by Madurai Vaidyanathan Sankaran

Created on: June 06, 2008

Adi Sankara was a Hindu philosopher and religious leader who lived in the beginning of 8th century (788-820 CE). He was the proponent of the Advita philosophy (non-duality) of Hinduism which asserts that the Brahman (Universal God) and Atman (personal soul) are the same. It is the maya (illusion) that makes us think that we are separate from Brahman. By constant inquiry and mediation one can remove the veil of maya and realize the Satyam (Truth).

Adi Sankara traveled all over India and established four Mutts (similar to a church) in the east, west, north and southern parts of India. He gave discourses and debated with philosophers during his travels. He not only gave discourses on various Hindu texts such as Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita, he created many of his own works such as Viveka Choodamani and Bhajagovindam.

There is a story which goes as follows. Some of his disciples after listening to his teachings for many years asked if Adi Sankara could tell the gist of his teachings in one sloka (verse) so that they could remember them easily. For that Adi Sankara is said to have replied thus: "Why one sloka? I can tell you the Truth in half a sloka", and then said to have read the following verse.

"Shlokardhena Prabakhyami Yad Uktam Grantha Kotibhihi.
Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya Jivo Brahma Eva Na Paraha."

The meaning of the sloka is as follows (translation courtesy of Chinmaya Padhi, Boloji.com)

"I am explaining in half a sloka (verse), what has been told in crores (tens of millions) of books. Brahman (God) is real, the world is an illusion, and Jeeva (atman or the soul) and Brahman (God) are the same, not different."

Ancient Hindu rishis (sages) were like scientists of our times. One difference though is that the only tool they had was their minds, and they inquired about everything possible using their minds. Thus they were not only philosophers, but they were also psychologists, neurologists, economists; even physicists and chemists. Not all they wrote was correct. Obviously they did not have access to all the tools we have. For example, they said this world was made up of five elements: earth (solids), water (liquids), air (gasses), fire (plasma) and akash (space or ether). They could not have discovered the 100+ elements and their atomic structure. Our job is to identify the statements that make sense and test them with the tools and knowledge currently we have about the physical world.

The way we perceive the world is through our sense organs: Eyes (light,

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