Adi Shankaracharya (Philosopher)

Adi Shankaracharya was an influential Indian philosopher and spiritual leader from the 8th century, renowned for consolidating and reviving the Advaita Vedanta tradition. He taught that the ultimate reality, or Brahman, is one undivided, eternal, and beyond all forms, and that individual souls (Atman) are inherently identical to this supreme reality. His teachings emphasize that true knowledge of this unity leads to liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Through his philosophical works, debates, and establishment of monastic centers, Shankaracharya significantly shaped Hindu thought, emphasizing self-realization and the oneness of all existence.