a mystic 8 th centuried philosopher, born in Kerala in a Nambutiri Brahmane family. Endowed with an unsurpassed mind, he deepened and diffused the "advaita" doctrine of the Vedanta. Advaita means "One without a second one"; this vision ( darshana) of the Ultimate Reality is based upon the Maya concept. Maya is the power of illusion which distorts the Reality. Shankarâchârya travelled throughout the whole country, founded many monasteries, and the major monastic orders. He wrote most important texts who were commented latter by a lot of scholars

A great religious saint who reinstated the Vedic knowledge to its pristine glory.

(8th century A.D.) also known as Adi Shankara, a great scholar and philosopher who revived Hinduism; founder of the Advaitic school of thought [ more

or Shankara The seventh century prophet, philosopher, and the unrivaled propounder of Advaita, or non-dualistic Vedanta philosophy.

The great Vedanta philosopher who lived in the eighth century A. D., and revived Advaita Vedanta in India after a thousand years of Buddhist influence. Though he lived only for 32 years, he organized a monastic system that is still in existence today. His enormous literary contribution includes commentaries on Brahma sutras, the principal Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita, etc. He also wrote his own philosophical works such as the Vivekachudamani (Crest Jewel of Discrimination) and the Upadeshasahsri. In addition, he composed beautiful hymns, prayers, and various minor works on Vedanta philosophy.

Shankaracharya, (IAST: Śankarāchārya) is a commonly used title of heads of maţhas (monasteries) in the Advaita tradition. The title derives from Śankara of Kaladi, a theologian of Hinduism, who established four maţhas in the four regions of India.