Conquest of the Four Quarters: Traditional Accounts of the Life of Sankara - Hardcover

Bader, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 817742002X ISBN 13: 9788177420029

Publisher: Aditya Prakashan, 2000

Synopsis

Some seven hundred years or more after Sankara's day, a series of hagiographies began to emerge which were instrumental in establishing him in popular culture. The texts succeeded in creating a fluid and dynamic image of Sankara which became celebrated throughout the whole of the sub-continent. This study examines the hagiographies composed prior to and including the Sankaradigvijaya, eight works in all. Selections from seven previously untranslated texts are presented here for the first time. The book considers how Sankara has been received in India, focusing specifically on the conceptual models upon which his life story is constructed. Firstly, there are the mythic foundations. Secondly, the sense of place is established through the narratives of Sankara's all-India tour. This grand pilgrimage proved to be a quest for the throne of omniscience. Thirdly, there are the great debates which Sankara contested in the course of his journey. These culminated in a digvijaya, a conquest of the four quarters, through which he eventually came to be recognised as a national hero. Much attention is also paid to the legacy of Sankara and the continuity of the Advaita tradition. The book includes interviews with some of the most influential Sankaracaryas of our day.

About this edition

• Publisher: Aditya Prakashan
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 817742002X
• ISBN 13: 9788177420029
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 392
• Editor: Bader Jonathan