A great revivalist of Hinduism- SRI ADISHANKARACHARYA #gurupoornimaspecial
Sage Sri Adi Shankaracharya(also known as ,Jagadguru adi shankaracharya), was a great Indian philosopher and social reformer who lived during the 8th century.He was born in a tiny village called Kalady in the Ernakulam District of Kerala, India, located on the banks of famous River Periyar.
In his short lifespan of 32 years, he became one of the greatest teachers of the Vedas. The only weapon he used for this achievement was pure knowledge and spirituality. Shankara is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Sri Shankaracharya's Childhood
He was born to a devout Brahmin couple, Sri Sivaguru and Aryamba, as a result of their ardent prayers for a child to Lord Shiva at the famous Vadakkumnatha Temple, Trichur. Pleased with their prayers, God appeared in their dream and enquired what kind of a child they wanted: whether they wanted a short-lived, good son, or a simpleton with a long life. They chose the first option.
A child was born to them in the Vasanta Ritu, or the spring season, at noon in the auspicious Abhijit Muhurta and under the constellation Ardhra. They named the baby boy Shankara.Young Shankara showed remarkable scholarship, mastering the four Vedas by the age of eight. From the beginning, he was attracted towards spirituality and sanyasam, and wanted to lead a meaningful life free of worldly pleasures.When he was three years of age, he lost his father, and his widowed mother Aryamba raised him on her own.
There is a lot of confusion regarding the birth-date of Shankara as different sources have proposed several different dates. The most accepted birth-date places him as a scholar from the first half of the 8th century CE.His birth anniversary is celebrated every year as Shankaracharya Jayanti. In 2018,it was celebrated on april 20th.
Early Life & Sanyaasa
Right from his childhood, he was keen on becoming a monk. Though his idea of becoming a monk was opposed by his mother, Shankara knew exactly what he had to do. Once, he accompanied his mother to a nearby river and took a plunge into the river. Suddenly, a crocodile appeared from beneath the river and caught hold of his leg. Shankara then cried out to his mother, saying that a crocodile was pulling him into the river. When his mother felt helpless, Shankara urged her to allow him to die as a monk. As soon as Aryamba gave her consent, the crocodile spared Shankara’s life and went back into the river. Shankara was miraculously unharmed and went on to become a monk as his mother had already given him the permission to do so.
He then went in search of a guru and according to a few ancient scripts, a young Shankara walked at least 2000 kilometers before meeting Govinda Bhagavatpada. Under Govinda Bhagavatpada’s guidance, Shankara studied ‘Gaudapadiya Karika’, ‘Brahmasutra’, Vedas, and Upanishads. To his teacher’s amazement, Shankara was able to master almost all the ancient scripts in a short time. He even started writing commentaries on major religious scripts. Once he had a clear understanding of the ancient Hindu scripts, he started traveling across India, propagating ‘Advaita Vedanta’ and ‘Dashanami Sampradaya.’ During the course of his journey, Shankara’s teachings were challenged by many philosophers and thinkers. He was even involved in a number of debates pertaining to Hinduism and its beliefs, but Shankara managed to astound all his doubters with his intelligence and clarity. He then went about propagating his ideas and was soon accepted as a guru by many.
Matha’s Founded by Sri Shankaracharya
Adi Shankaracharya founded four monasteries (mathas) - one each at the four cardinal points in India. Here are the four mathas founded by Shankara:
He founded four Shankaracharya peethas (monasteries), called "mathas," in the four corners of India to uphold his spiritual teachings. These are:
Sarada Peetham at Sringeri (Karnataka state)
Kalika Peetham at Dwaraka (Gujarat state)
Jyotih Peetham, Badarikashrama (Uttarakhand/Uttaranchal state)
Govardhana Peetham in Jagannath, Puri (Orissa state)
These peethas are amongst the most revered pilgrim destinations in the country.
Demise
At the age of 32, Adi Shankaracharya retired to the Himalayas and is believed to have entered a cave near Kedarnath. He was never seen again and the cave that he entered is considered as his final resting place.
Works
Adi Shankaracharya is renowned for his spectacular commentaries on ancient texts. His review of ‘Brahma Sutra’ is known as ‘Brahmasutrabhasya’, and it is the oldest surviving commentary on ‘Brahma Sutra’. It is also considered as his best work. He also wrote commentaries on Bhagavad Gita, and the ten principal Upanishads. Adi Shankaracharya is also well-known for his ‘stotras’ (poems).
He composed many poems, praising gods and goddesses. The ones dedicated to Krishna and Shiva are considered most important among his ‘stotras’. He also composed the famous ‘Upadesasahasri’ which literally translates to ‘a thousand teachings.’ ‘Upadesasahasri’ is one of his most important philosophical works. He also founded ‘Dashanami Sampradaya,’ which talks about leading a monastic life. While Shankaracharya was a firm believer in ancient Hinduism, he condemned the ‘Mimamsa school of Hinduism’ which was purely based on ritual practices. Throughout the course of his journey, Shankaracharya discussed his ideas with various other philosophers and fine-tuned his own teachings from time to time. Shankaracharya founded four monasteries (mathas) that continue to spread his teachings.
Philosophy & Influence on Hinduism
Adi Shankaracharya became a key figure in restoring belief in the Vedas and Upanishads. Smartism, a subsect of Hinduism, was formed based on his teachings. He is also credited with making Hindus understand the existence of one Supreme Being. He explained that all other deities are just different forms of the Supreme Being. Adi Shankaracharya’s philosophy was simple and straightforward. He advocated the existence of the soul and the Supreme Soul. He believed that the Supreme Soul alone is real and unchanging while the soul is a changing entity and that it does not have absolute existence.
The monasteries founded by Shankaracharya had a great influence in reforming Hinduism.
THIS GURU PURNIMA, LET US ALL PAY OUR RESPECTS TO THIS NOBLE TEACHER WHO IS ONE OF THE GREATEST KNOWN PREACHERS OF THE VEDIC HINDUISM.
