Sree Shankara, who lived in the eighth century, is believed to have presented Advaita as a philosophical science and given it form. He applied the logic and scientific rigour prevalent at that time in his commentaries. Advaita is the state of not being two. It is the state where the universe and the seeker of truth are one. It is this knowledge that gives meaning to one's life. And that knowledge also is Brahman. The truth of Brahman is one and eternal. Advaita Darshanam is the experience of this truth. It is the realization that the truth residing within oneself and the universe is the same.
From the beginning of humanity, sages have engaged in penance in search of the true nature of the Atman. The wisdom they gained through self-realization is conveyed verbally through the Upanishads. Being found at the end of the four Vedas, both literally and figuratively, these distillations of timeless wisdom came to be known as Vedanta (‘End of the Vedas’).
Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, and Vedanta are the Six Facets of Indian Philosophy. Of the six, Vedanta is the last. The Brahmasutra, Bhagavad Gita, and Upanishads are considered the authoritative texts on Vedanta. The Vedanta Sutra has had numerous commentaries.
Some have put forward the opinion that Narayana Guru was a follower of Sree Shankara's Advaita Philosophy. However, many observe that there was a discrepancy between Sree Shankara's words and actions. In the ‘Brahma Sutra Bhashyam’, in the section called ‘Apashudradhikaranam’, it is stated that only the three upper castes (‘traivarnikas’) who have undergone the upanayana ritual, and deities, have the right to study the Vedas; Shudras are forbidden from doing so. Shankaracharya, who eloquently spoke of the excellence of knowledge, believed that Shudras should be denied it because they are born into a lower caste. In the context of the controversial nature of Shankara's commentary on the ‘Apashudradhikaranam’, Narayana Guru is known to have remarked, "Shankara erred there”. However, Guru, who understood that the essence of all religions is one, never claimed that his religion was superior or inferior to another. Instead of denying knowledge to the downtrodden, Guru encouraged them to become free through knowledge.
Although Narayana Guru once said that his religion was the same as Shankara's, he did not adopt Shankaracharya's ‘Khandana-Mandana’ (refutation-establishment) argumentative style. ‘Khandana’ is an approach that opposes an argument, while in ‘Mandana’, an argument is supported. Guru's aim was not to defeat opponents in argument nor establish his own religion.
In the eighth century, Shankaracharya applied the scientific and logical rigour prevalent at the time in his commentaries. Narayana Guru, on the other hand, represented it in a way that was comprehensible to everyone, based on modern scientific logic. His emphasis was on how Advaita Darshanam could serve to enrich human life and elevate it.
