ADI
SHANKARACHARYA - ART & CULTURE
News:
CM Chouhan unveils 108-ft
tall Adi Shankaracharya statue in MP’s Omkareshwar
What's
in the news?
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A grand 108-foot-tall statue of the
revered Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya has been unveiled in Omkareshwar,
Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh.
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This imposing structure, known as ‘Ekatmata Ki Pratima’ or the ‘Statue of
Oneness,’ is a testament to India’s rich spiritual heritage.
Adi
Shankaracharya:
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Adi Shankaracharya, who lived between 788
and 820AD, was born in Kerala’s Kaladi and became a sanyasi at a young age.
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Adi Shankara then sought a guru and became
a disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpada.
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Under his guru's guidance, he delved into
the study and practice of Advaita
Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of
Hindu philosophy.
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He travelled extensively, visiting
important spiritual centres and authoring many works, including commentaries on the Upanishads, the
Brahmasutra, and the Bhagavat Gita.
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Adi Shankaracharya's most significant
contribution is his interpretation and propagation
of Advaita Vedanta and Dashanami Sampradaya. He came to be known as Shankaracharya among his disciples.
Advaita
Vedanta:
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This philosophy asserts the ultimate
non-dual nature of reality, where the individual
soul (Atman) is identical to the supreme reality (Brahman).
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Endowed with self-knowledge, Acharya
played a crucial role in reviving
Sanatan Dharma and promoting cultural unity.
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Adi Shankara emphasized the concept of
Maya, which is the illusion that the material world is separate from Brahman.
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He argued that realizing the illusory
nature of the world and recognizing one's true identity as Atman is the key to
spiritual liberation (moksha).
Works:
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Created
the “Shanmata” system of six sects of worship, which highlighted the five
principal gods: Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, Muruka, Ganesha, and Surya.
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His review of ‘Brahma Sutra’ is known as ‘Brahma-sutra-bhasya’, and it is the
oldest surviving commentary on ‘Brahma Sutra’. Adi Shankaracharya is considered
an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
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He was responsible for reviving Hinduism
in India to a great extent when Buddhism was gaining popularity.
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Established four Mathas in the four corners of India at Sringeri, Puri, Dwaraka
and Badrinath– for propagation of Sanathana Dharma.
Disciples:
His 4 main disciples
were:
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Padmapada
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Totakacharya
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Hasta Malaka
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Sureshvara