About ĀdiŚhaṅkara’s Philosophical Hymns
ĀdiŚhaṅkara (788 to 820 AD), the great spiritual teacher who propagated the philosophy of non-dualism (Advaita Vedānta) and also contributed significantly to the revival of Hinduism and Spirituality across the length and breadth of India, is well-known for his commentaries and treatises on the subject of Vedāntic philosophy (one of the branches of Indian philosophy).
In addition to his commentaries, which are mostly in Sanskrit prose, he has also composed many beautiful and melodious hymns in Sanskrit metrical form. Usually hymns are written in praise of different deities. However, in the case of ĀdiŚhaṅkara, he has not only composed popular hymns in praise of deities, but has also composed several philosophical hymns (parakaraṇa stotras).
Benefits of studying ĀdiŚhaṅkara’s Philosophical Hymns
A study of ĀdiŚhaṅkara philosophical hymns can be of great help to spiritual seekers, due to the following benefits:
1) The philosophical hymns are easy and pleasant to study and memorize, since they are usually short (consisting of a few stanzas) and are set to metre (chandas).
2) They contain profound philosophical concepts, and the verses can be used effectively for contemplation (nidityāsana).
3) Repeatedly reciting the hymns aloud while reading them in Sanskrit text helps in improving Sanskrit reading and pronunciation skills.
4) Constant recitation and reflection may encourage the seeker to delve deeper into various fields such as Advaita Vedānta philosophy (darśana), Sanskrit pronunciation and phonetics (śikṣā), Sanskrit vocabulary and etymology (nirukta), Sanskrit grammar (vyākaranam) and Prosody (chandas).
Details related to each hymn
Each hymn (stotram) is presented in the following structure
1) Basic details
· Hymn in Sanskrit
· Hymn in transliterated Roman script (IAST and ISO 15919 )
· English Translation
· Commentary
2) Advanced details
· Split-up of Sanskrit words (pada vibhāgha)
· Re-arrangement of Sanskrit words in prose order (anvaya)
· Word-for-word translation (pratipadārtha)
· Metre of the hymn (chandas or vrittam)
· Chant of the hymn (audio recording in mp3 format)
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