When was H H Adi Shankara Born

[Heritage India]

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When was H H Adi Shankara Born and the times he lived ? Can any historians throwlight

 

[prasad1]

[h=3]Birth-dates[/h]
Several different dates have been proposed for ShankaraThe Sringeri records state that Shankara was born in the 14th year of the reign of "VikramAditya", but it is unclear as to which king this name refers. Though some researchers identify the name with Chandragupta II (4th century CE), modern scholarship accepts the VikramAditya as being from the Chalukya dynasty of Badami, most likely Vikramaditya II (733–746 CE),

• 509–477 BCE: This dating, is based on records of the heads of the Shankara's cardinal institutions Maṭhas at Dvaraka Pitha, the Govardhana matha and Badri and the Kanchi Peetham. This conforms to the chronology calculated based off the Hindu Puranas.
• 44–12 BCE: the commentator Anandagiri believed he was born at Chidambaram in 44 BCE and died in 12 BCE.
• 6th century CE: Telang placed him in this century. Sir R. G. Bhandarkar believed he was born in 680 CE.
• 788–820 CE: This was proposed by early 20th scholars and was customarily accepted by scholars such as Max Müller, Macdonnel, Pathok, Deussen and Radhakrishna, and others. The date 788–820 is also among those considered acceptable by Swami Tapasyananda, though he raises a number of questions.
• sometime between 700-750 CE: late 20th-century scholarship has questioned the 788-820 CE dates, placing Adi Shankara's life of 32 years in the first half of the 8th century.
• 805–897 CE: Venkiteswara not only places Shankara later than most, but also had the opinion that it would not have been possible for him to have achieved all the works apportioned to him, and has him live ninety two years.

The popularly accepted dating places Adi Shankara to be a scholar from the first half of the 8th century CE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Shankara

 

[Heritage India]

Thanks Prasadji,
But is there any other credible source or book where it is more accurate

 

[prasad1]

Thanks Prasadji,
But is there any other credible source or book where it is more accurate

Accuracy in India?



Even if you spoke with the mother of the child, she might give you some vague date and time.

 

[zebra16]

Thanks Prasadji,
But is there any other credible source or book where it is more accurate

Please look into the archives of advaita-L (archives open for everyone) to get the best guesstimate of year of birth of Adi Sankara. They peg it around 688 AD and it is based on the date of birth of Buddha, Sureshvaracharya and the lineage of maTAdhipathis of Sringeri maTam.

 

[Brahmanyan]

The following information taken from the Book "Sree Sankaracharya"
by Dr.K.Kunchunni Raja, given in the Namboothri website will help to arrive at the date of birth of the Acharya.

SANKARAACHAARYAR'S PERIOD

Debates have continued for over a century regarding Sree Sankaraachaaryar's period, with no authentic conclusions as yet. Prof: Theele in his "Outlines of the History of Ancient Religions" (1877) had mentioned the period as 788 - 820 AD. He had surmised this from a statement in "Aarya Vidyaa Sudhaakaram" of Yajneswara Saasthri, a work based on "Sankara Mandaara Sourabham" of Bhatta Neelakandhan, son of Thrivikraman and Parvathy Amba. Neelakandhan had another Kaavyam (poetic composition) "Sankaraabhyudayam", in which it was mentioned that he was born in 788 AD and died on Vaisaakha Poornima day. His period is attributed with certainty to be after scholars such as Bharthruhari, Dingnaagan, Gaudapaadar, Dharmakeerthi and Kumaarilabhattan. Thus 788 - 820 period is believable.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

 

[renuka]

The following information taken from the Book "Sree Sankaracharya"
by Dr.K.Kunchunni Raja, given in the Namboothri website will help to arrive at the date of birth of the Acharya.

SANKARAACHAARYAR'S PERIOD

Debates have continued for over a century regarding Sree Sankaraachaaryar's period, with no authentic conclusions as yet. Prof: Theele in his "Outlines of the History of Ancient Religions" (1877) had mentioned the period as 788 - 820 AD. He had surmised this from a statement in "Aarya Vidyaa Sudhaakaram" of Yajneswara Saasthri, a work based on "Sankara Mandaara Sourabham" of Bhatta Neelakandhan, son of Thrivikraman and Parvathy Amba. Neelakandhan had another Kaavyam (poetic composition) "Sankaraabhyudayam", in which it was mentioned that he was born in 788 AD and died on Vaisaakha Poornima day. His period is attributed with certainty to be after scholars such as Bharthruhari, Dingnaagan, Gaudapaadar, Dharmakeerthi and Kumaarilabhattan. Thus 788 - 820 period is believable.

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.

What a coincidence..Adi Shankara died on Vaishaka Poornima just like Lord Buddha.

Both preached on similar lines too.

 

[Brahmanyan]

What a coincidence..Adi Shankara died on Vaishaka Poornima just like Lord Buddha.

Both preached on similar lines too.

Another incident quoted in the Biography of Acharya is similar to Thiru Gnyana Sambandar's childhood incident. However this comparison is disputed by some scholars for the reason "Sambandar is not known to have composed any poem in Sanskrit. The distinctness of the two personalities is very clear in spite of punditry, which might confuse the two personalities."


The Lakshmeedhara Vyaakhyaanam "Sowbhaagya-Vardhini" of Sankaran's "Soundarya-Lahari" is said to recall a childhood incident: Sankaran's pious father used to perform daily offering of milk (as Nivedyam), and upon returning home, used to give it to his son. One day when he had to leave home, he entrusted this duty to his wife, Arya. During her monthly periods, she entrusted it in turn to her son. Dutifully, he kept the milk in front of the Devi's idol and requested her to accept it; but seeing that she was not drinking it, he started to cry. Thereupon, Devi is said to have appeared, took the boy on her lap and breast-fed him. The story goes that it was as a result that Sankaran became a poet-laureate and great scholar. He is then said to have created and recited his "Devee-Bhujangam.

Here is the beautiful verse 75 in Soundraya lahari referring to Dravidian sisu identified as Sambandar, which is often quoted by scholars.

तव स्तन्यं मन्ये धरणिधरकन्ये हृदयतः
पयः पारावारः परिवहति सारस्वतमिव ।
दयावत्या दत्तं द्रविडशिशु-रास्वाद्य तव यत्
कवीनां प्रौढाना मजनि कमनीयः कवयिता

tava stanyam manye dharanidhara kanye hrdayatah
payah paravarah parivahati sarasvatam iva
dayavatya dattam dravidasisur asvadya tava yat
kavinam praudhanam ajani kamaniyah kavayita

"Your breast milk, I consider, O Maiden born to the Earth- Supporting Lord,
As if it were word-wisdom's ocean of nectar, flooding from out of Your heart Offered by one who is kind, which, on tasting,
This Dravidian child, amidst superior poets, is born a composer of charming verse."

Brahmanyan
Bangalore.