ADI SHANKARACHARYA AND HIS WORKS

JAGATHGURU SHAKARACHARYA

Shankaracharya is the only reason for existence and continuation of  Vedic / Sanathana  Dharma, even today. Yes, he alone propagated Advaitha Philosophy and fought against 72 Avaidhika Dharma's [religions] and re-established the Sanathana dharma by travelling by foot across the India for three times. We are able to celebrate every festival of Sanathana Dharma because of Shankaracharya.
He is the Kalaa Avatar of Lord Shiva, 
In every Yuga the one who has no form will take many forms to save Dharma, and to destroy demons, says Yajur Veda, which also said by Sri Krishna in Bhagavath Gita, 

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।

अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्‌ ॥

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्‌ ।

धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥

Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glaanir Bhavathi Bharatha |

Abhyudhanam Adharmasya Thadathmaanam Srijamyaham ||

Parithranaaya Sadhunaam Vinashaaya cha Dushkruthaam |

Dharma Sansthaapanaardhaaya Sambhavaami Yuge Yuge ||

Meaning:

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice [Dharma], and a predominance rise of irreligion [Adharma], at that time I descend myself.

To deliver the pios and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principle of religion [Dharma], I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.

In the earlier Yuga's like Thretha and Dwapara, Lord Vishnu had accepted the Avathar [Incarnations] to destroy the demons, who do evil acts and perform Adharma. But in case of Kali Yuga, because of the impact of Kali Purush [demon], Dharma was rapidly declining and the evilness was in every individual hearts, and to destroy the evil in the hearts of humans, Lord Shiva incarnated as the Jagathguru, who spreaded the light over the darkness by his teachings. This shows how Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is one and the same.

Kalaa avathar is the avathar where the Lord incarnates to spread awareness and educate the people [as guru] which help people to fight with the evil which exists in themself and leads to enlightenment.

Birth Place of Shankaracharya, Kalady

Shankaracharya was born on Vaishakha Shukla Paksha Panchami in Kalady, Kerala, in Bramhana family, to the couple of Shivaguru and Aryamba, in 8th Century. 

He is also called as Adi Shankaracharya, Shankara BhagavathPadacharya, Parama Hamsa Shankaracharya, and Jagathguru Shankaracharya, as his writings help every individual to walk in the spiritual path and enlighten, he established Shanmathas [six mathas/sects] and got named as Shanmatha Sthapanacharya.

He's only philosophy is Na Dvaitham-Advaitham, means there is only one entity and that is Bramhan. His father died when he was very small.

Shankaracharya mastered Sanskrit and all other local languages at the age of 5, and he did  the first Stotram called Kanaka Dhara Stotram at that time, when a poor women gave her gooseberry as Bhiksha [Bramhana/Brahmin, in his Bramhacharya should eat only the food, which is received in the form of Bhiksha] which resulted in the Kanaka Dhara [rain of Golden gooseberries] for 1 hour, 45 min. 

He was done with Kamya Upanayanam [Act performed to get eligible to know the Vedas and all Shastras] at that age, [5 years] by his mother.
He entered Sanyasa Ashram at the age of 7, and completed all his writings at the age of 16.

By the request of sage Vyasa, who is one of the Chiranjeevi's  he lived for another 16 years, Shankaracharya at the age of 32 years at the place of Uttarakhand, and was last seen by his discipes behind the Kedaranath temple, waking in the Himalayas and got disappeared, it is believed that he competed his Avathar and merged in Lord Shiva
He established Sharadha Peetas in four directions of the Country, Sringeri Sharadha Peetam in South, Dwaraka Peetam in West, Govardhana Peetam in East, Jyothirmatha Peetam in North, and also restructured the ancient system of Sanyasi's.

His Guru was Govinda Bhagavath Padacharya. Shankaracharya, has as many as of  6000 disciples at that time, but mainly four disciples are always seen with him, namely Padma Padacharya, Sureshvaracharya, Hastamalakacharya and Thotakacharya, who are again the Amshas of Gods. Where, Padmapadacharya is the Amsha of Lord Vishnu, Sureshwaracharya is the Amsha of Lord Bramha, Hasthamalakacharya is the Amsha of  Vayu Deva [God of wind], and Thotakacharya is the Amsha of Agni Deva

WORKS OF SHANKARACHARYA :

There are many works of Shankaracharya. Today, in our daily life the slokas or prayers we chant are mostly given by Shankaracarya only. He visited each and every Ancient Temples, Kshethras and did Stotras [stotra means singing the glories and qualities of the deity with pure devotion] of the deities there are many stotras which sung by Shankaracharya, He did Bhasyas to Bramha Sutras given by Vyasa Maharshi, written many Upanishads, Stutis etc., The following are the list of works of our Jagathguru Shankaracharya.

• Kanaka Dhara Stotram
• Nirvana Shatkam or Atma Shatkam
• Moha Mudgara [Bhaja Govindam]
• Ganesha Pancharatna Stotram
• Kalabhairavashtakam
• Dakshina Mutthy Stotram
• Krishnashtakam
• Annapurna Stotram
• Annapurna Ashtakam
• Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba
• Sharada Bhujangam
• Bhavani Ashtakam
• Siva Manasa Puja
• Panduranga Ashtakam
• Subramanya Bhujangam
• Kashi Panchakam
• Mahishasura Mardini Stotram
• Menakshi Pancha Ratna Stotram
• Ardha Narishwara Stotram
• Dakshina Murthy Ashtakam
• Shatpadi Stotram
• Prashnothara Ratna Malika
• Guru Ashtakam
• Avadhutha Gita
• Vivekachudamani
• Bramha Sutra Bhashyam
• Bhagavath Gita Bhashyam
• Thathva Bhoda
• Manisha Panchakam
• Mundaka Upanishad
• Aitareya Upanishad
• Kena Upanishad
• Isha Upanishad
• Katha Upanishad
• Prashna Upanishad
• Svethasvathara Upanishad
• Taittiriya Upanishad
• Mandukya Upanishad
• Shivananda Lahari
• Soundarya Lahari

There are actually more writing's of Shankaracharya other than this.
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