On the occasion of Shakara jayanti today, we bring you some eternal quotes by the great scholar  Adi Shankaracharya or Adi Shankara.

Adi Shankaracharya was a philosopher and a theologian who amalgamated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. He also unified the current thoughts in Hinduism and established them. He wrote many books in Sanskrit such as Brahma Sutras, Principal Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita in support of his thesis and discussion of unity and Nirgun Brahman (Brahman without attributes). Adi Shankara criticized Mimansa school of Hinduism which deals with rituals. He established and supported monastic living of life according to Upanishads and Brahma Sutras in the time when Mimansa school forced on ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. He also differentiated Hinduism and Buddhism stating that Hinduism believes “Atman (Soul, Self) exists” while Buddhism says there is “No soul, no self”. He’s believed to be the founder of Shanmata tradition of worship and Dashanami sampradaya.

He roamed all over the country to spread his philosophy and debated with many other thinkers over it. He established four Mathas, which then helped in propagation of the message of Advaita Vedanta all over the world. These Mathas are Gowardhana Pitham, Sringeri Sharda Pitham, Dvarka Pitham and Jyotirmatha Pitham situated at all the four directions east, south, west, north respectively.

Here are the top 10 quotes by Adi Shankara

1. 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.


2. When your last breath arrives, Grammar can do nothing


3. Curb your senses and your mind and see the Lord within your heart.


4. The treasure I have found cannot be described in words, the mind cannot conceive of it.


5. Reality can be experienced only with the eye of understanding, not just by a scholar.

6. 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.

7. From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad-gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures.


8. What is enquiry into the Truth? It is the firm conviction that the Self is real, and all, other than That, is unreal.


9. Thus one should know oneself to be of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss[Sat-Chit-Ananda].


10. Who but the Atman is capable of removing the bonds of ignorance, passion and self-interested action?



We bow to a great ancient scholar of our country.

By Prajakt K.