Adi Sankara a demon?

[unhappyboy]

Somewhat controversial, but interesting just the same. Adi Sankara is considered by many as the most popular of all Vedantins. In fact, in the west, Vedanta is synonymous with Sankara's Advaita. But was Sankara a demon, as prophesied by the scriptures?

Here's some startling revelation:

Garudapurana (Brahma kanda, 16th adhyAya)

maNimAnnAma daityastu shaN^karAkhyo bhaviShyati |
sarveShAM saN^karaM yastu kariShyati na saMshayaH ||
tena shaN^karanAmA.asau bhaviShyati khageshvara |
dharmAn.h bhAgavatAn.h sarvAn.h vinashyati sarvathA ||

A Demon by name maNimAn will come into being as Shankara, who will, no doubt, pollute everything. This is why, O King of birds (Garuda), his name will be Shankara; he will pollute and destroy all BhAgavata Dharmas.
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If this is true, then it'll make most Hindus devil-worshippers (as usually alleged by christian missionaries), cuz 90% of Hindus are advaitins.

[podalangai]

Somewhat controversial, but interesting just the same. Adi Sankara is considered by many as the most popular of all Vedantins. In fact, in the west, Vedanta is synonymous with Sankara's Advaita.

I think the biggest Hindu group in the West are the Hare Krishnas, and Vedanta is definitely not synonymous with Advaita to them.

A Demon by name maNimAn will come into being as Shankara, who will, no doubt, pollute everything. This is why, O King of birds (Garuda), his name will be Shankara; he will pollute and destroy all BhAgavata Dharmas.

This is just one of many anti-Advaita sectarian texts produced by Vaishnavites, a very large number of which say that Adi Shankara was a ratchasan. If I remember correctly, even Madhavacharya makes this point in one of his commentaries. So what is your point? Everybody knows that Hindus had a large number of sectarian conflicts in mediaeval times. Ponniyan Selvan gives a fairly good picture of the Shaivite-Vaishnavite disputes in the time of the early mediaeval Cholas.

Using one of these sectarian texts to discredit Advaita is as ridiculous as using one of Jack T. Chick's "The pope is a worshipper of Satan" tracts to say Catholics are devil worshippers.

cuz 90% of Hindus are advaitins.

No, they're not. A very small percentage of Vaishnavites are advaitins, and Vaishnavites are certainly more than 10% of all Hindus. And that's without addressing the question of whether Kaumaram (Murugan worship) is based on Advaita.

[crazy]

If this is true, then it'll make most Hindus devil-worshippers (as usually alleged by christian missionaries), cuz 90% of Hindus are advaitins.

raama raama
ethayo worship pannittu porom, yaar yenna ninacha nammakkenna?!

[Shakthiprabha.]

crazy

[Designer]

unhappyboy : I think you are not allowed to discuss (let alone discredit) specific Religions or specific religious/spiritual gurus in Hub. Leads to unnecessary controversies which we can do without IMO.

Hope mods lock this thread soon.

[Badri]

For every one point of view there can exist and equal and opposite point of view!

Hmm not bad looks like I just made up a new law!!!

Anyway, unhappyboy perhaps if you would abandon such vethandaavadam (any English word for this?) you might actually become a happy boy.

While no doubt freedom of expression remains paramount, because this thread could hurt the sentiments of several people I will be locking it. If any of you feel this should be reopened please send the Mods a PM with valid reasons.