Ādi Śaṅkarācārya
c. 788–820 CE
The foremost exponent of Advaita Vedānta — Śaṅkara's life, works, and the core teaching of non-duality (advaita) that shaped Indian philosophy.
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Ādi Śaṅkarācārya is the most renowned teacher of Advaita (non-dual) Vedānta. Born in Kālāḍi, Kerala, he is said to have renounced the world early in life after receiving initiation from his mother. He traveled across India, engaging in philosophical debates, establishing monasteries (maṭhas), and composing commentaries on the Prasthāna Traya.
Life and Significance
Śaṅkara lived only thirty-two years but left an indelible mark on Indian philosophy. His core teaching is that Brahman alone is real, the world is phenomenally apparent, and the individual self is none other than Brahman itself (brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ).
Major Works
Commentaries (Bhāṣyas)
- Brahma Sūtra Bhāṣya — his magnum opus, establishing the Advaitic interpretation of the Brahma Sūtras
- Commentaries on ten Upaniṣads — the principal Upaniṣads
- Bhagavad Gītā Bhāṣya — the earliest extant commentary on the Gītā
Independent Works (Prakaraṇa Granthas)
- Vivekacūḍāmaṇi — The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination, a manual of Advaitic sādhana
- Ātma Bodha — Self-Knowledge
- Tattva Bodha — Knowledge of Reality
- Upadeśa Sāhasrī — A Thousand Teachings
- Moha Mudgara (Bhaja Govindaṁ) — devotional verses
Stotras (Hymns)
Śaṅkara composed numerous hymns including the Soundarya Lahari, Śivānanda Lahari, and various stotras on Śiva, Viṣṇu, Devī, and Gaṇeśa.
Disciples and Maṭhas
Śaṅkara established four monasteries (maṭhas) at the four cardinal directions of India:
- Jyotir Maṭha (Badrinath, north) — headed by his disciple Toṣala
- Kālikā Maṭha (Dwarka, west) — headed by Hastāmalaka
- Śāradā Maṭha (Sringeri, south) — headed by Sureśvara
- Govardhana Maṭha (Puri, east) — headed by Padmapāda
Philosophy
Śaṅkara’s Advaita is grounded in the identity of Ātman and Brahman. He introduced the concept of adhyāsa (superimposition) to explain the apparent world, and vivarta vāda to explain causality — the world is an apparent transformation of Brahman, not a real one. He distinguished between vyavahārika (empirical) and pāramārthika (absolute) levels of reality.