The Advent Of Aadi Shankara

The advent of Adi Sankara is a landmark event in the history of Indian philosophy and religion and in the personal spiritual progress of every individual. His teachings reveal the truth of the Supreme Brahman to the sincere seeker. In a lecture, Sri R. Krishnamurthy Sastrigal drew attention to a verse in the Madhaviya Sankara Vijayam, a biographical work on Adi Sankara, wherein the poet compares the effort of Adi Sankara with that of Hanuman in the matter of spiritual realisation. It states that Adi Sankara fought and tore asunder the demon Avidya or ignorance that had swallowed Brahma Tatva to reveal the Supreme Truth to humanity even as Hanuman fought with demons and evil forces during his mission to search for Sita who stands for Jiva Tatva or Maya Shakti. Sita forgets her true nature and longs for the golden deer. She is thus separated from Rama, her true moorings and is caught in the vicious atmosphere in Ravana’s Lanka. The Jiva Tatva is enveloped in the evil forces of Samsara such as desire (kama), anger (krodha), greed (lobha), delusion (Moha), pride (mada) envy (matsarya) etc, that prevent the atma’s union with the Brahman. Hanuman brings the tidings of the whereabouts of Sita to Rama, and enables the union of the Jiva with the Brahman.

Adi Sankara sought to relieve mankind from all the miseries that affect one and all. There are three kinds of miseries that human beings have to suffer in this world. In spiritual parlance these are described as Adyatmika, Adi Daivika and Adi Bhoutika. Adyatmika refers to the relation between the individual self and the Supreme Self. It is based on the truth that the individual self is a manifestation of the Supreme spirit. Adi Daivika refers to the miseries caused by fate and Adi Bhoutika to those sorrows caused by the material world and body. Adi Sankara’s effort is a cut above for, this acharya destroyed the rakshasa Avidya that is the root cause of all sorrow. Removal of ignorance results in self realisation which is the ultimate goal of the Jiva.