Adi Shankara
| Adi Shankara | |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 788 to 820 CE [1] |
| Birth place: | Kaladi, Kerala, India |
| Philosophy: | Advaita Vedanta |
| Teacher: | Govinda Bhagavatpada |
| Influenced: | Hinduism, Hindu philosophy |
| Founded: | Dashanami Sampradaya, Shanmata |
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Adi Shankara (Devanāgarī
आदि शंकर; Malayalam
ആദി ശങ്കരാ; IAST Ādi Śaṃkara; IPA [α:di shənkərə]), also known as Ādi Śaṃkarācārya (the first Śankara in his lineage), Śaṃkara Bhagavatpādācārya (the teacher at the feet of the Lord), 788 — 820 CE,[1] was the first philosopher in in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta to formulate the siddhanta (doctrine) of this tradition in his many works in Sanskrit. In addition to writing, he held many seminal debates with other philosophers, in which he established his siddhanta.
Born in the southern state of Kerala, he toured India on foot, propagating his teachings. He founded four mathas in India at the four cardinal directions. These institutions play an important role today in the propagation of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy and Hinduism. These mathas are mainly followed by Hindu Smartas. He was the founder of the Daśanāmi Saṃpradāya of Hindu monasticism and Shanmata tradition of Smarta sampradaya. He also introduced the Pañcayatana form of worship.
Life
The traditional source for accounts of Adi Shankara's life are the Shankara Vijayams (IAST Śaṃkara Vijayaṃ). Literally meaning Victory of Shankara, these works contain much historical material along with legends. The most important among these biographies are the Mādhavīya Śaṃkara Vijayaṃ, the Ānandagirīya Śaṃkara Vijayaṃ, the Cidvilāsīya Śaṃkara Vijayaṃ, and the Keraļīya Śaṃkara Vijayaṃ.
All the Shankara Vijayams agree that Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, Kerala, India, to a Namboothiri brahmin couple, Shivaguru (IAST Śivaguru) and Aryamba (IAST Āryāṃbā) and that he lived for thirty two years.
Birth and childhood
Adi Shankara's parents were childless for many years. They prayed at the Vadakkumnathan (Vṛṣācala) temple in Thrissur, Kerala, for the birth of a child. Legend has it that Śiva appeared to both husband and wife in their dreams, and offered them a choice: a mediocre son who would live a long life, or an extraordinary son who would not live long. Both Shivaguru and Aryamba chose the latter. A son was born at Veliyanad, at Edakkattuvayal Village in Ernakulam District, Kerala, India.[2] He was named Shankara, in honour of Shiva.
Shivaguru died while Shankara was very young. Shankara's upanayanaṃ was performed at the age of five by his uncle. As a child, Shankara showed remarkable scholarship and mastered the four Vedas by the age of eight. Following the common practice of that era, Shankara studied and lived at the home of his teacher. It was customary for students and men of learning to receive Bhikṣā (alms) from the laity; on one occasion, while accepting Bhikṣā, Shankara came upon a woman who had nothing to eat in her house, except a single dried amalaka fruit (Indian gooseberry, Emblica officinalis[3]). Rather than consume this last bit of food herself, the pious lady gave away the fruit to Shankara as Bhikṣā. Moved by her piety, Shankara composed the Kanakadhārā Stotram on the spot. Legend has it that on completion of the stotra, golden amalaka fruits were showered upon the woman by Lakṣmi, the Goddess of wealth.
Sannyasa
From a young age, Shankara was attracted to sannyasa (IAST Saṃnyāsa). However, his mother, Aryamba, was entirely against his becoming a sannyasi (ascetic), and consistently refused him her formal permission, which was required before he could take sannyasa. Once when Shankara was bathing in the river, a crocodile gripped him by the leg and began to drag him into the water. Only his mother was nearby, and it proved impossible for her to get him away from the grip of the crocodile. Shankara then told his mother that he was on the verge of death; if she would give him her formal permission verbally, he would at this moment renounce the world and die a sannyasi. At the end of her wits, his mother agreed; Shankara immediately recited the maṃtras that made a renunciate of him, entered sannyasa, and awaited death. But inexplicably, the crocodile released him from its very jaws and swam away. Shankara emerged unscathed from the river, now a sannyasi.
Seeing in this incident the hand of God, Aryamba put no further obstacles in the path of her son. Shankara then left Kerala and travelled throughout India. When he reached the banks of the river Narmada, he met Govinda Bhagavatpada (IAST Goviṃda Bhagavatpāda), the disciple of Gaudapada (IAST Gauḍapāda). The Madhavīya Shankaravijaya states that Adi Shankara once calmed a flood from the Reva River by placing his kamanḍalu (water pot) in the path of the raging water, thus saving his Guru Govinda Bhagavatpada who was immersed in Samādhi in a cave nearby. Govinda Bhagavatpada is said to have asked Adi Shankara who he was. Adi Shankara then replied with a verse composed extempore, that brought out clearly the Advaita philosophy in regard to the Self. Shankara was then initiated as Govinda Bhagavatapada's disciple, thus formally entering sanyasa.
Adi Shankara was then commissioned by his Guru to write a Bhashya (commentary) on the Brahma Sutra and spread the Advaita philosophy far and wide. Adi Shankara travelled to Kashi, where a young man from South India, (Madhaviya Shankaravijaya says he was from Choladesha) named Sanandana, became his first disciple. He had a well-known encounter with an untouchable. On his way to the Vishwanath temple in Kashi, he came upon an untouchable and his four dogs. When asked to move aside by Shankara's disciples, the untouchable asked: "Do you wish that I move my ever lasting Ātman, or this body made of food?" Seeing the untouchable as none other than Lord Shiva and his dogs as the four Vedas, Shankara prostrated himself before Ishwara, composing five shlokas known as Manisha Panchakam.
Then, reaching Badari, he wrote the famous Bhashyas and many prakarana granthas (philosophical treatises) in his twelfth year. Leaving Badari, he then taught these commentaries to his disciples. Some, like Sanandana, were quick to grasp the essence. The other disciples became rather jealous of Sanandana. So, in order to convince them of his inherent superiority, Adi Shankara one day called that disciple, who was then standing on the opposite bank of the Ganga River, to come to him immediately. Then Sanandana is said to have crossed the river by walking on the lotuses that were brought out wherever he placed his foot. Adi Shankara was greatly impressed by his disciple and gave him the name Padmapāda (the lotus-footed one).
One day, sage Vyāsa visited Adi Shankara, who was seated ont he banks of the Ganga River, in the guise of an old brāhmaṇa. Adi Shankara is said to have debated with the brāhmaṇa for over eight days when at last, Vyasa revealed his real identity and blessed Adi Shankara.
Meeting with Mandana Mishra
One of the most famous of these debates was with the famed ritualist Mandana Mishra (IAST Maṃḍana Miśra). Mandana Mishra's Guru was the famous Mimāṃsaka (Mimamsa philosopher), Kumarīla Bhaṭṭa. Shankara met the Mimāṃsaka in Prayag when he was committing self-immolation by burying himself in a slow burning pyre in order to repent for his sins by him committed against his Guru. The Bhaṭṭa had learnt Buddhist philosophy incognito from that Guru in order to be able to refute it. The Bhaṭṭa then asked Adi Shankara to proceed to Mahiṣmati to meet Mandana Mishra and debate with him.
Adi Shankara, once he reached Mahiṣmati, proceeded to the house of Mandana Mishra. He then had a famous debate with him in which the wife of Mandana Mishra, Ubhaya Bhāratī (an incarnation of Saraswati), was the referee. After debating for over fifteen days, Adi Shankara won the debate and Mandana Mishra accepted defeat. But Ubhaya Bhāratī then challenged Adi Shankara to have a debate with her in order to 'complete' the victory. This debate was to be on the subject of kāmaśāstra (science of sex-love). Now, Adi Shankara, being a sannyasi, had no knowledge of this subject. After requesting for some time before entering into this fresh debate, he is said to have entered the body of a king by his yogic powers and acquired that knowledge. Later, however, Ubhaya Bhāratī declined to debate with him and allowed Mandana Mishra to accept sannyasa with the yoga patta Sureśvarācārya as per the agreed rules of the original debate.
Dig-vijaya
Adi Shankara then travelled with his disciples to Maharashtra and then on to Srisailam, where he composed Shivanandalahari a devotional hymn to Shiva. According to legend, once he was saved by Narasimha, who is said to have manifested because of Padmapada's prayer, from being sacrificed by a Kapalika. He then composed the Laksmi-Nrsimha stotra.
He then travelled to Gokarṇa and the temple of Hari-Shankara. Then he travelled to the Mūkaṃbika temple at Kollur. While there, he accepted a boy, who was believed to be dumb by his parents, as his disciple named Hastāmalakācārya (one with the amalaka[3] fruit on his palm, i.e., one who has clearly realised the Self). He then travelled to Śṛngeri where he founded the Śārada Pīṭham and made Toṭakācārya his disciple.
He then travelled with King Sudhanva on a Dig-vijaya (missionary tour) for the propagation of the Advaita philosophy by controverting all philosophies opposed to it. He passed through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha. He then started towards Karnataka where he encoutered a band of armed Kapalikas. These were resisted by King Sudhanva, who was accompanying Adi Shankara's party, and eventually defeated. Then he reached Gokarna where he defeated the Shaiva acholar, Neelakanta.
Then he proceeded to Dwarka, where he defeated in debate, the Vaiṣṇavas, and Ujjayini where he defeated Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara in debate. All the scholars of Ujjayini (also known as Avanti) are said to have accepted Adi Shankara's philosophy. He then defeated the Jainas at a place called Bahlika. He then had an encounter with a tantrik, Navagupta at Kamarupa. Navagupta pretended to have become a disciple, but later caused Adi Shankara to get a rectal fistula on his body. But Adi Shankara was soon cured and Navagupta then died of the same disease.
It is a traditional belief that Adi Sankara installed at Srirangam a yantra called janakarshana to attract pilgrims to this sacred temple, just as at Tirupati he installed the dhanakarshana yantra. Indeed, Srirangam is the most visited Hindu temple in the world, and Tirupati is the richest.
Adi Shankara travelled throughout India thrice, from the South to Kashmir and Nepal, preaching to the local populace and debating philosophy with Hindu, Buddhist and other scholars and monks along the way.
Accession to Sarvajnapitha
Adi Shankara to have visited the Sarvajnapitha (IAST Sarvajñapīṭha)[4] (now in PoK) in Kashmir. The Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya states this Pitha had four doors for scholars from the four cardinal directions. The southern door (representing South India) had never been opened, indicating that no scholar from South India had entered the Sarvajna Pitha. Adi Shankara opened the southern door by defeating in debate all the scholars there in all the various scholastic disciplines such as Mimamsa, Vedanta and other branches of Hindu philosophy, he ascended the Sarvajnapitha. The Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya states that Goddess Sharada herself proclaimed the unquestioned scholarly triumph of Adi Shankara on this occasion.
He then travelled to Kedarnath and attained videha mukti at the age of thirty two. However, there are many variant traditions on the location of his last days. The Kanchi matha followers believe he achieved the same in Kanchi. Another tradition expounded by Keraliya Shankaravijaya places his place of death as Vadakkumnathan (Vṛṣācala) temple in Thrissur, Kerala.
Dates
Modern scholarship is agreed on the 788–820 CE date,[5] though it has proved impossible to reach agreement on Adi Shankara's precise dates of birth or death. Some Shankara Maṭhas, however, ascribe much earlier dates to him. If these dates were true, they would require moving back the date of Buddha (which serves as an anchor for modern academic history of India).
Of the major Shankara Maṭhas active today, the ones at Kanchi, Dwaraka, and Puri ascribe the dates 509–477 BCE to Adi Shankara[citation needed]. The Śringeri Śārada Pīṭham, on the other hand, accepts the 788–820 CE dates. (See also Mathas.)
According to Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati's biography of Adi Shankara, published in his book Sannyasa Darshan, Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, Kerala, in 686, and attained mahasamadhi at Kedarnath, Uttaranchal, in 718.
Mathas
Adi Shankara is said to have founded four Maṭhas(monasteries or religious orders), which are important to this day, to guide the Hindu religion. These are at Sringeri in Karnataka in the south, Dwaraka in Gujarat in the west, Puri in Orissa in the east, and Jyotirmath (Joshimath) in Uttaranchal in the north. The tradition states that he put in charge of these mathas his four main disciples: Sureshwaracharya, Hastamalakacharya, Padmapadacharya, and Totakacharya respectively. The heads of the mathas trace their authority back to them. Each of the heads of these four mathas takes the title of Shankaracharya (the learned Shankara) after the first Shankara. However, there is no concrete evidence for the existence of these mathas before the 14th century[citation needed]. The matha at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, claims that it was also founded by Adi Shankara.
The below table gives an overview of the four Amnaya Mathas founded by Adi Shankara and their details.[6]
| Disciple | Pīṭham | Mahāvākya | Veda | Saṃpradāya |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastāmalakācārya | Govardhana Pīṭham | Prajnānam brahma (Brahman is knowledge) | Rig Veda | Bhogavala |
| Sureśvarācārya | Śārada Pīṭham | Aham brahmāsmi (I am Brahman) | Yajur Veda | Bhūrivala |
| Padmapādācārya | Dvāraka Pīṭham | Tattvamasi (That thou art) | Sama Veda | Kitavala |
| Toṭakācārya | Jyotirmaṭha Pīṭham | Ayamātmā brahma (This Atman is Brahman) | Atharva Veda | Nandavala |
Philosophy and religious thought
At the time of Adi Shankara's life, Hinduism had lost began to decline because of the influence of Buddhism and Jainism. Adi Shankara stressed the importance of the Vedas, and his work helped Hinduism regain strength and popularity. Although he did not live long, he travelled on foot to various parts of India to restore the study of the Vedas. He completed three trips of India on foot before his videha mukti. His philosophy is known as Advaita Vedanta. It states that spiritual ignorance (avidya) is caused by seeing the self (ātman) where self is not. Discrimination needs to be developed in order to distinguish true from false. Knowledge (jnana) alone gives moksha by destroying ignorance (avidya).
Adi Shankara proposed that, while the phenomenal universe, our consciousness and bodily being are certainly experienced, they are not true reality, but are rather māya. Brahman, the single divine foundation, which is beyond time, space, and causation. Brahman is immanent and transcendent, but not merely a pantheistic concept. Indeed, while Brahman is the efficient and material cause for the cosmos, Brahman itself is not limited by self-projection; it transcends and pervades all names and forms.
Advaita Vedanta philosophy is based on śāstra (scriptures), yukti (reason) and anubhava (experience), and aided by karmas (spiritual practices).[7] This philosophy provides a clear-cut way of life to be followed. Starting from childhood when learning has to start, till old age, when the philosophy has to be realised in practice throughout one's life. This is the reason why this philosophy is called an experiential philosophy, the underlying tenet being "That thou art", meaning that ultimately there is no difference between the experiencer and the experienced (the world) as well as the universal spirit (Brahman). Thus the among the followers of this doctrine, as well those of other doctrines, there have appeared many Jivanmuktas, ones liberated while alive. These individuals (commonly called Mahatmas) are those who realised the oneness of their self and the universal spirit called Brahman.
Historical and cultural impact
Even though he lived for only thirty-two years, his impact on India and on Hinduism cannot be stressed enough. He reintroduced a purer form of Vedic thought. His teachings and sampradaya (tradition) form the basis of the Smārta Saṃpradāya (Smarta Tradition) and have influenced Sant Mat lineages.[8] He is the main figure in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. He is the founder of the Dashanami Sampradaya and Shanmata tradition of worship. He travelled all over India (Kerala to Kashmir and Nepal) three times over and was a major cause in the revival and integration of Sanatana Dharma. The mathas he founded are very much active today and form the guiding force for Hinduism. Smartas are the denomination in Hinduism who are the main adherents of Adi Shankara's philosophy and sampradaya.
A well known verse, recited in the Smarta tradition, in praise of Adi Shankara is:
श्रुति स्मृति पुराणानामालयं करुणालयं |
नमामि भगवत्पादशंकरं लॊकशंकरं ||
- Śruti smṛti purāṇānāṃālayaṃ karuṇālayaṃ|
- Namāmi Bhagavatpādaśaṃkaraṃ lokaśaṃkaraṃ||
I salute the compassionate abode of the Vedas, Smritis and Puranas known as Shankara Bhagavatpada, and who makes the world auspicious.
Works
Adi Shankara wrote many works[9] in his life-time of thirty two years; however, many works thought to be of his authorship are debated and questioned as to their authorship today.
Traditionally, his works are classified under Bhāṣya (commentary), Prakaraṇa graṃtha (philosophical treatise) and Stotra (devotional hymn). A partial list of his works is given below.
Bhāṣya
Adi Shankara wrote Bhāṣya (commentaries) on
- Brahmasūtra
- Aitareya Upaniṣad (Rigveda)
- Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad ( Śukla Yajurveda)
- Īśa Upaniṣad ( Śukla Yajurveda)
- Taittirīya Upaniṣad ( Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda)
- Kaṭha Upaniṣad ( Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda)
- Chāṃdogya Upaniṣad (Atharvaveda)
- Māṃḍūkya Upaniṣad (Atharvaveda) and Gauḍapāda Kārika
- Muṃḍaka Upaniṣad(Atharvaveda)
- Praśna Upaniṣad(Atharvaveda)
- Bhagavadgīta (Mahabhārata)
- Vishnu Sahasranama(Mahabhārata)
- Gāyatri Maṃtra
Prakaraṇa graṃtha
Adi Shankara wrote the following treatises
- Vivekacūḍāmaṇi (Crest-Jewel of Discrimination)
- Upadeśasāhasri (A thousand teachings)
- Śataśloki
- Daśaśloki
- Ekaśloki
- Paṃcīkaraṇa
- Ātma bodha
- Aparokṣānubhūti
- Sādhana Paṃcakaṃ
- Nirvāṇa Śatakaṃ
- Manīśa Paṃcakaṃ
- Yati Paṃcakaṃ
- Vākyasudha
- Tattva bodha
- Vākya vṛtti
- Siddhāṃta Tattva Viṃdu
- Nirguṇa Mānasa Pūja
Stotra
Adi Shankara composed many hymns on Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Ganesha and Subrahmanya[10]
- Bhaja Goviṃdaṃ, also known as Mohamuḍgara
- Śivānandalahiri
- Sauṃdaryalahiri
- Śrī Lakṣmīnṛsiṃha Karāvalaṃba Stotraṃ
- Śāradā Bhujangaṃ
- Kanakadhāra Stotraṃ
- Bhavāni Aṣṭakaṃ
- Śiva Mānasa Pūja
Editions
A lot of editions of the works of Adi Shankara are available. A few of them are given below:[11]
- Collections of Works
- Sri Sankara Granthavali - Complete Works of Sri Sankaracarya in the original Sanskrit, v. 1-10, revised ed., Samata Books, Madras, 1998. (Originally published from Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1910ff., under the direction of the Sringeri matha.)
- Sankaracaryera Granthamala, v. 1-4, Basumati Sahitya Mandira, Calcutta, 1995. (complete works with Bengali translation and commentary)
- Upanishad-bhashya-sangraha, Mahesanusandhana Samsthanam, Mt. Abu, 1979-1986. Sankara's bhashyas on the Katha, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, with Anandagiri's Tīkas and other sub-commentaries.
- Prakarana-dvadasi, Mahesanusandhana Samsthanam, Mt. Abu, 1981. A collection of twelve prakarana granthas, with commentaries.
- Brahmasutra Bhashya
- Edited with Marathi translation, by Kasinath Sastri Lele, Srikrishna Mudranalaya, Wai, 1908.
- Edited with vaiyasika-nyayamala of Bharatitirtha, and Marathi commentary, by Vishnu Vaman Bapat Sastri, Pune, 1923.
- Selections translated into English, by S. K. Belvalkar, Poona Oriental Series no. 13, Bilvakunja, Pune, 1938.
- Edited with Adhikarana-ratnamala of Bharatitirtha, Sri Venkatesvara Mudranalaya, Bombay, 1944.
- Translated into English, by V. M. Apte, Popular Book Depot, Bombay, 1960.
- Translated into English, by George Thibaut, Dover, New York, 1962. (reprint of Clarendon Press editions of The Sacred books of the East v.34, 38)
- Sri Sankaracarya Granthavali, no. 3, 1964.
- Translated into German, by Paul Deussen, G. Olms, Hildesheim, 1966.
- Bhagavadgita Bhashya
- Critically edited by Dinkar Vishnu Gokhale, Oriental Book Agency, Pune, 1931.
- Edited with Anandagiri's Tika, by Kasinath Sastri Agashe, Anandasrama, Pune, 1970.
- Alladi Mahadeva Sastri, The Bhagavad Gita : with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, Samata Books, Madras, 1977.
- A. G. Krishna Warrier, Srimad Bhagavad Gita Bhashya of Sri Sankaracarya, Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1983.
- Trevor Leggett, Realization of the Supreme Self : the Bhagavad Gita Yogas, (translation of Sankara's commentary), Kegan Paul International, London, 1995.
- Upadeshasahasri
- Sitarama Mahadeva Phadke, Sankaracaryakrta Upadesashasri, Rasikaranjana Grantha Prasaraka Mandali, Pune, 1911. (with Marathi translation)
- Paul Hacker, Unterweisung in der All-Einheits-Lehre der Inder: Gadyaprabandha, (German translation of and notes on the Prose book of the upadeSasAhasrI) L. Röhrscheid, Bonn, 1949.
- Vivekachudamani
- Edited with English translation, by Mohini Chatterjee, Theosophical Publishing House, Madras, 1947.
- Ernest Wood, The Pinnacle of Indian Thought, Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton (Illinois), 1967. (English translation)
- Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, Shankara's Crest-jewel of Discrimination, with A Garland of Questions and Answers, Vedanta Press, California, 1971.
- Sri Sankara's Vivekachudamani with an English translation of the Sanskrit Commentary of Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati of Sringeri. Translated by P. Sankaranarayanan. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 1999
- Panchikarana
- Edited with Sureshvara's varttika and varttikabharana of Abhinavanarayanendra Sarasvati (17th cent.), Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1970.
- Edited with Gujarati translation and notes, Sri Harihara Pustakalya, Surat, 1970.
See also
References and notes
- Sankara-Digvijaya. Madhava Vidyaranya. Translated by Swami Tapasyananda. Sri Ramakrishna Math. 2002. ISBN 8171204341.
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External links
- Works
- Complete Works of Adi Shankara
- Advaita Vedanta Anusandhana Kendra
- Complete works of Adi Shankara
- Advaita Vedanta Library
- Some major works of Adi Shankaracharya
- Mathas
- Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham
- Kanchi Sri Kamakoti Peetham
- Life and teachings
- Biography of Adi Shankara from the official site of Sringeri Peetham
- Brief life history of Adi Shankara with informative additional links
- Biography of Shankara
- The story of Adi Shankara
- Complete works of Adi Shankara
- Biography of Adi Shankara
- Some of Shankara's works
- Shankaracharya on OM
- Original Shankaracarya (PDF)
- Life of Shankaracharya — The Adventures of a Poet Philosopher
- Adi Śańkara — short introduction to his life & philosophy (by Peter J. King)
- Biography of Shankara by Swami Sivananda
- Five-Letter Eulogy — poems by Adi Shankara and others (from Stutimandal)
- Gauri Dashakam and other poems by Adi Shankara (from Stutimandal)
- Historical