Shankara was an influential philosopher of India, born in Kerala in the 8th century. He was an advocate of Advaita - the doctrine of the oneness of the individual soul and the Supreme *** which is the Ultimate Reality. He taught that Brahman, the only or Ultimate Reality, was formless and without any attributes. He considered the world around us to be an illusion or maya and preached renunciation of the world and adoption of the path of knowledge to understand the true nature of Brahman and attain salvation.
