Adi Shankaracharya or Shankara Bhagavatpada was a great saint, philosopher, and teacher who lived in India in the 7th century CE. He is credited with consolidating and propagating the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta.
His life was brief—he is believed to have lived only 32 years—but his intellectual and spiritual contributions have left an indelible mark on the Indian subcontinent. Through his commentaries, debates, travels, literary works, and institution-building, Shankaracharya played a critical role in reviving and reestablishing Sanatana Dharma at a time when other religions have significantly altered the religous landscape of India.
Adi Shankaracharya – Biography, Teachings, Legends, Literary Works
Birth and Childhood
Shankaracharya was born in Kaladi, a village in Kerala, to Shivaguru and Aryamba, who were childless for many years after marriage. They prayed for a child very devoutly for many years. It is said that Aryamba had a vision of Lord Shiva, in which he promised to incarnate himself in the form of her first-born child. It is also said that, Lord Shiva gave a choice: a long-living but ordinary son, or a short-lived but brilliant one. The latter was choosed and Adi Shankara was born.
From a young age, Shankara showed signs of greatness. By age 8, he learned the Vedas and scriptures. He was wise beyond his years and had a strong desire to become a sannyasi (monk). His mother was hesitant, but a famous story shows how fate helped him on this path.
Meeting His Guru and Learning Advaita Vedanta
Shankara had an intense desire for a Guru from whom he could learn and who could initiate him into Sanyasa. He heard of a great Guru living in a cave near Narmada river at Omkareshwar. Shankara traveled north from his village, reached river Narmada and found the hermitage of this Guru, who is Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada, a great sage and disciple of Gaudapada. Under his guidance, Shankara learned the deep truths of Advaita Vedanta.
What is Advaita Vedanta ?
Advaita means “non-dual” or “not two”. According to this philosophy, the world we see around us is not the ultimate truth. It is like a dream or a play—beautiful and meaningful, but not the final reality. The only truth or reality is Brahman (pure consciousness or God). Atman (soul) is not different from Brahman and both are one and the same. The feeling of being separate from God or others is just an illusion created by the mind and the material world.
Below is the essence (message) of Advaita Vedanta:
“Aham Brahmasmi” – I am Brahman
“Tat Tvam Asi” – You are That
This does not mean we stop doing our duties or caring for others. Instead, it teaches us to live with the understanding that everything is connected, and there is no real separation between us and the Divine.
After completing his learning, Shankara was instructed by his guru to go to Varanasi (Kashi), one of the holiest cities in India, to spread the teachings of Advaita.
Traveling Across India and Winning Debates
During Shankara’s time, India was a melting pot of religious practices. The rise of Buddhism and Jainism had challenged Vedic orthodoxy, while many regions had fallen into excessive ritualism, superstitions, or fragmented sectarianism. Shankaracharya traveled across India—from Kashmir to Kanyakumari—on foot, debating with scholars and spiritual leaders of all paths.
He didn’t argue to prove others wrong but to bring people back to the essence of Sanatana Dharma—the eternal truth. One of his most famous debates was with a scholar named Mandana Mishra, a renowned scholar and ritualist. According to tradition, Mandana Mishra’s wife, Ubhaya Bharati—a scholar herself—served as the referee. After several days of intellectual battle, Mandana Mishra is said to have accepted defeat and became Shankara’s disciple. This debate symbolized not just intellectual victory but the absorption of other schools into the broader Vedantic tradition.
Through these debates and dialogues, Shankara successfully established Advaita Vedanta as the dominant philosophical school and revitalized Hindu dharma with rational, metaphysical, and experiential insights. These debates helped revive Hindu philosophy and united people under a common understanding of God and the soul.
Establishing the Four Mathas
To preserve his teachings for future generations and to spread the essence of Sanatana Dharma, Adi Shankaracharya set up four Mathas (spiritual centers) in the four corners of India:
- Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the South (Karnataka) – for Yajur Veda
- Dwarka Sharada Peetham in the West (Gujarat) – for Sama Veda
- Jyotir Math (Joshimath) in the North (Uttarakhand) – for Atharva Veda
- Govardhan Matt in the East (Puri, Odisha) – for Rig Veda
Each of these mathas was entrusted to one of his primary disciples and associated with a Veda. These institutions became centers of spiritual learning, preserving Vedic knowledge, Advaita Vedanta, and monastic disciplines through successive generations.To this day, these mathas continue the lineage of Advaita teachers and play a central role in guiding Hindu spiritual and religious life.
Legends from the Life of Adi Shankaracharya
The Crocodile and the Mother’s Permission
When Shankara was sixteen years old, his mother, Aryamba, began searching for a suitable bride for him. However, Shankara expressed his deep desire to renounce worldly life and become a Sanyasi (monk). Aryamba was heartbroken by his decision. She wished for her son to lead a joyful and fulfilling life within society and was particularly distressed by the thought that, as a monk, Shankara would be forbidden from performing her funeral rites—an important duty traditionally carried out by a son.
To ease her worries, Shankara promised that, regardless of his spiritual path, he would return to serve her in her final moments and perform her funeral rites. Despite his assurance, Aryamba remained firm in her refusal, unwilling to let him walk away from worldly life.
Sometime later, while Shankara was bathing in a river, a crocodile suddenly seized his leg and began dragging him into the water. His mother, who was nearby, could do nothing to save him. As the situation grew dire, Shankara called out to her, asking for permission to renounce the world immediately so that he could die as a monk. Faced with the possibility of losing her son forever, Aryamba gave her reluctant consent.
Shankara then recited the necessary mantras to formally renounce worldly life. Miraculously, the crocodile released him and disappeared into the river. Taking this as a divine sign, Shankara saw it as confirmation of his calling and began his journey as a spiritual seeker.
Entering the King’s Body (Parakaya Pravesha)
Shankaracharya is famous for debating with great scholars and winning them over—not through argument, but by showing deeper truths. One of the most famous was with Mandana Mishra, a learned scholar who followed the path of rituals (karma). After many days of debate, Mandana accepted defeat and became Shankara’s disciple. His wife, Ubhaya Bharati, acted as the judge of the debate and later tested Shankara’s knowledge of household life too.
To answer Ubhaya Bharati’s challenge about household life and pleasures, Shankara temporarily entered the body of a dying king through yogic powers—a practice known as Parakaya Pravesha. He ruled wisely for some time, learned about worldly life, and then returned to his body to continue his mission.
Meeting a Chandala in Kasi
During Shankara’s stay in the city of Kashi an incident happened to test his inner development. Shankara was on his way to the Vishwanath Temple, On the path was a man whom people called Chandala or Pariah (considered untouchable in those times), who was accompanied by his wife and 4 dogs. The disciples of Sri Sankara shouted at him to make way, and to keep a distance. The untouchable smiled and said, “According to your principle of Advaita, which you practice, all the Jivatma are same as God. How do you ask me to go? How am I different from your Paramacharya? What you say is unreasonable. How can I go away from myself?” To which are you referring as untouchable, this body or the Self? Is this body also not made of dust in the same way as your body? Does the Self ever get polluted? And how can the Self which is present everywhere keep itself at a distance? Is there any difference between you and me the way it has pervaded?”.
Shankara sensed that the person before him was no ordinary man—only a divine being could explain the profound nature of the Self in such simple and lucid language. In that moment of realization, Shankara understood that it was none other than Lord Vishwanatha himself, accompanied by his divine consort and the four Vedas.
Overwhelmed with reverence, Shankara prostrated before the divine form and composed five verses known as the “Manisha Panchakam“. These verses express a profound truth: that the same divine soul resides in all beings, regardless of their external differences.
Changing the course of Purna river
Shankara’s mother, Aryamba, used to walk a long distance each day to bathe in the sacred Purna river. One day, the young Shankara found her lying unconscious, overcome by exhaustion from the daily effort. Deeply moved by her condition, he prayed fervently to the Lord for her well-being. In response to his heartfelt prayer, a divine miracle occurred. The very next morning, the Purna river changed its course and began flowing beside their house.
Shankara at his Mother’s Death
When Adi Shankaracharya left home to embrace the life of a sanyasi, he made a solemn promise to his mother, that he would return to her side in her final moments. Years later, While Shankara was in North India, he came to know through his yogic intuition that his mother, Aryamba, was nearing the end of her life. Using his yogic powers, he swiftly traveled through the air to reach her bedside in Kaladi and stayed by her side as she passed away.
After her passing, Shankara sought to perform her cremation, but faced strong opposition from his relatives and local Brahmins. They refused to assist him, citing the traditional prohibition against sannyasis performing funeral rites. Under ordinary circumstances, this would have posed a significant challenge, as cremation involves a number of rituals requiring the help of others.
Undeterred, Shankara performed a miracle. He constructed a funeral pyre using plantain stalks. After placing his mother’s body upon it, he chanted sacred mantras and sprinkled water over the pyre. To everyone’s astonishment, the pyre immediately caught fire.
Shankara and the Kapalika Sacrifice
During his travels, Adi Shankaracharya came across Kapalika practitioners who followed extreme tantric rituals, including offerings of blood. One Kapalika named Bhiksatana asked Shankara to offer his own life in sacrifice to Kali. Shankara agreed, ready to give up his body for truth. Just as the ritual was about to happen, his disciple Padmapada arrived and saved him through divine power. This event showed Shankara’s fearlessness, surrender, and the power of Guru-Bhakti.
Shankara’s Walk Across Fire
Once, while explaining a complex verse of the Vedas, some scholars mocked Shankara and accused him of not being practical. To prove that his understanding came from direct realization, not just theory, Shankara is said to have walked across burning embers unharmed. This miracle silenced his critics and established the authority of his self-realized knowledge.
Creating the Kanakadhara Stotram
One day, Shankara went door-to-door begging for alms, as monks traditionally do. A poor woman had nothing to give him but a single amla (gooseberry) fruit. Touched by her selfless heart, Shankara composed the beautiful “Kanakadhara Stotram” on the spot, praying to Goddess Lakshmi to bless her. It is said that a shower of golden amlas fell from the sky, and the woman was never poor again.
Curing a Dumb Boy
Shankaracharya once met a mute boy who couldn’t even chant the basic prayers. Feeling compassion, Shankara blessed him with the ability to speak. Not only did the boy speak, but he became a great scholar of the scriptures and went on to be known as Totakacharya, one of Shankara’s four main disciples.
Major Literary Works of Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankara wrote many texts—some deep and philosophical, others simple and devotional. His works are divided into three main types: 1) Commentaries (Bhashyas), Prakarana Granthas (Introductory Texts), and Stotras (Devotional Hymns).
Commentaries (Bhashyas) on the Three Foundational Texts:
These are known as the Prasthanatrayi:
- Bhagavad Gita – His Gita Bhashya is one of the most respected interpretations of this sacred text.
- Brahma Sutras – His explanation of these sutras helped systematize Vedanta philosophy.
- Upanishads – He wrote commentaries on major Upanishads like Isa, Kena, Katha, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, etc.
Prakarana Granthas (Introductory Texts)
These are works, which help beginners understand Vedanta:
- Tattva Bodha – A basic text for students of Advaita.
- Vivekachudamani – Explains how to differentiate the real from the unreal.
- Atma Bodha – Teaches self-realization in a simple way.
- Upadesa Sahasri – A thousand verses of spiritual teachings.
Stotras (Devotional Hymns)
Even though he taught the path of knowledge, Shankaracharya was also a great devotee. His hymns show his deep love for God. Following are the important Stotras he composed.
- Kanakadhara Stotram in English Lyrics – Vande Vandaru Mandaramindirananda
- Subramanya Ashtakam in English – Karavalamba Stotram
- Subrahmanya Bhujangam Lyrics in English – Sada Bala Roopapi
- Ardhanareeswara Stotram Lyrics in English – Champeya Gowrardha
- Kalabhairava Ashtakam Lyrics in English
- Durga Chalisa in English – Namo Namo Durge
- Nirvana Shatakam in English – Chidananda Roopah Shivoham Shivoham
- Dakshinamurthy Stotram in English Lyrics
- Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram in English
- Bramarambika Ashtakam in English – Ravi Sudhakara Vahini Lochana
- Ashtadasa Shakti Peetha Stotram in English
- Shiva Manasa Pooja Stotram in English
- Shivananda Lahari Lyrics in English
- Ganesha Pancharatnam Lyrics in English – Mudakaratha Modakam
- Bhavani Ashtakam Lyrics in English – Gatistvam Gatistvam Twameka Bhavani
To this day, these hymns are sung in temples and homes around the world.
Legacy
Adi Shankaracharya passed away at the young age of 32. Some say he left his body in Kedarnath, others say in Kanchipuram. Wherever it was, his spirit lives on through his mathas and disciples, texts and hymns, and the countless people he inspired. Today, people from all walks of life—from monks to householders—draw strength from his wisdom. His teachings continue to unite Sanatana Dharma and remind us that God is within us all.
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