Overview

Adi Shankaracharya, the great philosopher who re-established the Vedic sanatana dharma, was born in Kalady, a village in the present Ernakulam district of Kerala state in India in 507 BC on the Vaisakha Shukla Panchami day of the Hindu calendar. His father was Shivaguru and mother Aryamba. At the age of 8 years, he received the initiation into sanyasa order from the venerated GovindaBhagavatpada on the Kartika Shukla Ekadashi. He wrote commentaries on the Prasthanatrayishastras. Shankaracharya appeared at a time when the circumstances were such that the sanatana dharma was rendered devoid of any strength, was torn apart and destroyed. There were also foreign invasions. By his scholarly aptitude and strength of his penance, he defeated Buddhist scholars in philosophical debates. He also defeated scholars like Sri Mandana Mishra by his command of shastras and made him his disciple. He had profound accomplishments by age 16. He also influenced King Sudhanva and made him his disciple. Adi Shankaracharya traveled far and wide across several regions, preached and professed extensively the vedicsanatana dharma in an all too brief lifespan of 32 years. He woke up the society that was in a state of deep slumber. He wrote many books and had many temples renovated in his lifetime. In order to have the dharma rule over the country always and have spiritual values progress, the great seer established four dharmic institutions.