Sri Śaṅkaradeva’s Spiritual Mission: Its Relevance to Present Society

Sri Śaṅkaradeva, the great medieval Vaiṣṇava saint of Assam, laid the concrete socio-cultural foundation through his lasting contribution towards philosophy, religion, literature, art and culture. His Eka-śaraṇa nāma dharma was accessible even for the most ignorant and the humblest. Sri Śaṅkaradeva’s faith acted positively in shaping the moral and social standards of an individual. He tried to establish a democratic society deliberating lessons on equality, tolerance, fraternity, non-violence and so on, and spread the message of social harmony.

The recent economic, social, scientific and technological developments have made us to forget that there is a spiritual spark inherent in every human being. This serious issue alienates one individual from the other. But long ago, during 15^th and 16^th centuries, Śaṅkaradeva declared spiritual equality of all men and denounced caste system. He promulgated that a genuine spiritual life would mould the character of an individual. His spiritualistic humanism tried to wipe off the prevailing social and other evils of his time. This paper is a trivial effort to find out how Śaṅkaradeva’s spiritual mission has been exercising and restoring healthy influence on the moral, philosophical and social outlook of individuals of present society.