ajAti vAda

always exists. All that is required is the removal of ignorance. For this reason, the
way of advaita vedAnta is also called the path of knowledge (jnAna-mArga).
10. What is the significance of jIvanmukti?
advaita holds that realization of brahman is possible on this earth itself. The
highly evolved seeker, who approaches vedAntic study with a pure mind, and a
strong tendency of mumukshutva, is fit to really experience brahman. One who
has actually realized brahman, is a jIvanmukta - he is liberated while still living.
He continues to live in a material body, because of the momentum of the
prArabha karma that has already started taking fruit. But he accumulates no
further karma, because all Agamin karma and sancita karma are "burnt" in the
knowledge of brahmajnAna. The body eventually dies, and the jIvanmukta is said
to have attained videhamukti. In accordance with the Sruti, "na sa punarAvartate,"
he does not enter into the cycle of rebirths any more.
11. Who are the leading writers in the advaita tradition?
The earliest advaitins whose writings are available today are gauDapAda (6th or
7th cent. CE - mANDUKya kArikas) and SankarAcArya (8th cent. CE -
brahmasUtra bhAshyas, bhagavadgItA bhAshya and various upanishad bhAshyas
). Four disciples of SankarAcArya are known in the tradition - sureSvara,
padmapAda, toTaka and hastAmalaka. An elder contemporary of SankarAcArya
was maNDana miSra, who is traditionally identified with sureSvara.
In the post-Sankaran period, some of the leading authors are vAcaspati miSra (9th
cent. CE), sarvajnAtman (9th - 10th cent. CE), prakASAtman (10th cent. CE),
SrIharsha (12th cent. CE), citsukha (13th cent. CE), Anandagiri, bhAratI tIrtha,
vidyAraNya (13th - 14th cent. CE), madhusUdana sarasvatI, nRsimhASrama,
appayya dIkshita (16th cent. CE), sadASiva brahmendra and upanishad
brahmendra (17th - 18th cent. CE), are notable figures in the tradition. In the 20th
century, candraSekhara bhAratI and saccidAnandendra sarasvatI have written
scholarly treatises on advaita vedAnta. Other than these, there have been many
other equally illustrious scholars who have not written texts, but who have taught
their disciples through oral instruction. These post-Sankaran authors are discussed
at http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/avhp/advaita.html#philosophers.
12. What are the advaita institutions of the present day?
All present day advaitins trace their guru-parampara through the four disciples of
SrI SankarAcArya. These disciples were the first leaders of the four AmnAya
maThas (monasteries) at Puri (Govardhan Math, Puri 752 001, Orissa) Sringeri
(Sri Sarada Peetham, Sringeri 577 139, Karnataka), Dvaraka (Dvaraka Peeth,
Dvaraka 361 335, Gujarat ) and Badrinath (Sri Sankaracharya Math, Joshimath,
Badri 246 443, Uttar Pradesh). All four maThas are functioning today. Other
well-known maThas are based in Kaladi, Bangalore, Kudali, Ujjain,