Adi Shankara Bibliography
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Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...
, a Hindu philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta school, composed a number of commentarial works. Due to his later influence, a large body of works that is central to the Advaita Vedanta interpretation of the
Prasthanatrayi Prasthanatrayi (, IAST: ), literally, ''three sources (or axioms)'', refers to the three canonical texts of theology having epistemic authority, especially of the Vedanta schools. It consists of: # The Upanishads, known as ' (injunctive texts), a ...
, the canonical texts consisting of the
Upanishad The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...
s, the
Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; ), often referred to as the Gita (), is a Hindu texts, Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the Hindu epic, epic poem Mahabharata. The Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Ind ...
and the
Brahma Sutras The ''Brahma Sūtras'' (), also known as the Vedanta Sūtra (Sanskrit: वेदान्त सूत्र), Shariraka Sūtra, and Bhikshu-sūtra, are a Sanskrit text which criticizes the metaphysical dualism of the influential Samkhya philos ...
, is also attributed to him. While his own works mainly consist of commentaries, the later works summarize various doctrines of the Advaita Vedanta tradition, including doctrines that diverge from those of Adi Shankara.


Overview


Methodology

Shankara formulates the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta by validating his arguments on the basis of quotations from the
Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...
and other
Hindu scriptures Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars ...
. A large portion of his works is
polemic Polemic ( , ) is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called polemics, which are seen in arguments on controversial to ...
al in nature. He directs his polemics mostly against the
Sankhya Samkhya or Sankhya (; ) is a dualistic orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. It views reality as composed of two independent principles, '' Puruṣa'' ('consciousness' or spirit) and ''Prakṛti'' (nature or matter, including the human mind an ...
, Bauddha, Jaina,
Vaisheshika Vaisheshika (IAST: Vaiśeṣika; ; ) is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy from ancient India. In its early stages, Vaiśeṣika was an independent philosophy with its own metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and soteriology. Over t ...
and other non-vedantic Hindu philosophies.


Authorship

While Shankaracharya's authorship of the commentaries on the Brahman Sutra, the ten principal Upanishads, as well as the Bhagavad Gita is beyond doubt, many works thought to be authored by him are debated and questioned regarding their authorship today. This includes some of the best-known and important Advaita texts, namely the , Maniratnamala, Para-puja, and the .


Classification

Traditionally, Advaita Vedanta works are classified as: * , ''commentary'' * , ''philosophical treatise'' * Stotra, ''devotional hymn'' The commentaries serve to provide a consistent interpretation of the scriptural texts from the perspective of Advaita Vedanta. The philosophical treatises provide various
methodologies In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...
to the student to understand the doctrine. The devotional hymns are rich in poetry and piety, serving to highlight the helplessness of the devotee and the glory of the
deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
.


Authentic works


Adi Shankara wrote (''commentaries'') on: * * (
Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
) * ( Śukla Yajurveda) * * * * * (
samaveda The ''Samaveda'' (, , from '' सामन्'', "song" and ''वेद'', "knowledge"), is the Veda of melodies and chants. It is an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, and is one of the sacred scriptures in Hinduism. One of the four Vedas, it is a l ...
) * (
samaveda The ''Samaveda'' (, , from '' सामन्'', "song" and ''वेद'', "knowledge"), is the Veda of melodies and chants. It is an ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, and is one of the sacred scriptures in Hinduism. One of the four Vedas, it is a l ...
) * (
Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda or Atharva Veda (, , from ''wikt:अथर्वन्, अथर्वन्'', "priest" and ''wikt:वेद, वेद'', "knowledge") or is the "knowledge storehouse of ''wikt:अथर्वन्, atharvans'', the proced ...
) * (
Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda or Atharva Veda (, , from ''wikt:अथर्वन्, अथर्वन्'', "priest" and ''wikt:वेद, वेद'', "knowledge") or is the "knowledge storehouse of ''wikt:अथर्वन्, atharvans'', the proced ...
) * ( Mahabhārata) * ( Mahabhārata) * ( Mahabhārata) *


Other

*


Attributed works


Bhasya

* (
Atharvaveda The Atharvaveda or Atharva Veda (, , from ''wikt:अथर्वन्, अथर्वन्'', "priest" and ''wikt:वेद, वेद'', "knowledge") or is the "knowledge storehouse of ''wikt:अथर्वन्, atharvans'', the proced ...
) and Gauḍapāda Kārika: The authorship of Shankara of this ''Bhasya'' is disputed. Nakamura concludes that Shankara was not the author, for several reasons. Shankara understood Buddhist thought, while the author of the commentary shows misunderstandings of Buddhist thought. The commentary uses the terms ''vijnapti'' and ''vjnaptimatra'', which is "a uniquely Buddhist usage", and does not appear in Shankara's commentary on the Brahma-sutras. The two commentaries also quote different Upanishads. Nevertheless, Nakamura also concludes: "Although the commentary to the ''Madukya'' is not actually by Shankara, it may be assumed that there is nothing drastically wrong in using it as a source when discussing early Vedanta philosophy".


The following treatises are attributed to Adi Shankara, but probably composed much later, from the 13th century onward, when Advaita Vedanta received royal support in the Vijayanagara Empire, and was fused with yoga: *: The authenticity of the " Vivekachudamani", a well-known work ascribed to Shankara, is doubtful, though it is "so closely interwoven into the spiritual heritage of Shankara that any analysis of his perspective which fails to consider his workwould be incomplete". * * * * * * * * * * * (
Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka The ''Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka'' or ''Vâkyasudhâ'' is an Advaita Vedanta text attributed to Bhāratī Tīrtha or Vidyaranya Swami (c. 1350) Authorship Although also attributed to Adi Shankara, the text is most commonly attributed to Bharatī Tī ...
) * * * * * * * *


Hymns on various deities such as
Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
,
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
, Adi Shakti,
Ganesha Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
, and
Kartikeya Kartikeya (/Sanskrit phonology, kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda (Sanskrit phonology, /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/Sanskrit phonology, sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha (Sanskrit phonology, /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan ...
are attributed to Adi Shankara: * * * *'' Dakshinamurti Stotra'' *'' Lingashtaka'' * *, also known as * * * * * * * * * * ''Subramanya Bhujangam'' * ''Kashi Panchakam'' * ''Suvarnamala'' * '' Mahishasura Mardini Stotra'' * ''Meenakshi Pancha Ratnam'' * Nirvana Shatakam, also known as Atma Shatakam * Sabarigiri Ashtakam


Stuti

* '' Hari Stuti''


Editions

A lot of editions of the works of Adi Shankara are available. A few of them are given below:


Collections of works

*Sri Sankara Granthavali - Complete Works of Sri Sankaracarya in the original Sanskrit, v. 1-10, revised ed., Samata Books, Madras, 1998. (Originally published from Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1910ff., under the direction of the Sringeri matha.) *Sankaracaryera Granthamala, v. 1-4, Basumati Sahitya Mandira, Calcutta, 1995. (complete works with Bengali translation and commentary) *Upanishad-bhashya-sangraha, Mahesanusandhana Samsthanam, Mt. Abu, 1979-1986. Sankara's bhashyas on the Katha, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, with Anandagiri's Tīkas and other sub-commentaries. *Prakarana-dvadasi, Mahesanusandhana Samsthanam, Mt. Abu, 1981. A collection of twelve prakarana granthas, with commentaries. *A Bouquet of Nondual Texts, by Adi Sankara, Translated by Dr. H. Ramamoorthy and Nome,
Society of Abidance in Truth The Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT) is a spiritual nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) consecrated to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, especially as revealed by Ramana Maharshi. Publications The Society of Abidance in Truth has published Eng ...
, 2006. A collection of eight texts. This volume contains the Sanskrit original, transliteration, word-for-word meaning and alternative meanings, and complete English verses. *Svatmanirupanam: The True Definition of One's Own Self, Translated by Dr. H. Ramamoorthy and Nome,
Society of Abidance in Truth The Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT) is a spiritual nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) consecrated to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, especially as revealed by Ramana Maharshi. Publications The Society of Abidance in Truth has published Eng ...
, 2002 *Nirguna Manasa Puja: Worship of the Attributeless One in the Mind, Translated by Dr. H. Ramamoorthy and Nome,
Society of Abidance in Truth The Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT) is a spiritual nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) consecrated to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, especially as revealed by Ramana Maharshi. Publications The Society of Abidance in Truth has published Eng ...
, 1993 *Hastamalakiyam: A Fruit in the Hand or A Work by Hastamalaka, Translated by Dr. H. Ramamoorthy and Nome,
Society of Abidance in Truth The Society of Abidance in Truth (SAT) is a spiritual nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) consecrated to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, especially as revealed by Ramana Maharshi. Publications The Society of Abidance in Truth has published Eng ...
, 2017


Brahmasutra Bhashya

*Edited with Marathi translation, by Kasinath Sastri Lele, Srikrishna Mudranalaya, Wai, 1908. *Edited with vaiyasika-nyayamala of Bharatitirtha, and Marathi commentary, by Vishnu Vaman Bapat Sastri, Pune, 1923. *Selections translated into English, by S. K. Belvalkar, Poona Oriental Series no. 13, Bilvakunja, Pune, 1938. *Edited with Adhikarana-ratnamala of Bharatitirtha, Sri Venkatesvara Mudranalaya, Bombay, 1944. *Translated into English, by V. M. Apte, Popular Book Depot, Bombay, 1960. *Translated into English, by George Thibaut, Dover, New York, 1962. (reprint of Clarendon Press editions of The
Sacred Books of the East The ''Sacred Books of the East'' is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious texts, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. It incorporates the essential sacred texts ...
v.34, 38) *Sri Sankaracarya Granthavali, no. 3, 1964. *Translated into English, by Swami Gambhirananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 1965. *Translated into German, by Paul Deussen, G. Olms, Hildesheim, 1966.


Bhagavadgita Bhashya

*Critically edited by Dinkar Vishnu Gokhale, Oriental Book Agency, Pune, 1931. *Edited with Anandagiri's Tika, by Kasinath Sastri Agashe, Anandasrama, Pune, 1970. *Alladi Mahadeva Sastri, The Bhagavad Gita : with the commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, Samata Books, Madras, 1977. *A. G. Krishna Warrier, Srimad Bhagavad Gita Bhashya of Sri Sankaracarya, Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1983. *Translated into English, by Swami Gambhirananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 1984. *Trevor Leggett, Realization of the Supreme Self : the Bhagavad Gita Yogas, (translation of Sankara's commentary), Kegan Paul International, London, 1995.


Upadeshasahasri

*Sitarama Mahadeva Phadke, Sankaracaryakrta Upadesashasri, Rasikaranjana Grantha Prasaraka Mandali, Pune, 1911. (with Marathi translation) *Paul Hacker, Unterweisung in der All-Einheits-Lehre der Inder: Gadyaprabandha, (German translation of and notes on the Prose book of the upadeSasAhasrI) L. Röhrscheid, Bonn, 1949.


Vivekachudamani

*Edited with English translation, by Mohini Chatterjee, Theosophical Publishing House, Madras, 1947. * Ernest Wood, The Pinnacle of Indian Thought, Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton (Illinois), 1967. (English translation) *Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, Shankara's Crest-jewel of Discrimination, with A Garland of Questions and Answers, Vedanta Press, California, 1971. *Sri Sankara's Vivekachudamani with an English translation of the Sanskrit Commentary of Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati of Sringeri. Translated by P. Sankaranarayanan. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 1999


Panchikarana

*Edited with Sureshvara's varttika and varttikabharana of Abhinavanarayanendra Sarasvati (17th century), Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1970. *Edited with Gujarati translation and notes, Sri Harihara Pustakalya, Surat, 1970.


See also

*
Smartism The ''Smarta'' tradition (, ) is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Uttara Mīmāṃsā, Advaita, Yoga, and theism. The Sm ...
*
Hindu scriptures Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars ...
* Atma Shatakam


Notes


References


Sources

* Some editions spell the author Isayeva. * * * *


External links


Complete Works of Sri Shankaracharya - 20 Volumes - 1910 Edition as scanned PDF files
at Archive.org
Complete Works of Shankaracharya
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shankara, Adi Hindu texts Bibliographies by writer Bibliographies of Indian writers 8th-century Sanskrit literature Religious bibliographies Advaita Vedanta Adi Shankara