Life of Adi Shankaracharya – Stories, Teachings and Stotras

Adi Shankaracharya (आदि शङ्कराचार्य)

Adi Shankaracharya is an eighth century religious teacher and Philosopher. According to commonly held view, Adi Shankaracharya was born in 788 AD.

Adi Shankara consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. He is credited with unifying and establishing the main currents of thought in Hinduism. He wrote commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita.

Childhood

Adi Shankara, as he is popularly known among his followers, was born in Kalady village -now a small town in the Ernakulam district – situated on the bank of a river in Kerala. He was an exceptional child as Adi Shankar had become fluent in Sanskrit by the age of two. By four, he was comfortably reciting scriptures including Vedas.

The burning quest for attaining superior knowledge from an early age pushed Adi Shankara to leave his home and set on the search for a guru. His quest ended with Govid Bhagvatpad at Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) on the bank of Narmada river.

Adi Shankara excelled under the Govind Bhagvatpad, who instructed him to write commentaries on scriptures on completion of his learning. Adi Shankara was just 12 at the time.

Following his guru’s command, Adi Shankara wrote commentaries explaining the subtle meanings hidden in scriptures. He finished the task by the age of sixteen, after which Adi Shankaracharya is said to have stopped writing as he had completed writing all the major treatises on religion and philosophy.

Teachings

Adi Shankaracharya popluarised the Advaita branch of philosophy that declared that god and indivual were not two. He then set out to spread the message of his guru.

From the age of 16 to 32, Adi Shankaracharya travelled across the length and breadth of India with the message of Vedas. He pronounced that ‘Brahman or pure consciousness is the absolute reality and the material world is an illusion’.

He established his supremacy in religion and philosophy in debating duels with experts and chief of ashram after ashram from north to south and east to west.

Establishment of Ashrams

Having established his superiority among all exponents of religion and philosophy of the time, Adi Shankaracharya founded four ashrams – Badrinath, Puri, Dwaraka and Sringeri – in the four corners of the country.

The head disciple was appointed as the head of each of the four ashrams. These were the centres to elucidate the essence of Advaita philosophy. Each ashram was to follow one of the four Vedas – Puri for Rig Veda, Sringeri for Yajur Veda, Dwaraka for Sama Veda and Badrinath for Atharva Veda.

The essential duty of these institutions was to impart the teaching mushrooming of innumerable sects during his time due to narrow philosophical interpretation of Vedas and scriptures had led to multiplicity of gods and worship systems. The commoners were to be guided towards the idea of One God.

Work of Adi Shankara

Adi Shankaracharya wrote 18 commentaries on the scriptures including the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and 12 major Upanishads.

He wrote about two dozen books spreading the fundamentals of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Some of these books are Viveka Chudamani, Atma Bodha, Vaakya Vritti and Upadesa Sahasri.

Adi Shankaracharya is credited to have composed 72 devotional and meditative hymns such as Soundarya Lahari, Sivananda Lahari, Nirvana Shatakam, Maneesha Panchakam.

Samadhi

It is believed Adi Shankaracharya took samadhi at Kedarnath. It is said he was seen last by his disciples walking into the Himalayan woods at Kedarnath. He was not seen thereafter.

Complete work of Adi Sankaracharya

Following is the list of works by Shri Adi Shankaracharya which are widely accepted to be his works :

BHASHYA GRANTHAS

1. Brahma Sutras
2. Isavasya Upanishad
3. Kena Upanishad
4. Katha Upanishad
5. Prasna Upanishad
6. Mundaka Upanishad
7. Mandukya Upanishad
8. Mandukya Karika
9. Aitareya Upanishad
10. Taittiriya Upanishad
11. Chandogya Upanishad
12. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
13. Sree Nrisimha Taapaneeya Upanishad
14. Bhagavad Gita
15. Vishnu Sahasranama
16. Sanat Sujatheeyam
17. Lalita Trishati
18. Hastamalakeeyam

PRAKARANA GRANTHAS

1. Vivekachudamani
2. Aparokshanubhuti
3. Upadesasahasri
4. Vaakya Vritti
5. Swatma Nirupanam
6. Atma bodha
7. Sarva Vedanta Sara Samgraha
8. Prabodha Sudhakaram
9. Swaatma Prakasika
10. Advaita Anubhuti
11. Brahma anuchintanam
12. Prashnouttara Ratnamaalika
13. Sadachara anusandhanam
14. Yaga Taravali
15. Anatmasree Vigarhanam
16. Swaroopa anusandhanam
17. Pancheekaranam
18. Tattwa bodha
19. Prouda anubhooti
20. Brahma Jnanavali
21. Laghu Vakyavritti
22. Bhaja Govindam
23. Prapancha Saaram

HYMNS AND MEDITATION VERSES

1. Sri Ganesa Pancharatnam
2. Ganesa Bhujangam
3. Subrahmanya Bhujangam
4. Siva Bhujangam
5. Devi Bhujangam
6. Bhavani Bhujangam
7. Sree Rama Bhujangam
8. Vishnu Bhujangam
9. Sarada Bhujangam
10. Sivananda Lahari
11. Soundarya Lahari
12. Ananda Lahari
13. Sivapaadaadi kesaanta varnana
14. Siva kesaadi padaanta varnana
15. Sree Vishnu-paadaadi-kesanta
16. Uma maheswara Stotram
17. Tripurasundari Vedapada Stotram
18. Tripurasundari Manasapooja
19. Tripurasundari Ashtakam
20. Devi shashti upachara-pooja
21. Mantra matruka Pushpamaala
22. Kanakadhara Stotram
23. Annapoorna Stotram
24. Ardhanareshwara Stotram
25. Bhramanaamba Ashtakam
26. Meenakshi Stotram
27. Meenakshi Pancharatnam
28. Gouri Dasakam
29. Navaratna Malika
30. Kalyana Vrishtistavam
31. Lalitha Pancharatnam
32. Maaya Panchakam
33. Suvarna Mala Stuti
34. Dasa Sloki
35. Veda Sara Siva StotramHara
36. Siva Panchaakshara Stotram
37. Sivaaparadha Kshamapana
38. Dakshinamoorthy Ashtakam
39. Dakshinamoorthy Varnamala
40. Mrutyunjaya Manasa Pooja Stotram
41. Siva Namavali Ashtakam
42. Kaala Bhairava Ashtakam
43. Shatpadee Stotram
44. Siva Panchakshara Nakshatra Mala
45. Dwadasa Ling Stotram
46. Kasi Panchakam
47. Hanumat Pancharatnam
48. Lakshmi-Nrisimha Pancharatnam
49. Lakshmi-Nrisimha Karunarasa Stotram
50. Panduranga Ashtakam
51. Achyuta Ashtakam
52. Sree Krishna Ashtakam
53. Hari Stuti
54. Govinda Ashtakam
55. Bhagavat Manasa Pooja
56. Praata Smarana Stotram
57. Jagannatha Ashtakam
58. Guruvashtakam
59. Narmada Ashtakam
60. Yamuna Ashtakam
61. Ganga Ashtakam
62. Manikarnika Ashtakam
63. Nirguna Manasa Pooja
64. Eka Sloki
65. Yati Panchakam
66. Jeevan Mukta Ananda Lahari
67. Dhanya Ashtakam
68. Upadesa (Sadhna) Panchakam
69. Sata Sloki
70. Maneesha Panchakam
71. Advaita Pancharatnam
72. Nirvana Shatakam
73. Devyapara-dha kshamapa stotra