Adi Sankara’s

teachings
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
 Birth of Adi Sankara

Adi Sankaracharya was
born in the year 805 (AD)
and is regarded as one
of the greatest
philosophers, mystic and
poet of all times. His
parents were Shivaguru
and Shivataarakaa (also
known as Aryamba).
Sankaracharya's father
died at an early age and
he was brought up by his
mother.
Birth place of great saint

Kalady is the birth place
of Adi Sankaracharya the
great Indian Philosopher
2 shrines in memory of
Sankaracharya - one for
Dakshinamoorthy and
the other for the Goddes
Sharada. Kalady, 45
Kms from Cochin The Sri
Ramakrishna Adwaitha
Ashram is located here.
Kaladi is connected to
Kochi by road. Distance:
45 KM via Aluva in
Kerala
 Adi Sankara

Adi Sankara (788 CE - 820 CE), also
known as Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya
and Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, was an Indian
philosopher who consolidated the doctrine
of Advaita Vedanta, the most influential
sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are
based on the unity of the soul and
Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as
without attributes.
 Adi Sankara's and his
Philosophy
His works in Sanskrit, all of which are
extant today, concern themselves with
establishing the doctrine of Advaita (
No dualism). He also established the
importance of monastic life as
sanctioned in the Upanishads and
Brahma Sutra, in a time when the
Mimamsa school established strict
ritualism and ridiculed monasticism.
 Contribution to Hindu
Philosophy

In this short span of
life he travelled the
four corners of the
Indian subcontinent
and established the
four most revered
places of worship
which are thriving
even today.
 Hinduism Survives

Sankaracharya occupies a very important
position in the history of Indian philosophy. It
can be affirmed, without any fear of
contradiction, that Bharata Varsha would have
ceased to be Bharata Varsha several centuries
ago and would never have survived the
murderous sword, the devastating fire and the
religious intolerance of the successive invaders,
if Sankara had not lived the life he lived and
taught the lessons he taught. And those lessons
are still pulsating in every cell and in every
protoplasm of the true aspirant and the true Hindu.
Who is the Supreme Spirit

Guru Brahma, Guru
Vishnu, Guru Deva
Maheshwara. Guru
Sakshath Parambrahma,
Tasmai Shri Gurave
Namaha. (tr: Guru is the
creator Brahma, Guru is
the preserver Vishnu,
Guru is the destroyer
Siva. Guru is directly the
supreme spirit — I offer
my salutations to this
Guru.)
 What the wise think

The fool thinks, ‘I am the
body’;
The Intelligent Man
thinks, ‘I am an individual
soul united with the
body.’

But the Wise Man, in the
greatness of his
knowledge and spiritual
discrimination,
Sees the Self as the only
reality and thinks, ‘I am
Brahman.’"

Sat guru Adi Sankara

Only Brahman is Real

Brahman (the
Absolute) is alone
real; this world is
unreal; and the Jiva
or the individual soul
is non-different from
Brahman.
 What is Atman

The Atman is self-
evident (Svatah-
siddha). It is not
established by
extraneous proofs. It
is not possible to
deny the Atman,
because It is the very
essence of the one
who denies It.
Adi Shankara on Lord Siva

Forgive me
Oh, Shiva
My three great sins!
I came on a pilgrimage
to Kashi forgetting that,
you are omnipresent.
In thinking about you I
forgot that, You are
beyond thought.
In praying to You I forgot
that, You are beyond
words."
Adi Sankaracharya Teachings

The philosophy and
teachings of Adi
Sankaracharya were
based on the Advaita
Vedanta. He preached
'Non-Dualism'. It
means that each and
every person has a
divine existence, which
can be identified with
the Supreme God.
 I Meditate on ..,

Pasunam Pathim Papa 
I meditate only on that
Nasam Paresam, great God,
Who is the lord of all

Gajendrasya beings,
Kruthimvasanam Who is the destroyer of
Varenyam, sins,
Who is the lord of
heaven,

Jada Jutamadhye
Who wears the hide of
Sphurad Ganagavarim,
the king of elephants,
Mahadevamekam
And who keeps river
Smarami Smararim 1
‘Ganga’ in the middle of
his hair.
 I pray and Praise the God

Na Bhoomir Na Chapo 
Pray and praise that
Na Vahnir Na Vayur, God,
Who is the trimurthy*,

Ma Cha Akasamasthe And who is not
Na Thanthra Na Nidhra,
affected by

Na Greeshmo Na
Seetham Na Deso Na Earth, water, fire, wind,
Vesho, Ether, thanthra, nidhra,
Heat, cold, place of
stay and attire.

Na
Yasyahimurthitrimurthim
Thameede.
 I Salute the Ultimate

Namasthe Namasthe, 
Salutations and salutations,
Vibho Viswamurthe, To the store house of
knowledge and god of all
worlds,

Namasthe, Namasthe Salutations and salutations,
Thapo Yoga Gamya, To him who should be
Namasthe, Namasthe known by meditation and
Yoga,
Salutations and salutations,

Chidananda Murthe, To him who is the ever
Namasthe, Namasthe lasting bliss,
Salutations and salutations,
Sruthi Gnana Gamya. To him who should be
attained through Vedas.
 What is Avidya

The world is not an
illusion according to
Sankara. The world is
relatively real
(Vyavaharika Satta),
while Brahman is
absolutely real
(Paramarthika Satta).
The unchanging
Brahman appears as the
changing world because
of a superimposition of
non-Self (objects) on Self
(subject - Brahman).
This is called Avidya.
Who is I

The True Self is
Brahman (Divine
Creator). Brahman is the
‘I’ of ‘Who Am I?’ The
Advaita doctrine
propagated by Shankara
views that the bodies are
manifold but the
separate bodies have the
one Divine in them.
 Knowledge purifies

Because samsara (or
duality) exists due to
ignorance or Avidya,
Knowledge (Jnana)
alone can make an
individual realize his true
nature. Karma Yoga,
Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga
etc., are necessary only
to purify the individual
and to help remove this
Avidya. All other paths
culminate in Jnana.
What is Brahma Jnana

Brahma Jnana is not
about acquiring any
external knowledge
(as Brahman can't be
an object of
knowledge), it just
about removing the
Avidya or Maya.
Bhajagovindam enlightens the
realities on Life and Death

In 31 simple, sweet and
lucid Slokas, giving easy
and homely analogies
and illustrations for easy
understanding, Sri
Sankaracharya dissects
the human psyche by
explaining the fallacy and
futility of the human life,
if one does not take
shelter under Dharma or
Truth or God.
 Bhajagovindam recited by
Enlightened Souls

Worship Govinda,
worship Govinda,
worship Govinda,
Oh fool ! Other
than chanting the
Lord's names,
there is no other
way to cross the
life's ocean.
 The Brihadaranyaka says:
Asato Ma Sat 
From the unreal
Gamaya lead me to the real!

Tamaso Ma Jyotir From darkness lead

Gamaya me to light!

Mrityor Ma Amritam From death lead me

Gamaya to immortality!"
Om Shanti Shanti
Shanti.
 In short span of life guides
masses of Humanity

In a short life-span of
thirty-two years,
Sankaracharya travelled
all over India,
establishing
monasteries, reforming
worship procedures in
temples, writing
philosophical treatises,
debating with leaders of
other religious traditions
and instructing students
who flocked to him for
spiritual guidance.
 Vadakkumnatha Temple,
Thrissur

It is believed that Adi
Shankara spent his
last days here.

Vadakkkunnathan
literally means Lord
of the North and is
one of the largest
Shiva temples in
Kerala. The
Vadakkkumnathan
temple is over 2000
years old.
Jeevatma Unites with Paramatma

Advaita Vedanta
considers the
consciousness of the
Self- Jeevatma - as
continuous with and
indistinguishable
from the
consciousness of the
Supreme or
Brahman-
Paramatma.
Attains Maha Samadhi

Sankaracharya
attained Maha
Samadhi at the age
of 32 in the year 837
AD.
Adi Sankara Traditions are
Immortal

Adi Shankara founded
four Maṭhas to guide the
Hindu religion. These are
at Sringeri in Karnataka
in the south, Dwaraka in
Gujarat in the west, Puri
in Orissa in the east, and
Jyotirmath (Joshimath) in
Uttarakhand in the north.
Adi Sankara’s teachings guide
Humanity
Adi Sankara’s Teachings
lead Humanity from
Ignorance to
Enlightenment
Dr.T.V.Rao MD
Email
doctortvrao@gmail.com