Adi Shankara, also known as Adi Shankaracharya, was an Indian Vedic scholar and teacher (acharya) whose works focused on liberating knowledge of the self, combining Advaita Vedanta teachings of the period. This article will explain the Adi Shankara which will be helpful in Indian Art and Culture preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Adi Shankara

• Adi Shankaracharya was an Indian philosopher and theologian whose works had a significant influence on Advaita Vedanta theology.
• He established mathas, which are thought to have aided in the historical growth, renewal, and dissemination of his philosophy.
• The account told today was rebuilt from many Shankara Vijayam (Shankara Conquests) written over the years.
• He is said to have been born in 788AD in the village of Kaladi on the banks of the Periyar, Kerala's greatest river.
• He is thought to have attained samadhi at Kedarnath, while Kanchi and Thrissur are also mentioned as places where Adi Shankara spent his final days.
• One of the mystic Bhakti poet-saint leaders who gave Hinduism a new direction.
• He advanced the Advaita (Monism) philosophy as well as the concept of Nirgunabrahman (god without attributes).
• The world's actuality is denied in Advaita, and Brahman is regarded as the only reality. Only Brahman, at its core, gives it its reality.
• Among his most famous lines are 'Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya Jivo Brahmatra Naparaha,' which means "The Absolute Spirit is the reality, the world of appearance is Maya," and 'Ekameva Adviteeyam Brahma,' which means "The absolute is one alone, not two."
• He emphasized knowledge (Gyan) as the only way to salvation.
• Shankaracharya wrote works such as Upadesasahasri, Vivekachudamani, and Bhaja Govindum Stotra.
• He also contributed commentary to the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahma Sutra, and the Upanishads.
• He established mathas in Dwarka, Puri, Sringeri, and Badrinath.
• Advaita impacted and was influenced by a variety of Hindu philosophies and scriptures, including Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, other Vedanta sub-schools, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, the Puranas, and the Agamas.

Adi Shankara

Advaita Vedanta

• It articulates a radical nonduality philosophical perspective, a revisionist worldview derived from ancient Upanishadic scriptures.
• The Upanishads, according to Advaita Vedantins, reveal a fundamental nonduality principle known as 'brahman,' which is the reality of all things.
• Brahman, according to Advaitins, transcends individuality and empirical plurality. They want to prove that Brahman is the vital core of one's self (atman).
• Advaita Vedanta's central thesis is that the atman is pure non-intentional consciousness.
• They want to prove that Brahman is the vital core of one's self (atman). It's non-intentional consciousness at its purest.
• It is a singular, nondual, limitless existence that is numerically identical to brahman.
• This effort requires connecting brahman metaphysics to a philosophy of awareness.
• Dashanami Sanyasis belong to the Advaita Vedanta school and are Adi Shankaracharya's disciples.
• "Dash Nam Sanyasi" is another name for them.

Literary works

• Adi Shankara is credited with the creation of 116 works.
• Famous commentaries (bhashyas) on 10 Upanishads, the Brahma Sutra, and the Gita, as well as poetry compositions such as Vivekachudamani, Maneesha Panchakam, and Saundaryalahiri, are among them.
• After composing the Kanakadhara Stotram, a shower of golden amlas descended, bringing prosperity to the household.
• Adi Shankara is also said to have written works like Shankara Smrithi, which aims to establish Nambuthiri Brahmins' social supremacy.
• His prasthana trayi (Upanishads, Brahmasutra, and Gita) comments, in which he demonstrates his understanding of Advaita Vedanta, have earned him significant respect.

Ashramas established by Shankara

• He built four ashrams in India's four corners, entrusting his four pupils with the task of teaching and propagating Advaita through them.
• His art transcends his time's political bounds.
• For the expansion of Advaita Vedanta, the mathas are thought to have established themselves in Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, and Joshimath.
• They are seen as Hindu custodians, and Shankara's digvijaya (conquest) is sometimes interpreted as a near-nationalistic undertaking in which faith, philosophy, and geography are entwined to envisage a Hindu India.

Relevance of Adi Shankara in Today’s world

• This spiritual wisdom must descend from the mountains into cities, towns, and villages, and, most importantly, into people's hearts and minds.
• It is past time to restore this culture, this piety, and this sense of humility, which has reaped immense benefits for us - to learn to bend down.
• This has been our strength, our path, the process and method of our development and realization.
• In all four corners of India, he built "Chaturamnaya peethas," or monastic establishments. And, well before the British, he may have been the first individual to use a structural and institutional framework to unite our entire country.
• He devised complex procedures for selecting spiritual leaders for these pontifical positions, as well as codifying their roles and responsibilities, which are being followed today.
• There aren't many philosophers who have also established institutions and secured their long-term viability without the help of political or military patrons. This is arguably Shankara's most remarkable feat.

Statue of Adi Shankara - Kedarnath

Conclusion

Adi Shankaracharya is regarded as a philosopher and preacher who had a greater influence on Hinduism than any other spiritual teacher. He is credited with uniting Hindu religious sects, establishing institutions in four corners of the country, writing all key treatises on religion, and establishing Sanatan Dharma practices through discussions - all in a 32-year life span.