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Was Adi Shankaracharya a Shaiva or a Vaishnava? What were his views on Shiva and Vishnu?
Shankaras Advaita is called Kevala Advaita ie. Only Advaita; there is no duality at all and any duality that is perceived is just due to ignorance. Here are some features of Shankara's philosophy:
1) ...
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Do followers of dvaita really believe that advaitins are "deceitful demons"?
It is because they cite a specific verse from garuDa purANa which says maNiman demon reincarnated in kali yuga.
As per them the incarnation of vaayu in dwapara yuga was Bheem sena and the incarnation ...
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16
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Was Adi Shankaracharya’s Parakaya Pravesha to learn Kamashastra Dharmic?
Renowned Advaitin Sri Vidyarana Swami had written a biography of Sri Adi Shankara. And this instance is also recorded in it.
Canto 9 of Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya records this incident. Shankara ...
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What scriptures mention Shiva's Dakshinamurthi form?
Dakshinamurty form of Lord Shiva is described in Suta Samhita of Skanda Purana in Mochak Kathanam of Mukti Khanda. Here is the description of form:
गड़्गाधरं शिवं शान्तं लसत्केयूरमण्डितम् ।
सर्वा...
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15
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Are there any other Puranas that predict Adi Shanakaracharya besides the Bhavishya Purana?
Yes, other Puranas do mention about prophecy of Adi Shankara. As per Kamakoti Site, there are references to Adi Shankara being Avatara of Lord Shiva in Kurma Purana, Markandeya Purana, Aditya Purana, ...
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14
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Why did Ramanujacharya & Adi Shankaracharya never refer to the Srimad Bhagavatam in their works?
There is a discussion about the date of the Bhagavata Purana in the Introduction to the English translation by Swami Tapasyananda.
There was a view that attributed the authorship of the Bhagavata to
...
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14
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Did Adi Shankaracharya really believe in Hari-Hara abheda?
If you clearly read full Vishnu Sahasranama Bhasya of Adi Shankara, then it is clearly seen that he holds Hari Hara Abheda. Some points which I also discuss in my answer here.
While commenting on the ...
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14
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What is the source for the famous conversation between Adi Shankara and Chandala
Conversation between Chandala (who is none other than Lord Shiva) and Adi Shankara can be found in Shankara Digvijaya (most famous biography of Adi Shankara) written by Madhavacharya (Vidyaranya
...
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14
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Is the "Bhaja Govindam" prayer attributed to Adi Sankara only a Bhakti text?
Bhaja Govindam stotra is attributed to Krishna or Vishnu.
The author of Bhaja Govindam stotra is Adi Shankaracharya. He also wrote commentary on Vishnu Sahasranama. He gave a detailed explanation of ...
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What is the date of Adi Shankara, 8th century AD or 400 BC?
Summary: Adi Shankaracharya belonged to the 5th century BC only and this has been corroborated by various authentic records. As discussed here, the person dated to the 8th century is Abhinava Shankara....
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13
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Who is Ishwar according to Advait Vedanta - Lord Shiva or Vishnu?
Pure Advaita considers forms of God as unreal. Thus it does not matter what name the unreal Ishvara is called.
Shankara considers Isvara or Brahman with attributes as ultimately unreal. He writes in ...
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How does Adishankaracharya Advaita explain concept of Avatar?
Adi Sankara taught that God incarnated. In his Introduction to his commentary on the Gita, Sankara says (Bhagavad Gita with the commentary of Sankaracarya, Swami Gambhirananda translator, pp 3-5):
...
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Why did Adi Sankaracharya compare the color of Ishwara's eyes to that of monkey's nates?
First of all, here is the Chandogya Upanishad verse in question:
tasya yathā kapyāsaṃ puṇḍarīkamevamakṣiṇī
tasyoditi nāma sa eṣa sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhya udita
udeti ha vai sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyo ...
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11
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From which scripture does Adi Shankara quote about Maheswara shaping name and forms of all beings from the words of Veda?
This quote with slight variation is present in Chapter 7, Purvabhaga of Kurma Purana.
अव्ययं च व्ययं चैव द्वयं स्थावरजङ्गमम्। तेषां ये यानि कर्माणि
प्राक् सृष्टेः प्रतिपेदिरे॥ ६४॥ तान्येव ते ...
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10
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Why is Sankaracharya accused as Pracchana Bauddha (crypto-buddhist) by many Vedantins?
It is very natural that Vaishnavas do not like Sankara's interpretation of Vedanta. You can read my answer to another question here:
Did Shankara reject some doctrines of Atman or Brahman in order to ...
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10
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Who is Ishwar according to Advait Vedanta - Lord Shiva or Vishnu?
What is Ishwara?
According to Sarva Vedanta Siddhanta Saara Sangraha (You can get Sanskti-Hindi version from Internet Archive).
verses 310-317 Ishvara
॥ १४ ॥ ईश्वरः॥
मायोपहितचैतन्यं साभासं ...
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10
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What scriptures describe Shiva whispering Rama's name to those who die in Kashi?
It is present in Padma Purana Uttara Khanda Chapter 243 Lord Shiva speaks Lord Rama as follows:
O Rama, we two are venerable to the world. You two (Sita and Rama) are always venerable to us. Gaurl ...
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Who are the pseudo-advaitins referred to by Shringeri Acharya? Does Adi Shankara state characteristics of true advaitins?
Thanks to Rickross and Partha for their answers. You are not wrong. But this question is significant even in Advaita circles and deserves a level of detail which neither have covered.
Advaita, during ...
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Is it true that Adi SankarAcharaya cursed Hindus of Kerala?
As per Sringeri official site, Abridged Madhaviya Shankara Digvijayam, part-4, Shankaracharya visits her mother when she is sick, and then he gives her knowledge of supreme brahman, after listening ...
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Was Adi Shankaracharya’s Parakaya Pravesha to learn Kamashastra Dharmic?
Shree Adi-Shankarachrya entered into the dead body of king Amaruka through his mastery of Yogic powers. Only to study the effects of action of love or Kama as a Observer. After his decision he ...
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From which scripture does Adi Shankara quote about Maheswara shaping name and forms of all beings from the words of Veda?
There are three variants of this Shloka available: Vishnu Purana 1.5, Linga Purana 1.70, and Kurma Purana 1.7.
The Vishnu Purana quote is:
nāmarūpaṃ ca bhūtānāṃ kṛtyānāṃ ca prapañcanam / (63.1)
...
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Is Adi Shankaracharya's Kena Upanishad Vakya Bhashya available in English?
Yes, it is difficult to get the Vakya Bhashya of Adi Shankaracharya on Kena Upanishad, since most of the translations only covers the Pada Bhashya.
I've found one pdf book that contains only Vakya ...
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What are Bhujanga stotrams?
Bhujanga prayātam is a meter which has twelve syllables in each quarter (pāda). Only first, fourth, seventh and tenth are light. Rest of the syllables are heavy syllables.
In the Natya Shastra Chapter ...
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What is the name of the person who reconciled a line from Rudram to dakshinamurthy and Adi Shankaracharya?
Abhinava Shankara in his commentary on Rudram says Vyuptakesha refers to Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavadpada. Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal says the same and quotes Abhinava Shankara's ...
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8
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What is the context of Adi Shankara's statement "Woman is the gateway to hell" found in his work Prashnottari?
The question and answer quoted in the article is in the book Mani Ratna Mala
which is said to be the work of Shree Adi Shankaracharya. Translated by by Paramhans, Swami Yoganand. Shloka no. 3
This ...
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8
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Should one regard deities as Superior and Inferior as per Adi Shankara?
Adi Shankaracharya in the Bhasya of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.6 states:
यथेयं श्रुतिर्व्यवस्थिता तथा प्रजापतिरेव सर्वे देवा इति निश्चितोऽर्थः। स्रष्टुरनन्यत्वात्सृष्टानाम्, प्रजापतिनैव तु ...
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8
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Is there any mention of geeta before sankara bhashya?
Is there any text prior to sankara bhashya which mention about it?
Yes ,Shandilya Bhakti Sutras mentions Shreemad Bhagvat Gita . Rishi Shandilya is said to be the author of Shandilya Bhakti Sutras ...
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8
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Shankara's Gita Bhasya says that the Self transmigrates. Is this true?
Shankaracharya uses Sanskrit word "dehi" in his commentary which is translated as "embodied self" (not self or Atman) and it indicates Jiva. You can read bhashya in Sanskrit from Gitasupersite of IITK....
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