Advaita Guru Paramparā

The Advaita Guru-Paramparā ("Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism") is the traditional lineage (parampara) of divine, Vedic and historical teachers of Advaita Vedanta. It begins with the Daiva-paramparā, the gods; followed by the Ṛṣi-paramparā, the Vedic seers; and then the Mānava-paramparā, with the historical teachers Gaudapada and Adi Shankara, and four of Shankara's pupils.[1] Of the five contemporary acharyas, the heads of the five Advaita mathas, four acharyas trace their lineage to those four pupils and one to Adi Shankara himself.

From mediaeval times, Advaita Vedanta influenced other Indian religions as well, and since the 19th century it came to be regarded as the central philosophy of Indian religion. Several Neo-Vedanta movements and teachers, most notably the Ramakrishna Order, trace their roots to Advaita Vedanta, while the Inchegeri Sampradaya (Nisargadatta Maharaj) and Ramana Maharshi are popularly considered as Advaita Vedanta, though rooted in respectively the Nath and Tamil folk Saivite religion.

Advaita Vedanta and paramparā

Advaita Vedanta is an Indian religious tradition of textual exegesis and yogic praxis, which states that the knowledge of the unity of Atman and Brahman is liberating. It is based on the textual exegesis of the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. It traces its roots back to Vedic times, as described in the Advaita Guru Paramparā, the Advaita version of the Guru–shishya tradition. Historically, Adi Shankara is regarded as its most influential teacher. This influence goes back to medieval times, when Advaita Vedanta came to be regarded as the central philosophy of the post-Vedic religions, and its philosophy influenced several Indian religious traditions.

In several Indian religious and philosophical traditions, all knowledge is traced back to the Gods and to the Rishis who saw the Vedas. The successive rishis and teachers of various Indian traditions are honoured in Guru-paramparās, lists of teachers in the Guru–shishya traditions.

Deva, Rsi and Manav Paramparā

The current Acharyas, the heads of the four maṭhas set up by Adi Shankara, trace their authority back to the four main disciples of Shankara.[2] Each of the heads of these four maṭhas takes the title of Shankaracharya ("the learned Shankara") after Adi Shankara.[3] The Advaita guru-paramparā (Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism) begins with the mythological time of the Daiva-paramparā, followed by the vedic seers of the Ṛṣi-paramparā, and the Mānava-paramparā of historical times and personalities:[2][4][5][note 1]

Traditional sloka lists the essential Advaita Guru parampara as follows:

Sada Shiva Samarambham
Sankaracharya Madhyamam
Asmat aacharya Paryantham
Vande Guru Paramparaa

Which translates as :

Beginning with lord Sadashiva,
With Sankaracharya in the middle,
And till my acharya,
I bow to the tradition of teachers

Daiva-paramparā

Ṛṣi-paramparā

Mānava-paramparā

Gurus in the four yugas

Each Yuga has its own gurus or Acharyas:[6]

Jagadgurus of the four Advaita Mathas

Main article: Dashanami Sampradaya

According to tradition, Sankara organised a section of the Ēkadaṇḍisannyāsins into the Vedic dashanami order, establishing four mathas in north, west, east, and south India, to facilitate the teaching of Advaita Vedanta, and maintain the dharma. He entrusted his four disciples to each of these four mathas. Some of the famous and current Mathadhipatis titled 'Sankaracharyas' are listed below:

Acharyas known from literary sources

Ancient Acharyas

Pre-Badarayana Acharyas

Works of these Advaita Acharyas are not available now, but were quoted in Brahma Sutras:

  • Badari (referred to in Br. Su. I.2.30, III.1.1, IV.3.7, IV.4.10)
  • Audulomi (referred to in Br. Su. I.3.21, III.4.45, IV.4.6)
  • Kasakrtsna (referred to in Br. Su. I.4.220)
  • Asmarathya (referred to in Br. Su. I.2.29, I.4.20)
  • Atreya (referred to in Br. Su. III.4.4)
  • Karsajini (referred to in Br. Su. III.1.9)
  • Badarayana (author of Brahmasutra)

Post-Badarayana Acharyas

Works of the following Acharyas are available and are still being taught and studied:

Post-Sankara Acharyas

  • Sureśvara (8th century–9th century), also known as Vartikakara. (Treatise on Sankara's Taittiriyopanishad-commentary, Brhadaranyakopanishad-commentary, Naishkarmya Siddhi or "Perfection of the actionlessness", Manasollasa)
  • Padmapada (8th century–9th century) (Pancapadika or treatise on the 5 chapters)
  • Hastamalaka (8th century–9th century) (Wrote Hastamalakiyam)
  • Vacaspati Mishra (841–900) (Bhamati, a treatise on Shankara's commentary of the brahmasutras)
  • Sarvajnatma Muni (850–950) (Sankshepa-Sariraka)
  • Sriharsha (1169–1225) (Wrote Khandana-khanda-khadya or "Sweets of refutation" against Nyaya)
  • Prakasatma Yati (AD 1200) (Pancapadika-Vivarana)
  • Citsukha (12th century–Early part of 13th century) (Wrote Citsukhi, wrote among the first known biographies of Shankara called Brihat Shankaravijayam[7])
  • Ananda Giri (13th century)- also known as the Tikakara. (Wrote treatises and commentaries on almost all the works of Sankara, Compiled a biography of Adi Shankara called "Prachina Shankaravijayam", which is considered the most authoritative, reliable and the most widely-cited hagiography of Sankara.[8] (It is said nobody knows the mind of Sankara, better than Ananda Giri.)
  • Vimuktatma (AD 1200) (Ishtasiddhi or "Proof for God")
  • Amalananda (AD 1247) (Vedanta-Kalpataru, a commentary on Bhamati of Vacaspati Misra)
  • Bĥaratī Tīrtha (1328-1380),[9] the teacher of Vidyaranya[9] (Dŗg-Dŗśya-Viveka)[9]
  • Vidyaranya (1350–1386) (Wrote Pancadasi, Compiled a biography of Shankara called Madhaviya shankara digvijaya.[10][11])
  • Sadananda Yogindra (mid 15th century) (Vedantasara, the most popular introductory text in Advaita Vedanta)
  • Dharmaraja Adhvarindra (1550–1650) (Vedanta-Paribhasha, an epistemological work on Advaita Vedanta)
  • Nrsimha Ashrama (1500–1600)
  • Madhusudana Saraswati (1565–1650) (Wrote a philosophical treatise called Advaita-siddhi or "Evidence on the account of Nonduality")
  • Appayya Dikshita (AD 1603) (Parimala, Siddhanta-lesa-sangraha on theory of the single soul)
  • Lakshmidhara Kavi (Advaita-Makaranda)

Neo-Vedanta

Main article: Neo-Vedanta

While strictly speaking only members of the Dashanami Sampradaya belong to the Advaita Guru Paramparā, Advaita Vedanta has attracted popular recognition since the 19th century, and Neo-Vedanta movements have developed with roots in, of similarities with, the Advaita tradition.

Ramakrishna Order

Mata Amritanandamayi Math

Mata Amritanandamayi Math, founded by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi devi follows Advaita philosophy and traditions. The sanyasis are initiated in the Puri order of Dashanami Sampradaya. According to the tradition set forth by Adi Shankaracharya, the Puri Sannyasa tradition is characterised by the following – formal allegiance to the Shringeri Math

Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri was the first to be initiated as Sanyasin by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi devi in this order.[13] Swami Amritatmananda Puri, Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri, Swami Pranavamritananda Puri, Swamini Krishnamrita Prana and Swami Poornamritananda Puri are other few notable sanyasis initiated in this order.

Divine Life Society, Chinmaya Mission, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam

Main articles: Divine Life Society, Chinmaya Mission, and Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
  • Swami Dayananda Saraswati, (1930–2015) Founder of 'Arsha Vidya' tradition. He has set up Gurukulams in Rishikesh, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Saylorsburg (USA), has taught ten long-term courses in Advaita Vedanta, and has initiated more than 200 disciples into Sannyasa, among them being; Swami Paramarthananda and Swami Tattvavidananda. The advaita teacher and author Sri Vasudevacharya is also a disciple.

Other teachers

  • Mannargudi Raju Sastri (1815–1903), Formed 'The Advaita Sabha' for propagating the tenets of the Advaita faith.
  • Sri Narayana Guru (1856–1928)- Vedic scholar, mystic philosopher, prolific poet and social reformer, from the present-day Kerala.
  • Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950) Bengali philosopher-sage who synthesized Advaita thought with Western philosophical theories of evolution.
  • Tibbetibaba (-d.1930) - Hindu Bengali Saint whose life was based on both Advaita Vedanta and Mahayana principles.
  • Swami Atmananda (1883–1959) lived in Kerala.
  • Prajnanapada (1891–1974), disciple of Niralamba Swami and a great exponent of Advaita philosophy. He was in charge of Channa Ashram in West Bengal, India.
  • Bhagawan Nityananda (1897?–1961) was an Indian guru. His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Koyilandy (Pandalayini), Kerala, South India. His teachings are simple and on the nonduality.
  • Swami Karpatri (1905–1980), a well-known sannyasi of Varanasi
  • Swami Parthasarathy (1927- ), Popularly referred to as 'Swamiji', Parthasarathy is known as the modern exponent of Vedanta. He has written 10 books in all, including commentaries on Bhagavad Gita, Atmabodha, Bhaja Govindam and many other books. His ashram is situated around 100 km from Mumbai in the hills of Malavli, near Lonavla.
  • G. Balakrishnan Nair Vedanta scholar, Sanskrit academic, philosopher, author and interpreter of the scriptures and Vedanta.
  • Vagbhatananda Kunjikkannan (1885-1939). intellectual figure, Social Reformer and Advaitin.

Advaita Vedanta interpreted

Inchegeri Sampradaya

Main article: Inchegeri Sampradaya

The Inchegeri Sampradaya is rooted in the Nath-tradition, but is popularly regarded as Advaita Vedanta.

Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi underwent a profound religious experience when he was 16, whereafter he left home to become a sanyassin. While his own (spare) writings reveal his Tamil Saivite background, devotees with a Brahmon and/or Neo-Vedanta background have interpreted him in an Advaita Vedanta framework. His popularisation in the west was initially aided by a Theosophical framework, while his devotee Poonja spawned the Neo-Advaita movement, which was also influenced by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

  • Sri H.W.L. Poonja (1910–1997), or Papaji. Devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi, he denied being part of any formal tradition, and remained always available, welcoming newcomers to his home and satsangs.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ नारायणं पद्मभुवं वशिष्ठं शक्तिं च तत्पुत्रं पराशरं च व्यासं शुकं गौडपादं महान्तं गोविन्दयोगीन्द्रं अथास्य शिष्यम् ।
    श्री शंकराचार्यं अथास्य पद्मपादं च हस्तामलकं च शिष्यम् तं तोटकं वार्त्तिककारमन्यान् अस्मद् गुरून् सन्ततमानतोऽस्मि ॥
    nārāyanam padmabhuvam vasiṣtham śaktim ca tat-putram parāśaram ca
    vyāsam śukam gauḍapāda mahāntam govinda yogīndram athāsya śiṣyam
    śri śankarācāryam athāsya padmapādam ca hastāmalakam ca śiṣyam
    tam totakam vārtikakāramanyān asmad gurūn santatamānato’smi [4]
  2. ^ the famous redactor of the vedas, he is also traditionally identified with Bādarāyaṇa, the composer of the Brahmasūtras

References

  1. ^ "The Advaita Vedânta Home Page - Advaita Parampara". Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b "The Advaita Vedânta Home Page — Advaita Parampara". Advaita-vedanta.org. 5 May 1999. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  3. ^ Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-8160-7564-5.
  4. ^ a b http://www.vidya-ashramvidyaorder.org/index.V.html | Under Page: BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ABOUT SANKARA AND GAUDAPAD
  5. ^ Book: Shri Gowdapadacharya & Shri Kavale Math (A Commemoration volume). p. 38.
  6. ^ Book: Shri Gowdapadacharya & Shri Kavale Math (A Commemoration volume). p. 62.
  7. ^ Sundaresan 2000, p. 116.
  8. ^ Isayeva 1993, p. 70.
  9. ^ a b c Nikhalananda 1931, p. xiv.
  10. ^ Sundaresan 2000, p. 158.
  11. ^ THE SANKARAVIJAYA LITERATURE, The Advaita Vedanta Home Page
  12. ^ "Shankaracharya's four Sannyasa orders". 15 June 2000.
  13. ^ "Even Sannyasi's breath should be for the good of others". 15 June 2000.
  14. ^ a b Divine Life Society Official Website
  15. ^ Swami-Krishnananda.org Official Website

Sources

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