Adi Shankaracharya


Hindi Text

ADI SHANKARA 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 OTHER WORDS NON-DUAL BRAHMAN, IN WHICH BRAHMAN IS VIEWED AS WITHOUT ATTRIBUTES. HE HAILED FROM KALADY OF PRESENT DAY KERALA. SHANKARA TRAVELLED 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. HIS WORKS IN SANSKRIT, ALL OF WHICH STILL EXIST 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 REPRESENTED HIS WORKS AS ELABORATING ON IDEAS FOUND IN THE UPANISHADS, AND HE WROTE COPIOUS COMMENTARIES ON THE VEDIC CANON (BRAHMA SUTRA, PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS AND BHAGAVADGITA) IN SUPPORT OF HIS THESIS. THE MAIN OPPONENT IN HIS WORK IS THE MIMAMSA SCHOOL OF THOUGHT, THOUGH HE ALSO OFFERS SOME ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE VIEWS OF SOME OTHER SCHOOLS LIKE SAMKHYA AND CERTAIN SCHOOLS OF BUDDHISM THAT HE WAS PARTLY FAMILIAR WITH.


Workd Done :

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 svanubhava ("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 Bhasya ("commentary"), Prakarana grantha ("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: Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah 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 Upadesasahasri 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. Adi Shankara also wrote commentaries on other scriptural works, such as the Vishnu sahasranama and the Sanatsujatiya. Like the Bhagavad Gita, both of these are contained in the Mahabharata.


, INDIA

Posted By : Vinod Jindal on Dec 15, 2010


 
 

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