Four Maths – Char Dhams – established by Shankaraĭuring his travels across the length and breadth of India, he established four maths (ashrams) to unify the scattered and diverse groups of Sannyasis. There are many inspiring legends about him. These include Viveka Chudamani, Atma Bodha, Vaakya Vritti, Upadesa Sahasri, among others.Ĭonsidered to be an incarnation of Lord Siva, Sri Shankara lived only a short life span of 32 years. He also authored 23 books on the fundamentals of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy which expound the principles of the non-dual Brahman. He also wrote 18 commentaries on the major scriptural texts including the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and 12 major Upanishads. He composed 72 devotional and meditative hymns like Soundarya Lahari, Sivananda Lahari, Nirvana Shalkam, Maneesha Panchakam. He also formulated the rituals and rites to be followed in most of the major temples in India.Īpart from his immense intellectual and organisational abilities, Shankaracharya was an exquisite poet, with a heart brimming with Love of the Divine. For their benefit, Shankaracharya formulated the six sect system of worship which brought to the fore the main godheads – Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, Muruka, Ganesha and Surya. People were totally blind to the underlying common basis of the One God. In Shankara’s time, there were innumerable sects following their own narrow philosophies and systems of worship. He established 4 ashrams in four corners of India and entrusted his four disciples to teach and propagate Advaita through them. They started to practice in accordance with his guidance, and this change in their lives also wrought a change in the lives of their innumerable followers, who came from all strata of society. These men of stature then accepted Shankaracharya as their guru. They championed their own interpretations of the scriptures but the prodigious boy sage was easily able to overcome all of them and make them understand the wisdom of his teachings. Shankaracharya challenged various eminent scholars and leaders of various religious sects in vigorous disputes. The essence of Sanatana Dharma, with its all-embracing message of Love, Compassion and the Universality of Humankind was completely lost in the blind performance of these rituals. In those days ancient India was sunk in a quagmire of superstitions and scriptural misinterpretations. Thus by the statement “ Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya, Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Para” he condensed the essence of the voluminous scriptures. In essence, the individual is not different from Brahman. This is the correct understanding of the Sastra is the thundering declaration of Vedanta ” “Brahman, Pure Consciousness, is the Absolute Reality.

(scroll down to read the legends)įrom the age of sixteen to thirty-two, Shankaracharya went forth, travelling across the length and breadth of ancient India bringing to the hearts of the masses the life-giving message of the Vedas. There is a legend about the young disciple during this period of his stay with the Guru. At the age of sixteen, he dropped his pen having completed writing all the major treatises. At his Guru’s command, Shankara wrote commentaries elucidating the subtle meanings hidden in the teachings of the scriptures. Under his teacher’s compassionate guidance, the young Shankaracharya mastered all the Vedic scriptures.Īt the age of twelve, his Guru deemed that Shankara was ready to write commentaries on major scriptural texts. He stayed there serving his Guru for four years. From the southern state of Kerala, the young Shankara walked about 2000 kilometres- to the banks of the river Narmada, in the central plains of India, to his Guru- Govindapada.

Char math in india