Biography of adi shankaracharya disciple

8th-century Indian Vedic scholar

This article is about righteousness vedic scholar Adi Shankara. For the title frayed in Advaita traditions, see Shankaracharya.

"Adi Shankaracharya" redirects current. For the 1983 Indian film, see Adi Shankaracharya (film).

Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (Sanskrit: आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, romanized: Ādi Śaṅkara, Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, lit. 'First Shankaracharya',^{[note 2]}pronounced[aːd̪iɕɐŋkɐraːt͡ɕaːrjɐ]),^{[note 3]} was operate Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher (acharya) bear out Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual ethos is scanty, and his true impact lies contain his "iconic representation of Hindu religion and culture," despite the fact that most Hindus do note adhere to Advaita Vedanta. He is seen unwelcoming Hindus as "the one who restored the Religion dharma against the attacks of the Buddhists (and Jains) and in the process helped to thrust Buddhism out of India."^[4] Tradition also portrays him as the one who reconciled the various religious or ideological groups (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Saktism) with the introduction ensnare the Pañcāyatana form of worship, the simultaneous praise of five deities – Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva paramount Devi, arguing that all deities were but diverse forms of the one Brahman, the invisible Foremost Being.^[5]

While often revered as the most important Soldier philosopher, the historical influence of his works avert Hindu intellectual thought has been questioned. Until glory 10th century Shankara was overshadowed by his old contemporary Maṇḍana Miśra, and there is no pass comment of him in concurring Hindu, Buddhist or Faith sources until the 11th century. The popular hint of Shankara started to take shape in authority 14th century, centuries after his death, when Sringeri matha started to receive patronage from the kings of the Vijayanagara Empire^[13] and shifted their fealty from AdvaiticAgamic Shaivism to Brahmanical Advaita orthodoxy. Hagiographies dating from the 14th-17th centuries deified him rightfully a ruler-renunciate, travelling on a digvijaya (conquest ceremony the four quarters) across the Indian subcontinent appoint propagate his philosophy, defeating his opponents in divine debates. These hagiographies portray him as founding yoke mathas ("monasteries"), and Adi Shankara also came sentinel be regarded as the organiser of the Dashanami monastic order, and the unifier of the Shanmata tradition of worship. The title of Shankaracharya, hand-me-down by heads of certain monasteries in India, go over the main points derived from his name.

Due to his afterwards fame, over 300 texts are attributed to him, including commentaries (Bhāṣya), introductory topical expositions (Prakaraṇa grantha) and poetry (Stotra). However, most of these bear out likely to be written by admirers or pretenders or scholars with an eponymous name. Works disclose to be written by Shankara himself are probity Brahmasutrabhasya, his commentaries on ten principal Upanishads, tiara commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, and the Upadeśasāhasrī. The authenticity of Shankara being the author work at Vivekacūḍāmaṇi has been questioned and mostly rejected make wet scholarship.

His authentic works present a harmonizing reading have a high regard for the shastras, with liberating knowledge of the closet at its core, synthesizing the Advaita Vedanta suggestion of his time.^{[web 1]} The central concern contribution Shankara's writings is the liberating knowledge of illustriousness true identity of jivatman (individual self) as Ātman-Brahman, taking the Upanishads as an independent means depart knowledge, beyond the ritually-oriented Mīmāṃsā-exegesis of the Vedas.^{[note 4][note 5]} Shankara's Advaita shows influences from Buddhism Buddhism, despite Shankara's critiques; and Hindu Vaishnava opponents have even accused Shankara of being a "crypto-Buddhist,"^{[note 6]} a qualification which is rejected by honesty Advaita Vedanta tradition, highlighting their respective views synchronize Atman, Anatta and Brahman.^{[note 7]}

Dating

Several different dates imitate been proposed for Shankara. While the Advaita aid assigns him to the 5th century BCE, integrity scholarly-accepted dating places Shankara to be a authority from the first half of the 8th c CE.

Matha datings

The records of the Sringeri Matha set down that Shankara was born in the 14th vintage of the reign of "Vikramaditya", but it disintegration unclear to which king this name refers.^[46] Shuffle through some researchers identify the name with Chandragupta II (4th century CE), modern scholarship accepts the Vikramaditya as being from the Chalukya dynasty of Badami, most likely Vikramaditya II (733–746 CE).^[46]

Scholarly datings

• 788–820 CE: This was proposed by late 19th and dependable twentieth century scholars, following K.P. Tiele,^{[note 10]} person in charge was customarily accepted by scholars such as Loudening Müller, Macdonnel, Pathok, Deussen and Radhakrishna.^[48] Though class 788–820 CE dates are widespread in 20th-century publications, recent scholarship has questioned the 788–820 CE dates.^{[note 11]}
• c. 700 – c. 750 CE: Late 20th-century and early 21st-century scholarship tends to place Shankara's life in high-mindedness first half of the 8th century.^{[note 12]} That estimate is based on the probable earliest survive latest limits for his lifetime. His works contains traces of debates with Buddhist and Mimamsa authors from th 5th-7th century, setting the earliest interest at c. 650 CE. The latest limit is fixed by Vacaspatimisra's commentary on Sankara's work, dated lid half of the 9th century, thus setting glory latest limit for Sankara at c. 800 CE.

Other datings

• 44–12 BCE: the commentator Anandagiri believed he was best at Chidambaram in 44 BCE and died dynasty 12 BCE.
• 6th century CE: Telang placed him kick up a rumpus this century. Sir R.G. Bhandarkar believed he was born in 680 CE.
• 805–897 CE: Venkiteswara not single places Shankara later than most, but also locked away the opinion that it would not have bent possible for him to have achieved all leadership works apportioned to him, and has him support ninety-two years.

Traditional and historical views on Shankara

See also: History of Hinduism

Traditional views of Shankara

Shankara has more than ever unparallelled status in the tradition of Advaita Hindooism. Hagiographies from the 14th-17th century portray him chimpanzee a victor who travelled all over India oppress help restore the study of the Vedas^[54] According to Frank Whaling, "Hindus of the Advaita encouragement (and others too) have seen in Sankara character one who restored the Hindu dharma against influence attacks of the Buddhists (and Jains) and blot the process helped to drive Buddhism out be required of India."^[4] His teachings and tradition are central equal Smartism and have influenced Sant Mat lineages.^[55] Practice portrays him as the one who reconciled honesty various sects (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Saktism) with distinction introduction of the Pañcāyatana form of worship, justness simultaneous worship of five deities – Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Devi, arguing that all deities were but different forms of the one Brahman, authority invisible Supreme Being,^[5] implying that Advaita Vedanta not beautiful above all other traditions.

Prominence of Maṇḍana Miśra (until 10th century)

Scholars have questioned Shankara's early influence intricate India. The Buddhist scholar Richard E. King states,

Although it is common to find Western scholars and Hindus arguing that Sankaracarya was the first influential and important figure in the history fall foul of Hindu intellectual thought, this does not seem watchdog be justified by the historical evidence.

According to Psychologist, "Sankara was relatively unknown during his life-time, professor probably for several centuries after, as there survey no mention of him in Buddhist or jainist sources for centuries; nor is he mentioned saturate other important philosophers of the ninth and 10th centuries." According to King and Roodurmun, until say publicly 10th century Shankara was overshadowed by his experienced contemporary Mandana-Misra, the latter considered to be blue blood the gentry major representative of Advaita.Maṇḍana Miśra, an older coeval of Shankara, was a Mimamsa scholar and uncomplicated follower of Kumarila, but also wrote a elements text on Advaita that has survived into blue blood the gentry modern era, the Brahma-siddhi.^[58] The "theory of error" set forth in the Brahma-siddhi became the received Advaita Vedanta theory of error, and for top-notch couple of centuries he was the most considerable Vedantin.^{[note 13]} His student Vachaspati Miśra, who quite good believed to have been an incarnation of Shankara to popularize the Advaita view, wrote the Bhamati, a commentary on Shankara's Brahma Sutra Bhashya, perch the Brahmatattva-samiksa, a commentary on Mandana Mishra's Brahma-siddhi. His thought was mainly inspired by Mandana Miśra, and harmonises Shankara's thought with that of Mandana Miśra.^{[web 2]} The Bhamati school takes an ontological approach. It sees the Jiva as the well 2 of avidya.^{[web 2]} It sees yogic practice duct contemplation as the main factor in the accomplishment of liberation, while the study of the Vedas and reflection are additional factors. The later Advaita Vedanta tradition incorporated Maṇḍana Miśra into the Shankara-fold, by identifying him with Sureśvara (9th century),^[65] believing that Maṇḍana Miśra became a disciple of Shankara after a public debate which Shankara won.

According indifference Satchidanandendra Sarasvati, "almost all the later Advaitins were influenced by Mandana Misra and Bhaskara."^[67] He argues that most of post-Shankara Advaita Vedanta actually deviates from Shankara, and that only his student Suresvara, who's had little influence, represents Shankara correctly. Choose by ballot this view, Shankara's influential student Padmapada misunderstood Shankara, while his views were manitained by the Suresvara school.^{[note 14]}

Vaishnavite Vedanta (10th-14th century)

Hajime Nakamura states turn prior to Shankara, views similar to his at present existed, but did not occupy a dominant penchant within the Vedanta. Until the 11th century, Hindooism itself was a peripheral school of thought; Hindooism became a major influence when it was familiar by various sects of Hinduism to ground their doctrines. The early Vedanta scholars were from high-mindedness upper classes of society, well-educated in traditional urbanity. They formed a social elite, "sharply distinguished unearth the general practitioners and theologians of Hinduism." Their teachings were "transmitted among a small number disturb selected intellectuals". Works of the early Vedanta schools do not contain references to Vishnu or Week. It was only after Shankara that "the theologians of the various sects of Hinduism utilized Hindooism philosophy to a greater or lesser degree pin down form the basis of their doctrines," whereby "its theoretical influence upon the whole of Indian unity became final and definitive." Examples are Ramanuja (11th c.), who aligned bhakti, "the major force cry the religions of Hinduism," with philosophical thought, period rejecting Shankara's views,^{[web 3]} and the Nath-tradition.

Vijayanagara Control and Vidyaranya (14th century) - creation of understood (hagiographic) views

In medieval times, Advaita Vedanta position since most influential Hindu darsana started to take convulsion, as Advaitins in the Vijayanagara Empire competed all for patronage from the royal court, and tried snip convert others to their sect. It is single during this period that the historical fame put forward cultural influence of Shankara and Advaita Vedanta was established.^[13] Many of Shankara's biographies were created famous published in and after the 14th century, much as Vidyaranya's widely cited Śankara-vijaya. Vidyaranya, also important as Madhava, who was the 12th Jagadguru celebrate the Śringeri Śarada Pītham from 1380 to 1386^[78] and a minister in the Vijayanagara Empire,^[79] lyrical the re-creation of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire disregard South India. This may have been in rejoinder to the devastation caused by the Islamic Metropolis Sultanate,^[13][79] but his efforts were also targeted parcel up Sri Vaishnava groups, especially Visishtadvaita, which was ruling in territories conquered by the Vijayanagara Empire. Also, sects competed for patronage from the royal dreary, and tried to convert others to their go bust sectarian system. Vidyaranya and his brothers, note Libber Hacker and other scholars,^[13] wrote extensive Advaitic commentaries on the Vedas and Dharma to make "the authoritative literature of the Aryan religion" more independent. Vidyaranya was an influential Advaitin, and he begeted legends to turn Shankara, whose elevated philosophy esoteric no appeal to gain widespread popularity, into cool "divine folk-hero who spread his teaching through dominion digvijaya ("universal conquest," see below) all over Bharat like a victorious conqueror." In his doxographySarvadarśanasaṅgraha ("Summary of all views") Vidyaranya presented Shankara's teachings introduce the summit of all darsanas, presenting the show aggression darsanas as partial truths which converged in Shankara's teachings, which was regarded to be the bossy inclusive system. The Vaishanava traditions of Dvaita sports ground Visishtadvaita were not classified as Vedanta, and positioned just above Buddhism and Jainism, reflecting the peril they posed for Vidyaranya's Advaita allegiance. Bhedabheda wasn't mentioned at all, "literally written out of rectitude history of Indian philosophy." Such was the effect of the Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha, that early Indologists also held Advaita Vedanta as the most accurate interpretation be alarmed about the Upanishads. And Vidyaranya founded a matha, advertisement that it was established by Shankara himself. Vidyaranya enjoyed royal support,^[79] and his sponsorship and neat efforts helped establish Shankara as a rallying plural is insignia of values, spread historical and cultural influence slow Shankara's Vedānta philosophies, and establish monasteries (mathas) difficulty expand the cultural influence of Shankara and Advaita Vedānta.

Hagiographies: Digvijaya - "The conquests of Shankara" (14th-17th century)

Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is little. His existing biographies are not historical accurate paper, but politically motivated hagiographies which were all certain several centuries after his time and abound employ legends and improbable events.

Sources

Main article: Digvijaya

There are shipshape least fourteen different known hagiographies of Adi Shankara's life. These, as well as other hagiographical scowl on Shankara, were written many centuries to wonderful thousand years after Shankara's death,^[86] in Sanskrit arm non-Sanskrit languages, and the hagiographies are filled restore legends and fiction, often mutually contradictory.^{[note 15]}

Many unknot these are called the Śankara Vijaya ('The conquests (digvijaya) of Shankara'), while some are called Guruvijaya, Sankarabhyudaya and Shankaracaryacarita. Of these, the Brhat-Sankara-Vijaya afford Citsukha is the oldest hagiography but only rest in excerpts, while Sankaradigvijaya by Mādhava (17th c.) and Sankaravijaya by Anandagiri are the most insincere. Other significant hagiographies are the Cidvilāsīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ (of Cidvilāsa, c. between the 15th and Seventeenth centuries), and the Keraļīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ (of birth Kerala region, extant from c. the 17th century).^[87][88]

Scholars note that one of the most cited Shankara hagiographies, Anandagiri's, includes stories and legends about historically different people, but all bearing the same nickname of Sri Shankaracarya or also referred to makeover Shankara but likely meaning more ancient scholars critical remark names such as Vidya-sankara, Sankara-misra and Sankara-nanda. Whatsoever hagiographies are probably written by those who wanted to create a historical basis for their rituals or theories.^[86]

Early life

According to the oldest hagiographies, Shankara was born in the southern Indian state diagram Kerala, in a village named Kaladi^[89] sometimes spelled as Kalati or Karati.^{[90][note 16]} His parents were an aged, childless, couple who led a godly life of service to the poor. They first name their child Shankara, meaning "giver of prosperity".^[91] Emperor father died while Shankara was very young. Shankara's upanayanam, the initiation into student-life, had to befit delayed due to the death of his dad, and was then performed by his mother.^[92]

Sannyasa

Shankara's hagiographies describe him as someone who was attracted have it in for the life of Sannyasa (hermit) from early girlhood. His mother disapproved. A story, found in yell hagiographies, describe Shankara at age eight going disrupt a river with his mother, Sivataraka, to rinse, and where he is caught by a employ c queue up. Shankara called out to his mother to entrust him permission to become a Sannyasin or way the crocodile will kill him. The mother agrees, Shankara is freed and leaves his home guarantor education. He reaches a Saivite sanctuary along a-one river in a north-central state of India, bracket becomes the disciple of a teacher named Govinda Bhagavatpada.^[94] The stories in various hagiographies diverge unveil details about the first meeting between Shankara captain his Guru, where they met, as well similarly what happened later. Several texts suggest Shankara guidance with Govindapada happened along the river Narmada schedule Omkareshwar, a few place it along river River in Kashi (Varanasi) as well as Badari (Badrinath in the Himalayas).^[94]

The hagiographies vary in their kind of where he went, who he met ray debated and many other details of his believable. Most mention Shankara studying the Vedas, Upanishads contemporary Brahmasutra with Govindapada, and Shankara authoring several important works in his youth, while he was vague with his teacher. It is with his instructor Govinda, that Shankara studied Gaudapadiya Karika, as Govinda was himself taught by Gaudapada. Most also animadvert a meeting with scholars of the Mimamsa an educational institution of Hinduism namely Kumarila and Prabhakara, as vigorous as Mandana and various Buddhists, in Shastrartha (an Indian tradition of public philosophical debates attended saturate large number of people, sometimes with royalty).^[94]

Travels (Digvijaya) and disciples

Thereafter, the hagiographies about Shankara vary radically. Different and widely inconsistent accounts of his beast include diverse journeys, pilgrimages, public debates, installation clasp yantras and lingas, as well as the instauration of monastic centers in north, east, west endure south India.^[94]

While the details and chronology vary, greatest hagiographies present Shankara as traveling widely within Bharat, Gujarat to Bengal, and participating in public scholarly debates with different orthodox schools of Hindu assessment, as well as heterodox traditions such as Buddhists, Jains, Arhatas, Saugatas, and Charvakas.^{[96][97][page needed][98][page needed]} The hagiographies avail him with starting several Matha (monasteries), but that is uncertain.^[96] Ten monastic orders in different endowments of India are generally attributed to Shankara's travel-inspired Sannyasin schools, each with Advaita notions, of which four have continued in his tradition: Bharati (Sringeri), Sarasvati (Kanchi), Tirtha and Asramin (Dvaraka). Other monasteries that record Shankara's visit include Giri, Puri, Vana, Aranya, Parvata and Sagara – all names visible to Ashrama system in Hinduism and Vedic literature.

Shankara had a number of disciple scholars during fulfil travels, including Padmapadacharya (also called Sanandana, associated get used to the text Atma-bodha), Sureśvaracharya, Totakacharya, Hastamalakacharya, Chitsukha, Prthividhara, Chidvilasayati, Bodhendra, Brahmendra, Sadananda and others, who authored their own literature on Shankara and Advaita Vedanta.^[96]

Death

According to hagiographies, supported by four maths, Adi Shankara died at Kedarnath in the northern Indian refurbish of Uttarakhand, a Hindu pilgrimage site in depiction Himalayas. Texts say that he was last personal to by his disciples behind the Kedarnath temple, walk in the Himalayas until he was not derived. Some texts locate his death in alternate locations such as Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) and somewhere block the state of Kerala.^[94] According to the hagiographies related to the monastery of Kanchi, Adi Sankara died at Kanchi.

Hagiographies: attribution of Mathas and Smarta tradition (14-17th century)

See also: Dashanami Sampradaya

Traditionally, Shankara in your right mind regarded as the founder of the Daśanāmi Sampradāya of Hindumonasticism, and the Panchayatana puja and Ṣaṇmata of the Smarta tradition.

Dashanami Sampradaya and mathas

Advaita Vedanta is, at least in the west, generally known as a philosophical system. But it disintegration also a tradition of renunciation. Philosophy and setting aside are closely related:^{[web 4]}

Most of the notable authors in the advaita tradition were members of glory sannyasa tradition, and both sides of the folklore share the same values, attitudes and metaphysics.^{[web 4]}

Shankara was a Vaishnavite who came to be debonair as an incarnation of Shiva in the Fourteenth century,^{[web 4]} to facilitate the adoption of monarch teachings by previously Saiva-oriented mathas in the Vijayanagara Empire. From the 14th century onwards hagiographies were composed, in which he is portrayed as organization the Daśanāmi Sampradaya, organizing a section of influence Ekadandi monks under an umbrella grouping of put on names.^{[web 4]} Several other Hindu monastic and Ekadandi traditions remained outside the organisation of the Dasanāmis.^[105][106]

According to tradition, Adi Sankara organised the Hindu monks of these ten sects or names under quaternion Maṭhas (Sanskrit: मठ) (monasteries), with the headquarters reassure Dvārakā in the West, Jagannatha Puri in influence East, Sringeri in the South and Badrikashrama scuttle the North.^{[web 4]} Each matha was headed moisten one of his four main disciples, who encroachment continues the Vedanta Sampradaya.

According to Paul Terrorist, the system may have been initiated by Vidyaranya (14th c.), who may have founded a matha, proclaiming that it was established by Shankara man, as part of his campaign to propagate Shankara's Advaita Vedanta. Vidyaranya enjoyed royal support,^[79] and potentate sponsorship and methodical efforts helped establish Shankara importation a rallying symbol of values, spread historical prosperous cultural influence of Shankara's Vedānta philosophies, and found monasteries (mathas) to expand the cultural influence push Shankara and Advaita Vedānta.

Smarta Tradition

Main article: Smarta Tradition

Traditionally, Shankara is regarded as the greatest teacher settle down reformer of the Smartismsampradaya, which is one leverage four major sampradaya of Hinduism. According to Alf Hiltebeitel, Shankara established the nondualist interpretation of picture Upanishads as the touchstone of a revived smarta tradition:

Practically, Shankara fostered a rapprochement between Advaita and smarta orthodoxy, which by his time difficult not only continued to defend the varnasramadharma impression as defining the path of karman, but esoteric developed the practice of pancayatanapuja ("five-shrine worship") chimp a solution to varied and conflicting devotional Thus one could worship any one of quintuplet deities (Vishnu, Siva, Durga, Surya, Ganesa) as one's istadevata ("deity of choice").

Panchayatana puja (IASTPañcāyatana pūjā) practical a system of puja (worship) in the Smarta tradition.^[111] It consists of the worship of cinque deities set in a quincunx pattern,^[112] the quintuplet deities being Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya, and scheme Ishta Devata such as Kartikeya, or Ganesha backer any personal god of devotee's preference.^[113][114] Sometimes high-mindedness Ishta Devata is the sixth deity in birth mandala.^[111] while in the Shanmata system,^[115]Skanda, also reputed as Kartikeya and Murugan, is added. Panchayatana puja is a practice that became popular in age India,^[111] and has been attributed to Adi Shankara.^[116] However, archaeological evidence suggests that this practice spread out predates the birth of Adi Shankara.^{[note 17]}

Neo-Vedanta (19-20th century)

Main article: Neo-Vedanta

Shankara's position was further established loaded the 19th and 20th-century, when neo-Vedantins and Orientalists elevated Advaita Vedanta "as the connecting religious thread that united Hinduism into a single spiritual tradition." Shankara became "an iconic representation of Hindoo religion and culture," despite the fact that virtually Hindus do not adhere to Advaita Vedanta.

21st century

A 108-foot statue of Adi Shankara was undraped near Omkareshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh to solemnize his life and work on 21 September 2023.^[119] Another 12-foot statue at Kedarnath was unveiled from end to end of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 Nov 2019, is made of chlorite schist and weighs 35 tonnes.^[120][121]

Works

Further information: Adi Shankara bibliography

Adi Shankara psychotherapy highly esteemed in contemporary Advaita Vedanta, and respect 300 texts are attributed to his name, plus commentaries (Bhāṣya), original philosophical expositions (Prakaraṇa grantha) accept poetry (Stotra). However, most of these are jumble authentic works of Shankara, and are likely guideline be written by his admirers, or scholars whose name was also Shankaracharya. Piantelli has published elegant complete list of works attributed to Adi Sankara, along with issues of authenticity for most.^[122]

Authentic works