Life and Teachings of Adi Sankaracarya

Vedanta is recognized as the leading philosophy of the Vedic tradition. A major proponent of Vedanta was Sankaracarya who laid the basis for the propagation of Vedanta before the beginning of the Middle Ages. His contribution has been so immense and significant that often Vedanta has been interpreted as synonymous with Advaita Vedanta of Sankara. Here, Dr. George Victor attempts to study comprehensively Sankaracarya’s teachings on Vedanta – his views on scripture, perception and inference as pramanas or standards of knowledges; his explanations of the relation between Brahman and atman, Brahman and Isvara, maya and the world; and his concepts of jnana marga, karma marga and moksa, among others. The work takes a close look at the date of Sankara and his life and times before plunging into a penetrative study of Sankara’s commentaries on the triple texts, the Upanisads, the Brahma-sutra and the Bhagavad-Gita – the foundations of Vedantic thought. With constant references to Sankara’s major and minor works and hymns, and using a simple language that reflects a unique clarity in understanding Sankara’s philosophy, it also examines his methodology of philosophical interpretations and how academicians have estimated Sankara in the past. Authored by a scholar who has for long been associated with research and teaching of Sankara’s philosophy, the book will be of interest to scholars and students of Indian philosophy as well as general readers.