Adi Shankaracharya: Beyond The Myths And Misconceptions Of A Spiritual Giant

Most Indians have heard about Adi Shankararacharya, but very few have an understanding of what he truly is. Some people, including certain spiritual teachers, incorrectly label him as a "missionary”. Shankara was not a missionary; his mission was not to convert people.

I even heard one spiritual guru calling him “An argumentative Indian”. I think that's almost insulting. Just because he engaged in many debates and discussions doesn't mean he was argumentative. Debates and discussions are the way to clarify knowledge and understanding, whereas to be argumentative is to argue for the sake of arguing; these are entirely different things.

There are many misconceptions about Adi Shankaracharya. Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), with Advaita Vedanta at its core, is an ancient tradition from the beginning of time. The Rishis were the first known human masters of this knowledge. After their time, one great master appeared on the scene—Veda Vyasa, who gathered various mantras spread across Bharat, codified them, organised them, and analysed them into what is popularly known as the Jaimini Sutras and the Brahma Sutras.

After that, while there were many teachers, a great giant among them was Adi Shankaracharya. What Veda Vyasa had codified, Shankara wrote commentaries on, ensuring no one could doubt the essential meaning of the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutras. There is no way you can study the entire Brahma Sutra with Shankara's Bhashya and doubt its meaning, though, of course, they must be studied with a traditional teacher.

This was his greatest contribution to the Sanatana Dharma tradition. Beyond this, he also organised the Sannyasa tradition, giving it a structure. The Sannyasa tradition dates back to the Vedic times, but Shankaracharya structured it into the Dashanami tradition, with the four Peethas at Kanchi, Dwaraka, Joshimath, and Puri as great centres of learning. All sannyasis belonged to one of these mathas, regardless of where they originated. Additionally, he organised the Naga and Akhara traditions.

His work and contributions as a great teacher of Sanatana Dharma go far beyond popular perceptions of who or what he was.

The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com

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