Universal unity
or universalism is an undeniable reality. The universe is thoroughly governed
by one order –one rule. That very order –rule is the universal rule, the
universal order. Nothing is beyond the ambit of this order or the rule.
Universalism is, undoubtedly, the basis of the entire unity.
The Vedic philosophy or the view of life,
generally known as the Hindu philosophy or the view of life now, is fully dedicated
to the universal unity in theory and practice, both. For the proper conduction
and continuity of an order, and to maintain unity on the basis of it, there is
always inevitability and necessity of a conductor or the director. Therefore,
to conduct, maintain and accord continuity to the universal order, a manager or
the director always
exists and that is Brahman –God. He
is called by so many names such as Prabhu,
Parameshwara, Paramatman, Parabrahman,
Ishwara, Bhagawan, the Supreme Being and the Highest Authority –Sarvashaktiman. He is
unborn, self-sovereign and self-illuminated, manifested as well as un-manifested
Brahman. He is changeless and the Absolute.
The whole of the
Vedic-Hindu philosophy, its chief
treatises like Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita in particular are committed to this reality. In the
centre of teachings of all of these scriptures is Brahman –God. For, they focus on a matchless and great idea and
call for acquiring knowledge pertaining to it, which is also known as the Brahmavidya, so that life could be made
worthy and meaningful while passing through the inevitable process of karmas –actions.
Adi
Shankaracharaya, who rightly earned fame as the Shankara Bhagavadpada and the Jagadguru
all over the world, presented the above reality wisely, in a beautiful and
adaptable manner before the world on the basis of his intensive analysis and
realization. For this, sound arguments and minute observation remained the part
and parcel of his critical analysis in particular. Especially, through his
commentaries on Brahmsutra, Upanishads, the Ishopanishad –Ishavasya-Upanishad and the Kathopanishad
in particular, and Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita, he categorically
established the supremacy of Brahman,
His rule over all –movable or immovable, and truly declared Him to be the basis of universal
unity. For, he called for overcoming of all superfluous suspicions or doubts.
In his
commentary on the Brahmasutra, he
emphatically stated Brahman to be the
only and ultimate truth and the source of the Vedas. He proclaimed that the soul in the body, which is made of
the Maya –illusion, is, in fact, the
revelation of Brahman Himself, and
there is no separate authority of soul at all, “Brahma
satyam jagan-mithya jivo brahmaiva na aparah.”
Moreover, he asserted that the whole Jagat –universe is created by Him –Brahman, He is an Indivisible Whole, and
along with Vedas He is the nucleus of
the Vedanta –the Upanishads, which straightforwardly call for acquiring knowledge by
wisdom. In this very
perspective, the second foremost and long memorable contribution of Adi
Shankaracharaya, in my opinion, should be observed in his manifestation of
monotheism –belief in the existence of One God or in the Oneness of God, to
repeat again as an Indivisible Whole. His commentaries of the Ishopanishad and the Kathopanishad in particular well prove
this fact. The Vedic-Hindu Triumvirate consisting of Brahma –the Creator, Vishnu
–the Protector or the Up-bringer and Shiva –the Destroyer is, in fact, the
three great attributes of Brahman –the
Supreme Himself. All the three are the symbolic of His active state, and even Brahmin-Kshatriya etc. are the part and
parcel of His own dynamic process as is revealed in the Kathopanishad [1/2/25].
Hence, Adi
Shankaracharaya through this truth-based unique, lucid, comprehensive and
unprecedented ideas pertaining to monotheism left an exemplary impression
directly-indirectly, more or less, or in one way or the other upon almost all
spiritual-religious philosophies of the world. Along with this, through his
ideas pertaining to the supremacy of Brahman
and affirming the reality of monotheism by taking the course of critical
analysis and arguments, the Jagadguru
accorded an unprecedented strength to the Vedic-Hindu
philosophy and the view of life. He accorded the best and a unique dimension to
it.
On the basis of
his high wisdom Adi Shankaracharaya emerged as such an influential
spiritual-religious philosopher of the Indian tradition, who left great
impression of his ideas on crores of
people all over the world in general and the Sub-continent of India in
particular. The influence of his exemplary ideas still remains intact.
Especially, his exclusive analysis and review of the Vedic philosophy and view of life on the strength of wisdom [which
essentially includes the judgment], knowledge and arguments, propagation of
reality of universal unity while having the Brahman
–God as the nuclei, and its acceptance by crores
of people itself proves the significance of the extraordinary viewpoint of Adi
Shankaracharaya and the great contribution made by him in this regard.
Shankaracharaya’s
views, particularly pertaining to the Brahmavidya
and monotheism have for centuries been nuclei of studies and research of
thousands of people around the world. Many of them may not agree to his ideas or
the analysis, which he made about the supremacy of Brahman or monotheism, but no one of them can deny the fact that he
was a matchless propounder
and propagator of universal unity, and he is
perhaps the only great philosopher of India who still impresses the most by his
viewpoint the life of people of the Sub-continent directly, and so many others
in the world indirectly by his spiritual-religious thoughts pertaining to the Advaitism. For his
matchless contribution towards illuminating the reality of universal unity on
the basis of the supremacy of Brahman,
and for this calling people to act accordingly, Adi Shankaracharaya remains
unparalleled, and it will be so in times to come. His glory will remain intact
for a long.
*****
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