Adi Sankara Bagavathpada's Jayanthi is observed every year on Vaisakha Sukla Panchami. At the temple, we will celebrate this with  Rudra Abishekam to Sahasralinga Swamy,  recite hymns, stotras authored by Acharya.

There are three accepted branches of Indian philosophy preached over the years -  Advaitha, Vishishta-Advaitha and Dvaitha. Acharya Sankara Bagawathpada re-energised the Advaitha philosophy, propagated and converted many during His travels all over present day India. He established the philosophy through the Prastana Trayam - His Bashyam (commentaries) on The Bagavath Gita, Upanishads and Brahma Sutras.

Sankara had attained Self Realisation at a very early age through His Guru, Govinda Bagawatpada. When Sankara approached Govinda Bagavathpaada to accept him as his disciple, the guru asked, "who are you? '. Sankara's reply to his Guru's question, in ten verses, is referred to as 'Dasa Sloki'. Each verse ends with 'and only One remains, and that Shiva I am'. 

'I am neither the earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor sky, nor any other property. I am not the senses and even the mind. I am Shiva the divisionless essence of consciousness.' 

  He has authored numerous stotras on various deities, Shiva, Ambal, Narayana, Lakshmi, Rama, Karthikeya and many more, bearing the advaitha philosophy in all. Through this he sought to show that bhakti (devotion) would lead to Gnana and eventually Self Realisation, the ability to see one Existence in all.

His has authored many literary works, stotras, hymns, works on Vedanta, commentaries and two philosophical works - the Viveka Chudamani and Upadesa Sahasri, ingraining the advaitha philosophy. He established Maths on the four corners of present day India. He is also known as Shan- Mada-Staapakaacharya, being a proponent of the six paths of worship - Surya, Ganapathy, Shiva, Ambaal, Vishnu and Karthikeya.

His acheivements in the short span of 32 years are many and cannot be extolled in completeness. Scholars who have studied and traced the growth of the religion, agree that Adi Sankaracharya was instrumental in the revival of the Hindu philosophy. 

Lord Dakshinamurthy, in Hindu tradition is worshipped as the embodiment of knowledge and destroyer of ignorance; as the God of wisdom, rewarding meditation. Sankaracharya is considered to be His form and is referred to as 'mounam vittu vandu marai oodiya mamuni', meaning, 'A great saint, who came out of the His Silence and sang hymns (exposition on shastras)'.

Please join us in celebrating Him on Sunday, April 30th, at the Sri Venkateshwara Temple.