Jiva

MIND, MATTER AND GOD : JIVA, JADA AND ISVARA
M.M.NINAN
SANKARACHARYA OF KALADI
In order to understand the position of Sankaracharya we need to look into the religious
scenario of India with special reference to Kerala where Sankara was born and brought
up. At the time of Sankara, there were essentially four religious groups in Kerala:
Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and Vedism. Hinduism was emerging out of Vedism
and Christianity as a synthesis. Buddhism and Jainism were almost dead in Kerala yet
their philosophies and ideals were still in vogue.
According to historians, Shankara was born in the year Nandana (26th year of the sixty
year cycle) in the lunar month of Vaishaakha (May/June) under the Zodiac sign of the
Archer on Monday in the year 805 AD.
The Indian Antiquary magazine volume XXVI in 1897, P Sundaram Pillai quotes shlokas
in the three manuscript leaves where Shankara’s birth is Vibhava Varsha, Kali year
3889 and his death, the full moon in Vaishakha Kali year 3921. This corresponds to the
period of 788 – 820 AD. This is now accepted as the reliable date.
However the muts that were established by Sankara gives varying dates varying from
(Dwaraka, Puri and Kanchi ) 509 BC to (Sringeri) 44 BC. They in fact have generations
of disciples (Sishya Parampara) in the mut that extends to those periods. Hindu
traditions always try to push dates as far back in time as possible to claim the originality
of ideas.
If we accept this date it is certainly evident that Shankara was born in the thick of
Christian and Jewish theological centers of Kerala not far from the still existing Christian
Kingdoms and Jewish Kingdoms that persisted after the long 6 centuries of Christian
Kalabhra era.
There was also a strong Islamic presence with extreme transcendent Allah concept.
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