Śaṅkara an Icon of Indian glorious past

The wonderful life of Śaṅkarācārya and his achievements in the intellectual and spiritual fields have attracted the imagination of poets and thinkers all over the world. He had a very short span of life but it was powerful enough like thunder and lightening to awaken the mankind to the eternal spiritual truths. He united the people of India using the Vedic knowledge and its spiritual interpretation. People of India considered him as an incarnation of God Śiva and worship him as a great Guru of the world. He is a cultural and religious unifier of India and a perennial inspiration for poets and philosophers who think that there is a spiritual force in the world that transcends all differences and carrier eternal happiness.

According to tradition, Śaṅkara was born in Kāladi to Śivaguru and Āryāmba. The main incidents in the life history of Śaṅkara and his life achievements have been narrated in the Śaṅkaravijayās. Śaṅkara left his home when he was just eight years old. He went to the North searching for a Guru. He met Govinda Bhagavatpāda, the disciple of Gaudapāda and became his disciple. Śaṅkara received instruction from Govindapāda in Veda and Vedanta. After his study, he wanted to roam all over India on foot as a Saṃnyāsin. During his Digvijaya he met scholars and debated with them on various issues of Darśanās. A reputed Mīmāṃsaka with whom he held philosophical debate was Maṇḍana Miśra, who was also known as ‘Viśvarūpa’. Accepting defeat Maṇḍana gave up his life of house -holder and became Śaṅkara’s disciple assuming a new name, Sureśvara. The period from 788 AD to 820 A.D is generally accepted as the period of Śaṅkara by modern historians^[1].

Śaṅkara’s direct disciples were Padmapāda, Toṭaka and Hastāmalaka. Śaṅkara went round India more than once and established monastic institutions in indifferent places in the country. The most important among them are Jyotirmaṭha at Badarikāśrama, the Kālikapīṭha at Dwāraka, and the Govardhana pīṭha at Śrīṃgeri. He attained Siddhi after ascending the Sarvajña pīṭha. He elaborated and expounded the monastic principles of the Upaniṣads in a logical frame work. He interpreted the Vedantic texts as a consistent system of spiritual non dualism capable of facing logical objections, Śaṅkara was led to recognise two directions within the Vedantic texts. One who clearly affirmed the central truth of Vedanta, the other spoke of a lower and relative truth relevant to those still engaged in religious worship, meditation and action. Śaṅkara’s restoration of ancient Vedanta was not a matter of fact, a mere revival or going back. Śaṅkara seized upon one aspect of the Upaniṣad’s many sided teachings and developed it uncompromisingly in the light of the logical implications of Advaita and spiritual ethos of ‘nivṛttidharma’.^[2]

Śaṅkara’s great achievement is the founding of Advaita, which he developed by means of commentaries on the ancient texts. Śaṅkara found that it is the best way to reconcile contemporary standard of knowledge and belief with the ancient text and tradition. He influenced the spirituality of his age by formulating a philosophy and religion which could satisfy the ethical and spiritual needs of the people. The Mīmāṃsaka always gave importance to Karma and developed ritualism in diverse fields. But Śaṅkara, proved Advaita philosophy alone could do justice to the basic truth of the conflicting creeds. Śaṅkara wrote all his works with the one purpose of helping the individual to the realization of the identity of his Soul with Brahman. In his wonderings through out India he came across many forms of worship and accepted those which had in them the power to elevate man and refine his life. He preached an exclusive method of salvation through knowledge. In addition to his philosophical works, he wrote hymns of unmistakable gradeur addressed to the different Gods of popular Hinduism. According to Advaita the final goal of human life is Mokṣa or Liberation. This is called paramapuruṣārtha. The mortal who attains to that stage becomes immortal. The aspirant of liberation should clean his mind through the study of the scriptures and through the practice of instructed lessons. This spiritual practice of Advaita is called Sādhanācatuṣṭaya. It consist of viveka (discrimination) vairāgya (renunciation) samādhiṣatka sampati (group of six virtues) and mumukṣutva (desire for liberation).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

D.P. Chathopadhyaya (Ed.), History of Science, Philosophy and Culture (Vol-2, Part II), Delhi: Centre of Studies in Civilisation, 2002, p.67.

[2]:

G.C. Pande, Life and thought of Śaṅkarācārya, Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas, 1994, p.174.