Hinduism ~ A Question about Shri Shankracharya ...?

Question

Shri Shankracharya spread the philosophy of Advait Vedanta... which basically means there is only supreme consciousness (Brahmm).. and rest is illusion..and he defeated all major schools of thoughts in India on Advaita Vedanta

On the other hand he wrote Saundrya Lahiri...a great book on praise of Mother Goddess..

Is it Not a paradox ? or can someone explain why he contradicted his own philosophy by accepting Mother Goddess... (and thus refuting Advaita )

Thanks in advance for replying

prkrishna ji... what is the harm in talking of our religion even if we know many things ? there are many who benefit with our discussion... pls keep this sacred work of answering and questions abt Sanatana Dharma

Mr. Budha... you talking like a non-buddhist.... fyi... BadriNath was never a buddhist temple... it was temple of vishnu, whose idol was broken and thrown into river by some buddshists like you.... Shankracharya saw Badrinatth in dream.. and revived that temple. Buddhism is a part of Hinduism..

Buddha did not invent a new thing... he just talked about Sankhya Yoga of Sanatan Dharma... in plain understandable language..

Thanks guptaji.. & Nishant you are saying soundrya Lahiri was not written by him.. will you please tell who actually wrote it then > thanks

OK if he did not contribute Saundrya Lahiri..but still he was devotee of adi-shakti.. the questions even then remains the same..

You people are missing my Question... the question is not whom he defeated..The question is did he contradict himself by accepting Adi-shakti or not?

Answer 1

Sir,

May I take this opporutnity to offer my thoughts. I would not elabortae bu would just mention a few guidelines, as you are yourself enlightened enough to grasp the details

1. In Hinduism alone we have many many a ways to atain the same Goal - Nirvana. - Sakar and Nirakar. Sakar also leads to Norakar finally .

2. Sri Adi Shankara being a great scholar never needed the Sakar and went straight to Nirakar and that to Advaitavad - may be this was not for the masses , but he revived the tradition and also unified the entire India in one Religion and thought. This was the great demand of that time .
* If interested kindly hear/read his Nirvana Shatkam.

3. Not only Sri Lahiri but also Sri Ram Krishna Paramhans, Boma Khepa , Vivekananda etc. were the worshippers of Shati - May it be Kali or Durga or other forms of Shakti.
Ultimately Shakti is also a part of Shiva only and coexistant too.

4. If I worship Rama and somebody else worships Krishna we are never contradiciting anyone. The religion gives us the choice of chosing owr own way and process too.

Sri Lahiri never did contradict any philosophy too - he just followed the path he chose, There seems to be some confusion at your end .

Sri Paramhans also said - Joto Mot toto Poth i.e. there are as many ways to attain as there are different toughts.

I hope I am able to explain what I have meant .

Blessings

P.S.: You may be aware that there is another school of thoughts which take Krishna Kali to be the same.
Sir I never disputed the author of Soundarya lahiri. What i anted to mention was anothe Devi Bhagta from Bengal by the name of Sri Lahiri.

This enlightning subject has taught me a lot too.
Just an addition - Just to answer Mandan Mishra's wifes querry - it is said Shankara left his body and entered the body of a king to have an experience of the married life.

Being a Sanyasi he promised his mother that he would be beside her at the last moments of her life .

Sir, do you seee contradictions here - Well, as I think NO.

He was not a dead bush beater - but a reformist of his own order - so lets assume he did write Saundarya Lahiri - still the contradictions are not evident

Answer 2

Hi, Having gone thru most of the answers here this seems to be a deep debate. neither going into the debate nor speculating who the writer of "Saundarya Lahiri" was, I shall just tell you what I feel.

I havent read much of Adi Shankaracharya's works but respect him very much.

According to me Shankara while composing and praising the Mother Godess in 'Saundarya Lahiri' is not parting from his Advaita philosophy, but is wanting to praise the One in the form of Mother Goddess. Ultimate truth is that all forms represent the virtues and powers of the formless one, and lead to the 'Brahmn'. And to reach out to the common man its always easier to make understand a form and have focussed attention rather than on the formless One, which a few people of great learning and knowledge are capable of.

So I really dont see a contradiction of sorts. True he was a preacher of 'Advaita', but he also was the person who bound and rejuvinated hinduism as we see it today, and for teh same purpose had to respect all thoughts and treat thm equally thru his writings and preachings.

thats my 2 cents worth!

thanks

Answer 3

Why all this debate???
Advaita or Dvaita philosophies have nothing to do with Shiva or Shakti at all & Saundarya Lahiri is a splendid exposition to express Bhakti.

Advaita philosophy states that God & Devotee are one & the same, though we see the expression in two different forms i.e. Atman & Brahman or Parmatman are always One.

Nirgunam Nishkalam Sookshmam Nirvikalpam Niranjanam,
Ekamevaadvayam Brahma Neha Naanaasti Kinchana...!!
(With no qualities or parts, subtle without disturbances, there's one Brahman, in it there's no duality whatsoever)

The ultimate destination of the Atman is to be one with Brahman (rather the realization of Oneness with Brahman).
One is always at liberty to call that Supreme One by any name - Shiva, Shakti, Krishna, on..&..on...!

Adi Shankaracharya's mind is as clear as crystal, the confusion & contradiction resides in our ignorant & narrow minds.

"Utthistha Vijigishu"

Answer 4

Where is the contradiction? That supreme consciousness or Brahma is energy which is also called shakti. Shiva is form and Shakti is enegy. The two together cause life. Form is just matter. Without energy there is no life . Similarly enegy is visible only through matter. So Shiva and Shakti together give life. Our ancestors gave this concept a human face to help understand it better. So whether you talk of Brahma or Shakti, it all means the same.

Answer 5

When advaita vedanta EXPLAINS Jeeva atma and Param Atma is one and same Brahman and other feelings are just illusion - Maya
To realize that for a common man its difficult . For eaziness of realization , we adopt Bhakthi / Raja yogam / Karma yogam etc.
Its like washing cloths in water , when some alacaline substance is mixed washing becomes easier
When things are aspected from Bhakthi yogam , when bhakthi of goddesses is centred and focused , it is treated as brahman and talked of as brahman
when siva stuthis are taken siva ios put in stead of Brahman
so no question of contradiction

Answer 6

Sir,
I think you know the answer.
Read the first and last Sloka of Soundarya Lahari.I hope you will not question like this.
Are you testing us.
I will wait for other answers and reply(edit ) again my reply.
Edit: Sir there is nothing wrong and I fully agree with you.this forum YA is there to share and acuire knowledge.I thankyou for putting a beautiful question.
Still I am awaiting and reading the answers for enhancing my knowledge from the fellow members.I will add again.Thank you.

Answer 7

The mother gives birth to herself. Words are not the truth but can point to the truth as you know, in the end we are on the pathless path overcome with *wonder* that the creator and creation are the same. Or that the creation is a dream of the creator. Or that Buddha is enlightened by Buddhas own light. *sip*

Answer 8

Sankaras way of life is not easy to follow or even to understand. It is the ultimate relization. Rest are on the way to it. He knows that. He wanted to drive all to that end. "Sondarya Lahari" or Beauty wave is a abstract of what he had realised.

The fact is there is no contradiction only difference in the level of expression. Only by realization we can truly dicover that. Till then we are all trying to guess it or follow a person who has relized it.

Answer 9

a religion of peace harmony and love for mankind,u pandits contradict eachother and confuse forgetting the basics.pls work as farmers u will understand religion of serving mankind better

Answer 10

He preached ADVAITA and reached the top most - A SARVAGNA- defeated all the oponents of his siddantha.

A most respected Sanyasin in the true sense !