ŚAṄKARA vs ŚAṄKARA

Below is a clean, powerful, comparison of “Śaṅkara vs Śaṅkara” — showing the contrast between Śaṅkarācārya’s philosophical system (Advaita) and Śaṅkara’s own prayers and personal expressions.

This is widely used by Gauḍīya ācāryas, including Śrīla Prabhupāda, and is effective because it lets Śaṅkara speak against himself, without insult.

ŚAṄKARA vs ŚAṄKARA

Philosophy vs Prayers

A Vedāntic Self-Contradiction Exposed

ŚAṄKARA THE PHILOSOPHER

(Advaita Vedānta – Public Doctrine)

Core Teachings:

Brahman is nirviśeṣa (without form or attributes)

Jīva and Brahman are ultimately one

Difference is due to avidyā (ignorance)

Īśvara is temporary / lower (vyāvahārika)

Bhakti is preparatory, not final

Liberation = identity realization

Key Advaitic Claims

“Brahman alone is real; the world and individuality are illusory.”

Consequences:

Devotion has no eternal object

Līlā is māyā

Service becomes ignorance

Love collapses into abstraction

ŚAṄKARA THE DEVOTEE

(Śaṅkara’s Own Prayers & Devotional Works)

Now compare with Śaṅkara’s personal writings, which directly contradict his own Advaita conclusions.

Bhaja Govindam

bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ

govindaṁ bhaja mūḍha-mate

Meaning

“Worship Govinda! Worship Govinda! Worship Govinda, O fool!”

Contradiction:

If Govinda is māyā, why worship Him?

If identity is liberation, why command devotion?

Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi (36)

mokṣa-kāraṇa-sāmagrīyāṁ

bhaktir eva garīyasī

Meaning

“Among all means to liberation, bhakti alone is supreme.”

Contradiction:

Śaṅkara Advaita says jñāna alone liberates

Śaṅkara says bhakti is the greatest

Viveka-cūḍāmaṇi (31)

śraddhā-bhakti-dhyāna-yogād

avaihi brahmātmatattvam

Meaning

“Realize Brahman through faith, devotion, and meditation.”

Contradiction:

Identity without devotion is impossible, even for Śaṅkara

Śaṅkara on Nārāyaṇa

nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt

Meaning

“Nārāyaṇa is transcendental to the unmanifest (Brahman).”

This is Fatal to Advaita

If Nārāyaṇa is beyond Brahman, Brahman is not supreme

This aligns with Bhāgavata siddhānta, not Advaita

Viṣṇu-bhujanga-stotram

viṣṇuṁ jagat-vyāpinaṁ vande

keśavaṁ kleśa-nāśanam

Meaning

“I worship Viṣṇu, who pervades the universe and destroys suffering.”

Contradiction

Worship requires difference

Non-dual identity eliminates worship entirely

HOW GAUḌĪYA VAIṢṆAVAS EXPLAIN THIS

Śrīla Prabhupāda gives the reconciliation:

“Śaṅkarācārya preached Māyāvāda by order, but personally he was a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu.”

Thus:

Śaṅkara’s philosophy = strategic, provisional

Śaṅkara’s heart = devotional

Śaṅkara’s prayers = his real conviction

WHY THIS MATTERS TODAY

When modern teachers say:

“Jīva, guru and Īśvara are one”

they go beyond even Śaṅkara.

Because:

Śaṅkara never prayed to himself

Śaṅkara never claimed to be Nārāyaṇa

Śaṅkara told others to worship Govinda

FINAL GAUḌĪYA VERDICT

Śaṅkara’s Advaita was his mission.

Bhakti to Govinda was his conclusion.

And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu completes what Śaṅkara began:

jīvera svarūpa haya — kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa

If identity is liberation, why did Śaṅkara worship Govinda?