Sri Sankaracharya [ Sri Ãdhi Sankarar ] was born in Kaaladi, a village in the State of Kerala, in South India. He is believed to be an Avathara of Siva. He developed the commentaries to Sri Vyasa's Vedhantha Dharsana. He gave us the Adhvaitha System of Hindu Philosophy and also the rules for Vigraha worship.

These formed the basis of modern day Hindu Philosophy, Religious practice, Smartha sect of Hinduism and traditions of Temple and home prayer rituals.

The first systematic exponent of Advaitham is Sri Gaudapaada, who is said to have lived in the 8th century A.D. His pupil Sri Govinda later became the teacher for Sri Sankara. [Some Hindu historians and scholars claim Sankara lived in the 6th century B.C.] The Adhvaitha system of Sri Sankara was developed as a commentary on Vyasa Maharishi's Brahma Suthra and the Vedhantha Philosophy. It has contributed to the vast majority of Smartha, Saiva and Saktha followers, closely following their traditions with some features of rituals, modifying the Poorva Mimamsa system. The Advaitha taught by Sankara is a rigorous, absolute one. Whatever is, is Brahmam. It is absolutely homogenous by Itself. "Brahmam, the Absolute, alone is real; this world is unreal; and the Jiva or individual soul is non-different from Brahmam." The Atman is self evident. The atman is the basis of all knowledge. Brahmam is not an object, as It is Adrishya, beyond the reach of our vision. Sankara's Supreme Brahmam is Nirguna, formless, without attributes, without special characteristics, immutable and eternal. It is impersonal. It becomes a personal God or Saguna Brahmam only through Its association with Maya. They are not two opposite entities.

In Advaitha philosophy, the same Nirguna Brahmam appears as Saguna Brahmam for the pious worship of the devotees. It is the same Truth from two different points of views. The former is transcendental and the latter is relative. The Jiva or the individual soul is relatively real. Its individuality lasts until it is bound by the unreal Upathis or limiting conditions due to Avidhyas. The Jiva identifies itself with the body, mind and the senses when it is deluded by the Avidhya or ignorance. Jiva merges one with the Brahmam when it gets knowledge through annihilation of Avidhya. To Sankara, the world also is only relatively real. If you get knowledge, the Maya will vanish and the illusion of body and world will disappear. The unchanging Brahmam appears like changing world through the mysterious Maya. The superimposition of the world on Brahmam is due to Avidhya or ignorance as a result of the mysterious effects of Maya. In Vivartha-Vaada, the cause produces the effect without undergoing any change in itself. When Avidhya or the veil of ignorance is destroyed through knowledge of the Eternal, when Mithya-Jnana is removed by true knowledge, we shine in the Divine splendor and glory with the true vision of the Absolute.

Sri Sankara's Adhvaitha theory was a good reply to the theories of blind rituals of Poorva Mimamsa and to Buddhist teachings which were gaining acceptance in some areas. He wrote commentaries to Srimad Baghvad Geetha to show Sri Krishna's opposition to blind ritualistic practices as in Mimamsa. He also opposed the passive cause and effect theories of Sankhya and Buddhist theories against Vedic Gods. In addition to the Adhvaitha philosophy and teachings on Jnana marga, Sri Sankara also established his system of devotional worship of six forms of Saguna Brahmam for daily prayers to Ishta-Devatha or a personal Deity in the form of a Vigraha at homes or in Temples. He also gave us the religious practice following the Vedas and Smrithis. This was for the common people who can not reach the high level of Jnana marga. He established four of his ashramams in the four corners of India to propagate his system of philosophy.