Shankaracharya
(India: Reviver Of Vedic Culture)
Life: In the small village of Kaladi, in the southern province of India, Sri Shankaracharya advented himself in AD 788 as the son of a Vedic brahmana named Shivaguru and his wife Arya.At 18, he had studied and mastered Vedas, Puranas and Geeta.
Philosophy: Shankracharya was one of India’s foremost philosophers. Shankara interpreted the Vedanta philosophy in a strictly non dual, monistic spirit. His philosophy involves attaining the Supreme Transcendental Consciousness (Brahman) by detaching oneself from the material plane (also know as Maya or illusion).He believed in the fact that every individual has a divine existence, which can be identified with the Supreme cosmic power. Though bodies are diverse, the soul is one.
Quotes: His last words were:
bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam
bhaja govindam mudhamate
samprapte sannihite kale
na hi na hi rakshati dukrinyakarane
This means, "Worship Govinda, worship Govinda. Oh you fools, just worship Govinda. Your rules of grammar and word jugglery will not help you at the time of death." |
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