Advaita Guru Paramparā

In the Indian religious and philosophical traditions, all knowledge is traced back to the Gods and to the Rishis who saw the vedas. Thus, the advaita guru-paramparā (Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism) begins with the Daiva-paramparā, followed by the Ṛṣi-paramparā, which includes the vedic seers Vaśiṣṭha, his son Śakti, his son Parāśara, his son Vyāsa, (the famous redactor of the vedas, he is also traditionally identified with Bādarāyaṇa, the composer of the Brahmasūtras), and Vyāsa's son Śuka. After Śuka, we turn to the Mānava-paramparā, which brings us to historical times and personalities.

Guru Parampara Sloka

For Advaita Guru Paramparā (Lineage of Gurus of Advaita), the following well known Sanskrit śloka among Smārtas provides the list of the early teachers of the Advaita Vedānta.,

:नारायणं पद्मभुवं वशिष्ठं शक्तिं च तत्पुत्रं पराशरं च व्यासं शुकं गौडपादं महान्तं गोविन्दयोगीन्द्रं अथास्य शिष्यम् ।

श्री शंकराचार्यं अथास्य पद्मपादं च हस्तामलकं च शिष्यम् तं तोटकं वार्त्तिककारमन्यान् अस्मद् गुरून् सन्ततमानतोऽस्मि ॥

— अद्वैत गुरु परंपरा स्तोत्रम्

:nārāyanam padmabhuvam vasiṣtham śaktim ca tat-putram parāśaram ca

vyāsam śukam gauḍapāda mahāntam govinda yogīndram athāsya śiṣyam

śri śankarācāryam athāsya padmapādam ca hastāmalakam ca śiṣyam

tam totakam vārtikakāramanyān asmad gurūn santatamānato’smi

— Advaita-Guru-Paramparā-Stotram

There is another famous sloka of Advaita Guru parampara which is as follows:-

Sada Shiva Samarambham

Sankaracharya Madhyamam

Asmat aacharya Paryantham

Vande Guru Paramparaa

Thus, starting from the Great Lord Shiva, through Sankaracharya and my aacharya, the guru parampara eternally flows….

List of Gurus in Parampara

The above advaita guru paramparā verse salute the prominent gurus of advaita, starting from Nārāyaṇa/Shiva through Adi Sankara and his disciples, up to the Acharyas of today. The paramparā thus lists

• Narayana
• Padmabhuva (Brahmā)
• Vaśiṣṭha
• Śakti
• Parāśara
• Vyāsa
• Śuka
• Gauḍapāda
• Govinda bhagavatpāda
• Śankara bhagavatpāda
• Padmapāda, Hastāmalaka, Toṭaka, Vārtikakāra (Sureśvara) and others (i.e., the disciples of these four).

Yuga

Main article: Yuga

Each Yuga has its own gurus or Acharyas:

• In the Satya or Krata Yuga: Lord Narayana, Lord Sadashiva and Lord Brahma.
• In the Treta Yuga: Vasishta Maharishi, Śakti Maharṣi and Parashara Maharishi.
• In the Dvapara Yuga: Veda Vyasa and Sri Shuka Acharya
• In the Kali Yuga: Sri Gaudapada Acharya, Govinda Bhagavatpada charya, Shri Shankarāchārya, and the subsequent lineage.