Adi Shankaracharya was one among the greatest sages and is believed to be avatar of Lord Shiva. It fascinates one when we hear about a sixteen year boy traveled on his feet around India to revive Hinduism. When Hinduism was on an urge to extinct Shankaracharya traveled on his feet to awake the Hinduism in all, which is the way of life. He taught people about Brahma – The divine. He left his soul and became the one with the The divine at the age of 32.

Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti is celebrated on Panchami of Shukla Paksha in Vaishakh month. According to georgian calendar it falls in April or May. This year Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti has fallen on May 17th. Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya (788–820 CE) was born in Kaladi in Kerala and, after travelling the length and breadth of India three times in his spiritual journeys, died in Kedarnath at the young age of 32. His travels took him from the southernmost tip of the country to Kashmir in the north, Gujarat in the west and Odisha in the east, debating spiritual scholars everywhere, preaching his beliefs, establishing ‘mathas’ to take his teaching forward.

Story of the Adi Shankaracharya

Adi Shankaracharya’s parents were worshippers of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva had granted the couples the boon to have a child. It’s also said by the legends that Adi Shankaracharya is also a avatar of Lord Shiva.

Adi Shankaracharya wanted to be a sanyasi but their parents had denied. One day Adi Shankaracharya went to take a bath in river. There he was caught by a crocodile. He called his mother in a sorrowful voice but she couldn’t save him. Even after trying several times. Then Adi Shankaracharya requested her mother one last time to grant him sanyasa. Her mother Aryambal thinking that it might save his life agreed.

Sankaracharya recited the mantras to assume Sanyas. By surprise and the effect of the powerful mantras, he was freed by the crocodile without getting hurt. Then, he renowned the world and went on his life path. 

Shankaracharya began his journey of Sanyasa at the age of sixteen when many of the children’s were in gurukulla. In today’s generation many teenagers are busy to find the love and loose it but Adi Shankaracharya choose the path to bring back Hinduism. He started at the age of sixteen and traveled around Bharatha teaching people about the ultimate one.

He travelled and conveyed messages of the Vedas to the people. His scriptures showcase at their very core this divine knowledge, “Brahman, Pure Consciousness, is the Absolute Reality”. Shankar’s teachings still continue to touch the hearts of the people all across the globe.

Teaching of Adi Guru

Adi Shankaracharya was a phenomenal poet and he held the Divine in his heart with an overflowing love. His compositions include 72 meditative and devotional hymns; a few of them are – Nirvana Shalkam, Soundarya Lahari, Maneesha Panchakam, and Sivananda Lahari.

He has also written 18 commentaries on the primary texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahma Sutras, and 12 important Upanishads. Shankara also authored 23 books on the basics of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy explaining the truth of the one singular or undivided Brahman. Atma Bodha, Viveka Chudamani, Upadesa Sahasri, and Vakya Vritti are few of them.

Quotes from Adi Shankaracharya

• Do not be proud of wealth, people, relations and friends, or youth. All these are snatched by time in the blink of an eye. Giving up this illusory world, know and attain the Supreme.
• Do not look at anybody in terms of friend or foe, brother or cousin; do not fritter away your mental energies in thoughts of friendship or enmity. Seeking the Self everywhere, be amiable and equal-minded towards all, treating all alike.
• The world, like a dream full of attachments and aversions, seems real until the awakening.
• Knowing that I am different from the body, I need not neglect the body. It is a vehicle that I use to transact with the world. It is the temple which houses the Pure Self within.
• To be free from bondage the wise person must practise discrimination between One-Self and the ego-self. By that alone you will become full of joy, recognising Self as Pure Being, Consciousness and Bliss.
• Each thing tends to move towards its own nature. I always desire happiness which is my true nature. My nature is never a burden to me. Happiness is never a burden to me, whilst sorrow is.
• Like the appearance of silver in mother of pearl, the world seems real until the Self, the underlying reality, is realized.

Top Unknown Facts about Jagadguru Shankaracharya

• Started the journey of Sanyasa at 16.
• Left this world at rhe age of 32.
• Traveled India on his feet for 3 times to revive Hindu dharma back.
• Legend says he is a Avatar of Lord Shiva
• Is called JagadGuru for his efforts to bring back the dharma
• Left his soul at Kedarnath
• Established the Advaita Vedanta School of Hinduism.