Essay, Biography or Paragraph on “Shankaracharya” complete biography for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Shankaracharya

India : Reviver of Vedic Culture

Born : AD 788            Died : AD 820

Shankaracharya’s attempts to culturally unite the country in his short life span are unprecedented and unmatched to this day. He undertook the task of reforming and reviving religion at a time when the Indian society was deeply entrenched in many ills, conservative ideas and religious fanaticism. Shankaracharya travelled throughout the country and infused a fresh life in the dying Hindu religion. Wherever he went, he compelled the great scholars of the day to concede defeat by sheer force of his scholastic arguments. To have forced the great Pandit Madan Mishra to bow before him was in itself a great achievement. By this, he tried to make these Pandits accept his philosophy of Vedic religion.

He is called jagatguru because of his contribution towards spreading of vedic culture, and for establishing many centres for the same purpose in all corners of the country. At a very young age, he composed many religious books like Brahmasutra, Manish Panchakam, Geeta Bhashya, Vivek-Chudamani, Prabodh-Sudhakar, Samvedanta-Sidhanta Sangraha. In all these, he has explained the basis of his belief. These later became the tradition.

Shankaracharya was born in a Namboodiri Brahmin family at Kaladi in Kerala. At 18 he had studied and mastered Vedas, Puranas and ?eta. Shankaracharya brought about a new awakening in the Hindu society and has thus immortalised himself.