SRI ADI SHANKARACHARYA
Greetings friends! Today is Adi Sankaracharya Jayanti:2023 🙏🙏🙏
Significance of birth anniversary of Jagatguru, who established “Char Dham”.
For ages, the supreme Vedic knowledge about the indwelling self (Sakshi Chaitanya) and the identity of “Brahman” has been transmitted through an unbroken lineage of preceptors and disciples to the modern age. However, during the prevalence of Buddhism, the progress was temporarily arrested. In the 8th century AD, Sri Shankaracharya appeared and revived the Vedic religion, re-establishing it for future generations.
Founder of Advaita Vedanta, Sri Adi Shankaracharya was born in Kerala, India in the 8th century. He is known for his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras, which are the foundational texts of Hinduism. His teachings emphasized the unity of all existence and the non-dual nature of the ultimate reality, which he called Brahman. Shankaracharya travelled across India between the age of 16 and 32. It is believed that at the age of 32, he left this world.
Shri Adi Shankaracharya said: ” there Exists one Absolute Brahman, who is “Sat-Chit-Ananda” and homogeneous in nature.
Adi Shankaracharya established four Mathas in four directions, which are known as “Char Dham”.
Sringeri Sharada Matha:
Located in Sringeri, Karnataka, this matha is dedicated to the goddess Sharada, who is considered to be the patron goddess of learning and wisdom.
Dwaraka Sharada Matha:
Located in Dwaraka, Gujarat, this matha is dedicated to the goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge and learning in Hinduism.
Govardhan Matha:
Located in Puri, Odisha, this matha is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and is also known as the Dwarka matha.
Jyotir Matha:
Located in the state of Uttarakhand, in the northern part of India, this matha is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. It is believed to have been established by Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD.
Works of Sri Adi Shankaracharya:
Shankaracharya is known for his commentaries, treatises, and philosophical works. Some of his most important works include:
- Advaita Vedanta: This work is a commentary on the Brahma Sutras, which is one of the foundational texts of Hinduism. It explains the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, which emphasizes the non-dual nature of ultimate reality.
- Brahma Sutras: This is one of the foundational texts of Hinduism, which contains aphorisms that summarize the teachings of the Upanishads. Shankaracharya wrote a commentary on this text, called the Advaita Vedanta, which explains the philosophy of non-dualism.
- Upanishads: These are a collection of texts that contain philosophical and spiritual teachings and are considered to be one of the core texts of Hinduism. Shankaracharya wrote commentaries on several of the major Upanishads, including the Katha Upanishad, the Chandogya Upanishad, and the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
- Bhagavad Gita: This is a Hindu scripture that contains a dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and his charioteer, Lord Krishna. It is considered to be one of the most important texts of Hinduism, and Shankaracharya wrote a commentary on it called the Gita Bhashya.
Lines from Bhagavad Geeta
- Viveka Chudamani: This work is a treatise on the nature of the self and the ultimate reality. It explains the concept of maya, or illusion, and how it leads to the mistaken belief in a separate self.
- Upadesasahasri: This work is a philosophical dialogue between Shankaracharya and his disciples, in which he explains the nature of reality and the path to enlightenment.
- Bhaja Govindam: This is a devotional poem that emphasizes the importance of spiritual practice and detachment from material possessions.  Listen Bhaja Govindam👈
- Soundarya Lahari: This work is a collection of hymns and verses that praise the goddess Shakti, who represents the creative and transformative power of the universe.
Listen first 10 shlokas of Soundarya Lahari: – sung by Dr. Anamika Pandey, Senior Public Health Expert, Lucknow. 👇
To learn chanting and explanation of “Saundarya Lahari”, Dr. Anamika can be approached through her mail ID: Anamika.pandey29@gmail.com
And many more: – Nirvana Shatakam:👈
Well researched article!
Thank you so much for your comments.
I wanted to write more on his work and life events. But it would have been bulky.
Thank you so much for your interest in this subject: Advaita Vedanta.
Best wishes 🙏
‘Shri gurubhyo namah’ I was introduced to GV Iyer’s Adi sankaracharya movie by my father during the teenage years and could not understand the authenticity of this great philosopher’s vision at that time because the movie is presented with a deep message that was way beyond to human intellect to comprehend. Not until I was closer to 25yrs of age was points of brahman catapulted in me by constant questioning and negation of the universe surround us, this sort of intrigue nature is still exist in me no matter how old I become. Well, understanding Advaita vedanta requires fair familiarty with all six school of thoughts in hindusim and hope that everyone gets to study such a precious ancient wisdom at their convenience. Thank you for remembering this auspicious day by sharing information about this erudite. Be safe and Take care
Thank you so much Vishnupriya for your long comments. I didn’t knew that there is movie on Sri Adi Sankaracharya ji. I will now find out that movie and see. I have studied Biography of Jagat Guru Shankaracharya ji, a book from Ramkrishna mission.
Your knowledge, your interest and your devotion towards Advaita Vedanta is highly appreciated.
According to Advaita Vedanta, only highly qualified aspirants can follow the path of knowledge, the direct approach to Nirguna Brahman. You are one of them.
I thought, I must write few lines on jayanti of Jagat Guru. His contribution cannot be described by me.
I am a learner. Trying to follow the path through practice.
Your comments add enormous strength here. I get inspiration. Thank you so much.
Stay blessed always 😊🙏
I looked at the
“Lines from Bhagavad Geeta”
So, I have a question about “the soul”:
How is it, that it is neither born nor dies?
It does make a lot of sense to me that I should not worry, that I need to fear no-one, and that I may know no-one who can kill me.
I will write in detail.
Regards 🙏😊
You are unborn, infinite, immortal consciousness. That is our reality.
Pure Consciousness. Beyond space and time.
Before Big Bang also we were there and after Big crunch also we will exist.
Only this body of Arun will die.
Very nice post Arun Ji. Advaita Vedanta has had a significant influence on Hindu philosophy and has also attracted the attention of many Western philosophers and thinkers. I am actually enjoying this learning and love reading about this. Thank you for sharing such nice posts.😊🙏🏻
Chaitanya’s teachings were firmly rooted in the philosophy of Bhakti, emphasizing the significance of surrendering oneself to the divine through love and devotion. He propagated the belief that through unyielding devotion to Lord Krishna, one could attain spiritual liberation and divine grace. Chaitanya’s approach to spirituality was unique, as he emphasized the universality of love for God, devoid of any caste, creed, or social distinctions.
https://www.indianetzone.com/22/chaitanya_indian_bhakti_saint.htm