Philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya for Children

Adi Shankaracharya was a great Indian philosopher and saint. He was born in a village called Kaladi in the state of Kerala, India.

Even as a child, he was curious about big questions like: Who am I? Why am I here? He read the Vedas and Upanishads—ancient Indian books full of wisdom—and was drawn to a peaceful life of learning and teaching. Shankara became a student of a wise teacher named Govindapada. He learned about deep ideas related to God and truth and wrote many books to explain these in a simple way.

Even as a teenager, Shankara amazed everyone with his clear thinking and powerful words. He traveled all over India, teaching about Advaita Vedanta, the idea that everything is one. Ideas of Adi Shankaracharya

1. One Truth Behind Everything - Atman

Shankaracharya said that even though people and things seem different, everything is made of one truth called Atman—pure awareness. The existential reality of every entity of the universe is Atman.

Examples:

Just like a lump of clay can be shaped into different pots but always remains clay, the true Self—Atman—takes many forms like humans, animals, plants, rivers, and mountains, yet stays the same at the core.

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2. Water can become ice or turn into vapour, but it's still the same water. In the same way, everything in this universe may look different, but deep down, everything is made of the same true essence.

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2. Illusion hides the truth

Adi Shankaracharya said that sometimes, we don’t see things as they really are. We live in a kind of dream or magic spell called Illusion or Maya.

Maya makes us believe that we are just our body or mind and that we are all different from each other. But the truth is—we are all part of the same one thing, called Atman, which is like the light inside everyone and everything.

Because of Maya, we forget who we really are. But after getting the right knowledge about ourselves, we can understand the difference between Truth and Illusion. It’s like waking up from a dream and knowing the truth.

Examples:

You are walking in the evening and see something on the ground. It looks like a snake, and you get scared! But when someone brings a flashlight, you see it was only a rope. Your eyes made a mistake because it was dark. That’s what Maya does—it makes us believe something is real when it’s not.
Have you ever seen a magic or 3D painting? At first, it looks like just dots or colors. But when you look closely and focus, a hidden picture pops out!

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In the same way, Maya hides the truth. It shows only what’s on the surface. But when we look deeper, with knowledge, we discover something more real—that we are not just the body or mind, but something greater. 3. Negation or Neti-Neti approach of Self-Realization

Shankaracharya explained this concept through a beautiful poem called Nirvana Shatakam. In this poem, he says what he is not—he is not the body, the mind, or even the ego. This simple but powerful poem helps us understand that our true self is beyond all identities and labels—it is full of wisdom, peace, and happiness.

Examples:

Think of a play where you dress up like a king or a clown. You wear a costume and act, but when the play is over, you take it off. You are not the costume—you are the person inside.

Our bodies and thoughts are like costumes. Shankaracharya says, “I am not the costume (the body or the ego), I am the one inside—the true self, full of wisdom and joy.”

A mirror may look dirty if there’s dust on it, but the mirror itself is not the dust. When you wipe it clean, it shines again.

Our worries, sadness, or anger are like dust. Our true self is like a clear mirror—always bright and shining underneath. Nirvana Shatakam reminds us to look beyond the dust and find the light inside us.

Three Steps to Self-Realization by Shankaracharya

Shravana (Listening) – Hear the truth.
Manana (Thinking) – Understand it deeply.
Nididhyasana (Meditating) – Let your heart feel it.

Conclusion

Shankaracharya's teachings help us understand our true selves and the truth behind the existence of this universe. Once we know ourselves, we can stay calm in every situation and be kind to everyone as we share the same oneness with them, which can also be called God.