Jagadguru shankaracharya biography definition

8th-century Indian Vedic scholar

This article is about the vedic scholar Adi Shankara. For the title used in Advaita traditions, see Shankaracharya.

"Adi Shankaracharya" redirects here. For the Indian film, see Adi Shankaracharya (film).

Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (Sanskrit: आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, romanized:&#;Ādi Śaṅkara, Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, lit.&#;'First Shankaracharya',pronounced[aːd̪iɕɐŋkɐraːt͡ɕaːrjɐ]), was an Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher (acharya) of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scanty, and his true impact lies in his "iconic representation of Hindu religion and culture," despite the fact that most Hindus do not adhere to Advaita Vedanta. Tradition also portrays him as the one who reconciled the various sects (Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Saktism) with the introduction of the Pañcāyatana form of worship, the simultaneous worship of five deities&#;– Ganesha, Surya, Vishnu, Shiva and Devi, arguing that all deities were but different forms of the one Brahman, the invisible Supreme Being.

While often revered as the most important Indian philosopher, the historical influence of his works on Hindu intellectual thought has been questioned. Until the 10th century Shankara was overshadowed by his older contemporary Maṇḍana Miśra, and there is no mention of him in concurring Hindu, Buddhist or Jain sources until the 11th century. The popular image of Shankara started to take shape in the 14th century, centuries after his death, when Sringeri matha started to receive patronage from the kings of the Vijayanagara Empire and shifted their allegiance from AdvaiticAgamic Shaivism to Brahmanical Advaita orthodoxy. Hagiographies dating from the 14thth centuries deified him as a ruler-renunciate, travelling on a digvijaya (conquest of the four quarters) across the Indian subcon

Adi Shankaracharya, born on the soil of India in 8th Century, was such a personality who conquered the world on the strength of his knowledge and attained Samadhi at the age of just In the entire undivided India and the countries around it, which are full of scholars, meditators, saints and pundits, there is no intellectual left who hasn&#;t bowed his head before Shankaracharya. Kings, Maharajas and emperors kept kneeling before him. And today, even after years, no one has been born who can challenge the knowledge of Adi Guru Shankaracharya.

India has always been a leader in the field of religion, philosophy and spirituality. Since ancient times, it has been the place of penance for many great philosophers, thinkers and spiritual saints. Indian civilization has been a civilization that has deeply analyzed the various dimensions of creation, God and life. Although Vedic Sanatan Dharma is considered to be the origin of the culture of this country, with time many sects like Charvaka, Lokayatik, Kapalik, Shakta, Sankhya, Buddhist and Jain also emerged and developed here. With time, mutual disputes and conflicts started arising among all these sects. The darkness of fanaticism, superstition and ostentation spread all around.

Table of Content

1. About Adi Shankaracharya
   1. Advaita Vedanta
   2. Learning Lessons
2. Significance | Role | Contribution of Adi Shankaracharya
   1. Social Reforms done by Jagadguru Shankaracharya
   2. Contribution to Hindu culture
3. Writings of Adi Shankaracharya
   1. Bhaashya (Commentary)
   2. Prakaran Granth (Introductory Texts or Case Study)
   3. Stotra (Devotional Hymns or Poetry)
   4. Significance of Adi Shankaracharya&#;s creations
4. Four Monasteries established by Adi Shankaracharya
   1. Four Monasteries | Amnayas
      1. Jyotirmath, Badrinath, Uttarakhand
      2. Sringeri Math, Karnataka
      3. Govardhan Math, Puri
      4. Dwarka Sharda Peeth, Gujarat
   2. Importance of these Four Monasteries
   3. Primary Disciples of Four Monasteries
   4. Current Incumbents / Gurus of Four Monasteries.

Biography of Adi Shankaracharya

Biography of Adi Shankaracharya

Indian History is full of philosophers, saints, fighters, and great men. Adi Shankracharya was an Indian philosopher who is famous as "Guru Shankracharya” and because of his work on the principle of “Advaita Vedanta." He was also the founder of Four Mathas (monasteries) who has the primary purpose of helping in chronological developments, resumptions, and circulation of the Advaita Vedanta. 

He left worldly pleasures at a minimal age, and he traveled a lot of the Indian subcontinent, where he defeated various Hindu philosophers or thinkers in which some were conformists. Some were rebels who disagreed with the Hindu religion. He was the believer of Advaita Vedanta's principle who utters for the unity of Atma (soul) and Nirguna Brahman (supreme soul), also known as "Brahman without attributes." But the Advaita Shankara gave similarity with Mahayana Buddhism, which was the reason behind various Hindu Vaishnav called him "Crypto Buddhism." But Advaita Vedanta traditional even Shankara himself rejected this saying Advaita Vedanta is all about Atman, Anatta, and Brahman, they believe Atman (soul Self) exist. But Buddhism relies on "No soul, no self." 

Even after centuries of his death, there are various influencers of him, and more than books are connected to his principles. We can also say that modern Hinduism has little influence on his thoughts, but there are thousands of questions on his theories and code.  

Birth   

He was born in a low-income family at Kaladi, present-day known as Kerala, India.  It is believed that his parents Sivaguru and Aryamba, were the devotees of Shiva and prayed for a baby from him, and in very few days, Shiva fulfilled their wish by blessing them with a boy. It is said that they dreamt about Shiva that night, who told that he was going

Adi Shankara - A Prodigy

He was a prodigal child and an extraordinary scholar with almost superhuman capabilities. At the age of two, he could fluently speak and write Sanskrit. At the age of four, he could recite all the Vedas, and at the age of twelve, he took sanyas and left his home. Even at such a young age, he gathered disciples and started walking throughout the country to re-establish the spiritual sciences.

By the age of thirty-two, he left his body, but in those twenty years from the age of twelve to thirty-two, he crisscrossed India a few times, north to south, east to west, from Kerala right up to Badrinath and back, travelling everywhere in all directions. The man must have been a really brisk walker to do so much walking in a short span of life, and in between he produced thousands of pages of literature.

The Extraordinary Guru of Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara’s guidance came from Gowdapada. Under his guidance, Shankara went about doing all this incredible work. Gowdapada is very much a part of our tradition also. He was an extraordinary guru, but his teachings were never written down. He made sure it was not written down. He must have taught thousands of people but he produced fifteen to twenty good people who re-established the spiritual science in the country very quietly, without any noise, without starting a new religion or anything. In many ways, that has been the intention of Isha’s work also – not to establish a new religion or a new scripture, but to establish the spiritual sciences just as a way of life, as an inculcation within a human being.

Adi Shankara and Badrinath Temple

Badrinath has historical significance because the temple here was insta