The Vedāntic Influence on Śaṅkaradeva’s Religious and Literary Vision

Abstract

Śrīmanta Śaṅkaradeva was the founder of Neo-Vaishnavism. His contribution to Assamese literature and culture is unparalleled. He was simultaneously a poet, religious preacher, a social reformer, playwright, actor, musician and a supreme guru. He deeply believed in monism. His theory of reality is known as Ekaswarvāda, meaning there is only one God. The influence of Vedānta philosophy is clearly visible in Śaṅkaradeva’s religious thoughts and writings. While Śaṅkarāchāry in his Advaita Vedānta accepted Brahman as the sole truth, Śaṅkaradeva accepted Lord Vishnu as the only deity to be worshipped. His religious theory is known as Ek-sarana Nām Dharma. He said that we should submit ourselves only to the supreme absolute being, not to any other entity (Borkakoti, 2024). Śaṅkaradeva's idea of one ultimate God, or Ekaswarvāda, is found clearly in the conversation and debates held between Śaṅkaradeva and his favourite disciple, Mādhavdev. According to Śaṅkaradeva, Lord Vishnu is the root of all gods. By worshipping Vishnu, all other deities are pleased, just as pouring water at the root of a tree nourishes all its branches, leaves, fruits and followers. Therefore, by merely worshipping the name of Vishnu, one can achieve complete success.