From Many Gods to One Truth: The Story of Adi Shankara and Hindu Philosophy


From Many Gods to One Truth: The Story of Adi Shankara and Hindu Philosophy

👋 Introduction

Have you ever wondered why we pray to so many gods in Hinduism? Or why some people say that God doesn’t have a form at all?

This is a story about how people grow in their understanding of God, and how one very wise teacher, Adi Shankaracharya, helped everyone on that journey — whether they liked praying to a god or wanted to know the deeper truth behind everything.

🧠 1. Why Big Ideas Can Be Hard to Understand

Some people love asking questions like:

  • Who am I?

  • Why was I born?

  • What is the real purpose of life?

These are very big questions. And not everyone asks them — not because they’re not smart, but because they’re busy doing everyday things like school, work, and play.

Even if someone does want to understand these big ideas, it takes time, patience, and the right kind of mind to understand them fully.

💖 2. Why Devotion (Bhakti) Helps Us Grow

Some people love God like a friend, parent, or teacher. They sing songs, tell stories, light lamps, and pray. This is called Bhakti, or devotion.

And guess what? That’s a beautiful way to get closer to the truth!

Even if someone doesn’t understand big ideas about the universe, they can still grow spiritually by loving God with all their heart.

🕉 3. Why There Are So Many Gods

You might wonder: Why do we have Ganesha, Krishna, Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga, and so many more?

Hinduism teaches that:

There is only one truth, but it has many names and forms.

It’s like water. You can drink it from a glass, bottle, or river — but it’s still water!

Each god or goddess helps us understand one part of the big picture. By worshipping them, our mind becomes calm, focused, and full of love.

🙏 4. What Makes Adi Shankara So Special

A long time ago, there lived a great teacher named Adi Shankaracharya. He was a brilliant thinker who taught that God is everywhere and in everything. He said:

The real truth is not outside you — it is inside you.

But he also knew that people need help to reach that truth. So he didn’t say “Don’t worship gods.” Instead, he helped people start with prayer and slowly move toward deeper understanding.

He set up temples all over India to help people:

  • Kollur Mookambika – for Mother Goddess

  • Sringeri Sharada – for Wisdom

  • Badrinath – for Lord Vishnu

  • Kedarnath – for Lord Shiva

Even though he believed that God has no form, he honored the forms because he knew they help people grow.

🌟 5. Learning from Saints

Many saints like Ramakrishna, Aurobindo, and Ramana Maharshi followed this same idea. They lived simple lives, helped people, and became very peaceful and wise.

They didn’t just talk about God — they felt God inside them and helped others feel it too.

🧘‍♀️ Conclusion: The Journey from Outside to Inside

So here’s the amazing thing Hinduism teaches:

  • It’s okay to start by praying to God in a form you love.

  • Over time, you can learn that God is everywhere — even inside you!

Adi Shankara showed us that we don’t have to choose between devotion and wisdom. We can start with prayers and move slowly toward real understanding.

Like learning the alphabet before writing stories,
We start with idols, and then find the invisible truth behind them.

✨ What You Can Do

  • Light a lamp and say a prayer — that’s Bhakti.

  • Ask questions like “Who am I?” — that’s Jnana (wisdom).

  • Be kind, honest, and calm — that’s how we grow.

One day, just like the saints, you may feel that everything around you is full of peace, love, and God.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chess-How to play

 To win in this game , you need to trap your oppnent's king (checkmate) or get into a position where  they give up (resign) This can be achieved using 'pieces' Pieces move in different ways- The Pawn - this piece moves forward 1 square and captures 1 square diagonally.If it is a pawn's first move , it can also move 2 squares.
Read more

From Form to Formless: How Hinduism Guides Us to the Self

From Form to Formless: How Hinduism Guides Us to the Self What is the purpose of praying to a deity? Are Hindu gods just symbols? And how does worship fit into the idea that, ultimately, we are all one with the divine? These are questions many sincere seekers ask when they begin to explore Hindu philosophy—especially Advaita Vedanta, the school of thought that declares that only Brahman, the infinite formless reality, is ultimately real . The answer lies in the genius of Hinduism, especially as taught by Adi Shankaracharya , who showed us that worship of form can lead to the formless —and that Gods are not imaginary , but living presences who guide us toward the truth of who we are. 1. Saguna to Nirguna: Shankara’s Path While Adi Shankaracharya is known as the foremost teacher of non-dualism ( Advaita ), he also understood that most seekers are not ready to contemplate the formless absolute ( Nirguna Brahman ) directly. Instead, he created a systematic path where worship of de...
Read more