (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

Adi Shankara is said to have founded four (monasteries or religious orders), which are important to this day, 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. The 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 them. Each of the heads of these four mathas takes the title of Shankaracharya (the learned Shankara) after the first Shankara. However, there is no concrete evidence for the existence of these mathas before the 14th century. The matha at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, claims that it was also founded by Adi Shankara.

The below table gives an overview of the four Amnaya Mathas founded by Adi Shankara and their details.

Disciple			Veda
			Rig Veda	Bhogavala
			Yajur Veda
			Sama Veda	Kitavala
			Atharva Veda	Nandavala

Philosophy and religious thought

Swans.jpg|right|thumb|The swan is an important motif in Advaita Vedanta. Its symbolic meanings are: firstly, the swan is called hamsa in Sanskrit (which becomes hamso if the first letter in the next word is /h/). Upon repeating this hamso indefinitely, it becomes so-aham, meaning, "I am That". Secondly, just as a swan lives in water but its feathers are not soiled by water, similarly a liberated Advaitin lives in this world full of maya but is untouched by its illusion. Thirdly, a Sannyasi of the Dashanami order (founded by Adi Shankara) is called a Paramahamsa (the Supreme Swan)]]

At the time of Adi Shankara's life, Hinduism had lost began to decline because of the influence of Buddhism and Jainism. Adi Shankara stressed the importance of the Vedas, and his work helped Hinduism regain strength and popularity. Although he did not live long, he travelled on foot to various parts of India to restore the study of the Vedas. He completed three trips of India on foot before his videha mukti. His philosophy is known as Advaita Vedanta. It states that spiritual ignorance (avidya) is caused by seeing the self (ātman) where self is not. Discrimination needs to be developed in order to distinguish true from false. Knowledge (jnana) alone gives moksha by destroying ignorance (avidya).

Adi Shankara proposed that, while the phenomenal universe, our consciousness and bodily being are certainly experienced, they are not true reality, but are rather māya. Brahman, the single divine foundation, which is beyond time, space, and causation. Brahman is immanent and transcendent, but not merely a pantheistic concept. Indeed, while Brahman is the efficient and material cause for the cosmos, Brahman itself is not limited by self-projection; it transcends and pervades all names and forms.

Advaita Vedanta philosophy is based on (scriptures), yukti (reason) and anubhava (experience), and aided by karmas (spiritual practices).See "Study the Vedas daily. Perform diligently the duties (karmas) ordained by them" from Sadhana Panchakam of Adi Shankara This philosophy provides a clear-cut way of life to be followed. Starting from childhood when learning has to start, till old age, when the philosophy has to be realised in practice throughout one's life. 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). Thus the among the followers of this doctrine, as well those of other doctrines, there have appeared many Jivanmuktas, ones liberated while alive. These individuals (commonly called Mahatmas) are those who realised the oneness of their self and the universal spirit called Brahman.

Historical and cultural impact

Even though he lived for only thirty-two years, his impact on India and on Hinduism cannot be stressed enough. He reintroduced a purer form of Vedic thought. His teachings and sampradaya (tradition) form the basis of the (Smarta Tradition) and have influenced Sant Mat lineages. Geaves, Ron. From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara) (2002). Paper presented at the 27th Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, Oxford. March 2002 He is the main figure in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. He is the founder of the Dashanami Sampradaya and Shanmata tradition of worship. He travelled all over India (Kerala to Kashmir and Nepal) three times over and was a major cause in the revival and integration of Sanatana Dharma. The mathas he founded are very much active today and form the guiding force for Hinduism. Smartas are the denomination in Hinduism who are the main adherents of Adi Shankara's philosophy and sampradaya.

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

I salute the compassionate abode of the Vedas, Smritis and Puranas known as Shankara Bhagavatpada, and who makes the world auspicious.

Works

Adi Shankara wrote many works in his life-time of thirty two years; however, many works thought to be of his authorship are debated and questioned as to their authorship today.

Traditionally, his works are classified under (commentary), (philosophical treatise) and Stotra (devotional hymn). A partial list of his works is given below.

Adi Shankara wrote (commentaries) on

Adi Shankara wrote the following treatises

(Crest-Jewel of Discrimination)
(A thousand teachings)

Adi Shankara composed many hymns on Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and Subrahmanya

, also known as

Editions

A lot of editions of the works of Adi Shankara are available. A few of them are given below:

Collections of Works

Sri Sankara Granthavali - Complete Works of Sri Sankaracarya in the original Sanskrit, v. 1-10, revised ed., Samata Books, Madras, 1998. (Originally published from Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1910ff., under the direction of the Sringeri matha.)

Sankaracaryera Granthamala, v. 1-4, Basumati Sahitya Mandira, Calcutta, 1995. (complete works with Bengali translation and commentary)

Upanishad-bhashya-sangraha, Mahesanusandhana Samsthanam, Mt. Abu, 1979-1986. Sankara's bhashyas on the Katha, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, with Anandagiri's Tīkas and other sub-commentaries.

Prakarana-dvadasi, Mahesanusandhana Samsthanam, Mt. Abu, 1981. A collection of twelve prakarana granthas, with commentaries.

Brahmasutra Bhashya

Edited with Marathi translation, by Kasinath Sastri Lele, Srikrishna Mudranalaya, Wai, 1908.

Edited with vaiyasika-nyayamala of Bharatitirtha, and Marathi commentary, by Vishnu Vaman Bapat Sastri, Pune, 1923.

Selections translated into English, by S. K. Belvalkar, Poona Oriental Series no. 13, Bilvakunja, Pune, 1938.

Edited with Adhikarana-ratnamala of Bharatitirtha, Sri Venkatesvara Mudranalaya, Bombay, 1944.

Translated into English, by V. M. Apte, Popular Book Depot, Bombay, 1960.

Translated into English, by George Thibaut, Dover, New York, 1962. (reprint of Clarendon Press editions of The Sacred books of the East v.34, 38)

Sri Sankaracarya Granthavali, no. 3, 1964.

Translated into German, by Paul Deussen, G. Olms, Hildesheim, 1966.

Bhagavadgita Bhashya

Critically edited by Dinkar Vishnu Gokhale, Oriental Book Agency, Pune, 1931.

Edited with Anandagiri's Tika, by Kasinath Sastri Agashe, Anandasrama, Pune, 1970.

Alladi Mahadeva Sastri, The Bhagavad Gita : with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, Samata Books, Madras, 1977.

A. G. Krishna Warrier, Srimad Bhagavad Gita Bhashya of Sri Sankaracarya, Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1983.

Trevor Leggett, Realization of the Supreme Self : the Bhagavad Gita Yogas, (translation of Sankara's commentary), Kegan Paul International, London, 1995.

Upadeshasahasri

Sitarama Mahadeva Phadke, Sankaracaryakrta Upadesashasri, Rasikaranjana Grantha Prasaraka Mandali, Pune, 1911. (with Marathi translation)

Paul Hacker, Unterweisung in der All-Einheits-Lehre der Inder: Gadyaprabandha, (German translation of and notes on the Prose book of the upadeSasAhasrI) L. Röhrscheid, Bonn, 1949.

Vivekachudamani

Edited with English translation, by Mohini Chatterjee, Theosophical Publishing House, Madras, 1947.

Ernest Wood, The Pinnacle of Indian Thought, Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton (Illinois), 1967. (English translation)

Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, Shankara's Crest-jewel of Discrimination, with A Garland of Questions and Answers, Vedanta Press, California, 1971.

Sri Sankara's Vivekachudamani with an English translation of the Sanskrit Commentary of Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati of Sringeri. Translated by P. Sankaranarayanan. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 1999

Panchikarana

Edited with Sureshvara's varttika and varttikabharana of Abhinavanarayanendra Sarasvati (17th cent.), Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1970.

Edited with Gujarati translation and notes, Sri Harihara Pustakalya, Surat, 1970.

References and notes

Sankara-Digvijaya. Madhava Vidyaranya. Translated by Swami Tapasyananda. Sri Ramakrishna Math. 2002. ISBN 8171204341.

External links

Works

Mathas

Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham
- Website of the Shringeri Sharada Peetham
Kanchi Sri Kamakoti Peetham

Life and teachings

Biography of Adi Shankara from the official site of Sringeri Peetham
Brief life history of Adi Shankara with informative additional links
Biography of Shankara
The story of Adi Shankara
Complete works of Adi Shankara
Biography of Adi Shankara
Some of Shankara's works
Shankaracharya on OM
Original Shankaracarya (PDF)
Life of Shankaracharya — The Adventures of a Poet Philosopher
Adi Śańkara — short introduction to his life & philosophy (by Peter J. King)
Biography of Shankara by Swami Sivananda
Five-Letter Eulogy — poems by Adi Shankara and others (from Stutimandal)
Gauri Dashakam and other poems by Adi Shankara (from Stutimandal)

Historical

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