Adi may refer to:

Peoples and places:

• Banu Adi, a clan of the Quraish tribe of Mecca
• Adi people, a tribe living in Arunachal Pradesh, India
  • Adi language, the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Adi
• Adi, Israel, a communal settlement in northern Israel
• Adi Island, an island in West Papua, Indonesia
• Adi (mountain), a mountain near Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, France
• Adi (metaphysical plane), a Hindu cosmological term about reality about the first cause
• Adi (Khanapur), Belgaum District, Karnataka
• Adi (Chikodi), Belgaum District, Karnataka

Names and titles:

• Adi (title), a Fijian title used by females of chiefly rank
• Adi (name), a given name or nickname in various languages
  • in Hebrew: a name meaning 'jewel' or 'adornment'
• an Indian word meaning first, as in:
  • Adi Granth, the Holy Scripture of Sikhism
  • Adi Shankara, an Indian philosopher
  • Adikavi Pampa, the first poet of Kannada

People with name Adi:

• Adi Bichman, Israeli swimmer
• Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir, Kurdish sufist
• Adi Bitar, Palestinian judge
• Adi Dassler, German founder of Adidas
• Adi Granov, Bosnian comic artist
• Adi Nes, Israeli photographer
• Adi Ophir, Israeli philosopher
• Adi Shamir, Israeli cryptographer
• Adi Shankara, Indian mystic
• Adi Smolar, Slovenian singer/songwriter

ADI, a three-letter abbreviation:

• ADI 4277 and ADPF 132 v. Brazilian civil union, are Actions to Civil union equality
• Acceptable daily intake, in health and medicine
• Advanced Distance Integration, a Konica Minolta camera term for flash metering
• Aerobic dependence index
• Aerodynamics Inc. ADI, an aviation service provider
• Acting Detective Inspector
• After Date of Invoice
• Africa Development Indicators, a compilation of data assembled by the World Bank
• Aircraft de-icer and inhibitor
• Aircraft Designs Inc., an aircraft design firm in Monterey, California
• Alternating direction implicit method for solving partial differential equations
• American Documentation Institute, now abbreviated as ASIS&T
• Ángeles del Infierno, a Spanish heavy metal band
• Anti-detonant injection for internal combustion engines
• Analog Devices Incorporated, producer of semiconductors (ADI is their symbol on the New York Stock Exchange)
• Animal Defenders International, a nonprofit campaigning group
• Application and Data Integration, in computing
• Approved Driving Instructor, a qualified UK car driver trainer
• Area of dominant influence, in broadcast marketing, an Arbitron
• Associazione per il Disegno Industriale
• Atlantodental interspace, AKA atlantodental interval, a radiological measurement of cervical stability
• Attitude Director Indicator, aircraft flight instrument
• Austempered Ductile Iron, a heat treated high-strength form of ductile iron
• Australian Defence Industries
• Australian Doctors International
• Authorised Deposit-Taking Institution, a corporation authorised under the Australian Commonwealth Banking Act 1959
• Autism Diagnostic Interview, a semistructured parent interview used to aid in diagnosing autism
• Asset Distribution Interface, a specification from CableLabs
• The code for Ahmedabad Railway Station, Ahmedabad, India

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Sezen Aksu
Sezen Aksu concert Maltepe University, 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Fatma Sezen Yıldırım
Also known as	Sezen Aksu
Born	(1954-07-13) July 13, 1954 (age 57)
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1975–present
Website	Official Website

Sezen Aksu (Turkish pronunciation: [seˈzen ˈaksu]; born: Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; July 13, 1954 in Denizli) is a Turkish pop music singer, song-writer and producer who sold over 40 million albums worldwide.^[1] Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop"^[2] and Minik Serçe ("Little Sparrow").

Aksu's influence on Turkish pop and world music has continued since her debut in 1975, and has been reinforced by her patronage of and collaboration with many other musicians, including Sertab Erener, Şebnem Ferah, Aşkın Nur Yengi, Hande Yener, and Levent Yüksel.^[3] Her work with Tarkan resulted in continental hits like "Şımarık" and "Şıkıdım" and her collaboration with Goran Bregović widened her international audience.

Biography[link]

Sezen Aksu was born in Sarayköy, Turkey. Her family moved to İzmir when she was 3 years old and she spent her childhood and early youth there. Aksu's parents discouraged her singing because they wanted her to have a steady profession as a doctor or engineer. She used to wait until they left the house and sing on the family's balcony.^[4] After finishing high school, she began studying at the local agricultural institute, but left college to concentrate on music.

Along with her close friend Ajda Pekkan, Aksu is credited with laying the foundations of Turkish pop music in the 1970s.^[5] Her sound has also spread across the Balkans and Greece.^[6] It was this sound that changed the face of the Eurovision song contest when her protégé Sertab Erener won in 2003. Aksu has also toured in Europe and the U.S to critical appraise.^[7]

She has championed a variety of causes, including women's rights, the environment, and educational reform in Turkey.^[2] Aksu has been married and divorced four times, but kept the name from her second marriage to Ali Engin Aksu, a doctor of geology who currently resides in Canada. She has a son with Sinan Özer.

Career[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2011)

Sezen Aksu released her first single, Haydi Şansım/Gel Bana (Come on My Luck/Come to Me) in 1975 under the name of Sezen Seley. However, she remained undiscovered until her 1976 single Olmaz Olsun/Vurdumduymaz (Wish It Never Happened/Insensitive) reached number one in the Turkish charts. Her first album was 1978's Serçe (Sparrow), which was to give her the nickname, penned by a Turkish journalist.

An Aksu drive finally got Turkey to apply for the Eurovision Song contest in the mid-70s. Ironically however, even though she competed in the national finals for the competition three times - "Küçük Bir Aşk Masalı" (A Little Love Tale) was a duet with Özdemir Erdoğan, "Heyamola" was performed as a trio with Coşkun Demir and Ali Kocatepe and "1945" was her solo performance - none got the chance to represent Turkey abroad. It was to be left to her pupil Erener to win the Eurovision and realise Aksu's dream to push her musical vision further into Europe.

In the 80's, Aksu had a relationship with producer Onno Tunç that was both romantic and professional. As a couple they put their signatures to works that broke new ground in Turkish pop music, such as Sen Ağlama (Don't Cry), Git (Go), Sezen Aksu'88 and Sezen Aksu Söylüyor (Sezen Aksu Sings). Her music matured in the 90's, when she co-produced her best selling album to-date Gülümse (Smile) with Tunç. The A-1 track from the album called Hadi Bakalım (Come On Now) was a hit in Turkey and Europe, and was published as a single in Germany. It was to be later rediscovered in Europop by singer Loona as Rhythm of the Night. She also began to produce albums for her vocalists, notably producing Aşkın Nur Yengi's debut album Sevgiliye (To a Lover) again with Tunç. She was to repeat her success with artists Erener and Yüksel also.

Parting ways with Tunç, in 1995, Aksu branched out with the experimental album Işık Doğudan Yükselir (Light Rises From the East), drawing both on western classical and regional Turkish musical traditions. This album made her name outside Turkey and gave her a world music following across Europe. In 1996, she released Düş Bahçeleri (Dream Gardens) as a tribute to Tunç, who died that same year tragically when his private plane crashed. In 1997, she released Düğün ve Cenaze (The Wedding And The Funeral), this time collaborating with Goran Bregović.

She returned to her roots with Adı Bende Saklı (Its Name Is Hidden In Me), which was released in 1998. She began to use experimental sounds and was once again pushing Turkish pop into the future. Aksu continued with this trend with her subsequent albums Deliveren (Crazymaker), Şarkı Söylemek Lazım (Gotta Sing) which also featured former Sparks bassist Martin Gordon as engineer/mixer (and also as bass player on her subsequent European tour), Yaz Bitmeden (Before The Summer Ends) between the years 2000 - 2003. After a two year hiatus, she returned with Bahane (Excuse) in 2005. That same year she released Kardelen (Snowdrop) where all proceeds went to charity, and before the end of 2005 released a Bahane/Remixes (Excuse/Remixes) double-CD album which contained the original Bahane album in disc one and the remixes of songs in Bahane in disc two. At the end of the year her albums Bahane, Kardelen and the re-released album Şarkı Söylemek Lazım were the three best-selling albums in the country.

In 2005 she was featured in Fatih Akin's documentary film "Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul" with a performance of the song "Istanbul Hatirasi."

Aksu has recently been re-releasing all her old classics digitally remastered and with specially designed new sleeves. After her concert tour in summer 2006.

Sezen Aksu performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 7 October 2007. After Zeki Muren, she was only the second Turkish artist to perform at the prestigious venue.

In 2008 Aksu released her album called Deniz Yıldızı through Starfish Records. And in 2009 she released her latest album Yürüyorum Düş Bahçelerinde which sold over 100 000 copies during the first week of its release. The album contains new original songs as well as some older songs which were composed by Sezen Aksu for other singers, most notably Çakkıdı, Kibir, Yok Ki.

Discography[link]

Music Albums[link]

Acting/Musicals[link]

• Sezen Aksu Aile Gazinosu - (Sezen Aksu Family Music Hall) (1982)
• Bin Yıl Önce Bin Yıl Sonra - (1000 Years Before, 1000 Years Later) (1986)

sezen aksu

See also[link]

• Turkish Wikipedia and Sezen Aksu
• List of Turkish musicians

Notes[link]

1. ^ CD Baby
2. ^ ^{a b} 6Moons Review
3. ^ Sezen Aksu and Her Children
4. ^ Grant, Neva (12 April 2010). "Sezen Aksu: The Voice Of Istanbul". Morning Edition. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125787999. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
5. ^ Aksu's expressive vocal technique, distinctive songwriting, and prolific output were all integral to her success and to the development of a unique Turkish pop sound. Many musicians--for example, Alexander Hacke and several of the artists he interviewed for the documentary Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul--have acknowledged Sezen Aksu's broad influence.
6. ^ With the Greek diaspora from Turkey in the seventies, many brought their musical tastes, which included Aksu's music to Greece; the Greek musicians Haris Alexiou and Giorgos Dalaras acknowledge her influence.
7. ^ Sezen Aksu (June 19, 2002). The Guardian

References[link]

• Sezen Aksu Sezen-Aksu.com.
• Sezen Aksu Discography Sezen Aksu Discography.
• Sezen.net Sezen.net.
• Sezen Aksu (June 19, 2002). The Guardian.
• Songs Must Be Sung (November, 2002). 6 Moons.
• Sezen Aksu And Her Children (September 15, 2004). DEUTSCHE WELLE.
• [1] Producer for Sezen Aksu

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sezen Aksu

• Sezen Aksu Video Klipleri
• Sezen Aksu at the Internet Movie Database
• Can Dündar - Hey gidi günler! (Turkish)
• The Official Sezen Aksu Web Site
• The Sezenciler Fansite
• sezen.onlinecosmos.com
• Sezen Aksu Dinle
• Review of 'Öptüm' (in English)

Adi Smolar
Background information
Born	(1959-03-25) March 25, 1959 (age 53)
Origin	Slovenj Gradec, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia (Now Slovenia)
Occupations	Singer, Composer
Associated acts	Leteči potepuhi, Mestni postopači
Notable instruments
Guitar

Adi Smolar (born on 25 March 1959 in Slovenj Gradec, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia) is a Slovenian singer-songwriter and composer.

He made his first appearance in 1981 with a full repertoire of his own songs. He continued to perform for eight years before releasing his first tape Naš svet se pa vrti (Our World Keeps Spinning) in 1989. He lives in Ravne na Koroškem with his wife and two sons.^[1]

Albums[link]

• Naš svet se pa vrti (Our World Keeps Spinning) {1989}
• No ja, pa kaj (Eh, So What?) {1993}
• Neprilagojen (Maladjusted) {1994}
• Bognedaj, da bi crknu televizor (God Forbid The TV'd Stop Working) {1995}
• Saj te prime - pa te mine (We All Go Through It) {1996}
• Jaz sem nor (I'm Nuts) {1997}
• Od A do S (From A To S) {1998}
• Je treba delat (We All Have To Work) {1999}
• Jaz ne grem v šolo (I Don't Want To Go To School) {2000}
• Ne se bat (Don't Be Scared) {2001}
• Koncert - v živo (Concert - Live) {2002}
• Vse je krasno (Everything's Just Fine) {2004}
• Brez dlake na jeziku (Telling The Truth) {2008}
• Se počasi daleč pride (Going slowly comes a long way) {2011}

• Prvih pet (First Five) {2008} - compilation

References[link]

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Adi Shankara
Srimad Guru Adi Shankaracharya by Raja Ravi Varma
Born	788 CE Kalady, present day Kerala, India
Died	820 CE[1] Kedarnath, Pala Empire present day Uttarakhand, India
Birth name	Shankara
Titles/honours	Expounded Advaita Vedanta, Hindu Revivalism, Founded Dashanami Sampradaya, Shanmata
Guru	Govinda Bhagavatpada
Philosophy	Advaita Vedanta

Adi Shankara (Sanskrit: आदिशङ्करः Ādi Śaṅkara, pronounced [aːd̪i ɕəŋkəɾə]) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya and Ādi Śaṅkarācārya was an Indian sage from Kalady in present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta.^[1][2] His teachings are based on the unity of the ātman and brahman— non-dual brahman, in which brahman is viewed as nirguna brahman, brahman without attributes.^[3]

Shankara travelled across the Indian subcontinent to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers. He is reputed to have founded four mathas ("monasteries"), which helped in the historical development, revival and spread of Advaita Vedanta of which he is known as the greatest revivalist.^[2] Adi Shankara is believed to be the organizer of the Dashanami monastic order and the founder of the Shanmata tradition of worship.

His works in Sanskrit concern themselves with establishing the doctrine of advaita (nondualism). He also established the importance of monastic life as sanctioned in the Upanishads and Brahma Sutra, in a time when the Mimamsa school established strict ritualism and ridiculed monasticism. Shankara represented his works as elaborating on ideas found in the Upanishads, and he wrote copious commentaries on the Vedic canon (Brahma Sutra, principal upanishads and Bhagavad Gita) in support of his thesis. The main opponent in his work is the Mimamsa school of thought, though he also offers arguments against the views of some other schools like Samkhya and certain schools of Buddhism.^[3][4][5]

Life[link]

Traditional accounts of Adi Shankara's life can be found in the Shankara Vijayams, which are poetic works that contain a mix of biographical and legendary material, written in the epic style. The most important among these biographies are the Mādhavīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ (of Mādhava, c. 14th century), the Cidvilāsīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ (of Cidvilāsa, c. between 15th century and 17th century), and the Keraļīya Śaṅkara Vijayaṃ (of the Kerala region, extant from c. 17th century).^[6][7]

Birth and childhood[link]

The birth place of Adi Shankara at Kalady

Shankara was born in orthodox Hindu family to Sivaguru and Aryamba in Kaladi in central present day Kerala. According to lore, it was after his parents, who had been childless for many years, prayed at the Vadakkunnathan temple, Thrissur that Sankara was born under the star Thiruvathira.^[8][9]

His father died while Shankara was very young. Shankara's upanayanaṃ, the initiation into student-life, had to be delayed due to the death of his father, and was then performed by his mother.^[10] As a child, Shankara showed remarkable scholarship, mastering the four Vedas by the age of eight.^[11]

Sannyasa[link]

At the age of 7, Shankara was inclined towards sannyasa, but it was only after much persuasion that his mother finally gave her consent. He only received her consent in a very interesting manner. While bathing in the river Poorna one day, a crocodile caught hold of his leg. Shankara appealed to his mother, who had arrived at Poorna, asking for permission to become a sanyasi. His mother finally gave consent, only to have the crocodile let go of young Shankara. A crocodile had never been found in Poorna ever or since^[12] Shankara then left Kerala and travelled towards North India in search of a guru. On the banks of the Narmada River, he met Govinda Bhagavatpada the disciple of Gaudapada at Omkareshwar. When Govinda Bhagavatpada asked Shankara's identity, he replied with an extempore verse that brought out the Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Govinda Bhagavatapada was impressed and took Shankara as his disciple.^[13]

The guru instructed Shankara to write a commentary on the Brahma Sutras and propagate the Advaita philosophy. Shankara travelled to Kashi, where a young man named Sanandana, hailing from Chola territory in South India, became his first disciple. According to legend, while on his way to the Vishwanath Temple, Sankara came upon an untouchable accompanied by four dogs. When asked to move aside by Shankara's disciples, the untouchable replied: "Do you wish that I move my ever lasting Ātman ("the Self"), or this body made of flesh?" Realizing that the untouchable was none other than god Shiva himself, and his dogs the four Vedas, Shankara prostrated himself before him, composing five shlokas known as Manisha Panchakam.^[14][15]

At Badari he wrote his famous Bhashyas ("commentaries") and Prakarana granthas ("philosophical treatises").^[16][17]

Meeting with Mandana Mishra[link]

One of the most famous debates of Adi Shankara was with the ritualist Maṇḍana Miśra. Maṇḍana Miśra held the view that the life of a householder was far superior to that of a monk. This view was widely shared and respected throughout India at that time.^[18] Thus it would have been important for Adi Shankara to debate with him. Madana Mishra's guru was the famous Mimamsa philosopher, Kumārila Bhaṭṭa. Shankara sought a debate with Kumārila Bhaṭṭa and met him in Prayag where he had buried himself in a slow burning pyre to repent for sins committed against his guru: Kumārila Bhaṭṭa had learned Buddhist philosophy from his Buddhist guru under false pretenses, in order to be able to refute it. Learning anything without the knowledge of one's guru while still under his authority constitutes a sin according to the Vedas.^[19] Kumārila Bhaṭṭa thus asked Adi Shankara to proceed to Mahiṣmati to meet Maṇḍana Miśra and debate with him instead.(Mahishmati is on the banks of the holy river - Narmada, in Madhya Pradesh. Mahishmati is now known as Mandala. . Mandala finds mention in Pauranic literature as the capital of Sahasrabahu Kartyaveer Arjun who had obstructed the river by his thousand arms by his frolicking, at his capital Mahishmati),

After debating for over fifteen days, with Maṇḍana Miśra's wife Ubhaya Bhāratī acting as referee, Maṇḍana Miśra accepted defeat.^[20] Ubhaya Bhāratī then challenged Adi Shankara to have a debate with her in order to 'complete' the victory. She asked him questions related to sexual congress between man and woman - a subject in which Shankaracharya had no knowledge, since he was a true celibate and sannyasi. Sri Shankracharya asked for a "recess" of 15 days. As per legend, he used the art of "para-kaya pravesa" (the spirit leaving one's own body and entering another's) and exited his own body, which he asked his disciples to look after, and psychically entered the dead body of a king. The story goes that from the King's two wives, he acquired all knowledge of "art of love". The queens, thrilled at the keen intellect and robust love-making of the "revived" King, deduced that he was not their husband, as of old. The story continues that they sent their factotums to "look for the lifeless body of a young sadhu and to cremate it immediately" so that their "king" (Shankracharya in the king's body) would continue to live with them. Just as the retainers piled Shankracharaya's lifeless corpse upon a pyre and were about to set fire to it, Shankara entered his own body and regained consciousness. Finally, he answered all questions put to him by Ubhaya Bhāratī; and she allowed Maṇḍana Miśra to accept sannyasa with the monastic name Sureśvarācārya, as per the agreed-upon rules of the debate.^[21]

Philosophical tour[link]

Sharada temple at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri

Adi Shankara then travelled with his disciples to Maharashtra and Srisailam. In Srisailam, he composed Shivanandalahari, a devotional hymn in praise of Shiva. The Madhaviya Shankaravijayam says that when Shankara was about to be sacrificed by a Kapalika, the god Narasimha appeared to save Shankara in response to Padmapadacharya's prayer to him. As a result, Adi Shankara composed the Laksmi-Narasimha stotra.^[22]

He then travelled to Gokarṇa, the temple of Hari-Shankara and the Mūkambika temple at Kollur. At Kollur, he accepted as his disciple a boy believed to be dumb by his parents. He gave him the name, Hastāmalakācārya ("one with the amalaka fruit on his palm", i.e., one who has clearly realised the Self). Next, he visited sringeri to establish the Śārada Pīṭham and made Sureśvarācārya his disciple.^[23]

After this, Adi Shankara began a Dig-vijaya "tour of conquest" for the propagation of the Advaita philosophy by controverting all philosophies opposed to it. He travelled throughout India, from South India to Kashmir and Nepal, preaching to the local populace and debating philosophy with Hindu, Buddhist and other scholars and monks along the way.

With the Malayali King Sudhanva as companion, Shankara passed through Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Vidarbha. He then started towards Karnataka where he encountered a band of armed Kapalikas. King Sudhanva, with his Nairs, resisted and defeated the Kapalikas. They safely reached Gokarna where Shankara defeated in debate the Shaiva scholar, Neelakanta.

Proceeding to Saurashtra (the ancient Kambhoja) and having visited the shrines of Girnar, Somnath and Prabhasa and explaining the superiority of Vedanta in all these places, he arrived at Dwarka. Bhaṭṭa Bhāskara of Ujjayini, the proponent of Bhedābeda philosophy, was humbled. All the scholars of Ujjayini (also known as Avanti) accepted Adi Shankara's philosophy.

He then defeated the Jainas in philosophical debates at a place called Bahlika. Thereafter, the Acharya established his victory over several philosophers and ascetics in Kamboja (region of North Kashmir), Darada and many regions situated in the desert and crossing mighty peaks, entered Kashmir. Later, he had an encounter with a tantrik, Navagupta at Kamarupa.^[24]

Accession to Sarvajnapitha[link]

Statue of Adi Shankara at his Samadhi Mandir, behind Kedarnath Temple, in Kedarnath, India

Adi Shankara visited Sarvajñapīṭha (Sharada Peeth) in Kashmir (now in POK, Pakistan).^[25] The Madhaviya Shankaravijayam states this temple had four doors for scholars from the four cardinal directions. The southern door (representing South India) had never been opened, indicating that no scholar from South India had entered the Sarvajna Pitha. Adi Shankara opened the southern door by defeating in debate all the scholars there in all the various scholastic disciplines such as Mimamsa, Vedanta and other branches of Hindu philosophy; he ascended the throne of Transcendent wisdom of that temple.^[26]

Towards the end of his life, Adi Shankara travelled to the Himalayan area of Kedarnath-Badrinath and attained videha mukti ("freedom from embodiment"). There is a samadhi mandir dedicated to Adi Shankara behind the Kedarnath temple. However, there are variant traditions on the location of his last days. One tradition, expounded by Keraliya Shankaravijaya, places his place of mahasamadhi (leaving the body) as Vadakkunnathan temple in Thrissur, Kerala.^[27] The followers of the Kanchi kamakoti pitha claim that he ascended the Sarvajñapīṭha and attained videha mukti in Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu).

Dates[link]

Several different dates have been proposed for Shankara:

• 788–820 CE: This is the mainstream scholarly opinion, placing Shankara in mid to late 8th century CE. These dates are based on records at the Śṛṅgeri Śāradā Pīṭha, which is the only matha to have maintained a relatively unbroken record of its Acharyas; starting with the third Acharya, one can with reasonable confidence date the others from the 8th century to the present.^[28] The 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. c. CE), modern scholarship accepts the VikramAditya as being from the Chalukya dynasty of Badami, most likely Vikramaditya II (733–746 CE),^[29] which would place him in the middle of the 8th c.^[28] Max Muller, Macdonnel, Pathok, Deussen and Radhakrishnan all accept the dates 788-820 CE.^[30] The date 788–820 is also among those considered acceptable by Swami Tapasyananda, though he raises a number of questions.^[31][32]
• 509–477 BCE: This dating, more than a millennium ahead of all others, is based on records of the heads of the Shankara Maṭhas at Dvaraka Pitha and Govardhana matha and the fifth Peetham at Kanchi.^[33] However, such an early date is not consistent with the fact that Shankara quotes the Buddhist logician Dharmakirti, who finds mention in Xuanzang (7th c.).^[28] Also, his near-contemporary Kumārila Bhaṭṭa is usually dated ca. 8th c. CE. Most scholars feel that due to invasions and other discontinuities, the records of the Dwaraka and Govardhana mathas are not as reliable as those of Sringeri.^[28] Thus, while considerable debate exists, the pre-Christian Era dates are usually discounted, and the most likely period for Shankara is during the 8th c. CE.

• 44-12 BCE: Anandagiri believed he was born at Chidambaram in 44 BCE and died in 12 BCE.^[30]

• 6th Century CE: Telang placed him in this century. Sir R G Bandarkar believed he was born in 680 CE.^[30]

• 805-897 CE: A D Venkiteswara not only places Adishankara 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.^[30]

Mathas[link]

(Vidyashankara temple) at Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Shringeri

Adi Shankara founded four Maṭhas (Sanskrit: मठ) to guide the Hindu religion. These are at Sringeri in Karnataka in the south, Dwaraka in Gujarat in the west, Puri in Orissa in the east, and Jyotirmath (Joshimath) in Uttarakhand in the north. Hindu tradition states that he put in charge of these mathas his four main disciples: Sureśvara, Hastamalakacharya, Padmapāda, and Totakacharya respectively. The heads of the mathas trace their authority back to these figures. Each of the heads of these four mathas takes the title of Shankaracharya ("the learned Shankara") after the first Shankaracharya. The table below gives an overview of the four Amnaya Mathas founded by Adi Shankara and their details.^[34]

According to the tradition in Kerala, after Sankara's samadhi at Vadakkunnathan Temple his disciples founded four mathas in Thrissur, namely Naduvil Madhom, Thekke Madhom, Idayil Madhom and Vadakke Madhom.

Philosophy and religious thought[link]

Advaita ("non-dualism") is often called a monistic system of thought. The word "Advaita" essentially refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman^[35]). Advaita Vedanta says the one unchanging entity (Brahman) alone exists, and that changing entities do not have absolute existence, much as the ocean's waves have no existence in separation from the ocean. The key source texts for all schools of Vedānta are the Prasthanatrayi–the canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras.

Adi Shankara was the first in the tradition to consolidate the siddhānta ("doctrine") of Advaita Vedanta. He wrote commentaries on the Prasthana Trayi. A famous quote from Vivekacūḍāmaṇi, one of his prakarana granthas that succinctly summarises his philosophy is:

Brahma satyaṃ jagat mithyā, jīvo brahmaiva nāparah

Brahman is the only truth, the spatio-temporal world is an illusion, and there is ultimately no difference between Brahman and individual self.

Advaita Vedanta is based on śāstra ("scriptures"), yukti ("reason") and anubhava ("experience"), and aided by karmas ("spiritual practices").^[36] This philosophy provides a clear-cut way of life to be followed. Starting from childhood, when learning has to start, the philosophy has to be realised in practice throughout one's life, even up to death. This is the reason why this philosophy is called an experiential philosophy-the underlying tenet being "That thou art", meaning that ultimately there is no difference between the experiencer and the experienced (the world) as well as the universal spirit (Brahman). Among the followers of Advaita, as well those of other doctrines, there are believed to have appeared Jivanmuktas, ones liberated while alive. These individuals (commonly called Mahatmas, great souls, among Hindus) are those who realised the oneness of their self and the universal spirit called Brahman.

Adi Shankara's Bhashyas (commentaries) on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras are his principal works. Although he mostly adhered to traditional means of commenting on the Brahma Sutra, there are a number of original ideas and arguments to establish that the essence of Upanishads is Advaita. He taught that it was only through direct knowledge that one could realize Brahman. "A perception of the fact that the object seen is a rope will remove the fear and sorrow which result from the illusory idea that it is a serpent". Cited from Shankara's "Vivekachuudaamani"/ verse #12/translated by Mohini M Chatterji. This metaphor was borrowed from Yogacara Buddhist thinkers, who used it in a different context.^[37]

Adi Shankara's opponents accused him of teaching Buddhism in the garb of Hinduism, because his non-dualistic ideals seemed rather radical to contemporary Hindu philosophy, and so he earned the title "pracchannabauddha". However, although Advaita proposes the theory of Maya, explaining the universe as a "trick of a magician", Adi Shankara and his followers see this as a consequence of their basic premise that Brahman alone is real. Their idea of Maya emerges from their belief in the reality of Brahman, as opposed to Buddhist doctrines of emptiness, which emerge from the empirical Buddhist approach of observing the nature of reality.

Historical and cultural impact[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Part of a series on
Hindu philosophy
Schools
Samkhya · Yoga · Nyaya · Vaisheshika · Mimāṃsā · Vedanta (Advaita · Vishishtadvaita · Dvaita · Dvaitadvaita · Achintya Bheda Abheda)  · Saiva (Pratyabhijña · Pasupata · Siddhanta) · Tantra
Personalities
Philosophers-Acharyas Samkhya Kapila · Yoga Patañjali · Nyaya Akṣapāda Gotama · Jayanta Bhatta · Raghunatha Siromani · Vaiseshika Kanada · Mimamsa Jaimini · Kumārila Bhaṭṭa · Prabhakara · Maharshi Dayananda · Advaita Vedanta Gaudapada · Adi Shankara · Vachaspati Mishra · Vidyaranya · Madhusudana · Vivekananda · Nigamananda · Ramana Maharshi · Narayana Guru · Sivananda · Chinmayananda · Nisargadatta Maharaj · Swami Dayananda · Vishishta-Advaita Nammalwar · Yamunacharya · Ramanuja · Pillai Lokacharya · Vedanta Desika · Manavala Mamunigal · Dvaita Madhvacharya · Jayatirtha · Vyasathirtha · Raghavendra Swami · Dvaita-Advaita Nimbarka · Shuddha-Advaita Vallabha Achintya-Bhedabheda Chaitanya · Nigamananda · Prabhupada · Tantra / Shakta Abhinavagupta · Nigamananda · Ramprasad Sen · Kamalakanta Bhattacharya · Bamakhepa · Anandamayi Ma · Poet-Saints Purandara Dasa · Kanakadasa · Jagannatha_Dasa · Basava · Dnyaneshwar · Srimanta Sankardeva · Jayadeva · Namdev · Ramananda · Kabir · Tulsidas · Guru Ravidas · Mira Bai · Narsinh Mehta · Surdas · Samarth Ramdas · Tukaram · Tyagaraja · Annamacharya · Bhadrachala Ramadas · Alvars · Nayanmars · Muthuswami Dikshitar · Syama Sastri · Yoga-Guru Nigamananda · Integral-Yoga Sri Aurobindo · Kriya-Yoga Yogananda · Academician-Philosophers Coomaraswamy · Radhakrishnan ·
v t e

Because of his unification of two seemingly disparate philosophical doctrines, Atman and Brahman, Westerners who know about him perceive him as the "St. Thomas Aquinas of Indian thought"^[38] and "the most brilliant personality in the history of Indian thought."^[39]

At the time of Adi Shankara's life, Hinduism was increasing in influence in India at the expense of Buddhism and Jainism.^[40] Hinduism was divided into innumerable sects, each quarreling with the others. The followers of Mimamsa and Sankhya philosophy were atheists, insomuch that they did not believe in God as a unified being. Besides these atheists there were numerous theistic sects. There were also those who rejected the Vedas, like the Charvakas.^{[citation needed]}

Adi Shankara held discourses and debates with the leading scholars of all these sects and schools of philosophy to controvert their doctrines. He unified the theistic sects into a common framework of Shanmata system. In his works, Adi Shankara stressed the importance of the Vedas, and his efforts helped Hinduism regain strength and popularity. Many trace the present worldwide prominence of Vedanta to his works. He travelled on foot to various parts of India to restore the study of the Vedas.

Even though he lived for only thirty-two years his impact on India and on Hinduism was striking. He reintroduced a purer form of Vedic thought. His teachings and tradition form the basis of Smartism and have influenced Sant Mat lineages.^[41] He is the main figure in the tradition of Advaita Vedanta. He was the founder of the Daśanāmi Sampradāya of Hindu monasticism and Ṣaṇmata of Smarta tradition. He introduced the Pañcāyatana form of worship.

Adi Shankara, along with Madhva and Ramanuja, was instrumental in the revival of Hinduism. These three teachers formed the doctrines that are followed by their respective sects even today. They have been the most important figures in the recent history of Hindu philosophy. In their writings and debates, they provided polemics against the non-Vedantic schools of Sankhya, Vaisheshika etc. Thus they paved the way for Vedanta to be the dominant and most widely followed tradition among the schools of Hindu philosophy. The Vedanta school stresses most on the Upanishads (which are themselves called Vedanta, End or culmination of the Vedas), unlike the other schools that gave importance to the ritualistic Brahmanas, or to texts authored by their founders. The Vedanta schools hold that the Vedas (which include the Upanishads) are unauthored, forming a continuous tradition of wisdom transmitted orally. Thus the concept of apaurusheyatva ("being unauthored") came to be the guiding force behind the Vedanta schools. However, along with stressing the importance of Vedic tradition, Adi Shankara gave equal importance to the personal experience of the student. Logic, grammar, Mimamsa and allied subjects form main areas of study in all the Vedanta schools.

Regarding meditation, Shankara refuted the system of Yoga and its disciplines as a direct means to attain moksha, rebutting the argument that it can be obtained through concentration of the mind. His position is that the mental states discovered through the practices of Yoga can be indirect aids to the gain of knowledge, but cannot themselves give rise to it. According to his philosophy, knowledge of Brahman springs from inquiry into the words of the Upanishads, and the knowledge of Brahman that shruti provides cannot be obtained in any other way.^[42] It has to be noted that it is generally considered that for Shankara the Absolute Reality is attributeless and impersonal, while for Madhava and Ramanuja, the Absolute Truth is Vishnu. This has been a subject of debate, interpretation, and controversy since Shankara himself is attributed to composing the popular 8th century Hindu devotional composition Bhaja Govindam (literal meaning, "Worship Govinda"). This work of Adi Shankara is considered as a good summary of Advaita Vedanta and underscores the view that devotion to God, Govinda, is not only an important part of general spirituality, but the concluding verse drives through the message of Shankara: "Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda, Oh fool! Other than chanting the Lord's names, there is no other way to cross the life's ocean". Bhaja Govindam invokes the almighty in the aspect of Vishnu; it is therefore very popular not only with Sri Adi Shankaracharya's immediate followers, the Smarthas, but also with Vaishnavas and others.

A well known verse, recited in the Smarta tradition, in praise of Adi Shankara is:

श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणानामालयं करुणालयम्|
नमामि भगवत्पादशंकरं लोकशङ्करम् ||
Śruti smṛti purāṇānāṃālayaṃ karuṇālayaṃ|
Namāmi Bhagavatpādaśaṅkaraṃ lokaśaṅkaraṃ||
I salute the compassionate abode of the Vedas, Smritis and Puranas known as Shankara Bhagavatpada, who makes the world auspicious.

Adi Shankara begins his Gurustotram or Verses to the Guru with the following Sanskrit Sloka, that has become a widely sung Bhajan:

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Deva Maheshwara. Guru Sakshath Parambrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.
Translation: Guru is the creator Brahma, Guru is the preserver Vishnu, Guru is the destroyer Shiva. Guru is directly the supreme spirit — I offer my salutations to this Guru.)

The great Indian Muslim Philosopher Muhammad Iqbal considered him to be one of the greatest thinkers of medieval India and acknowledged influence by him.^[43]

Works[link]

Adi Shankara's works deal with logically establishing the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta as he saw it in the Upanishads. He formulates the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta by validating his arguments on the basis of quotations from the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures. He gives a high priority to svānubhava ("personal experience") of the student. His works are largely polemical in nature. He directs his polemics mostly against the Sankhya, Buddha, Jaina, Vaisheshika and other non-vedantic Hindu philosophies.

Traditionally, his works are classified under Bhāṣya ("commentary"), Prakaraṇa grantha ("philosophical treatise") and 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 to the student to understand the doctrine. The devotional hymns are rich in poetry and piety, serving to highlight the relationship between the devotee and the deity.

Adi Shankara wrote Bhashyas on the ten major Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. In his works, he quotes from Shveshvatara, Kaushitakai, Mahanarayana and Jabala Upanishads, among others. Bhashyas on Kaushitaki, Nrisimhatapani and Shveshvatara Upanishads are extant but the authenticity is doubtful.^[44] Adi Shankara's is the earliest extant commentary on the Brahma Sutras. However, he mentions older commentaries like those of Dravida, Bhartrprapancha and others.^[45]

In his Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Adi Shankara cites the examples of Dharmavyadha, Vidura and others, who were born with the knowledge of Brahman acquired in previous births. He mentions that the effects cannot be prevented from working on account of their present birth. He states that the knowledge that arises out of the study of the Vedas could be had through the Puranas and the Itihasas. In the Taittiriya Upanishad Bhashya 2.2, he says:^[46]

Sarveśāṃ cādhikāro vidyāyāṃ ca śreyah: kevalayā vidyāyā veti siddhaṃ

It has been established that everyone has the right to the knowledge (of Brahman) and that the supreme goal is attained by that knowledge alone.

Some western academics consider only Upadeśasāhasrī among independent philosophical works as authentic. Many other such texts exist, among which there is a difference of opinion among scholars on the authorship of Viveka Chudamani. The former pontiff of Sringeri Math, Shri Shri Chandrashekhara Bharati III has written a voluminous commentary on the Viveka Chudamani.

Adi Shankara also wrote commentaries on other scriptural works, such as the Vishnu sahasranāma and the Sānatsujātiya.^[47] Like the Bhagavad Gita, both of these are contained in the Mahabhārata.

Film[link]

In 1983 a film directed by G. V. Iyer named Adi Shankaracharya was premiered, the first film ever made entirely in Sanskrit language in which all of Adi Shankaracharya's works were compiled.^[48] The movie received the National Film Awards for Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Audiography and has been known as a master piece.^[49][50]

See also[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Isayeva, Natalia (1993). Shankara and Indian Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press (SUNY). 
• Keay, John (2000). India: A History. New York: Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-3797-5. 
• Mudgal, S.G. (1975). Advaita of Shankara: A Reappraisal. New Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass. 
• Swami, Tapasyananda (2002). Sankara-Dig-Vijaya: The Traditional Life of Sri Sankaracharya by Madhava-Vidyaranya. India: Sri Ramakrishna Math. ISBN 978-81-7120-434-2. 
• Greaves, Ron (March 2002). From Totapuri to Maharaji: Reflections on a Lineage (Parampara). 27th Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions, Oxford. 
• Y Keshava Menon (1976). The Mind of Adi Shankaracharya. India: Jaico. ISBN 978-81-7224-214-5. 
• Swami Pradhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (1978). Shankara's Crest-Jewel of Discrimination. USA: Vedanta Press. ISBN 978-0-87481-038-7. 

Further reading[link]

• Ingalls, Daniel H. H. (1954). "Sankara's Arguments Against the Buddhists". Philosophy East and West (Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press) 3 (4): 291–306. DOI:10.2307/1397287. JSTOR 1397287. http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-PHIL/ew27155.htm. 

• Mishra, Parameshwar Nath (2003), "Era of Adi Shankaracharya 507 B.C.-475 B.C.", Howrah Samskriti Rakshak Parishad, West Bengal.

• Mishra, Parameshwar Nath, "Amit Kalrekha", 3 vols. (in Hindi), Howrah Samskriti Rakshak Parishad, West Bengal.

• Reigle, David, "Original Sankaracarya", www.easterntradition.org/original%20sankaracarya.pdf

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Adi Shankara

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Adi Shankara

• Complete works of Adi Shankara
• Information on Sri Adi Shankara

This table is incomplete. Please help to improve the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page. (February 2012)

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since August 2011. It relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Tagged since April 2012. Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since April 2011.

Snatam Kaur
September 10, 2007, Snatam Kaur in Hockley, Birmingham, England.
Background information
Born	1972 Trinidad, Colorado
Genres	Mantra, Meditation, New Age, Female Vocalists
Occupations	Musician
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Spirit Voyage Records
Website	http://www.snatamkaur.com

Snatam Kaur Khalsa (Punjabi: ਸਨਾਤਮ ਕੌਰ ਖਾਲਸਾ, born 1972 in Trinidad, Colorado), is an American singer and songwriter. She lives in Santa Cruz, California. Kaur performs Indian devotional music, kirtan, and tours the world as a peace activist. The name "Kaur", meaning "princess", is shared by all female Sikhs.

Early life and education[link]

Her family moved to California when Snatam was two, living in Long Beach and Sacramento. When Snatam was six, the family went to India where her mother studied kirtan. Snatam lived on a ranch near Bolinas, California until 8th grade and then moved to Mill Valley in 1986. During her childhood, she played kirtan with her mother in Sikh temples and at Sikh religious ceremonies. She attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. While at Tam High, she played violin in the school orchestra and began songwriting. Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead coached Kaur and her classmates before they performed her song Saving the Earth at an Earth Day concert in San Francisco on April 22, 1990.^{[citation needed]}

Snatam was also active in social and environmental causes while in high school, serving as president of the social action club known as, "Students for Justice," in her senior year. The club started a campus recycling program and organized environmental awareness programs. The club also led the effort to change the school mascot and sports team names from the Indians to the Red Tailed Hawk in 1989 and 1990 due to a speech given at the school by Sacheen Littlefeather.^{[citation needed]}

After graduating from Tam, Snatam attended Mills College in Oakland, California, receiving a bachelors degree in biochemistry. She then returned to India to study Kirtan under her mother's teacher, Bhai Hari Singh. In 1997, Kaur began a career as a food technologist with Peace Cereals in Eugene, Oregon.^[1]

Snatam's music[link]

In 2000, Kaur signed with Spirit Voyage Records—the founder of which, Guru Ganesha Singh, became her manager and guitarist. Her professional collaboration also includes New Age music producer Thomas Barquee. Titles of Kaur's CD's include: Prem, Shanti, Grace, Anand, and Liberation's Door.^[1]

Discography[link]

The Celebrate Peace Tour[link]

Snatam spends much of the year on the road, singing and teaching yoga wherever she’s invited.

Her Celebrate Peace world tour includes stops at schools, hospices, juvenile detention centers, and other facilities where her music can help to heal and inspire. “We reach out to children through our free Children’s Peace Hour, which serves many children in underprivileged communities.” Snatam is a Peace Ambassador working through a United Nations NGO (non-governmental organization) called the 3HO Foundation (the three H’s stand for “happy, healthy, holy”). Snatam uses her public programs as an opportunity to educate audiences about the importance of mutual understanding and respect in these troubled times.

On tour, Snatam is joined by her longtime musical partner GuruGanesha Singh who exudes joy and warmth with his guitar and vocals. She also travels with her husband Sopurkh Singh who serves as her manager, and their new baby daughter Jap Preet Kaur.^[1]

Kundalini yoga[link]

Snatam offers Yoga training via her “Creating Inner Peace through Kundalini Yoga and Meditation” workshops. These classes provide instruction in the technology of Kundalini as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Chanting is an essential part of the Kundalini Yoga practice.^[1]

Sikh influence[link]

Sikhism is a world religion that began in India in the mid-fifteenth century with the master Guru Nanak (1469-1539 C.E.). The essence of being a Sikh is that one lives one’s life according to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, devoting time to meditating on God and the scriptures, chanting, and living life in a way that benefits other people and the world.^{[citation needed]}

Snatam’s own teacher, Yogi Bhajan (1929-2004), was influential in helping promote the Sikh tradition in the West.^{[citation needed]}

Sikhism is based on the Shabad Guru. On Kaur's official website she explains, “Shabad is the sacred energy or recitation of sound, and Guru means the living teacher. For Sikhs, our living Guru exists within the sacred words of our tradition. As part of our daily practice we take a sacred divine reading from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, which is a collection of writings from enlightened teachers and sages in India. It includes the Sikh Gurus, but also incorporates saints from other traditions.” ^[1]

Personal life[link]

Snatam lives in Santa Cruz, California with her husband Sopurkh Singh Khalsa, whom she married in January 2006, and their daughter Jap Preet Kaur.

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Snatam Kaur discography at Music City