Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism's Greatest Thinker

by Pavan K. Varma

It must be remembered that Shankara, while uncompromisingly an advocate of the non-dual Vedantic doctrine, in which rituals, prayer, bhakti and temples were not of fundamental importance at the level of para vidya (ultimate knowledge), simultaneously sanctioned these religious practices as preparatory steps within the rubric of apara vidya, practical knowledge. In this sense, he became the guardian not only of the Vedantic doctrine, but of Sanatana Dharma, Hinduism in its entirety, both in practice and philosophy. It is also significant that he established his mathas in what constitutes, broadly, India today. This puts paid to the colonial theory, unfortunately endorsed by many ignorant Indians, that the idea of India was a British creation, and prior to their advent, India was just a geographical expression with no binding unity.