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श्री आदि शंकरचार्य जयन्ति (śrī ādi śaṁkaracārya jayanti)

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  जय जय शङ्कर  हर हर शङ्कर॥

(jaya jaya śaṅkara  hara hara śaṅkara॥ )


 

श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः  (śrī gurubhyo namaḥ - salutations to guru)


Original Transliteration Translation
सदाशिव समारंभाम् शंकराचार्य मध्यमाम्।
अस्मद् आचार्य पर्यन्तां वन्दे गुरुपरंपराम्॥ 		sadāśiva samāraṃbhām śaṃkarācārya madhyamām।
asmad ācārya paryantāṃ vande guruparaṃparām॥
Beginning with Sadashiva, through Adi Shankaracharya in between and upto my own preceptor
I bow with reverence to the entire tradition of preceptors
Sanskrit Reference: गुरुवंदना (guruvaṃdanā perceptor salutation)


   Today is the sacred  महा अवतार जयन्ति (mahā avatāra jayanti - sacred incarnation anniversary)  of His Holiness  जगत् गुरु श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवर्पाद (jagat guru śrī ādi śaṁkarācārya bhagavarpāda) . He is one of the noblest of saintly gurus who walked on earth. He is aptly respected as the  जगत् गुरु (jagat guru - universal preceptor)  because of his unparalleled contribution to universal religio-spiritual heritage. To quote Swami Vivekananda : 

“ India has to live, and the spirit of the Lords descended again. He who declared, "I will come whenever virtue subsides", came again, and this time the manifestation was in the South, and up rose that young brahmin  of whom it has been declared that at the age of sixteen he had completed all his writings; the marvelous boy Shankaracharya arose. The writings of this boy of sixteen are the wonders of the modern world, and so was the boy. He wanted to bring back the Indian world to its pristine purity, but think of the amount of the task before him…. The greatest teacher of the Vedanta philosophy was Shankaracharya. By solid reasoning he extracted from the Vedas the truths of Vedanta, and on them built up the wonderful system of Jnana that is taught in his commentaries. He unified all the conflicting descriptions of Brahman and showed that there is only one Infinite Reality. He showed too that as man can only travel slowly on the upward road, all the varied presentations are needed to suit his varying capacity."

     On this sacred day, I am reminded of the following verses often quoted by the  Holy Sage of Kanchi , His Holiness  ஸ்ரீ மஹா பெரியவா ( srī mahā periyavā )  and recorded   in his  தெய்வத்தின் குறள் ( deivattiṉ kuṟaḷ - voice of god )

Original Transliteration Translation
शास्त्रं शरीरमीमांसा देवस्तु परमेश्वरः।
आचार्यः शंकराचार्यः सन्तु जन्मनि जन्मनि॥ 		śāstraṃ śarīramīmāṃsā devastu parameśvaraḥ।
ācāryaḥ śaṃkarācāryaḥ santu janmani janmani॥ 		If. in every future birth, the sheet-anchor of my faith and understanding is the religion of the Upanishads, If the God I worship is Parameshvara Himself, if the Guru who will be my refuge is Sri Shankaracharya, it does not matter how many births I am to take. May these three be granted to me life after life.
Sanskrit Reference: प्रसिद्ध श्लोक(prasiddha śloka)


    Yes,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  was one of the earliest pioneers in  उत्तरमीमांसावेदान्तदर्शन  (uttaramīmāṃsāvedāntadarśana– posterior inquiry final-gnosis philosophy) ,  who gifted us with the philosophical treasure-house viz.  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्तदर्शन  (kevalādtvaita vedānta darśana – absolute non-dualistic  final-wisdom  philosophy)  very emphatically establishing that the  सच्चिदानन्द परब्रह्मन्   (s atcitānanda parabrahman – omnicient omnipotent omnibliss absolute divinity)   is the one and only   नित्य कैवल्य सत्य   (n itya kaivalya satya - eternal absolute reality)  To borrow Swami Vivekananda's famous verses - 

" Each soul is potentially divine "  and  " Religion is the manifestation of (this potential) divinity already in man ." 

श्री आदिषङ्कराचार्यस्य जन्मविवरण (śrī ādiṣaṅkarācāryasya janmavivaraṇa – birth details of Sri Adi Shankaracharya)

According to the traditional  वाक्यपञ्चाङ्ग  (vākyapañcāṅga – revealed almanac),  the sacred annual event of  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य महाजयन्ति  (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya mahājayanti) which commemorates the  महावतारदिन   (mahāvatāradina – supreme incarnation day)   of His Holiness  जगत् गुरु श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवर्पाद  ( jagat guru śrī ādi śaṁkarācārya bhagavarpāda)  is observed on the  शुक्लपक्ष पञ्चमीतिथि वैशक मासस्य  (śuklapakṣa pañcamītithi vaiśaka māsasya – fifth lunar day of waxing fortnight)  occurring in the month of  वैशाखमास   (vaiśākhamāsa – mid April-mid May month). 

    परमाचार्य श्री माधवविद्यारण्य स्वामिन्  (paramācārya śrī mādhavavidyāraṇya svāmin)   in his famous hagiographical treatise called  संक्षेपशंकरविजय   (saṃkṣepaśaṃkaravijaya)   more popularly known by the name  शंकरदिग्वैजय  (śaṃkaradigvaijaya)  records thus:


Original Transliteration Translation
लग्नेशुभे शुभयुते सुषुवे कुमारं
श्री पार्वतीव सुखिनी शुभवीक्षिते च ।
जाया सती शिवगुरोः निजतुङ्ग संस्ते
सूर्येकुजे रविसुते च गुरौचकेन्द्रे ॥ 		lagneśubhe śubhyute suṣuve kumāraṃ
śrī pārvatīva sukhinī śubhavīkṣite ca।
jāyā satī śivaguroḥ nijatuṅga saṃste
sūryekuje ravisute ca guraucakendre॥ 		The Lagna was fully aspected by the benign planets like Guru Mars, Sun and Saturn were exalted and Guru was at the zenith. It was an easy delivery, as if Parvathi were giving birth to Skanda. At the sight of his son's face, Sivaguru was drowned in a sea of joy.
-translation by Swami Tapasyananda (RKM Order)
Sanskrit Reference: संक्षेपशंकरविजय / शंकरदिग्वैजय (saṃkṣepaśaṃkaravijaya / śaṃkaradigvaijaya) (2.71)

   According to traditional account as provided in scriptures like the  शिवरहस्य   (śivarahasya) ,  शशलग्राम   (śaśalagrāma)  which now forms part Cochin/Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala. In the  शंकरदिग्वैजय  (śaṃkaradigvaijaya)  refers to the name of this village as  कालडि/कालटि  (kālaḍi/kālaṭi).

While there are not much disputes regarding the  जन्म/अवतारस्थल   (janma/avatārasthala – place of birth / incarnation)   amongst traditionalists and historians, there are major disagreements when it comes to His  वर्ष जन्मस्य   (varṣa janmasya – year of birth)   as well as the place of his  समाधिस्थल  (samādhisthala – atonement place).  While the orthodox accounts trace his birth to the year 509 BC / BCE, the more conservative versions of modern historians trace his year of birth to around 648 AD/CE

For example,  आचार्य श्री आत्मबोध  (ācārya śrī ātmabodha)   in his famous hagiographical treatise by name  प्राचीनशंकरविजय   (prācīnaśaṃkaravijaya)  traces the  वर्ष जन्मस्य   (varṣa janmasya – year of birth)   as follows 

Original Transliteration Translation
तिष्ये प्रयात्यनलशेवधिबाणनेत्रे यो नन्दने दिनमणावुदगध्भाजि।
राधेऽअदितेरुडुनि निर्गतमस्तलग्ने प्याहूत्वान्शिवगुरुः स च शङ्करेति॥ 		tiṣye prayātyanalaśevadhibāṇanetre yo nandane dinamaṇāvudagadhbhāji।
rādhe'aditeruḍuni nirgatamastalagne pyāhūtvānśivaguruḥ sa ca śaṅkareti॥
After the onset of kaliyuga, in the 2593rd year called Nandana Samvatsara, on the fifth-lunar day in mid April during the summer solstice (uttarayaṇa vaiśāka śuddha pañcamīthithi) in the Caste/Pollux asterism (punarvasu nakṣatra) and karkaṭakalagna (kataka ascendent), he was born of Śivaguru, who named him Śankara.
-based on translation of Dr. H. Ramachandra Swami
Sanskrit Reference: प्राचीनशंकरविजय (prācīnaśaṃkaravijaya) (3.86)


The following is the sacred  जनंकुण्डली आदिशंकराचार्यस्य  (janaṃkuṇḍalī ādiśaṃkarācāryasya – natal chart of Adi Shankaracharya)   according to B.V. Raman, the eminent astrologer



श्री आदि शंकराचार्य दिव्यावतारः ( śrī ādi śa ṁ karācārya divyāvatāra ḥ – Sri Adi Shankaracharya is the divine  incarnation )

श्री आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda),  according to the orthodox  वैदिकसंप्रदाय   (vaidikasaṃpradāya – vedic tradition),  is not considered as a mere  माणुष्यगुरु   (māṇuṣyaguru – human  preceptor)  but rather, as the  साक्षात् अवतार ईश्वरस्य   (sākṣāt avatāra īśvarasya – direct incarnation of god).

श्री आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda),  according to the orthodox  वैदिकसंप्रदाय   (vaidikasaṃpradāya – vedic tradition),  is not considered as a mere  माणुष्यगुरु   (māṇuṣyaguru – human  preceptor)  but rather, as the  साक्षात् अवतार ईश्वरस्य   (sākṣāt avatāra īśvarasya – direct incarnation of god).

For instance, it is a widely accepted belief that the  जगद्गुरु  (jagadguru – universal preceptor)  is none other than the  देवमीढांश श्री परमशिवस्य  (devamīḍhāṃśa śrī paramaśivasya –god-begotten fractal of Lord Parama-Shiva). This fact is testified by various scriptures including the traditional hagiographical treatises on the saint. For example, the following verses from the sacred  शिवरहस्य  (śivarahasya)   categorically testifies thus: 


Original Transliteration Translation
पापकर्मैकनिरतां विरतान् सर्वकर्मसु॥
वर्णाश्रमपरिभ्रष्टान् धर्मप्रस्रवान् जनान्।
कल्यब्धौ मज्जमानांस्तान् दृष्टवानुक्रोशतोम्बिके॥
मदंशजातं देवेशि कलावपि तपोदनम्।
केरलेषु तदा विप्रं जनयामि महेश्वरि॥
….
तेषामुत्पाटनार्थाय सृजामीशे मदम्शतः॥
केरले शशलग्रामे विप्रपतन्यां मदंशतः।
भविष्यति महदेवि शङ्कराख्यो द्विजोत्तमः॥
उपनीतस्तदा मात्रा वेदान् साङ्गान् ग्रहिष्यति।
 		pāpakarmaikaniratāṃ viratān sarvakarmasu॥
varṇāśramaparibhraṣṭān dharmaprasravān janān।
kalyabdhau majjamānāṃstān dṛṣṭavānukrośatombike॥
madaṃśajātaṃ deveśi kalāvapi tapodanam।
keraleṣu tadā vipraṃ janayāmi maheśvari॥

teṣāmutpāṭanārthāya sṛjāmīśe madamśataḥ॥
kerale śaśalagrāme viprapatanyāṃ madaṃśataḥ।
bhaviṣyati mahadevi śaṅkarākhyo dvijottamaḥ॥
upanītastadā mātrā vedān sāṅgān grahiṣyati।
Observing the people bent upon committing sins, disinterested in all the rites, having fallen of from the regulations of class and stages of life, sliding down from righteousness, with compassion on them , O Ambika, Deviśi, Maheśvari, I shall from my own part, cause the birth of a pious brahmin in Kerala.
….
In order to destroy them O Ishvari, I shall part from my own and create: a pious brahmin by name Śankara shall be born in Kerala in Śaśalagrāma, from (the womb of) a brahmin’s wife. Getting the sacred thread from his mother, he will grasp the Vedas and Vedaṅgas.
-translation by Dr. H. Ramachandra Swami (Adyatma Prakasha Karyalaya)
Sanskrit Reference: शिवरहस्य (śivarahasya)

Again,  श्री अनन्तानन्दगिरि   (śrī anantānandagiri)   in his famous  अनन्तानन्दगिरीयशंकरविजय  (anantānandagirīyaśaṃkaravijaya)  also  clearly establishes this fact that  श्री आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda)   was non other than the  अंशावतारपरमशिवस्य   (aṃśāvatāraparamaśivasya – partial incarnation of Lord Parama Shiva) . 


गुरुपरंपरा  (guruparaṃparā - preceptor-lineage)

    In fact, not only the  श्री   आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda),  but the entire  गुरुपरंपरा स्मार्तमतसंप्रदायस्य   (guruparaṃparā smārtamatasaṃpradāyasya – preceptor-lineage of Smarta theological tradition)    has direct divine association as depicted in the below chart:   

  Traditionally,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  belongs to the  स्मार्तमतसंप्रदाय ( smārtamatasaṃpradāya - smartha theological tradition).  Hence , we shall first look at the   गुरुपरंपरा स्मार्तमतसंप्रदायस्य   (guruparaṃparā smārtamatasaṃpradāyasya – preceptor-lineage of Smarta theological tradition).  For example, 



    For example, the  गुरुपरंपरा  (guruparaṃparā – preceptor-lineage)  depicted in the above chart is endorsed in the  गुरुवंशकाव्य   (guruvaṃśakāvya)   which is a famous treatise written by  श्री काशी लक्ष्मणशास्त्री  (śrī kāśī lakṣmaṇaśāstrī)  traces the following  गुरुपरंपरा  (guruparaṃparā – preceptor-lineage)  with respect to the  श्री शृङ्गेरी   शारदा पीठं   ( śrī śṛṅgerī śāradā pīṭhaṁ- shri shringeri sharada pitham).

Original Transliteration Translation
यस्त्रारकं प्रददते सनकादियोगिवन्द्याकृतिः स शिव आदिगुरुः प्रतीतः।
नारायणस्तत उअदञ्चिततच्ववोधः पद्मासनोऽथ तदनुग्रह भागवभूव॥
छात्रो वसिष्ठ्मुनिरस्य स यो व्यजेष्ट ब्राह्मं बलं प्रकटयन्कुशिकात्मजातम्।
शिष्योऽस्य शक्तिरभवद्धृतमन्त्रशक्तिः शिष्यः पराशरमुनिः समभूदमुष्य॥
विख्यातिमान्समभवत्तत् आत्तवोधो व्यासोमहर्षिरपि यो विवभाज वेदान्।
अष्टदशापि च पुराणगिरः समस्थाः येनाखिलैकगुरुणैव जगत्सु रेजः॥
येनाद्भूता विरचिता वरसूत्रमाला ब्रह्मावभोधिवचनार्थमणीगणाढ्या।
भाष्यं व्यध्यायि च पतञ्जली भाषितस्य येन व्यभासि भुवि भारतवाक्यसारः॥
तद्वाक्यकल्पतरुसंभवच्वबोध भूयःफलग्रहकृते शुकवत्प्रवण्यर्थः।
यस्यां शुकोऽस्य वरशिष्य उद्दैदुदारो यह्ब्रह्मचर्यमखिलाप्सरसोऽस्तियातृ॥
श्रीगौडपादमुनिरस्य विभासते स्मच्छात्रोऽजियष्ट विभुधानापि गौडगाण्यः।
तच्वोपदेशविषयान्विदधे प्रबन्धा नाचार्य आद्यविदितोऽत्र महान्हि पङ्न्कौ॥
गोविन्दपादमुनिरस्य चकास्ति शिष्यो यस्यावभाति पगवद्पदमन्वितार्थम्।
विन्दन्य उत्तमगवीर्विहितार्थनामा ज्ञेयान्यवैतुममुमेमि तमञ्चसेति॥
 		yastrārakaṃ pradadate sanakādiyogivandyākṛtiḥ sa śiva ādiguruḥ pratītaḥ।
nārāyaṇastata uadañcitatacvavodhaḥ padmāsano'tha tadanugraha bhāgavabhūva॥
chātro vasiṣṭhmunirasya sa yo vyajeṣṭa brāhmaṃ balaṃ prakaṭayankuśikātmajātam।
śiṣyo'sya śaktirabhavaddhṛtamantraśaktiḥ śiṣyaḥ parāśaramuniḥ samabhūdamuṣya॥
vikhyātimānsamabhavattat āttavodho vyāsomaharṣirapi yo vivabhāja vedān।
aṣṭadaśāpi ca purāṇagiraḥ samasthāḥ yenākhilaikaguruṇaiva jagatsu rejaḥ॥
yenādbhūtā viracitā varasūtramālā brahmāvabhodhivacanārthamaṇīgaṇāḍhyā।
bhāṣyaṃ vyadhyāyi ca patañjalī bhāṣitasya yena vyabhāsi bhuvi bhāratavākyasāraḥ॥
tadvākyakalpatarusaṃbhavacvabodha bhūyaḥphalagrahakṛte śukavatpravaṇyarthaḥ।
yasyāṃ śuko'sya varaśiṣya uddaidudāro yahbrahmacaryamakhilāpsaraso'stiyātṛ॥
śrīgauḍapādamunirasya vibhāsate smacchātro'jiyaṣṭa vibhudhānāpi gauḍagāṇyaḥ।
tacvopadeśaviṣayānvidadhe prabandhā nācārya ādyavidito'tra mahānhi paṅnkau॥
govindapādamunirasya cakāsti śiṣyo yasyāvabhāti pagavadpadamanvitārtham।
vindanya uttamagavīrvihitārthanāmā jñeyānyavaitumamumemi tamañcaseti॥
Sanskrit Reference: गुरुवंशकाव्य (guruvaṃśakāvya) (2.19-22)

    A similar lineage is also mentioned in the  गुरुरत्नमाल   (gururatnamāla)  - a famous treatise composed by His Holiness  श्री सदाशिव ब्रह्मेन्द्र सरस्वती  (śrī sadāśiva brahmendra sarasvatī)   who was the  षट्पञ्चाश पीठाधिपति श्रीकाञ्चिकामकोटि पीठस्य  (ṣaṭpañcāśa pīṭhādhipati śrīkāñcikāmakoṭi pīṭhasya – fifthy-sixth pontiff ofSri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham)

    While the above chart depicts the overall  गुरुपरंपरा स्मार्तमतसंप्रदायस्य   (guruparaṃparā smārtamatasaṃpradāyasya – preceptor-lineage of Smarta theological tradition) ,  from a philosophical standpoint of advocators of the  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्तदर्शन   ,  the  गुरुपरंपरा  ( guruparaṃparā – preceptor lineage )  can be classified as follows:


  दिग्विजययात्र   ( digvijayayātra – global conquest pilgrimage)  

    Again, through his  दिग्विजययात्र   ( digvijayayātra – global conquest pilgrimage)  by travelling the four across cardinal directions including the  चार्धम्   ( caturdham – four abodes)  and thereby covering the length and breadth of  भारतव्रश   ( bhāratavraśa – Indian sub-continent)     



        According to the traditional account of    श्री काञ्ची कामकोटि पीठं   ( śrī kāñcī kāmakoṭi pīṭhaṁ), the following are the places visited by   श्री   आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda) as part of his  दिग्विजययात्र   ( digvijayayātra – global conquest pilgrimage)


The noble saint and  Sage of Kanchi ,   परमाचार्य श्री चन्द्रशेकरेन्द्र सरस्वती  (paramācārya śrī candraśekarendra sarasvatī)   summarizes thus about the  दिग्विजययात्र    श्री आदिशंकराचार्यस्य  ( digvijayayātra śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryasya – global conquest pilgrimage):

  Thus the  Parivrat (wandering monk), who expounds the hidden meaning of the  Upanishads  in the words of his commentaries which are clear and deep, wanders about.  He wanders everywhere from the  Setu  to the Himalayas.  He visits the holy rivers.  He goes to the pilgrim-places.  He tours the villages.  He goes to the towns.  He visits the temples.  In those places, he augments the Presence Divine through such means as  mantras  and  yantras .  There is almost no holy place in India whose greatness has not been strengthened by  Sankara ’ s  visit.  Even to this day people in the different parts of the country say:  “This temple in our territory has been purified by the  splendor  of the  mantra  uttered by Sri  Sankaracharya ; and has been rendered great by the installation of  yantras .”  In the entire area where the Veda has spread ––  Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Andhra, Dravida, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malava, Gurjara, Sindhu, Gandhara, Kuru, Panchala, Kasmira, Nepala, Maithila, Kanyakubja, Magadha, Kamarupa, Kamboja ,  etc. –– there is no place where the Bhashya of   Sri   Sankaracharya  was not known to the seekers of release.  Even now it is so in every place where the  Veda  is in vogue.

 

अमानया विद्यामठ   (a mānāya vidyāmaṭha – traditional / orthodox monastic schools)  

Eventually, he is known to have established  अमानया विद्यामठ   (a mānāya vidyāmaṭha – traditional / orthodox monastic schools)  across India. He then formally designated chosen four of his principle disciples, entrusting them the responsibility of heading and manage these establishments.  मठांनायसेतु महाणुशासनं  (maṭhāṃnāyasetu mahāṇuśāsanaṃ - monastic order league commandment)   is traditionally important treatise governing the by-laws of the  आम्नायविद्यामठाः   ( āmnāyavidyāmaṭhāḥ – traditional monastraries).    


C ategory

गोवर्धन   पिठं   (govardhana piṭhaṁ)

श्री  शारदा   पीठं   (śrī śāradā pīṭhaṁ)

द्वारक   पीठं   (dvāraka pīṭhaṁ)

ज्योतिर्मठ्पीठं   (jyotirmaṭh pīṭhaṁ)

दिक्   (dik - direction)

पूर्व   आम्नाय   (pūrva āmnāya – eastern tradition)

दक्षिन   आम्नाय   (dakṣina āmnāya – southern tradition)

पश्चिम   आम्नाय   (paścima āmnāya – western tradition)  

ज्योतिर्मठ्पीठं   (jyotirmaṭh pīṭhaṁ)

दिव्यदेश   (divyadeśa – sacred space)

जगन्नाथ्   पूरि   (jagannāth pūri)

शृङ्गेरी   (śṛṅgerī)

द्वारक   (dvāraka)  

बदरी   (badarī)

प्रथम   पीठाधिपति   (prathama pīṭhādhipati – first chairperson)

आचार्य   पद्मपाद   (ācārya padmapāda)

सुरेश्वराचार्य   (sureśvarācārya)  

हस्तामलकाचार्य   (hastāmalakācārya)  

तोटकाचार्य   (toṭakācārya)

वेदसंहिता  (vedasaṃhitā – vedic corpus)

ऋग्वेदसंहिता  (ṛgvedasaṃhitā)

यजुर्वेदसंहिता  (yajurvedasaṁhitā)

सामवेदसंहिता  (sāmavedasaṁhitā

अथर्वणवेदसंहिता   (atharvaṇavedasaṁhitā)

महावाक्य   (mahāvākya – supreme vedict)

प्रज्ञानम्   ब्रह्म   (prajñānam brahma – God is absolute wisdom)

अहं   ब्रह्मास्मि   (ahaṁ brahmāsmi - I am Divine)

 

तत्   त्वम्   असि   (tat tvam asi - thou art that)

अयम्   आत्मा   ब्रह्म   (ayam ātmā brahma - this self is God)

संप्रदाय   (saṃpradāya - tradition)

भोग्वार्   संप्रदाय   (bhogvār saṃpradāya)

रामेशवर् र्संप्रदाय   (rāmeśavar saṃpradāya – insect tradition)

कीट्वा र्संप्रदाय   (kīṭvār saṃpradāya – insect tradition)

आनन्द्वार्  संप्रदाय   (ānandvār saṃpradāya)

अधिकारदेव   (adhikāradeva – presiding god)

श्रीमन् जगन्नाथ्   (śrīman jagannāth)

श्रीमन् आदिवराह   (śrīman ādivarāha)

श्रीमन् सिद्धेश्वर  (śrīman siddheśvara)

श्रीमन् नारायण  (śrīman nārāyaṇa)

अधिकादेवी   (adhikāradevī – presiding goddess)

श्रीमती  विमल  (śrīmati vimala)

श्रीमती  सरस्वती  (śrīmati sarasvatī)

श्रीमती  भद्रकाली  (śrīmati bhadrakālī)

श्रीमती  पुण्यगिरी  (śrīmati puṇyagirī)

महऋषिमुनिगोत्र   (mahaṛṣimunigotra – supreme-seer-sage genus)

कश्यपमहऋषि  (kaśyapamahaṛṣi)

भूर्भुवःमहऋषि  (bhūrbhuvaḥmahaṛṣi)

 

आविगत्महऋषि  (āvigatmahaṛṣi)

भृगमहऋषि  (bhṛgamahaṛṣi)

पुण्यतीर्थ   (puṇyatīrtha – sacred stream)

महोदधि   (mahodadhi)

तुङ्गबद्र  (tuṅgabadra)

गोमथी   (gomathī)

अलक्नन्द  (alaknanda)

नाम ब्रह्मचारिनाश्रमस्य  (nāma brahmacārināśramasya – name of celibate stage)

प्रकाश  (prakāśa - effulgence)

चैतन्य   (caitanya - consciousness)

स्वरूप  (svarūpa – inherent nature)

आनन्द  (ānanda- bliss)

नाम संन्यासिनस्य  (nāma saṃnyāsinasya – name of ascetic)

तीर्थ   संन्यासिन्  (tirtha sanyāsin – stream ascetic),

आश्रम   संन्यासिन्  (āśrama sanyāsin – hermit ascetic)

सरस्वती   संन्यासिन्  (sarasvatī sanyāsin),

भरती   संन्यासिन्  (bharatī sanyāsin – ascetic without bondage),

पूरि   संन्यासिन्  (pūri sanyāsin- town ascetic)

वन   संन्यासिन्  (vana sanyāsin – forest ascetic) &

आरण्य   संन्यासिन्  (āraṇya sanyāsin – jungle  ascetic)

गिरि संन्यासिन्  (giri sanyāsin – hill ascetic),

पर्वथ   संन्यासिन्  (parvatha sanyāsin – mountain ascetic) &

सागर संन्यासिन्  (sāgara sanyāsin – sea ascetic)

 

  As indicated in the above table, each  मठ   ( maṭha - monastery)  corresponds to one of the four  वेदसंहिता   ( vedasaṃhitā – vedic corpus) .  Here, the  लक्षण सन्यासससंप्रदाय  (lakṣaṇa saṃyāsasaṃpradāyasya – nature of ascetic tradition)   formally established by  श्री   आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda)  is technically called as  एकदण्डि संयाससंप्रदाय  (ekadaṇḍi saṃyāsasaṃpradāya – single staff scetic tradition)   which is further sub-classified by him into a nomenclature having ten kinds of sub-titles technically called as  दशनामी सम्प्रदाय   (daśanāmī sampradaya – ten names tradition).  And as indicated in the above table, these  दशनामी सम्प्रदाय   (daśanāmī sampradaya – ten names tradition)  is further mapped with the  आम्नायविद्यामठाः   ( āmnāyavidyāmaṭhāḥ – traditional monastraries).   Interestingly, each  नाम संन्यासिनस्य  (nāma saṃnyāsinasya – name of ascetic)   is also mapped to a specific   मुख्योपनिषद्  (mukhyopaniṣad – principal upanishad) ,  as indicated in the table below:

#

नाम संन्यासिनस्य  (nāma saṃnyāsinasya – name of ascetic)

मुख्योपनिषद्  (mukhyopaniṣad – principal upanishad)

A

गोवर्धन   पिठं   (govardhana piṭhaṁ)

1

तीर्थ   संन्यासिन्  (tirtha sanyāsin – stream ascetic)

केनोपनिषद्  (kenopaniṣad)

2

आश्रम   संन्यासिन्  (āśrama sanyāsin – hermit ascetic)

छान्दोग्योपनिषद्  (chāndogyopaniṣad)

B

द्वारक   पीठं   (dvāraka pīṭhaṁ)

3

वन   संन्यासिन्  (vana sanyāsin – forest ascetic)

ऐतेर्योपनिषद्  (aiteryopaniṣad)

4

आरण्य   संन्यासिन्  (āraṇya sanyāsin – jungle ascetic)

कौषीतकीयुपनिषद्  (kauṣītakīyupaniṣad)

C

श्री  शारदा   पीठं   (śrī śāradā pīṭhaṁ)

5

सरस्वती   संन्यासिन्  (sarasvatī sanyāsin)

बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद्  (bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad)

6

भरती   संन्यासिन्  (bharatī sanyāsin – ascetic without bondage)

तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद्  (taittirīyopaniṣad)

7

पूरि   संन्यासिन्  (pūri sanyāsin- town ascetic)

कठोपनिषद्  (kaṭhopaniṣad)

D

ज्योतिर्मठ्पीठं   (jyotirmaṭh pīṭhaṁ)

8

गिरि संन्यासिन्  (giri sanyāsin – hill ascetic)

मुण्डकोपनिषद्  (muṇḍakopaniṣad)

9

पर्वथ   संन्यासिन्  (parvatha sanyāsin – mountain ascetic)

प्रश्नोपनिषद्  (praśnopaniṣad)

10

सागर संन्यासिन्  (sāgara sanyāsin – sea ascetic)

माण्डूक्योपनिषद्  (māṇḍūkyopaniṣad)

  

The contribution of  श्री   आदिशंकराचार्यभगवत्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṃkarācāryabhagavatpāda)   does not stop with fomally  establishing the   आम्नायविद्यामठाः   ( āmnāyavidyāmaṭhāḥ – traditional monastraries)   or even  दशनामी सम्प्रदाय   (daśanāmī samprad ā ya – ten names tradition) . He also played a pivotal role in creating a formal defence system against the breaking forces of  सनातनधर्म हिन्दुसमयस्य  (sanātanadharma hindusamayasya – eternal soirituality of hindu religion).

For example, he was one of the pioneers in establishing what is called as the  नागसंन्याससंप्रदाय  (nāgasaṃnyāsasaṃpradāya – snake ascetic tradition)   who are technically  अस्त्रधारिणः  (astradhāriṇaḥ - weapon holders).    In other words, the  दशनामी सम्प्रदाय   (daśanāmī samprad ā ya – ten names tradition)   was further categorized into two groups viz. the traditional  शास्त्रधारिणः  (śāstradhāriṇaḥ- scripture holders)   on the one hand who ensure in intelectual protection of   सनातनधर्म हिन्दुसमयस्य  (sanātanadharma hindusamayasya – eternal soirituality of hindu religion)   while there were the  नागसाध्वः   (nāgasādhvaḥ - snake saints)   who provided the physical defence to the same.



Historically speaking, each of the above  आम्नायविद्यामठाः   ( āmnāyavidyāmaṭhāḥ – traditional monastraries)   provided formal military (self-defence training) to the  नागसाध्वः   (nāgasādhvaḥ - snake saints)   at the  रक्षा अखाडा  (rakṣā akhāḍā – defence academy).  For example,    अवाहन् अखाडा  (avāhan akhāḍā),  अटल अखाडा  (aṭala akhāḍā),  निर्वाणि अखाडा  (nirvāṇi akhāḍā),  भैरवी अखाडा  (bhairavī akhāḍā),  आनन्द अखाडा  (ānanda akhāḍā) &  निरञ्जनी अखाडा  (nirañjanī akhāḍā)   are some famous ancient examples. 

 Having established the four monasteries,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  himself became the  प्रथम पीठाधिपति   ( prathama pīṭhādhipati – first chairperson)  of the  श्री काञ्ची कामकोटि पीठं   ( śrī kāñcī kāmakoṭi pīṭhaṁ)  which is considered as the  सर्व ज्ञान पिठ   ( sarva jñāna piṭha – throne of omniscience) .



     It is also widely believed that  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)   was instrumental in constructing the sacred  श्री काञ्चीकामाक्षी दिव्यक्षेत्र   (śrī kāñcīkāmākṣī divyakṣetra – sacred Kanchi Kamakashi temple)   and formally consecrating the  श्रीचक्रयन्त्रमण्डल   (śrīcakrayantramaṇḍala)  before ascending the  सर्व ज्ञान पिठ   ( sarva jñāna piṭha – throne of omniscience) .   This fact is testified through various authentic orthodox sources. For example,  श्री मार्कण्डेयमहापुराण संहिता   (śrī mārkaṇḍeyamahāpurāṇa saṃhitā)   very categorically eshtablishes this fact .  Again,  परमाचार्य श्री माधवविद्यारण्य स्वामिन्   (paramācārya śrī mādhavavidyāraṇya svāmin)  in his famous hagiographical treatise called  संक्षेपशंकरविजय   (saṃkṣepaśaṃkaravijaya),  more popularly known by the name  शंकरदिग्वैजय   (śaṃkaradigvaijaya)  records thus :

Original Transliteration Translation
अभिपूज्य स तत्र रामनाथं सह पाण्डैः स्ववशे विधाय चोलान्।
द्रविडाम्श्च ततो जगाम् काञ्चीं नगरीम् हस्तिगिरेर्नितम्भकाञ्चीम्॥
सुरधाम् स तत्त्र कारियत्वा परविद्याश्च रनानुसारि चित्रं।
अपवार्य च तान्त्रिकानीत् भगवत्याः श्रुतिसंमताम् सपर्याम्॥
 		abhipūjya sa tatra rāmanāthaṃ saha pāṇḍaiḥ svavaśe vidhāya colān।
draviḍāmśca tato jagām kāñcīṃ nagarīm hastigirernitambhakāñcīm॥
suradhām sa tattra kāriyatvā paravidyāśca ranānusāri citraṃ।
apavārya ca tāntrikānīt bhagavatyāḥ śrutisaṃmatām saparyām॥
After worshipping Rāmanatha at Rāmeśwaram, the ācārya travelled through the Pāndya and Chola countries and reached the city of Kāñci whith shone like an ornament to the Hasti ranges. There he built a temple, instituted the worship of Devi, with rituals that are in accordance with the Vedic traditions and suited to the attainment of supreme knowledge. He eschewed, in those rituals, every trace of the Tāntrika modes of worship...
-translation by Swami Tapasyananad (RKM Order)
Sanskrit Reference: संक्षेपशंकरविजय (saṃkṣepaśaṃkaravijaya) (15.4,5)

The formal consecration of  श्रीचक्रयन्त्रमण्डल   (śrīcakrayantramaṇḍala)  is also testified by both  श्री चिद्विलासाचार्य  (śrī cidvilāsācārya)  and  श्री आनन्दगिरियाचार्य   (śrī ānandagiriyācārya)  in their famous  hagiographical treatises called  चिद्विलासियशंकरविजय  (cidvilāsiyaśaṃkaravijaya) &   श्री   आनन्दगिर्यशंकरविजय    (śrī ānandagiryaśaṃkaravijaya)  respectively. 


        By establishing these monastic orders   श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  also played a pivotal role in integrating the pan Indian cultural belief systems across Hindus into common identity as one religion -  हिन्दुधर्म   (hindudharma - Hinduism) . 

          Again,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  following the foot steps of  श्री व्यास   महऋषि   (śrī  vyāsa mahaṛṣi)  established the inherent divinity in all phenomenal manifestation reflecting the wisdom of the  महावाक्यानि   (m ahāvākyāni - supreme declarations) , as revealed in the  चतुर्वेदसंहिताः  (caturvedasaṃhitāḥ - four vedic corpuses)


#

वेदसंहिता   ( vedasaṃhitā – vedic corpus)

मुख्योपनिषद्  (mukhyopaniṣad – principal upanishad)

महावाक्य  (mahāvākya – supreme vedict)

1

ऋग्वेदसंहिता   ( ṛgvedasaṃhitā)

ऐतरेयोपनिषद्  (aitareyopaniṣad)

प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म   ( prajñānam brahma – God is absolute wisdom)

2

यजुर्वेदसंहिता   (yajur vedasaṁhitā )

बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद्  (bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad)

अहं ब्रह्मास्मि   ( ahaṁ brahmāsmi - I am Divine)

 

3

सामवेदसंहिता   ( sāmavedasaṁhitā

छान्दोग्योपनिषद्  (chāndogyopaniṣad)

तत् त्वम् असि   ( tat tvam asi - thou art that)

4

अथर्वणवेदसंहिता  ( atharvaṇavedasaṁhitā)

माण्डुक्योपनिषद्  (māṇḍukyopaniṣad)

अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म   ( ayam ātmā brahma - this self is God)



    In fact, in the small treatise वाक्य वृत्तिः (vākya vṛttiḥ), the आचार्य (ācārya - preceptor) preaches the spiritual significance of महा वाक्य (mahā vākya - supreme declarations) especially on तत् त्वम् असि (tat tvam asi - thou art that) & अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (ahaṁ brahmāsmi - I am Divine)
In a nutshell, श्री आदि शंक्राचार्य (śrī ādi śaṁkrācārya) helped drive home the spiritual message of Universal Divinity irrespective one’s caste, creed, religion, nationality etc. The following verses from his मनिषा पञ्चकम् (maniṣā pañcakam – five fold considerations) very clearly highlights his universal non-dualistic outlook.


Original Transliteration Translation
जाग्रत्स्वप्न सुषुप्तिषु स्फुटतरा या संविदुज्जृम्भते या ब्रह्मादि पिपीलिकान्तथनुषु प्रोथा जगत् साक्षिणी।
सैवाहं न च दृश्य वस्त्विति दृढप्रज्ञाऽपि यस्य अस्ति चेत् चण्डालोऽस्तु स तु द्विजोऽस्थु गुरुरित्यषा मनीषा मम॥

ब्रह्मैवाहमिदं जगच्च सकलं चिन्मात्र विस्तारितं सर्वं चैतदविद्यया त्रिगुनयाऽशेषं मया कल्पितम्।
इत्थं यस्य दृढा मतिः सुखतरे नित्ये परे निर्मले चण्डालोऽस्तु सतु द्विजोऽस्तु गुरुरित्यषा मनीशा मम॥ 		jāgratsvapna suṣuptiṣu sphuṭatarā yā saṁvidujjṛmbhate yā brahmādi pipīlikāntathanuṣu prothā jagat sākṣiṇī|
saivāhaṁ na ca dṛśya vastviti dṛḍhaprajñā'pi yasya asti cet caṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'sthu gurur ityaeṣā manīṣā mama||

brahmaivāham idam jagacca sakalam cinmātravistāritam sarvam caitad avidyayā triguṇayā’śeṣam mayā kalpitam।
ittham yasya diḍhā matiḥ sukhatare nitye pare nirmale cāṇḍālo'stu sa tu dvijo'stu gururityeṣā manīṣā mama ॥
In the waking, dream and deep sleep states, That which is their Illuminator, by which one comes to know and understand things From the Creator down to the ant, that which is the very spark of life in them; the witness of the entire universe That alone am I, and not the objects that are “seen”, firmly established in this Consciousness – if there is such a person, be he a Chandala or be he a Brahmana, such a one indeed is worthy of being a Guru. This is my firm conviction

I am pure Consciousness, and this entire universe, is only an expansion of pure Consciousness Out of this Maya all this that we see, made of the three gunas, has been conjured by imagination,
He whose intellect is firmly established in the all blissful, eternal, Supreme Reality, be he a Chandala or be he a Brahmana, such a one is indeed worthy of being a Guru. This is my firm conviction
Sanskrit Reference: मनिषा पञ्चकम् (maniṣāpañcakam) (1,2)

Moreover, according to  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda) ,  it is our  अविद्यामाया   ( avidyāmāyā- nescient mystery)   that hides our divine potential and limits us to the confines of  अहंकार   ( ahaṁkāra - self arrogation)  leading to  अहमिदम्भेद   (ahamidambheda – I–this difference) .
     In my humble opinion,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)   is truly a  जगत्गुरु   ( jagat guru - universal preceptor)   in this sense as well. He helped us realize that all kinds of disparities are temporary and unity is the permanent reality. With the dawn of spiritual enlightenment (wisdom), differences across all phenomenal manifestations across the world can potentially be integrated into the  कैवल्य अद्वैत एकत्वम्   ( kaivalya advaita ekatvam - absolute non dual singularity) .  Interestingly, recent discoveries in modern physics also echoes a similar concept of absolute cosmic singularity.
    Of course his contribution to spirituality does not end here. He is also one of the greatest pan-Indian holistic synthesizers of heterogeneous theological / philosophical schools viz.  वैदीक   ( vaidīka - vedic) ,  तान्त्रिक   ( tāntrika - tantrik) ,  आगम   ( āgama - agamic) , पुराण   ( purāṇa - mythological)   etc. into a homogeneous system of Hindu philosophy. He also wisely incorporated the learning and best practices from  योगदर्शन  ( yogadarśana),  सांख्यदर्शन   ( sāṃkhyadarśana),  वैशेषिकदर्शन   ( vaiśeṣikadarśana),  न्यायदर्शन   ( nyāyadarśana),  पूर्वमीमांसदर्शन   ( pūrvamīmāṃsadarśana),  उत्तरमीमांसदर्शन   ( uttaramīmāṃsadarśana) .  

He also helped in a two way (both from & to) wisdom adoption with other popular heterodox religions of his times -  बौद्धधर्म   (bauddhadharma - Buddhism)   and  जैनधरम   (jainadharama - Jainism)  etc., into mainstream  हिन्दुधर्म   (hindudharma - Hinduism) .  To quote Dr. Sarvepalli S Radhakrishnan: 

 " Sankara present to us the true ideal of philosophy, which is not so much knowledge as wisdom, not so much logical learning as spiritual freedom. For Sankara, as for some of the greatest thinkers of the world like Plato and Plotinus, Spinoza and Hegel, Philosophy is the austere vision of eternal truth, majestic in its freedom from the petty cares of man's paltry life. Through the massive and at the same time subtle dialectic of Sankara there shows forth a vivid, emotional temperament, without which philosophy tends to become a mere game of logic. A master of the strictest logic, he is also master of a noble and animated poetry which belongs to another order. The rays of his genius have illumined the dark places of thought and soothed the sorrows of the most forlorn heart. While his philosophy fortifies and consoles many, there are, of course, those to whom it seems to be an abyss of contradiction and darkness. But whether we agree or differ, the penetrating light of his mind never leaves us where we were....Sankara appeared, at one and the same time, as an eager champion of the orthodox faith and a spiritual reformer. He tried to bring back the age from the brilliant luxury of the Puranas to the mystic truth of the Upanishads. The power of the faith to lead the soul to the higher life became for him the test of its strength. He felt impelled to attempt the spiritual direction of his age by formulating a philosophy and religion which could satisfy the ethical and spiritual needs of the people ".



श्री आदिषङ्कराचार्यस्य शास्त्रीययोगदानम् ( śrī ādiṣa ṅ karācāryasya śāstrīyay ō gad ā nam – Scriotural contributtion of Sri Adi Shankaracharya)

श्री आदिशंकराचार्य भगवद्पाद  ( śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya bhagavadpāda)  has made unparalleled contribution to the  भारतीयसनातनधर्म   (bhāratīyasanātanadharma – Indian eternal spirituality)  by creating a huge corpus of scriptural treatises, which is estimated to be around 153 in number  including 


#

Category

Count

1

भाष्य ग्रन्थाः  (bhāṣya granthāḥ - commentary treatises)

23

2

प्रकरण ग्रन्थाः  (prakaraṇa granthāḥ - explanatory treatises)

54

3

स्तोत्र स्तुति ग्रन्थाः  (stotra stuti granthāḥ - eulogical treatizes)

76

Total

153



    Some of the important  शास्त्रीय  ग्रन्थाः  ( śāstrīya  granthāḥ - scriptural treatises)  that are attributed to  श्री आदिशंकराचार्य भगवद्पाद  ( śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya bhagavadpāda) can further be classified   as follows 




  He also helped in consolidating the huge corpus of Vedic scriptures and streamlining their underlying philosophic essence by writing  भाष्याणि   ( bhāṣyāṇi - commentaries)  on the  प्रस्थानत्रयी  ( prasthāna trayī – triple sources)   of orthodox Hindu scriptures viz.     

#

प्रस्थान शास्त्र  (prasthāna śāstra- source scripture)

Focus

1

मुख्योपनिषदः   (mukhyopaniṣadaḥ)

श्रुति प्रस्थान  (śruti prasthāna – scriptural source)

2

ब्रह्म सूत्र   / शारीरक सूत्र  (brahma  sūtra / śārīraka sūtra )

युक्ति प्रस्थान  (yukti prasthāna – logical source)

3

श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता  (śrīmad bhagavadgītā)

साधन प्रस्थान  (sādhana prasthāna – instrumental source)

     Let's take the  मुख्योपनिषदः   (mukhyopaniṣadaḥ - principal upanishads)  which are technically  categorized  as  श्रुति प्रस्थान  (śruti prasthāna – scriptural source). It is widely believed that   श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda) has written these detailed commentaries 

#

भाष्य   (bhāṣya - commentary)

1

ऐत्रेय उपनिषद् भाष्य  (aitreya upaniṣad bhāṣya)

2

बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् भाष्य   (bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad bhāṣya)

4

छाण्दोग्य उपनिषद् भाष्य   (chāṇdogya upaniṣad bhāṣya)

5

ईश उपनिषद् भाष्य   (īśa upaniṣad bhāṣya)

6

कथोपनिषद् भाष्य  (kaṭhopaniṣad bhāṣya)

7

केन उपनिषद् भाष्य  (kena upaniṣad bhāṣya)

9

माण्डूक्य उपनिषद् भाष्य  (māṇḍūkya upaniṣad bhāṣya)

10

मुण्डक उपनिषद् भाष्य  (muṇḍaka upaniṣad bhāṣya)

11

प्रश्न उपनिषद् भाष्य  (praśna upaniṣad bhāṣya)

12

श्वेताश्वतर उपनिषद् भाष्य  (śvetāśvatara bhāṣya)

13

तैत्त्रेय उपनिषद् भाष्य  (taittreya upaniṣad bhāṣya)


Next  let us take  ब्रह्म सूत्र   / शारीरक सूत्र  (brahma  sūtra / śārīraka sūtra ) which is a  युक्ति प्रस्थान   (yukti prasthāna – logical exposition). A major commentray  called  शारीरक   भाष्य  ( śārīraka  bhāṣya)  on the same, was written by  श्री आदि शंकराचर्य   (śrī ādi śaṁkarācarya).  Interestingly his commentary was further expanded by  श्री वाचस्पति मिश्र   (śri vācaspati miśra)  &  श्री  पद्मपाद    (śri padmapāda)  independently wrote separate  भाष्याणि  (bhāṣyāṇi - commentaries)  on the same titled  भामति   (bhāmati)  &  पञ्चपादिका  (pañcapādikā)  respectively.  श्री अमलानन्द   (śri amalānanda)  in turn wrote independent  भाष्याणि  (bhāṣyāṇi- commentaries)  called  वेदान्तकल्पतरु   (vedāntakalpataru)  &  पञ्चपादिका दर्पण   (pañcapādikādarpaṇa)  on the  भामति   (bhāmati)  &  पञ्चपादिका  (pañcapādikā)  respectively. The former was further commented by  श्री   अप्पयदीक्षित   (śri appayadīkṣita)  in his  परिमल   (parimala)  while the  श्री   प्रकाशात्मन्   (śrī prakāśātman)   wrote a  विवरण  (vivaraṇa-gloss)  on  पञ्चपादिका  (pañcapādikā)  and so on goes the rich tradition of philosophical commentaries.

For example, Sri R. Thangaswamy in his famous research titled ‘ Advaita Vedanta Literature – A Bibleographic Survey ”,    has traced a huge corpus of commentaries (close to 50) on the  ब्रह्मसूत्र  भाष्य / शारीरक भाष्य ( brahmasūtra   bhāṣya     /  śārīraka    bhāṣya)  alone .   The same list has been referred by Sri Pulasth Soobah Roodurmun in his famous book called “ Bhamati and Vivarana schools of Advaita Vedanta – A Critical Approach ”.     

L evel

भाष्य   (bhāṣya - commentary)

भाष्यकार  (bhāṣyakāra – commentator)

केवलाद्वैत दर्शन      (kevalādtvaita darśana – absolute nondualistc philosophy)

A1.0

ब्रह्मसूत्र  भाष्य / शारीरक भाष्य ( brahmasūtra   bhāṣya   /  śārīraka    bhāṣya)

श्री आदि शंकराचार्य  (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya)

A1.1

  भामति  (bhāmati)

श्री वाचस्पति मिश्र  (śrī vācaspati miśra)

A1.1.1

ऋजुप्रकाशिका / भामतिव्याख्या  (ṛjuprakāśikā/ bhāmativyākhyā)

श्री अखाण्डानन्द  (śrī akhāṇḍānanda)

A1.1.2

भावदीपिका  (bhāvadīpikā)

श्री अच्युतकृष्णानन्द  (śrī acyutakṛṣṇānanda)

A1.1.3

भामति तिलक  (bhāmati tilaka)

श्री अल्लल सूरि  (śrī allala sūri)

A1.1.4

भामति विलास  (bhāmati vilāsa)

Anonymous

A1.1.5

वेदान्त कल्पतरु  (vedānta kalpataru)

श्री अमलानन्द  (śrī amalānanda)

A1.1.5.1

वेदान्त कल्पतरु मञ्जरी  (vedānta kalpataru mañjarī)

श्री वैद्यनाथपायगुण्डे  (śrī vaidyanāthapāyaguṇḍe)

A1.1.5.2

वेदान्त कल्पतरु परिमल  (vedānta kalpataru parimala)

श्री अप्पयदीक्षित  (śrī appayadīkṣita)

A1.1.5.2.1

वेदान्त कल्पतरु परिमल सङ्ग्रह  (vedānta kalpataru parimala saṅgraha)

 

A1.1.5.2

आभोग  (ābhoga)

श्री लक्ष्मीनृसिम्ह  (śrī lakṣmīnṛsimha)

A1.2

पञ्चपादिका  (pañcapādikā)

श्री पद्मपाद  (śrī padmapāda)

A1.2.1

प्रबोध परिशोधिनी  (prabodha pariśodhinī)

श्री आत्मसर्वज्ञ  (śrī ātmasarvajña)

A1.2.2

पञ्चपादिका व्याख्या  (pañcapādikā vyākhyā)

श्री आनन्दपूरण विद्यासागर  (śrī ānandapūraṇa vidyāsāgara)

A1.2.3

वक्तव्य प्रकाशिका  (vaktavya prakāśikā)

श्री उत्तमज्ञ यती  (śrī uttamajña yatī)

A1.2.4

वेदान्तरत्न कोश  (vedāntaratna kośa)

श्री नृसिंहाश्रमी  (śrī nṛsiṃhāśramī)

A.1.2.5

पञ्चपादिका व्याख्या  (pañcapādikā vyākhyā)

श्री धर्मराजाध्वरीन्द्र  (śrī dharmarājādhvarīndra)

A.1.2.6

तात्पर्य द्योतिनी  (tātparya dyotinī)

श्री विज्ञानात्म  (śrī vijñānātma)

A.1.2.7

पञ्चपादिका विवरण  (pañcapādikā vivaraṇa)

श्री प्रकाशात्म यती  (śrī prakāśātma yatī)

A.1.2.7.1

तत्त्वदीपन  (tattvadīpana)

श्री अखण्डानन्द मुनि  (śrī akhaṇḍānanda muni)

A.1.2.7.2

विमलदर्पन  (vimaladarpana)

श्री अमलानन्द  (śrī amalānanda)

A.1.2.7.3

भावद्योतिनी  (bhāvadyotinī)

श्री  चित्सुखाचार्य  (śrī  citsukhācārya)

A.1.2.7.4

टीकारत्न  (ṭīkāratna)

श्री आनन्दपूर्ण  (śrī ānandapūrṇa)

A.1.2.7.5

ऋजुविवरण  (ṛjuvivaraṇa)

श्री विष्णुभट्टोपाध्याय  (śrī viṣṇubhaṭṭopādhyāya)

A.1.2.7.6

विवरण प्रमेय सङ्ग्रह  (vivaraṇa prameya saṅgraha)

श्री विद्यारण्य  (śrī vidyāraṇya)

A.1.2.7.7

भावप्रकाशिका  (bhāvaprakāśikā)

श्री नृसिंहाश्रम  (śrī nṛsiṃhāśrama)

A.1.2.7.8

विवरणोपन्यास  (vivaraṇopanyāsa)

श्री रामानन्द सरस्वती  (śrī rāmānanda sarasvatī)

A.1.2.7.9

विवरणोज्जीवनी  (vivaraṇojjīvanī)

श्री यज्ञेश्वरदीक्षित  (śrī yajñeśvaradīkṣita)

A.1.2.7.10

भावप्रकाशिका  (bhāvaprakāśikā)

श्री पर्व्रजाक  (śrī parvrajāka)

A.1.2.7.11

व्याख्या  (vyākhyā)

श्री रामतीर्थ   (śrī rāmatīrtha)

A.1.2.7.11

व्याख्या  (vyākhyā)

श्री कृष्ण  (śrī kṛṣṇa)

A1.3

ब्रह्मविद्याभरण  (brahmavidyābharaṇa)

श्री अद्वैतानन्द  (śrī advaitānanda)

A1.4

प्रदीप  (pradīpa)

श्री अनन्तकृष्ण शास्त्रि  (śrī ananta kṛṣṇa śāstri)

A1.5

शारीरक ज्ञान मणिमाल  (śārīraka jñāna maṇimāla)

श्री अनन्यानुभाव  (śrī ananyānubhāva)

A1.6

प्रकार्टाथ विवरण  (prakārṭātha vivaraṇa)

श्री अनुभूतिस्वरूपाचार्य  (śrī anubhūtisvarūpācārya)

A1.7

न्याय निर्णय  (nyāya nirṇaya)

श्री आनन्दगिरि  (śrī ānandagiri)

A1.8

भाष्य सिद्धान्त सङ्ग्रह  (bhāṣya siddhānta saṅgraha)

श्री उपनिषद् ब्रह्मेन्द्र  (śrī upaniṣad brahmendra)

A1.9

आनुन्गुण्य सिद्धि  (ānunguṇya siddhi)

श्री कृष्ण शास्त्रि  (śrī kṛṣṇa śāstri)

A1.10

रत्न प्रभा  (ratna prabhā)

श्री रामानन्द  (śrī rāmānanda)

A1.11

भाष्य भाव प्रकाशिका  (bhāṣya bhāva prakāśikā)

श्री  चित्सुखाचार्य  (śrī  citsukhācārya)

A1.12

विद्या श्री  (vidyā śrī)

श्री ज्ञानोत्तम  (śrī jñānottama)

A1.13

भाष्याबुप्रभ / भाष्य भानुप्रभ  (bhāṣyābuprabha / bhāṣya bhānuprabha)

श्री त्रयंभक शास्त्रि  (śrī trayaṃbhaka śāstri)

A1.14

भाष्य वार्त्तिक  (bhāṣya vārtika)

श्री नारायण सरस्वती  (śrī nārāyaṇa sarasvatī)

A1.15

भाष्य वार्त्तिक  (bhāṣya vārtika)

श्री बालकृष्णान्द  (śrī bālakṛṣṇānda)

A1.16

भाष्यार्थ सङ्ग्रह  (bhāṣyārtha saṅgraha)

श्री ब्रह्मानन्द यती  (śrī brahmānanda yatī)

A1.17

सुबोधिनी  (subodhinī)

श्री शिव नारायण  (śrī śiva nārāyaṇa)

A1.18

भाष्य सिद्धान्त सङ्ग्रह  (bhāṣya siddhānta saṅgraha)

श्री कृष्णानुभूति  (śrī kṛṣṇānubhūti)

A1.19

भाष्य न्याय सङ्ग्रह  (bhāṣya nyāya saṅgraha)

श्री प्रकाशात्म यती  (śrī prakāśātma yatī)


Similarly,  for   श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता  (śrīmad bhagavadgītā), which is a  साधन प्रस्थान   ( sādhana prasthāna – instrumental source) a comprehensive commentary called  श्रीमद् भगवद् गीता शंकर भाष्य  (śrīmad bhagavad gītā śaṃkara bhāṣya)  has been written by  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda).

Interestingly,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda) has provided a very detailed cross-referencing scriptural testimonies  in his  प्रस्थानत्रयभाष्याणि   ( prasthānatrayabhāṣyāṇi – triple source commentaries) which has been summarized conciely in this table by Sri V. Panoli


    Again, in terms of  स्तोत्र स्तुति ग्रन्थाः  (stotra stuti granthāḥ - eulogical treatizes)  it is believed that  devotional mystical renderings of   श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)   include the following .

#

स्तोत्रग्रन्थ  (stotragrantha – euological treatise)

परब्रह्म   (parabrahma – supreme divinity)

1

मोह मुद्गर   ( moha mudgara) aka   भज गोविन्दम्   ( bhaja govindam - chant Govinda)

महा विष्णु   ( mahā viṣṇu)  

2

शिवानन्द लहरी   ( śivānanda laharī)

परमशिव   ( paramaśiva)

3

श्री सुब्रमण्य भुजङ्गम्   ( śrī subramaṇya bhujaṅgam)

षण्मुख   ( ṣaṇmukha)

4

श्री सौन्दर्य लहरी   ( śrī saundarya laharī)

पराशक्ति   ( parāśakti)



    The following table provides a summary (and  definitely  not an exhaustive list) of some the other most important  works of   श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)

#

शास्त्र   ( śāstra – scripture)

Category

A1

विवेकचूडामणि   (vivekacūḍāmaṇi)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A2

तत्त्व बोध  ( tattva bodha )

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A3

शतश्लोकी  (śataślokī)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A4

स्वात्मनिरूपणम्  (svātmanirūpaṇam)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A5

हरिस्तुतिः  (haristutiḥ)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A6

दशश्लोकि  (daśaśloki)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A7

एकश्लोकि  (ekaśloki)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A8

उपदेशसाशस्रि  (upadeśasāśasri)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A9

पञ्चीकरण  (pañcīkaraṇa)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A10

आत्मबोध ( ātmabodha)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A11

वाक्यसुध / दृग दृश्य विवेक  (vākyasudha/ dṛga dṛśya viveka)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A12

वाक्यवृत्ति  (vākyavṛtti)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A13

मनीशपञ्चकम्  (manīśapañcakam)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A14

यति पञ्च्कम्  (yati pañckam)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A15

सिद्धान्त तत्त्व  बिन्दु  (siddhānta tattva bindu)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A16

निर्गुण मानस पूज  (nirguṇa mānasa pūja)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A17

प्रबोध सुधाकर  (prabodha sudhākara)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A18

अपरोक्षानुभूतिः  (aparokṣānubhūtiḥ)

प्रकरण ग्रन्थ  (prakaraṇa grantha – monograph/treatise text)

A19

श्री विष्णुसश्रनाम भाष्यम्  (śrī viṣṇusaśranāma bhāṣyam)

भाष्य ग्रन्थ  (bhāṣya grantha – commentary text)

A20

सौन्दर्य लहरी  (saundarya laharī)

स्तोत्र ग्रन्थ  (stotra grantha – eulogical text)

A21

शिवानन्द लहरी  (śivānanda laharī)

स्तोत्र ग्रन्थ  (stotra grantha – eulogical text)

A22

सुब्रमन्य् भुजङ्गम्  (subramany bhujaṅgam)

स्तोत्र ग्रन्थ  (stotra grantha – eulogical text)

A23

श्री दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम्  ( śrī dakṣiṇāmūrti stotram) 

स्तोत्र ग्रन्थ  (stotra grantha – eulogical text)

A24

बज गोविन्दम्  (bajagovindam)

स्तोत्र ग्रन्थ  (stotra grantha – eulogical text)




  औपचारिक स्थापक षण्मतसंप्रदायस्य  (aupacārika sthāpaka ṣaṇmatasaṃpradāyasya –  formal establisher of six-theology tradition)

    Thus, in terms of theological contribution he plays the unparalleled role of analyzing the inherent polytheistic nature of Hindu DNA and formally consolidating the most popular theologies into an integrated into  संप्रदाय षण्मतदेवतानाम्  (saṃpradāya ṣaṇmatadevatānām –  tradition of sixfold theological deities)  viz. 

#

मतसंप्रदायम्   (matasaṃpradāyam – theological tradition)

अधिकार   देवत   ( adhikāra devata – presiding deity)

1

शैवमतसंप्रदायम्   (śaivamatasaṃpradāyam – shaiva theological tradition)

श्री   परमशिव   (śrī paramaśiva)

2

वैष्णवमतसंप्रदायम्   (vaiṣṇavamatasaṃpradāyam – vaishnava theological tradition)

श्री   महाविष्णु   (śrī mahāviṣṇu)

3

शाक्तमतसंप्रदायम्   (śāktamatasaṃpradāyam – shakti theological tradition)

श्री   पराशक्ति   (śrī parāśakti)

4

गाणपत्यमतसंप्रदायम्   (gāṇapatyamatasaṃpradāyam – Ganesha theological tradition)

श्री   गणेश   (śrī gaṇeśa)

5

कौमारमतसंप्रदायम्   (kaumāramatasaṃpradāyam – kaumara theological tradition)

श्री   स्कन्द   (śrī skanda)

6

सौरमतसंप्रदायम्   (sauramatasaṃpradāyam – sun theological tradition)

श्री   सूर्य   (śrī sūrya)

    

 This fact is testified by  परमाचार्य श्री माधवविद्यारण्य स्वामिन्   (paramācārya śrī mādhavavidyāraṇya svāmin)   in the following verse

Original Transliteration Translation
शैवं च वष्णवं शाक्तम् सौरं वैनायकं तथा।
स्कान्दं च भक्तिमार्गस्य दर्शनानि षडेव हि॥
 		śaivaṁ ca vaṣṇavaṁ śāktam sauraṁ vināyakaṁ tathā|
skāndaṁ ca bhaktimārgasya darśanāni ṣaḍeva hi||
Sanskrit Reference: पुराणसार (purāṇasāra)


His Holiness  जगद्गुरु श्री चन्द्रशेखरेन्द्र सरसवती स्वामिन्  (jagadguru śrī candraśekharendra sarasavatī svāmin)   more lovingly adored as the  ஸ்ரீ காஞ்சிமகா பெரியவா   (srī kāñcimagā periyavā – supreme sage of Kanchi)   explains thus in one of his famous sermons which was compiled eventually as part of the magnum opus collection viz.  தெய்வத்தின் குரல்   (deivattin kural – voice of god)  by Sri Ra Ganapati 


Original Transliteration Translation
காணபத்யம் என்பதாக கணபதியையே முழுமுதற் கடவுளாக வழிபடுகிற மார்க்கத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்களே காணபதர்கள். ஒரே வேதாந்த ஸமயத்தில் ஆறு பிரிவுகள். ஒரே நதியில் ஆறு துறைகள் மாதிரி. இதில் கணபதி உபாஸனையையே மோக்ஷ உபயமாகச் சொல்வது காணபத்யம். குமாரஸ்வாமி (முருகன்) உபாஸனையைச் சொல்வது கௌமாரம். அம்பாள் சக்தியின் உபாஸனையைச் சொல்வது சாக்தம். ஸூர்யனையே பரம்பொருளாகச் சொல்வது ஸெளரம். விஷ்ணுவைச் சொல்வது வைஷ்ணவமென்றும், சிவனைச் சொல்வது சைவமென்றும் தெரிந்திருக்கும். ஷண்மதங்கள் என்ற இந்த ஆறு உபாஸனாக்ரமங்களையும் சுத்தப்படுத்தி வைதிகமாக நிலைநாட்டியதாலேயே பகவத்பாதாளுக்கு [ஆதி சங்கரருக்கு] ஷண்மதப்ரதிஷ்டாபனாசார்யர் என்று பெயர். gāṇapatyam eṉpatāka kaṇapatiyaiyē muḻumutaṟ kaṭavuḷāka vaḻipaṭukiṟa mārkkattaic cērntavarkaḷē kāṇapatarkaḷ. orē vētānta samayattil āṟu pirivukaḷ. orē natiyil āṟu tuṟaikaḷ mātiri. itil kaṇapati upāsaṉaiyaiyē mōkṣa upayamākac colvatu kāṇapatyam. kumārasvāmi (murukaṉ) upāsaṉaiyaic colvatu kaumāram. ampāḷ caktiyiṉ upāsaṉaiyaic colvatu cāktam. sūryaṉaiyē paramporuḷākac colvatu seḷaram. viṣṇuvaic colvatu vaiṣṇavameṉṟum, civaṉaic colvatu caivameṉṟum terintirukkum. ṣaṇmataṅkaḷ eṉṟa inta āṟu upāsaṉākramaṅkaḷaiyum cuttappaṭutti vaitikamāka nilaināṭṭiyatālēyē pakavatpātāḷukku [āti caṅkararukku] ṣaṇmatapratiṣṭāpaṉācāryar eṉṟu peyar. Ganapadarare those who follow the path of ‘Ganapathyam ’ in which Ganapathi is worshipped as supreme God. There are six branches within the same Vedhantha just as there are six ghats in the same river. In these, Ganapathyam lays down the worship of Gailapathi for attaining Moksha. Koumaram prescribes the worship of Kumaraswami (Murugan). Saktham prescribes the worship of Ambal. VaishiJavam is worship of Vishnu and Saivam is worship of Siva. Because AdhiSankara streamlined the methods of worship in these six ways and established them as orthodox he is known as ‘Shanmatha Prathishtapanachariar’.

-translation by Sri V. Krishnamachari
Tamil Reference: தெய்வத்தின் குரல் (deivattin kural) (volume 3)


    Further, in correspondence with the  पञ्चमहावेदयज्ञाः   (pañcamahāvedayajñāḥ  –  five supreme vedic sacrifices)  prescribed in the  वेदशास्त्र   ( vedaśāstra – vedic scripture ),   the  परमाचार्य   ( paramācārya )   lays down  पञ्चायतनपूजा   ( pañcāyatanapūjā – five fold worship )   to be performed as part of his  नित्यकर्मसाधन   (nityakarmasādhana – routine obligatory rite)   by every able-minded individual during his  गृहस्थ आश्रम   ( gṛhastha āśrama  –  householder stage ) . The  following table for example summarizes on of the popular forms of  शण्मत-पञ्चायतनपूजा  (śaṇmata-pañcāyatanapūjā– six-theism five-fold worship)


Category

शैवमत  (śaivamata – shaiva theism)

कौमारमत  (kaumāra – kumara theism)

शाक्तमत  (śāktamata – shakti theism)

गाणात्यमत  (gāṇapatya–  ganapati theism)

वैष्णवमत  (vaiṣṇava– vishnu theism)

सौरमत  (sauramata – solar theism)

अधिकार देवत   (a dhikāra devata – Presiding Deity )

श्री परमशिव  (śrī paramaśiva)

श्री शिवकुमार  (śrī  śivakumāra )

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

श्री गणेश   (śrī  gaṇeśa )

श्री महाविष्णु  ( śrī mahāviṣṇu )

श्री सूर्य   (śrī  sūrya )

पञ्चायतन पूजा   ( pañcāyatana pūjā – five fold worship )

शिव  पञ्चायतन  ( śiva pañcāyatana )

शक्ति  पञ्चायतन

  ( śakti pañcāyatana )

गनपत्य  पञ्चायतन

  ( ganapatya pañcāyatana )

विष्णु  पञ्चायतन  ( viṣṇu pañcāyatana )

सूर्य  पञ्चायतन  ( sūrya pañcāyatana )

अमूर्तियन्त्र   (amūrtiyantra – aniconic emblem)

बानलिङ्ग  (bānaliṅga – oblong stone)

सुवर्णमुखी  (suvarṇamukhī – ferric sulfide stone)

शोणभद्र  (śoṇabhadra – red-jasper stone)

सालग्राम  (sālagrāma- ammonite stone)

स्फटिक  (sphaṭika – quartz crystal)

ईशान्यस्थान     (īśānyasthāna -  north-east position)

श्री महाविष्णु  ( śrī mahāviṣṇu)

श्री महाविष्णु  ( śrī mahāviṣṇu)

श्री महाविष्णु  ( śrī mahāviṣṇu)

श्री परमशिव  (śrī paramaśiva)

श्री परमशिव  (śrī paramaśiva)

वायव्यस्थान     (vāyavyasthāna -  north-west position)

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

श्री सूर्य   (śrī  sūrya )

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

मध्यस्थान  (madhyasthāna – centre position)

श्री परमशिव  (śrī paramaśiva)

श्री शिवकुमार  (śrī  śivakumāra )

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

श्री गणेश   (śrī  gaṇeśa )

श्री महाविष्णु  ( śrī mahāviṣṇu )

श्री सूर्य   (śrī  sūrya )

दक्षिणप्राचीस्थान   (dakṣiṇaprācīsthāna – south-west position)    

श्री गणेश   (śrī  gaṇeśa )

श्री गणेश   (śrī  gaṇeśa )

श्री सूर्य   (śrī  sūrya )

श्री सूर्य   (śrī  sūrya )

श्री महाविष्णु  ( śrī mahāviṣṇu )

दक्षिणपूर्वास्थान  (dakṣiṇapūrvāsthāna – south-east position)    

श्री पराशक्ति  (śrī  parāśakti )

श्री परमशिव  (śrī paramaśiva)

श्री परमशिव  (śrī paramaśiva)

श्री गणेश   (śrī  gaṇeśa )

श्री गणेश   (śrī  gaṇeśa )

     Eventually this paved the way for inter-faith harmony and removing theological sectarian disputes within Hinduism. In fact, he is rightly eulogized as 

Original Transliteration Translation
निखिलपाषण्डषण्डकण्टकोत्पाटनेन विशदिकृत्वेदवेदान्तमार्गषण्मतप्रतिष्टाप्काचार्याः। nikhilapāṣaṇḍaṣaṇḍakaṇṭakotpāṭanena viśadikṛtvedavedāntamārgaṣaṇmatapratiṣṭāpkācāryāḥ|
Sanskrit Reference :

     In simple words, he established that the one and only  निर्गुण परब्रह्म   ( nirguṇa parabrahma – supreme divinity transcending qualities)  as the  सगुण परमेश्वर   ( saguṇa parameśvara – supreme lord with qualities)  reveals Himself in multiple theological  दिव्यनामानि  (divya nāmani – divine names) ,  दिव्यरूपाणि  ( divyarūpāṇi- divine form) ,  नित्यकल्याणगुणाः   (nityakalyāṇaguṇāḥ  – eternally auspicious qualities).

His own life and works on  devotional mystical renderings in the form of  स्तोत्र स्तुति ग्रन्थाः  (stotra stuti granthāḥ - eulogical treatizes)  serve as the greatest testimony to his non-sectarian & truly secular theological ideology.  This is another feather in his cap of  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  and that is why he is adored as

Original Transliteration Translation
निखिलपाषण्डषण्डकण्टकोत्पाटनेन विशदिकृदवेदवेदान्तमार्गषण्मतप्रतिष्टापकचार्याः। nikhilapāṣaṇḍaṣaṇḍakaṇṭakotpāṭanena viśadikṛdavedavedāntamārgaṣaṇmatapratiṣṭāpakacāryāḥ| one who swept of the thorns that encumbered the various forms of worship of the six manifestations of God
Sanskrit Reference :



दर्शनदर्शीक केवलाद्वैतवेदान्तस्य   ( darśanadarśīka   kevalādvaitavedāntasya – philosophy perspective of absolute  non-dualistic final gnosis)

    केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy)   is a ancient school of philosophy originally propunded by  परमाचार्य श्री गौडपाद   ( paramācārya śrī gauḍapāda )  who was the  परमगुरु श्री आदिषंकराचार्यस्य  ( paramaguru śrī ādiṣaṃkarācāryasya – grand preceptor of shri adishankaracharya).  As this school recognises the  परब्रह्मन्    (parabrahman – absolute divinity)  as the one and only eternal reality -  ब्रह्मैव सत्यं   (brahmaṁ satyaṁ - divinity is the only reality) , it is popularly refered by this name. Etymologically, the term  केवलाद्वैत  (kevalādvaita – absolute nonduality)  is derived from the terms  केवल    (kevala  -   exclusive / absolute)   and  अद्वैत    (advaita -    non-duality) . The main crux of this schools philosophy is explained by  जगद्गुरु  श्री आदिशंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (jagadguru śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  in the following verses from  ब्रह्म ज्ञानवलिमाला  (brahma jñānavalimālā)    


Original Transliteration Translation
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्चास्त्रम् इति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥ 		brahma satyaṁ jaganmithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ|
anena vedyaṁ saccāstram iti vedāntaḍiṇḍimaḥ||
Brahman is real, the universe is mithyā (it cannot be categorized as either real or unreal). The jiva is Brahman itself and not different. This should be understood as the correct SAstra. This is proclaimed by Vedanta
-translated by S.N. Shastry
Sanskrit Reference: ब्रह्म ज्ञानवलिमाला (brahma jñānavalimālā) (20)

    In fact, the revered  जगत् गुरु श्री आदिशंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (jagat guru śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya bhagavatpāda) , in the following verses from the beautiful treatise titled  आत्मबोधः  (ātmabodhaḥ - knwoledge of the self)          

Original Transliteration Translation
जगाद्विलक्षणं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मणोऽन्यत्न किंचन।
ब्रह्मान्यत् भाति चेत् मिथ्या यथा मरुमरीचिका॥ 		jagādvilakṣaṇaṁ brahma brahmaṇo'nyatna kiṁcana|
brahmānyat bhāti cet mithyā yathā marumarīcikā||
Brahman is counter indicated by the universe; There exists nothing other than Brahman.
If anything other than Brahman shines, it must be unreal, just as the unreal image.
 -translation source Chinmaya Mission
Sanskrit Reference: आत्मबोधः (ātmabodhaḥ) (63)

 

Please be noted that some academic scholars and subject matter experts researching on the historical aspects of  केवलाद्वैत शास्त्र साहित्य  (kevalādvaita śāstra sāhitya – absolute nondualstic scriptural literature)    are skeptical as to whether the above two works were originally written by  श्री आदिशंकराचार्य  (śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya)  himself or was written much later by some other   आचार्य  (ācārya - preceptor)   belonging to the same lineage.  Even in that case, the fact remains that these works represent the  केवलाद्वैत संप्रदाय  (kevalādvaita saṃpradāya – absolute non-dualistic tradition).

Moreover, even if we give the benefit fo doubt to the claims of these scholars and discount the factor it was  श्री आदिशंकराचार्य  (śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya)  who initiated the popular dictum “ ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या  ( brahma satyaṁ jaganmithyā -  brahman is real, the universe is false )”  highlighting the illusoriness underlying all phenomenal manifestations, there are various other direct and indirect references of similar idea shared by him in some of his   प्रस्थानत्रयी भाष्याणि  (prasthānatrayī bhāṣyāṇi – triple source commentaries).    For example, in his famous  शारीरक भाष्य  (śārīraka bhāṣya – corporeal commentary)  on the  बाद्रायण ब्रह्मसूत्र  (bādrāyaṇa brahmasūtra)  he unequivocally declares thus:

Original Transliteration Translation
समस्तस्य प्रपञ्चस्य मायामात्रत्वम् । samastasya prapañcasya māyāmātratvam
The whole phenomenal world is wholly illusory.
-translation by self
Sanskrit Reference: शारीरक भाष्य (śārīraka bhāṣya) (3.2.4)


Thus, according to  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy) , the supreme  परब्रह्म   (parabrahma –  absolute divinity )  is essentially an absolute singularity  निर्गुण  (nirguṇa – beyond attributes)   and  निराकर  (nirākara – without form).  However, the   स्वरूपलक्षणब्रह्मनस्य  (svarūpalakṣaṇabrahmanasya – inherent nature of divinity)   is an inseparable mix of  सत्यं  ( satyaṃ -  existence ),  ज्ञानं  (jñāna ṃ  - gnosis)   &   अनन्तं  (a nantaṃ -  infinity ) .  In other words, the trinity does not mean three different    add-on attributes of   ब्रह्मन्  (brahman - divinity)   but represents the essentail nature of the same .

Although  ईश्वर  (īśvara - god) , is recoginized by  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy) , yet it is not sectarian in the sense that it does not promote any specific deity like  महाविष्णु  ( mahāviṣṇu)  or  परमशिव  ( paramaśiva)  in particular. Moreover, even such a  ईश्वर  ( īśvara  -  god )  is considered to be a product of  माया   ( māyā - illusion)  and thus  निर्गुण   ब्रह्मन्  (nirguṇa – Divinity beyond attributes)  is the one and only  कैवल्यसत्त्व   (kaivalyasattva – absolute reality)  which is also  निम्मित्त उपादान च कारकवत् कारणाः व्यवहारिकसत्त्वस्य  (nimmitta upādāna ca kārakavat kāraṇāḥ vyavahārikasattvasya – efficient, material and inctrumental causes of phenomenal realm).  To quote Swamy Vivekanandha, a great pattron of advaitic wisdom, “ Ishvara is the supreme interpretation of Brahman, the divine Absolute by relative human thought.”  Fundamentally, the  जीवात्मन्  ( jīvātman  -  corporeal soul )  is none other than the one and only परमात्मन्  ( paramātman – supreme soul)  who is technically called as  ब्रह्मन्  ( brahman - divinity).    

All kinds of multiplicity and differences in attributes and forms are the product of  अविद्यामाया  ( avidyāmāyā- nescient mystery) .  Because of the emphasis of the concept of  माया   ( māyā – mystery/illusion )  in this school, it is sometimes called as the   मायावाद   ( māyavāda – illusion doctrine)  by other schools. Please be noted that  अविद्यामाया  ( avidyāmāyā- nescient mystery)  is used here in the sense of  अनिर्वचनीय ख्याति   ( anirvacanīya khyāti -  indeterminate cognition )  which manifests itself in the following two ways with respect to  with respect to   अध्यास वाद  अविद्या मायायाः   (adhyāsa vāda avidyā māyāyāḥ – doctrine of superimposition of nescient mystery) .

·         आवरणशक्ति  ( ā vara ṇ a ś akti – concealing power) :  It is the  तिरस्कार /   आवरण शक्ति  (tiraskāra / āvaraṇa śakti – concealing force)  that encapsulates the   सत्यस्वरूपपरब्रह्मनस्य   (satyasvarūpaparabrahmanasya – real nature of supreme divinity) . This illustrated by the famous example of the reality of a rope being conceiled by ignorance and

·         विक्षेपशक्ति  (vikṣepaśakti – projective power) :  This is kind of  विवर्ताध्यास   (vivartādhyāsa – apparent superimposition)   that makes the rope to appear as a snake.

 

The next important point to understand is that  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy)  also advocates  एकसत्तावाद / सत्तैक्यवाद  (ekasattāvāda / sattaikyavāda – doctrine of single reality / single identity)   which is summarized by  श्री सुरेश्वराचार्य  (śrī sureśvarācārya)  in his  मानसोल्लास  (mānasollāsa)    which is his  भाष्य  (bhāṣya  - commentary)  on the  श्री दक्षिनामूर्ति स्तोत्र  (śrī dakṣināmūrti stotra)  composed by  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya bhagavatpāda )    


Original Transliteration Translation
जलचन्द्रवेदकस्मिन् निर्भये रज्जुसर्पवत्।
प्रतियते यथा स्वर्णे कारणे कटकादिवत्॥
उपात्ते स्यूप्यवच्छुक्तौ व्याप्ते यक्षपुरीव खे।
रश्म्यंबुवत्स्फुरद्वपे स्थाणौ चोरवदक्रिये॥
असत्कल्पमिदम् विश्वमात्मन्यारोप्यते भ्रमात्।
 		jalacandravedakasmin nirbhaye rajjusarpavat।
pratiyate yathā svarṇe kāraṇe kaṭakādivat॥
upātte syūpyavacchuktau vyāpte yakṣapurīva khe।
raśmyaṃbuvatsphuradvape sthāṇau coravadakriye॥
asatkalpamidam viśvamātmanyāropyate bhramāt।
The one (ātman) appears to be many as one Moon appears to be many in waters, the fearless ātman appears to cause fear like the rope appearing to be a serpent; the cause (ātman) appears to eb the effect like gold appearing to be a bracelet.
This Universe which is in reality non-existent, is superimposedm by illusion, in the self-existent (ātman) as silver in the mother-of-pearl, in the all-pervading ātman as a city of Yaksha conjured up in the sky, in the Luminous (ātman), as the mirage appears in the rays of the sun, and in the Immutable (ātman), as the thief in a pillair.

-translation by Subbramaniya
Sanskrit Reference: मानसोल्लास (mānasollāsa) (8.28-30)

However, according to the  अध्यासवाद  अविद्यामायायाः   (adhyāsavāda avidyāmāyāyāḥ – doctrine of superimposition of nescient mystery)  the  आवरणशक्ति  ( ā vara ṇ a ś akti – concealing power)  encapsulates the underlying  एकसत्ता  (ekasattā – single reality)   while the   विक्षेपशक्ति  (vikṣepaśakti – projective power)   manifests the  त्रिस्वभाव सत्त्व  (trisvabhāva sattva – triple natured existence).  In other words, reality operates in three planes of consciousness listed in the ascending order of their superiority viz.       

 

#

लक्षणसत्त्वस्य  (lakṣaṇasattvasya – nature of realm )

Description

A

अनित्यसत्यम्  (anityasatyam – transcient truth)

1

प्रातिभासिक   सत्त्वं  ( prātibhāsika sattvaṁ   – illusory realm )

The illusory plane of consciousness, like mistaking the rope to be a snake and experiencing the associated fear

2

व्यावहारिक सत्त्वं  ( vyāvahārika sattvaṁ – empirical realm )

Next comes the  empirical plane of day to day practical consciousness where in one observes and experiences all kinds of multiplicities and varieties in the world

 

B

नित्यसत्यम्  (nityasatyam – eternal truth)

3

पारमार्थिक सत्त्वं   ( pāramārthika  sattvaṁ  – ultimate/noumenal realm)

Finally, comes the transcendent plane of absolute consciousness which is the  अनेकान्तपरिपूरणकेवलाद्वैतपरब्रह्मन्सच्चिदानन्दम्  ( anekāntaparipūraṇakevalādvaitaparabrahmansaccidānandam - multivalent holistic absolute nondualistic  existence-consciousness-bliss)

 

 

 

Thus,  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy)   also preaches  विवर्तवाद  ( vivartavāda – apparance doctrine)  according to which, the world out there, is technically called as the  व्यावहारिक सत्त्वं  ( vyāvahārika sattvaṁ – empirical realm )  is only a  अनित्यसत्यम्  (anityasatyam – transcient truth)  and hence is consdered merely as the  विवर्तव्यक्तत्व   (vivartavyaktatva – phenomenal manifestation),  whereas the   पारमार्थिक सत्त्वं   ( pāramārthika  sattvaṁ  – ultimate/noumenal realm)   is the one and only  नित्यसत्यम्  (nityasatyam – eternal truth).       

             The next important point to understand is that over the centuries, the  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy)  has branched itself into various sub-schools expanding upon the  विवर्तवाद  ( vivartavāda – apparance doctrine)   in terms of providing alternate explanations regargin the  लक्षणविक्षेपश्कतेः अध्यासस्य   (lakṣaṇa vikṣepaśkateḥ adhyāsasya –  nature of the projective power of superimposition)   

 

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दर्शनस्य नाम  (darśanasya nāma – name of philosophy)

प्रवार्तक परमाचार्य  (pravārtaka paramācārya – primary foounding preceptor)

A

केवलाद्वैत अजातिवाद   (k evalādvaita ajātivāda - absolute nondualistic non-orignation doctrine)

श्री गौडपादाचार्य  (śrī gauḍapādācārya)

B

केवलाद्वैत प्रतिबिंबवाद   (k evalādvaita pratibiṃbavāda - absolute nondualistic reflection doctrine)  more   popularly known as    विवरण प्रस्थान  (vivaraṇa prasthāna)

श्री पद्मपादाचार्य  (śrī padmapādācārya) &

श्री प्रकाशात्मनाचार्य  (śrī prakāśātmanācārya)

C

केवलाद्वैत अभासवाद  (k evalādvaita abhāsavāda - absolute nondualistic appearance doctrine)

श्री सुरेश्वराचार्य  (śrī sureśvarācārya) &  श्री सर्वज्ञात्मनाचार्य  (śrī sarvajñātmanācārya)

D

केवलाद्वैत अविच्छेदवाद  ( kevalādvaita avicchedavāda  - absolute nondualistic limtation doctrine)  more   popularly known as  भामति प्रस्थान  (bhāmati prasthāna)

श्री मण्डनमिश्राचार्य   (śrī maṇḍanamiśrācārya)  &

श्री वाचस्पतिमिश्राचार्य  ( śrī vācaspatimiśrācārya )

E

केवलाद्वैत अविभागाद्वैत   ( kevalādvaita avibhāgādvaita -undifferentiated  absolute nondualism)

श्री वीज्ञानभिक्षु  (śrī vījñānabhikṣu)

 

From a epistemological perspective,   केवलाद्वैतवेदान्त उत्तरमीमांसा दर्शन  (kevalādvaitavedānta uttaramīmāṁsādarśana  – absolute non-dualistic final wisdom posterior inquiry philosophy)  school recognises all the  षड्विधप्रमाणाः ज्ञान्स्य  ( ṣaḍvidhapramāṇāḥjñānsya – sixfold epistemological mesasures of knowledge )  viz.

 

#

प्रमा ण   (pramā ṇa  -   process of knowing )

1

प्रत्यक्ष   (pratyakṣa - perception)

2

अनुमान  ( anumāna - inference)

3

उप्मान  ( upmāna - comparision)

4

शब्द  ( śabda - testimony)

5

अनुपालब्धि  (anupālabdhi - non apprehension)

6

अर्थापत्ति   ( arthāpatti - hypothesis )

 

This fact is testified in the  वेदान्तपरिभाषा  ( ved ā ntaparibh āśā )   which is a  famous  प्रमाणविद्या प्रकरण  (pramāṇavidyā prakaraṇa – epistomology treatise)   written by आचार्य श्री  धर्मराज अध्वारिन्द्र   ( ācārya śrī  dharmar ā ja adhv ā rindra)

Original Transliteration Translation
तानि च प्रमाणानि षट् – प्रत्यक्षानुमानो उपमानशब्दार्थापत्त्यनुपलब्धिबेदात्॥ tāni ca pramāṇāni ṣaṭ - pratyakṣānumāno upamānaśabdārthāpattyanupalabdhibedāt॥
Those means of knowledge are six in number, their divisions being perceptions, inference, comparision, verbal testimony, presumption and non-apprehension.
-translation by Swamy Madhavanandha (RKM Order)
Sanskrit Reference: वेदान्तपरिभाषा (vedāntaparibhāṣā) (1.9)


But please remember that amongst the  षड्विधप्रमाणाः ज्ञान्स्य  ( ṣaḍvidhapramāṇāḥjñānsya – sixfold epistemological mesasures of knowledge ),   this school values the  शब्दप्रमाणवेदशास्त्रस्य  ( śabdapramāṇavedaśāstrasya –  testimonial validaion of vedic scripture)  as the ultimate authority, particularly when it comes to understanding the  पारमार्थिक सत्त्वं   ( pāramārthika  sattvaṁ  – ultimate/noumenal realm) . Moreover, even there it gives  higher validity to the  ज्ञानखाण्डानि वेदसंहिताणाम्  (jñānakhāṇḍāni vedasaṃhitāṇām – gnostic sections of the vedic corpuses)  rather than the  कर्म खाण्डानि वेदसंहिताणाम्  (karmakhāṇḍāni vedasaṃhitāṇām – ritual sections of the vedic corpuses) .

                From a soteriological perspective, this school believes that sublimation of the sense of individuality bound by  माया   ( māyā - illusion )  and absolute unification with the  ब्रह्मन्  ( brahman - divinity)  leads to  परमुक्ति   (paramukti -   ultimate salvation ) . In the words of  आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद   (ādi śaṁkarācārya bhagavatpāda) ,

Original Transliteration Translation
वेदान्तसिद्धान्तनिरुक्तिरेषा ब्रह्मैव जीवः सकलं जगच्च।
अखण्डरूपस्थितिरेव मोक्षो ब्रह्मद्वितीये श्रुत्यः प्रमाणम्॥
 		vedāntasiddhāntaniruktireṣā brahmaiva jīvaḥ sakalaṃ jagacca।
akhaṇḍarūpasthitireva mokṣo brahmadvitīye śrutyaḥ pramāṇam॥
The final opinion of all the Vedantic discussions, is that the jiva as well as the entire universe are Brahman alone, that liberation means to be rooted in Brahman, the indivisible Entity. The state that Brahman is non dual has its authority in Sruti .

-translation by Swamy Chimanayanada
Sanskrit Reference: विवेकचूडामणि (vivekacūḍāmaṇi) (479)


To this end, two modes of emanation are recognized viz. the lower and higher states of spiritual enlightenment depending upon whether the soul realizes the  सगुण ब्रह्मन्   ( saguṇa brahman – divinity with qualities )  or the  निर्गुण ब्रह्मन्    ( nirguṇa brahman – divinity beyond qualities ) . While the former can attain only  क्राम मुक्ति  ( kr ā ma mukti  -  gradual liberation ) through  विदेह मुक्ति  (vidheha mukti)  by taking the  देवयान    (devayāna   -   divine path)  to the highest  ब्रह्मलोक    (brahmaloka – divine realm),  the latter case are previlidged for  जीवन्मुक्ति   (jīvanmukti – living liberation)  by leading a life of renunciation engaged in selfless  निश्कामकर्म  (niśkāmakarma – desireless service).



निगमन (nigamana - conclusion)

  Moreover, in my humble opinion,  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  also deserves to be called as the Father figure playing the role of the original seed of  पवित्र वटवृक्ष वेदान्त दर्शनस्य  (p avitra vaṭavṛkṣa vedānta darśanasya - Holy Banyantree of final philosophical wisdom)  from which all other branches and even other genetically mutated Vedantic seeds evolved eventually, just as one biological species evolves from another species eventually. For example, the sacred   विशिष्टाद्वैतवेदान्तदर्शन   (viśiṣṭādvaita vedānta darśana – qualified non-dualistic  final-wisdom  philosophy)  and the  द्वैत वेदान्तदर्शन     ( dvaita vedānta darśana – dualsitic  final-wisdom  philosophy )  are but honorable examples of such philosophical evolution. Although there could be many ideological differences between these schools and the  केवलाद्वैतवेदान्तदर्शन  (kevalādtvaita vedānta darśana – absolute non-dualistic  final-wisdom  philosophy) , yet it is an undeniable fact that  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  has laid the common foundation stone for them as well.

We can compare this with the evolution of modern physics wherein the contribution of one scientists leads to the other. For example, Sir Isaac Newton's revolutionary theories on the laws of mechanics and gravity are his humble learning and respectful deviations from the works of his predecessors like Aristotle, Rene Descartes, Galileo Galilee, and Johannes Kepler etc... In fact, Newton himself acknowledges this when he humbly admits “ I have seen farther other men, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants ”

Similarly, Albert Einstein made his astounding discoveries of Relativistic physics standing on the shoulders of Newton.You might argue that these schools are fundamentally contradicting with each other as one talks about monism, while other qualified monism and the third complete duality. How can we say they have a common ground? Well if you think deeply u can find the common thread tying all these doctrines together. Of course, one may have to deep dive into their philosophies to see the common truth underlying the apparent differences. Here are my two cents for you.

श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  very carefully worded his school of philosophy as  अद्वैत दर्शन   ( advaita darśana - non-dualistic philosophy)  and not as  एकत्व दर्शन   ( ekatva darśana - monistic philosophy) . In other words,  द्वैत   ( dvaita - duality)  is hidden parameter in the philosophy of  अद्वैत   ( advaita - nonduality)  disguised as the  अनिर्वचनीयमाया   ( anirvacanīyamāyā – ineffable /indeterminable mystery)  and hence  द्वैत   ( dvaita - duality)  and  विशिष्टाद्वैत   ( viśiṣṭādvaita - qualified non duality)   are potentially derivable from it. This is a very important point for us to understand and appreciate the genius in  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda) .

For example, subsequent to the era of  श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य भगवत्पाद  (śrī ādi śaṅkarācārya bhagavatpāda),  the   उत्तरमीमांस / वेदान्त दर्शन( uttaramīmāṃsa/vedānta darśana  - posterior inquiry / final wisdom philosophy)  nurtured itself int a huge tree  branching into various schools like

#

दर्शनस्य नाम  (darśanasya nāma – name of philosophy)

प्रवार्तक परमाचार्य  (pravārtaka paramācārya – primary foounding preceptor)

A

केवलाद्वैतदर्शन    (kevalādtvaita darśana – absolute nondualstc philosophy)

श्री आदिशंकराचार्य भगवद्पाद   (śrī ādiśaṁkarācārya bhagavadpāda)

B

विशिष्टाद्वैतदर्शन  (viśiṣṭādvaita darśana – qualified  nondualistic philosophy)

श्री रामानुजाचार्य   (śrī rāmānujācārya)

C

द्वैत   दर्शन     (dvaita darśana – dualsitic philosophy)

श्री मद्वचार्य   (śrī madvacārya)

D

औपाधिक भेदाभेद दर्शन  (aupādhika bhedābheda  darśana – different yet non-different philosophy)

श्री   भास्कराचार्य   (śrī bhāskarācārya)

E

अचिन्त्य भेद अभेद  दर्शन   (acintya bheda abheda darśana)

श्रील रूपा गोस्वामि   (śrīla rūpā gosvāmi)

F

शुद्धाद्वैत दर्शन  (śuddhādvaita darśana – pure nondualstic philosophy)

श्री वल्लभाचार्य   (śrī vallabhācārya)

G

स्वभाविक   द्वैताद्वैत   दर्शन  (svabhāvika dvaitādvaita darśana –  dual yet nondualistic philosophy)

श्री निम्बार्काचार्य   (śrī nimbārkācārya)


    Thus, on this eventful day of his महा अवतार जयन्ति (mahā avatāra jayanti - sacred incarnation anniversary) I feel blessed in contemplating on his life and contribution to spirituality I offer my humble salutations at his holy feet recollecting the golden verses


Original Transliteration Translation
श्रुति स्मृति पुराणानां आलयं करुणालयं।
णमामि भगवत्पादं शन्करं लोक शन्करं।
ष्रिमछन्कर भगवद्पाद सद्गुरुभ्यो नमः॥ 		śruti smṛti purāṇānāṁ ālayaṁ karuṇālayaṁ|
ṇamāmi bhagavatpādaṁ śankaraṁ loka śankaraṁ|
ṣrimachankara bhagavadpāda sadgurubhyo namaḥ||
I Salute Shankara Bhagavat Pada,
the bestower of blessedness on the world,
the repository of all the wisdom that is contained in the sacred texts,
and the incarnation of grace.
Sanskrit Reference :प्रसिद्ध श्लोक(prasiddha śloka)









Original Transliteration Translation
श्रुति स्मृति पुराणम् आलयं करुणालयम्।
नमामि भगवत्पाद शङ्करं लोकशङ्करं॥ 		śruti smṛti purāṇam ālayaṃ karuṇālayam।
namāmi bhagavatpāda śaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaraṃ॥ 		I salute Shankara Bhagavatpada, the bestower of blessedness on the world, the repository of all the wisdom that is contained in the sacred texts (Veda, smritis and puranas), and the incarnation of grace
Sanskrit Reference: प्रसिद्ध श्लोक(prasiddha śloka)


  जय जय शङ्कर  हर हर शङ्कर॥

(jaya jaya śaṅkara  hara hara śaṅkara॥ )


संलग्न (saṃlagna - appendix)

My 2 cents on the controversies regarding authorship of विवेकचूडामणिः (vivekacūḍāmaṇiḥ - crest jewel of discrimination)  


 

    While only  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद   (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya bhagavatpāda)   would probably be the final authority on whether he was the author of  विवेकचूडामणिः   (vivekacūḍāmaṇiḥ - crest jewel of discrimination)  (and similar texts under controversy on his authorship). While traditional orthodoxy including the long list of great  आचार्य   परंपरा   (ācārya paraṃparā – preceptor lineage)  from the last 2000+ years of  पञ्चास्य   मठ   संप्रदायाः   (pañcāsya maṭha saṃpradāyāḥ - fivefold monastic traditions)  established by the  जगत्गुरु   (jagatguru – global preceptor)  Himself. This list includes many  मुख्य आचार्याः  (mukhya ācāryāḥ - chief preceptors)  starting from his trusted  अनन्तर शिष्याः   (anantara śiṣyāḥ - direct disciples)  like  श्री पद्मपादाचार्य   (śrī padmapādācārya) &  श्री सुरेश्वराचार्य   (śrī sureśvarācārya)  etc., upto the more recent ones viz. His Holiness  श्री चन्द्रशेखरेन्द्र सरस्वती   (śrī candraśekharendra sarasvatī)  &  श्री चन्द्रशेखर भारति   (śrī candraśekhara bhārati)   who were lovingly called as the  Sage of Kānci , &  Sage of Sringeri   respectively.

Let us now ask ourselves, how many of them in this honorable list were disputing i.e., were denying/doubting the authorship of  विवेकचूडामणिः   (vivekacūḍāmaṇiḥ - crest jewel of discrimination)   ascribed to  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद   (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya bhagavatpāda) ?

Please remember that this long and rich tradition of subject matter experts, were not only upholders of the  केवलाद्वैत संप्रदाय   (kevalādvaita saṃpradāya – absolute nondualstic tradtion)  but were also  अनुष्टाण अद्वैतिनः   (anuṣṭāṇa advaitinaḥ - practicing nondualists)  through their thoughts, words and deeds. In fact, many of them were  ब्रह्मज्ञान जिवन्मुक्ताः   (brahmajñāna jivanmuktāḥ - spiritually enlightened living liberates) , as testified by their life histories.

Moreover, the rich tradition of many other eminent  मुख्य   अद्वैत आचार्याः   (mukhya advaita ācāryāḥ - chief preceptors of nonduality)  and their establishments belonging to last two centuries viz.  Bhagavān  Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi  (&  Ramanāśram ),  Bhagavān Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa   (Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Mission/Mutt) and  Sw ā mi Chinmay ā nanda  (&  Chinmay ā nanda  Mission )  etc. have also consistently ascribed the authorship of the text to  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद   (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya bhagavatpāda) . For example,  Bhagavān  Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi  in his famous introductory summary of the text, very clearly states thus: 

 Every being in the world yearns to be always happy and free from the taint of sorrow, and desires to get rid of bodily ailments, etc., which are not of its true nature. Further, everyone cherishes the greatest love for himself, and this love is not possible in the absence of happiness. In deep sleep, though devoid of everything, one has the experience of being happy.  Yet, due to the ignorance of the real nature of one’s own being, which is happiness itself , people flounder in the vast ocean of material existence, forsaking the right path that leads to happiness, and act under the mistaken belief that the way to be happy consists in obtaining the pleasures of this and the other world. Unfortunately, however,  there is no such happiness which has not the taint of sorrow . It is precisely for the purpose of pointing out the straight path to true happiness that Lord Shiva, taking on the guise of Sri Shankaracharya, wrote the commentaries on the Triple Canon [Prasthana Traya] of the Vedanta, which extols the excellence of this bliss; and that he demonstrated it by his own example in life. These commentaries, however, are of little use to those ardent seekers who are intent upon realising the bliss of liberation but have not the scholarship necessary for studying them. It is for such as these that  Sri Shankara revealed the essence of the commentaries in this short treatise , The Crown Gem of Discrimination [Vivekachudamani], explaining in detail the points that have to be grasped by those who seek liberation, and thereby directing them to the true and direct path. ”

     Similarly, His Holiness  Sw ā mi Chinmay ā nanda  unequivocally declares,

Vedanta is truly the Science of Life. Sri Shankara, the great interpreter of Vedanta, not only gave us his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, but also many primary texts which introduce the seeker to the joys of Vedanta. One of the greatest texts he has written as an introduction to Vedanta, is the Viveka Choodamani, which means, ‘The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination.

    Again,  Swami Madhav ā nanda   of RKM order in the foreword of his famous translation has clearly stated 

Being an original production of Sankara’s genius, the book

    Similarly,  श्री चन्द्रशेखर भारति   (śrī candraśekhara bhārati)  in his famous commentarial work on the sacred text explains thus:

In the realm of religion Sri Samkara is a great revivalist…all these stemmed from the philosophy of Advaita which he taught as the central truth of the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita known as Prasthana Traya of Indian Philosophy…The study of these prasthanatraya-bhashyas require profound knowledge of Samskrit and proficiency in Vyakarana, Nyaya and Mimamsa and in Veda adhyayana…But Sri Bhagavatpada realized that not all will be thus qualified. Intending to instruct such persons in the truth of Advaita Vedanta, he wrote what are called as prakarana granthas in verse and prose varying from a single sloka to a thousand. The more important among these are the Satasloki, Sarva Vedanta Sara Sangraha, the Upadesa Sahasri and the Vivekachudamani…

However, authorship of  विवेकचूडामणिः   (vivekacūḍāmaṇiḥ - crest jewel of discrimination)  which has always been traditionally (as testified by above saint-scholars) ascribed to  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद   (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya bhagavatpāda) ,  has been questioned by some modern-day academic scholars and professors (predominantly from Western world) like Daniel Ingalls, Michael Coman, A. J. Alston etc.  Please remember that with all due respects, we should realize that most of these scholars are more academicians rather than practicing saints. So their modus operandi for their speculations regarding the authorship is confined to mortal intellectual means of linguistic, philosophic textual analysis – technically called as  अपर विद्या   (apara vidyā – mundane  / lower knowledge),  (with very few honorable exceptions like His Holiness  Śrī Satcitānanda Sarasvatī ) unlike the case of those on the other side of the table, wherein the advocates include  ब्रह्मज्ञान जिवन्मुक्ताः   (brahmajñāna jivanmuktāḥ - spiritually enlightened living liberates) .
     As ordinary seekers like many of us take sides one way or the other based on our personal intellectual bias towards one of these postulates. We also take a boolean approach that if we consider  प्रस्थानत्रयी भाष्यानि   (prasthānatrayī bhāṣyāni – commentaries on triple sources)   authored by  श्री आदि शंकराचार्य भगवत्पाद   (śrī ādi śaṃkarācārya bhagavatpāda)  are (seemingly) bordering on  ज्ञानमार्ग   (jñānamārga – wisdom path)   is appears to be inconsistent his other works which seems to be focusing on other  मार्गाः   (mārgāḥ - paths)   viz.  विवेकचूडामणिः   (vivekacūḍāmaṇiḥ - crest jewel of discrimination) ,  योगसूत्रभाष्य विवरण   (yogasūtrabhāṣya vivaraṇa)  etc. touching upon topics of  समाधि  (samādhi - atonement)  etc. pertaining to  योग   मार्ग   (yoga mārga – path of communion) ,  श्री सौन्दर्यलहरी   (śrī saundaryalaharī) ,  श्री   सुब्रह्मण्यभुजङ्गम्   (śrī subrahmaṇyabhujaṅgam)   etc., touching upon topics pertaining to  भक्ति   मार्ग  (bhakti mārga – path of devotion) ,  कुमालिनी   योग   (ku ņď alinī yoga - biomagnetic union)  etc.


     But IMHO, the inconsistencies are more superficial... as wisdom is an ocean of spiritual continuum. Truth is one. Moreover, we also we have evidence that  आचार्याः   (ācāryāḥ - preceptors)  like  आचार्य श्री वाचस्पति मिश्र  (ācārya śrī vācaspati miśra )  and  आचार्य श्री विज्ञानभिक्षु   (ācārya śrī vijñānabhikṣu)   have written  भाष्यानि   (bhāṣyāni – commentaries)  across multiple seemingly desperate  दर्शनानि   (darśanāni - philosophies)  including  न्याय   (nyāya) ,  सांख्य   (sāṃkhya) , योग   (yoga)  &  वेदान्त   (vedānta)   etc. It is the same  आचार्य श्री वाचस्पति मिश्र   (ācārya śrī vācaspati miśra)  who wrote respective भाष्यानि   (bhāṣyāni – commentaries) like  तात्पर्यटीका   (tātparyaṭīkā),   सांख्यतत्त्वकौमुदि   (sāṃkhyatattvakaumudi) ,   योग तत्त्व वैशारदि   (yoga tattva vaiśāradi) ,  शारीरक भाष्य भामति   (śārīraka bhāṣya bhāmati)   for each of those schools. Just because these  भाष्यानि   (bhāṣyāni – commentaries)  focus on different  दर्शनानि   (darśanāni - philosophies) , it does not mean, they were not written by the same person – in this case  आचार्य श्री वाचस्पति मिश्र  ( ācārya śrī vācaspati miśra) .      Moreover, even if we take the huge corpus of  अपौरुषेय शब्द   (apauruṣeya śabda – superhuman logos) viz.  वेद / श्रुति संहिता (veda śruti saṃhitā– Vedic corpus)   including the  ऋग् वेद मन्त्र   (ṛgvedamantra),   यजुर् वेद मन्त्र   (yajuvedarmantra),   सामवेदमन्त्र   (sāmvedaamantra) &  अथर्ववेदमन्त्र   (atharvavedamantra)   and their corresponding  उपनिषदः   (upaniṣadaḥ - upanishads) .

  In fact, if one looks superficially, even within each  उपनिषदः   (upaniṣad - upanishad)  there could be potential areas of seeming inconsistences between the  श्रुति वाक्याः   (śruti vākyāḥ - revelatory statements)  apparently seeming to favor one  वेदान्त दर्शन   ( vedānta darśana – Vedanta philosophy )  say  केवलाद्वैत   (kevalādvaita – absolute nonduality) ,  over the others viz.  विशिष्टाद्वैत   (viśiṣṭādvaita – qualified nonduality)   and  द्वैत   ( dvaita - duality),  or even the other way round. Same logic applies to  ब्रह्म सूत्र   (brahma sūtra)  &   श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता   (śrīmad bhagavadgītā).  Again, in these scriptures, there are sections where  भक्ति मार्ग   (bhakti mārga – path of devotion)   seems to predominate over  ज्ञान मार्ग   (jñāna mārga – path of knowledge) ,  योग मार्ग   (yoga mārga - path of yoga) &  कर्म मार्ग   (karma mārga – path of servitude).  Citing such reasons, can we say these texts are inconsistent? Just because different chapters of  श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता   (śrīmad bhagavadgītā)  give predominance to different  मार्गाः   (mārgāḥ - paths),   can we conclude that it is not the  उपदेश   (upadeśa - teaching)  of the same  भगवान् श्री कृष्णपरमात्म   (bhagavān śrī kṛṣṇaparamātma)  as there are seeming inconsistencies across chapters or can we conclude it cannot be the authored by  श्री व्यास महऋषि  (śrī vyāsa mahaṛṣi) ?

    I think all of us will agree that if we take a holistic deep dive and connect the dots, these superficial inconsistencies will give way to integral synergies. For after-all, the waves of inconsistencies are only at the superficial level and once we deep dive into the depths of the ocean beds, the highs and lows of the waves vanish, and sameness prevails.
    Let us take some recent examples, it was  Bhagavān  Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi  who has given us highest form of  ज्ञानमार्ग उपदेश   (jñānamārga upadeśa – teaching of wisdom path)  through his  நான்   யார்   (nān yār - Who Am I) ? ” and  உள்ளது   நாற்பது   (uḻḻadu nārpadu – forty verses of reality) . At the same time, it is the same  Bhagavān  Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi  who blessed us with his mystical outpourings of highest devotional trance through his poems like the  அக்ஷரமணமாலை   (akṣaramaṇamālai  - Marital Garland of Letters) . Again, it is the same  Bhagavān  Śrī Ramana Mahaṛṣi  who gave discourses on  योग   (yoga - yoga),  ध्यान   (dhyāna - meditation) &  समाधि   (samādhi - atonement).
  Similarly, Bhagavān Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa considered to be one of the greatest  अद्वैतिन्  (advaitin - nondualist)  in recent times, was also a  परम भक्त  (parama bhakta – supreme devotee) of  देवी श्री काली   (devī śrī kālī)  and was a seamless practitioner of  सादनाः   (sādanāḥ - techniques)  pertaining to  तन्त्र   (tantra – tantra) ,  योग   (yoga – yoga)  as well as  वेदान्त   (vedānta – vedanta).  Again, Swami Vivekananda , his chief disciple, was also an accomplished  ज्ञानिन्   (jñānin – enlightened one)  &  योगिन्  (yogin – yogi) and has written in detail about all the  चतुर् मार्गाः   (catur mārgāḥ - four paths).
Hence, from these testimonies, it is clear that, works of saints are not based on a general Boolean algorithm but rather are based on quantum computing algorithms (superposition values). Just because one observes that there are seeming inconsistencies across the different works of a saint, we cannot jump to the conclusion that these texts are not the works of the saint. The inconsistencies observed are only superficial and once we deep-dive, we can connect the dots and appreciate the holistic picture.
    All the  मार्गाः   (mārgāḥ - paths)  are not watertight Boolean compartments (variables) but rather are like quantum computing variables where more than one value can be superimposed simultaneously (1 & 0 can co-exist). In fact, that is the very essence of South Indian temple architectural symbology wherein every temple has  चतुर् द्वाराः   (catur dvārāḥ - four gates)  corresponding to  चतुर् मार्गाः   (catur mārgāḥ - four paths)   and from the perspective of  मूल विग्रह   (mūla vigraha – presiding deity )  all paths are same

In my humble opinion, the same logic applies to the works of our revered saints as well. The main problem is we tend to judge the works of saints also with a Boolean lens (if 1 it cannot be 0, if 0 it cannot be 1). We assume that if a saint is a  ब्रह्म ज्ञानि   (brahma jñāni),   he cannot be a  ब्रह्म योगि   (brahma yogi)   or a  ब्रह्म भक्त   (brahma bhakta).    However, life histories of saints have proven otherwise.


   



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श्री रामानुजाचार्य अवतार जयन्ति  ( śrī rāmānujācārya avatāra jayanti - Sri Ramanujacharya incarnation anniversary)

https://whatisgod-religiousfestivals.blogspot.com/p/sri-ramanujacarya-avatara-jayanti-sri.html

 


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