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Shankaracharya and Vedanta

Understanding Vedanta

Vedanta is a key school of thought in Hindu philosophy, literally meaning "the end of the Vedas." It focuses on ideas from the Upanishads, particularly about knowledge and liberation. All Vedanta schools share a common textual basis but differ in their views on fundamental questions about existence, salvation, and knowledge.

Key Sub-Traditions of Vedanta:

• Advaita Darshan: Founded by Shankaracharya, this school promotes non-dualism, emphasizing the unity of the individual soul and the ultimate reality, Brahman.
• Vishishtadvaita Darshan: Founded by Ramanujacharya, this tradition advocates qualified non-dualism, recognizing a relationship between the individual soul and Brahman.
• Dvaita Darshan: Established by Madhvacharya, this school supports dualism, asserting a clear distinction between the individual soul and Brahman.
• Bhedabhed Darshan: Founded by Nimbarkacharya, this tradition combines elements of both difference and non-difference between the individual soul and Brahman.
• Shuddhadvait Darshan: Founded by Vallabhacharya, this school emphasizes pure non-dualism.
• Achintyabhedabhed Darshan: Established by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, this tradition advocates a unique perspective on the relationship between the individual soul and Brahman.

Adi Shankaracharya: A Brief Overview

• Life and Background: Adi Shankaracharya was an influential philosopher and social reformer born in the 8th century CE in Kerala, India. He hailed from a devout Brahmin family.
• Advaita Vedanta: Shankaracharya is best known for founding the Advaita Vedanta school of thought, which espouses a non-dualistic understanding of reality. The term 'Advaita' means 'not two,' emphasizing the oneness of the individual soul (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman).
• Core Teachings: His teachings revolve around the idea that Brahman is the only true reality, without attributes (nirguna). He argued that the individual soul is essentially Brahman, and that the material world (Prakriti) is an illusion (maya).
• Levels of Reality: Shankaracharya identified two levels of reality: conventional reality (the individual soul) and absolute reality (Brahman). He believed that ignorance (avidya) leads to the mistaken perception of these as separate entities.
• Path to Liberation: For Shankaracharya, liberation (Moksha) is the realization of the oneness of Atman and Brahman. This realization can only occur when ignorance is overcome, leading to freedom from the cycle of rebirth.
• Engagement with Society: Beyond his philosophical contributions, Shankaracharya was actively engaged with the historical and social context of his time, addressing contemporary issues and unifying various strands of thought within Hinduism.

An Insight into His Contributions

• This is considered a core aspect of Adi Shankaracharya’s non-dualist philosophy. It suggests that the world we experience is fundamentally illusory or dependent on the mind. The only reality that exists independently of the mind is Brahma, which can be understood as God, the soul, consciousness, or the infinitely vast, eternal, and unconditioned mind.
• This idea of the world as an illusion, known as Maya Vada, allowed Shankara to bring together various religious groups and ideas with different perspectives, including Buddhists, Mimansakas (ancient Vedic householders), Vedantins (later Vedic hermits), as well as Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and Shaktas. This unity is reflected in his writings.
• Shankara’s philosophy is firmly rooted in the Vedas. Unlike Buddhists and Jains, he based his teachings on the Vedas and accepted their impersonal authority, which positioned him as a believer (astika).

A Disguised Buddhist:

• In his commentaries and writings, Shankara emphasized the formless divine (nirguna Brahman) as the ultimate reality. This perspective is evident in his commentary on the Brahma Sutra, his poems such as Vivekachudamani and Nirvana-shatakam, and his work Atma-bodha.
• Some interpret this emphasis as a reflection of Buddhist ideas, albeit with a Vedic interpretation, leading to the characterization of Shankara as a "disguised Buddhist" (prachanna bauddha).

Celebration of Tangible Forms:

• Despite his focus on the formless divine, Shankara’s poetry also honors various tangible forms of the divine (saguna Brahman) as depicted in the Puranas.
• He composed grand hymns dedicated to Puranic deities such as Shiva (Daksinamurti-stotra), Vishnu (Govinda-ashtaka), and Shakti (Saundarya-lahari).
• This made him one of the first Vedic scholars, after Vyasa, to explicitly connect Vedic Hinduism with Puranic Hinduism.
• Shankara even delved into the subject of tantra.

Geographical Unification:

• Shankara played a significant role in linking various holy sites across India, such as the 12 jyotirlingas, 18 shakti-peethas, and four Vishnu-dhaams.
• He established pilgrimage routes that helped define India as a cohesive land.
• In his legends, Shankara is said to have traveled extensively across India, from Kerala to Kashmir, from Puri to Dwarka in Gujarat, and from Shringeri in present-day Karnataka to Badari in Uttarakhand, among other places.
• He traversed regions along the Himalayas, the banks of the Narmada and Ganga rivers, and the eastern and western coasts.

Communication in a Common Language:

• Adi Shankara, during his travels across the country, used Sanskrit as the common language to connect with the intellectual elite.
• Following the decline of the Gupta Empire, India was politically fragmented, with various kingdoms in constant conflict.
• In his commentary on the Brahma Sutra, Shankara remarked on the absence of a universal ruler, acknowledging the fragmented nature of society during his time.
• Despite this, he sought to unify the Indian subcontinent through philosophy, poetry, and pilgrimage.

Limitations of Shankaracharya

• Shankaracharya taught in Sanskrit, which was not the language of the common people. This made his teachings less accessible to the masses.
• His philosophy was complex and difficult to understand. Although Vivekananda believed that Shankaracharya highlighted the similarities between Buddhism and Vedanta, his disciples did not fully grasp or convey this idea.