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Adi Shankara

Adi Shankara became one of the most influential Hindu philosophers and commentators.

BORN c. 788 CE · Kaladi, KeralaDIED c. 820 CE · Kedarnath or Kanchipuram, debatedERA Early medieval India
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Shankara's dates are debated: the traditional dating of c. 788-820 CE is kept here, but many modern scholars place him earlier, around 700 CE.

NOTABLE CONTRIBUTION

Systematized Advaita Vedanta and argued for non-dual realization of Brahman.

THE RECORD
  • His commentaries on the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutras shaped Vedanta debate.
  • He argued that ultimate reality is non-dual and that liberation comes through knowledge.
  • Monastic institutions and later traditions trace authority to his teaching and reform.
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