Aadi Shankaracharya

Adi Shankara (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya and Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, was an Indian philosopher who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, a sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul and Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes. He hailed from Kalady of present day Kerala.

Shankara traveled across India and other parts of South Asia to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He founded four mathas ("monasteries"), which helped in the historical development, revival, and spread of Advaita Vedanta. Adi Shankara is believed to be the organizer of the Dashanami monastic order and the founder of the Shanmata tradition of worship.

Also Read

• Introduction to Santana Dharma
• Eternal Time - Kaala Chakra
• Sushruta Samhita: The Ancient Medical Scriptures

His works in Sanskrit, all of which are extant today, concern themselves with establishing the doctrine of Advaita (Nondualism). He also established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa school established strict ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. Shankara relied entirely on the Upanishads for reference concerning Brahman and wrote copious commentaries on the Vedic Canon (Brahma Sutra, Principal Upanishads and Bhagavadgita) in support of his thesis.

Also See About Adi Shankaracharya:

• Adi Shankaracharya's Childhood
• Adi Shankaracharya in search of GURU - Guru Govinda Bhagavatpada
• Philosophy of Shri Adi Shankaracharya
• The Disciples of Adi Shankaracharya
• Shri Adi Shankaracharya's Pithams ( Math )
• History of Sringeri Sharadha Pitam
• Sri Govardhan Math (Peetham)
• Advaita Vedanta - By Adi Shankaracharya

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