Adi Shankara’s explanation of Absolute Truth

1. atashca sankshiptam imaM shrnudhvaM nArAyaNaH sarvamidaM purANaH |

sa sargakAlE ca karOti sarvaM saMhArakAlE ca tadatti bhUyaH ||

Translation: Therefor the conclusion (of all Vedic revelations) is: The ancient Narayana is all
this (in the sense that everything is His energy); He produces the creation at the due time,
and at the time of re-absorption He consumes it again.

Source: This is given as a statement from the purANas by Adi Shankaracharya in his
Sariraka Bhashya for Vedanta Sutra, in the smrityadhikarana section
The brahma sutra (Vedanta Sutra) bhashya is arguably the most important work in Advaita
Vedanta by this Acharya.

2. yataH sarvANi bhUtAni bhavantyAdi yugAgamE |

yasmiMshca pralayaM yAnti punarEva yugakShayE ||

Translation: (This puruShOttama, this viShNu) is from where all the beings were born when
the great eons start, into whom they dissolve when these eons pass.

Source: This verse occurs in the Vishnu Sahasranama Adhyaya of the Mahabharata, and is
also quoted by Bhaskara (who lived after Shankara but before Ramanuja), in the same
smrtyadhikarana section of his commentary on the brahma sUtras.

3. ahaM paraM brahma vAsudevAkhyaM sarvasya jagataH prabhava utpattiH |

matta eva sthiti-nAsha-kriyA-phalopabhoga-lakSaNaM vikriyA-rUpaM sarvaM
jagat pravartate

Translation: "(Lord Krishna says) 'I, the Supreme Parabrahman known by name as
vAsudeva, am the source of the whole world. From Me alone evolves the whole universe in
all its changes, including existence and dissolution, action, effect, and enjoyment'":

Source: (Sri Sankara's commentary to Bhagavad Gita, 10.8 (aham sarvasya prabhavo…))

4. paramArtha-tattvaM ca vAsudevAkhyaM parabrahma-abhideya-bhutaM

visheSataH abhivyaj~nayad vishiSTa-prayojana-sambandha-abhideyavad gItA-
shAstraM

Translation "It (the Bhagavad Gita) expounds specially the nature of the Supreme Being
and the AbsluteTruth known as Vasudeva, the Para-brahman, who forms the subject
matter of the discourse":
Souce: (Introductory Chapter, Sri Sankara's Bhagavadgita bhashya).

As per all the vEdAnta darshanas, there can only be one Supreme God. EVEN as per ADI
SHANKARA's ADVAITA vEdAnta, the existence of multiple supreme beings is denied. In
his authentic works (the bhAShyas on brahma sUtras, gIta, and the ten upaniShads), Shri
Shankara identifies the Supreme Being as none other than Vishnu. Here is a short summary:

1. In his introductory section in bhagavad gItA bhAShya, it is stated that the Supreme
Being is "Vishnu, the one known by the name nArAyaNa, the primordial Creator" (Adi
karta Narayanakhyo Vishnuh), that he is "beyond the material universe"
 (Narayanah paro avyakat) and that He is the original Creator of the universe (sa
Bhagavan srshtvedam jagat).

Adi Shankara identifies Vishnu/Krishna as the

Absolute Truth of the Upanishads:
In his commentaries to the Upanishads, where the shruti (the text of the Upanishad) talks
about the Supreme Deity but does not show that the name or form of the Deity, Sri
Shankaracharya clearly identifies the Supreme Being as

1. “ya īdṛgīśvaro nārāyaṇākhyaḥ, pṛthirvī pṛthivīdevatām, yamayati niyamayati

svavyāpāre, antaro 'bhyantarastiṣṭhan, eṣa ta ātmā, te tava, mama ca
sarvabhūtānāṃ”

Translation: "Supreme Lord with the name nArAyaNa is the supreme controller of
all the planets and the demigods. He is the paramatma who resides in the heart of
me and all other living entities "

Source: (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad bhAShya, 3.7.3)

2. “ESha dEvO viShNur anantaH | prathamasharIrI trailOkyadEhOpadhiH

sarvEShAM bhUtAnAm antarAtmA |”

Translation: "Vishnu, or Ananta, who is the primordial being, who has all the three
worlds for His body, and who is the in-dwelling Supersoul (Paramatma and not
Jivatma) of all the beings"

Source: (Mundaka Upanishad bhAShya, 2.1.4)

3. “tad viShNOr vyApanashIlasya brahmaNaH paramAtmanaH vAsudevAkhyasya

paraM prakR^iShTam padaM sthAnaM satattvaM ityetad-asAv-Apnoti vidvAn
||”

Translation: "Vishnu is the all-pervading Brahman, the Supersoul, known by the

name Vasudeva. He is the Supreme destination, most exalted and Supremely pure.
One who knows this truth is really learned. "

Source: (katha upaniShad bhAShya, 1.3.9)

Nobody is equal to or greater than Vishnu according

to Adi Shankara
4. na tvat samo(a)sti, abhi adhika kuto-anyo loka-trayo-api, apratima-prabhAva?

Translation: There is none who is equal to you, and when that is the case, how even
can there be any who is superior to You in any of three worlds, Oh Lord, who is of
unrivaled power?:
 Source: Sri Shankara’s Bhagavad Gita commentary 11.43

Sri Shankara's explanation reflects the Acharya's opinion that the above mode of
praise is not at all exaggerated. The Bhagavatpada-Acharya explains thus:

"na hi IshvaradvayaM saMbhavati, anekeshvaratve vyavahAra-anupatteH"

Translation: For there cannot be two Supreme Gods, if so, the world as it exists now will not
be able to function properly.

Source: (Bhagavad Gita – Shankara Bhashya, 11.43)

5. na me viduH na jananti suraganah brahmadayah | kiM te na viduH? mama

prabhavaM prabhAvaM prabhushakti-atishayam, athavA prabhavaM
prabhavanaM utpattiM | na-api mahaRSayaH bhRgvAdayaH viduH | kasmAt te
na viduriti-ucyate -- aham AdiH kAraNaM hi yasmAt devAnAm mahaRSINAM ca
sarvashaH sarvaprakAraiH

Translation: ["(Lord Krishna says) 'neither the devas -- Brahma and others -- know; -what
do they not know? My majesty, abundance of lordly power-or, derived in the sense of
'coming into being', it means origin. Nor even the great sages, Bhrgu, Marici, Atri, Pulastya,
Pulaha, Kratu and Vasistha. This is because I (Lord Krishna) am the Supreme Primordial
Cause of all, including the devas and the sages.'"]

Source: Bhagvad Gita- Shankara Bhashya 10.2,: [GBhS:5].

The Chandogya Upanisad speaks about the Uttama Purusha (Most exalted being) without
clarifying His specific name. So Sri Shankaracarya clarifies that this uttama purusha is none
other than Lord Krishna as mentioned in Bhagavat Gita.

6. evaṃ ca sa uttamapuruṣa uttamaścāsau puruṣaścetyuttamapuruṣaḥ sa

evottamapuruṣo 'kṣisvapnapuruṣau vyaktāvavyaktaśca suṣuptaḥ samastaḥ
saṃprasanno 'śarīraśca svena rūpeṇeti /
7. eṣāmeṣa svena rūpeṇāvasthitaḥ kṣarākṣarau
vyākṛtāvyākṛtāvapekṣyottamapuruṣaḥ kṛtanirvacano hyayaṃ gītāsu /

Here, Shankara refers to the Nirvachanam (definition) in Gita, hence again confirming that
the Uttama Purusha is Vishnu only. This is supported by Anandagiri, who in the Chandogya
Upanishad Tika, quotes the Gita 15.17 and 15.18.

Source: Chandogya Upanishad Tika, quotes the Gita 15.17 and 15.18.

Adi Shankara glorified only Krishna as the Supreme

Lord.
Melpattur Narayana Bhattatiri (the author of Sri Narayaniyam says:-
 śrīśaṅkaro'pi bhagavān sakaleṣu tāvat

tvāmeva mānayati yo na hi pakṣapātī /

tvanniṣṭhameva sa hi nāmasahasrakādi

vyākhyad bhavatstutiparaśca gatiṃ gato'nte // (Narayaniyam – 90.5)

Translation: Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada, who is reputedly free from bias, worshipped You
(Krishna) particularly among all Sakala forms (those having attributes) of Yours. He wrote
Commentatries only on Vishnu Sahasranama, Bhagavadgita and other works depicting You.
In the end, he also attained liberation singing Your glories.

Deshamangala Varyar who wrote a commentary to Sri Narayaniyam comments on the

above verse as follows:

"Shankara wrote commentaries explaining Vishnu alone and not Shiva and others as the
Supreme. He was not inclined to writing stotras glorifying Shiva."

This establishes that the stotras glorifying Shiva, Shakti etc. (such as the two Laharis) are
authored by some recent Shankaracharyas who are heads of mutts, and they have been
attributed to Adi Shankara artificially.

Devotees of Shiva and other demigods are inferior

to Vaishnava’s according to Adi Shankara.
yoginām api sarveṣāṃ rudrādityādi-dhyāna-parāṇāṃ madhye mad-gatena mayi
vāsudeve samāhitenāntarātmanāntaḥ-karaṇena śraddhāvān śraddadhānaḥ san
bhajate sevate yo mām, sa me mama yuktatamo 'tiśayena yukto mato 'bhipreta iti

Translation: Among all the yogi’s those who are devoted to or meditating upon demigods
like Rudra (Lord Shiva), the one who performs My unalloyed devotional service (with all their
senses) with faith, is the best. This is my opinion.

Source: Bhagavad Gita Bhashya by Adi Shankara 6.47

Also in Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (9.23-9.25),

Only Vaishnavas can get liberation according to

Shankara
yAnti iti || yAnti gachchanti devavratAH deveShu
vrataM niyamaH bhaktishcha yeShAM te devavratAH
devAn | yAnti pitR^In agniShvAttAdIn yAnti
pitR^ivratAH shrAddhAdikriyAparAH pitR^ibhaktAH
|bhUtAni vinAyakamAtR^igaNachaturbhaginyAdIni
yAnti bhUtejyAH bhUtAnAM pUjakAH | yAnti
madyAjinaH madyajanshILAH vaiShNavAH mAM
eva | samAne api AyAse mAM eva na bhajante
aj~nAnAt; tena te aLpaphaLabhAjaH bhavanti
ityarthaH ||

Shankara says worshipers of other deities, such as Vinayaka, Matrus etc. obtain finite
results, whereas the vaiShNavas, who worship Lord Vasudeva obtain the eternal fruit of
moksha. Here, Shankara specifically uses the term "vaiShNavas" and states that they alone
attain eternal bliss, worshiping vAsudEva as the Supreme and as the in-dweller of all other
deities. He specifically says that even though the devotees of other deities spend an effort of
equal measure as the Vaishnavas (but not directed at the worship of Vasudeva), they obtain
finite results which are subject to return to the samsAra (cycle of birth and death).

Adi Shankaras personal faith was in the path of

Krishna consciousness even though he preached
the philosophy of advaita in order to attract people
with atheistic temperament to the Vedic fold.
From several instances in his life we can perceive this. Few are shared below:-

1. Once his widowed mother Aryamba, fainted after walking three kilometers for her
daily bath in the Periyar, then known as Purna river. Feeling helpless, Shankara
prayed to Lord Krishna. The tears of the child moved Krishna, who blessed him thus:
"The river will flow where your little foot prints (Kal-adi). The Purna river took its new
course in the place marked by the little boy's feet. That place came to be called
Kalady. The Purna river began flowing through Shankara's home garden. Shankara
then installed Krishna into the present temple (Thrikkaladiyappan), and marked the
occasion by reciting his famous Achyutashtakam.
Thus "Kalady" signifies the love of an innocent child for his beloved mother and his
devotional faith in Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
 Thrikkaladiyappan (Sri Krishna) Temple, Kalady (Birthplace of Adi Shankara)

2. Its said that Adi Shakara had great affection for his mother Aryamba who was a great
devotee. It was really painful for Aryamba to part with Shankara when he took
sannyasa at the age of eight. She lamented that there is no one left for her in life.
Adding to this, the orthodox Nambudiri Brahmana community ostracized Shankara
and his mother from their society because taking sannayasa at such a young age
was unacceptable for them. Aryamba was shattered and clueless about life ahead.
So in order to pacify the agonized mother Sri Shankara who was Shiva himself gave
her a benediction that whenever there is an urgent requirement, she can remember
him and he will come there to her help. He gave her assurance that the Suprem Lord
Krishna is personally present next to her house as Thrikkaladiyappan and she has to
render devotional service unto Him. Saying this Shankara departed.
A description exhibited in the Temple. This says that Krishna was the family Deity of Sri
Shankara.

3. Many yeas passed by and the old Aryamba became bedridden. Awaiting death, she
remembered her son, and as promised Shankaracharya appeared there mystically.
He wanted to help her get liberation. So he composed a great stotra called “Vishnu
bhujanga stotram” standing next to her death bed. In one of the verses of this
beautiful prayer Sri Shankara says –

Mukhe mandahasam, nakhe chandrabhasam,

Kare charu chakram, suresadhi vandhyam,
Bhujange sayanam, bhaje Padmanabham,
Harenanya daivam na manye na manye.,

Translation: I salute the Supreme Lord from Whose navel sprouts a lotus
(Padmanabha), Who has a sweet smile on His face and the shine of moon on His
nails, Who holds pretty Chakra in His hand and Who is being saluted by all the
Demigods and Who reclines on a serpent bed.
And again and again I affirm that there is no God for me except Hari.

It is said that by hearing this wonderful prayer, Aryamba got completely absorbed in
Krishna consciousness and fixed her mind on the Lord. A Vaikuntha Vimana
descended and the Vishnudutas took her back home back to Godhead.

4. The celebrated ‘Bhajagovindam’ is yet another masterpiece of this pure devotee.

This is the last work of Adi Sankara and therefore we can see his conclusive
message for Humanity to follow – ‘Worship Govinda’ – in it.
PREDICTION OF SHIVA APPEARING IN KALI-YUGA
AS SHANKARACHARYA
 Posted by GoLoKa VrNdAvAn on January 23, 2014 at 7:04pm
 View Blog

Another interesting prediction is that Lord Shiva, one of the great demigods, would appear in Kali-
yuga as Shankaracharya. In the Padma Purana (6.236.5-12) Shiva explains to his wife, Parvati, that
he will appear in the age of Kali to proclaim that the Buddhist doctrine is a false religion and
illusory. He also said that he would propound the mayavada or impersonalist philosophy,
emphasizing the indefinable nature of the Brahman, the great, impersonal spiritual force. He
explained, "The philosophy of Maya (mayavada) is a wicked doctrine and is pseudo-Buddhist. In the
form of a brahmana, I proclaim this doctrine in Kali-yuga. It makes the words of the holy Vedic
texts meaningless and is condemned in the world. In this doctrine it recommends giving up one's
duties of life [in order to be free of karma], which is said to be religiousness for those who have
fallen from their duties. I will propound the identity of the Supreme Soul and the individual soul to
be the [one and the same] Brahman in nature, without qualities. O goddess, I have conceived this
mayavada (impersonalist) doctrine, which resembles a purport of the Ve das, for deluding people in
this age of Kali [to mislead them toward atheism by denying the personal form of God]."
The Kurma Purana (1.30.33-34) states: "In Kali-yuga, Shankara, Nilalohita, will incarnate for the
purpose of establishing rites of the Shrauta [Vedic] and Smarta [based on Smriti scriptures], with
the desire for the welfare of his devotees. He will teach his disciples the knowledge of Brahman."
The Shiva Purana also quotes the Supreme Lord ordering Lord Shiva: "In Kali-yuga mislead the
people in general by propounding imaginary meanings from the Vedas to bewilder them." How the
Supreme Lord ordered Lord Shiva to appear in Kali-yuga to delude atheists and produce a
philosophy and texts to hide the Supreme Being, and to make Shiva seem superior, is explained in
the Padma Purana (6.71.89-116). Thus, we find in these verses confirmation that it was Lord Shiva
who appeared in the Age of Kali as Shankaracharya at the request of the Supreme.
Shankaracharya (A.D. 788-820), also known as Shankara, was a follower of Shiva, born of a South
Indian brahmana family in the town of Kaladi on the banks of the Periyar river. When Shankara
appeared, Buddhism had spread throughout India. It had been patronized by Emperor Ashoka in the
third century B.C., and the followers of Buddhism had given up the Vedas. The Buddhist philosophy,
basically, is that the material creation is the only manifestation of the Absolute Truth, which itself
is temporary and brought on by egoistic desires. It asserts that these desires must be eliminated for
one to enter back into the void. It propounds that the void itself is all that is real and eternal, and
the source from which everything manifests. The Buddhists believe in neither a soul nor a God and,
ultimately, that the essence of everything is the nothingness or void wherein lies nirvana, freedom
from all suffering.
Shankara's purpose, therefore, was to reform and purify religious life by reestablishing the
authority of the Vedic scriptures. His interpretation of the Vedas is known as advaita or nondualistic
because he taught that the individual jiva or soul is identical with God; that, ultimately, there is no
variety, individuality, or personality in spiritual existence. According to him, the individuality of
the Supreme Being and the jiva is false. This Mayavadi philosophy also teaches that the material
world is false. The impersonal Brahman, or great white light, is truth. One merges back into the
Brahman, where there are no activities or spiritual characteristics, after giving up the ego or bodily
consciousness. Therefore, we find that impersonalists generally do not study the Vedas beyond the
Vedanta-sutras. The reason is that as we progress through the Vedic literature up to the Puranas, it
becomes more specific about the personal characteristics of the Absolute Truth, contradicting the
impersonal viewpoint and establishing that the Supreme Being is a person.
In order for Shankara to teach the way he did, he had to ignore the many statements in the Vedas
which assert that the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Person and the jivas are His subordinate parts.
Therefore, by word jugglery, he developed a twofold theory that Brahman consists of the pure
impersonal Brahman, and that any incarnation of God within this universe is simply a manifestation
of that Brahman. This was a complete rejection of most of the Vedic literature, such as Bhagavad-
grta, and in this way he differed with all orthodox Vedic schools. Like Buddha, he refused to answer
questions about the origin of the cosmos and said that maya, the illusory energy, was inexplicable.
However, since the Buddhists had followed a philosophy of complete atheism for hundreds of years
and would never have accepted a viewpoint advocating a supreme personal God, Shankara's was the
only philosophy they would consider. It was like a compromise between atheism and theism, but
Shankara used the Vedas as the basis of his arguments. As Shankara traveled throughout India his
arguments prevailed and Buddhism bowed. Thus, his purpose was accomplished, so much so that his
Sariraka-bhasya is considered the definitive rendition of Vedanta even to the present day.
It is accepted in the Puranas, however, that Lord Shiva is the greatest devotee of Lord Vishnu,
Krishna. Pictures of Shiva always show him in meditation, concentrating on the Absolute Truth, Sri
Krishna. And several times in Shankaras life he revealed his true beliefs, that he was actually a
devotee of Lord Krishna. In his birthplace of Kaladi, for example, there is a temple near the
samadhi tomb of his mother that has a Deity of Lord Krishna installed by Shankara himself.
Furthermore, in his Gita-bhasya, the first verse explains that Narayana (another incarnation of Lord
Krishna), or Bhagavan, is transcendental to the material creation. In The Bhagavad-gita with the
Commentary of Sri Sankaracarya, Dinkar Vishnu Gokhale establishes that Lord Shiva writes in his
Meditations on the Bhagavad-gita: "Salutations to thee, O Vyasa [Vyasadeva, the incarnation of
Krishna who compiled the Vedas]. Thou art of mighty intellect, and thine eyes are as large as a full-
blown lotus. It was thou who brightened this lamp of wisdom, filling it with the oil of the
Mahabharata." Shankara also points out that it is Bhagavan Krishna, "whose glories are sung by the
verses of the Vedas, of whom the singers of the Sama sing, and of whose glories the Upanishads
proclaim in full choir." This indicates that Shankara was encouraging everyone to read Bhagavad-
gita and Mahabharata as written by Srila Vyasadeva to understand the conclusion of spiritual
knowledge. This also gives evidence that Shankara's personal beliefs were different from the
philosophy he taught. There is no evidence that makes this clearer than texts eight and nine of his
Meditations on the Bhagavad-gita as follows:
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the
transcendental, blissful husband of the Goddess of Fortune, whose mercy turns the dumb into
eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains. Let all obeisances be unto the
Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, whom Brahma, Varuna, Indra, Rudra, the Maruts, and all divine beings
praise with the divine hymns of the Vedas and their supplementary parts, such as the Upanishads,
whom the followers of the Sama-veda glorify with song, whom great mystics see with their minds
absorbed in perfect meditation and of whom all the hosts of demigods and demons know not the
limitations. To Him, the Supreme Lord, let there be all obeisances.
Near the end of his life Shankara wrote a verse which is often neglected by his followers, yet was
for those who might miss the actual purport of the Vedas. In the proper mood of Lord Shiva he
wrote, "Worship Govinda [another name of Krishna], worship Govinda, worship Govinda, you
intellectual fools. At the end of your life all your grammatical arguments will not help you."

part from the Padma Purana, does any

other Purana say that Adi Shankaracharya
will teach mayavadi philosophy?
In the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 236, Lord Shiva says to Parvati that He would
incarnate as Adi Shankaracharya to teach the mayavadi philosophy:

mayavadam asac chastram pracchannam bauddham uchyate mayaiva kalpitam devi kalau
brahmana rupina (Padma Purana 6.236.7)
Translation: "Mayavada or Advaita philosophy is an impious, wicked belief and against all the
conclusions of the Vedas. It is only covered Buddhism. My dear Parvati, in Kali-Yoga I assume
the form of a brahmana (Adi Shankara) and teach this imagined philosophy.
apartham sruti-vakyanam darsayan loka-garhitam sva-karma-rupam tyajya tvam atraiva
pratipadyate sarva-karma paribhrastair vaidharma tvam tad ucyate paresa-jiva-paraikyam maya
tu pratipadyate (Padma Purana 6.236.8-9)
Translation: "This mayavada advaita philosophy preached by me (in form of Adi Shankara)
deprives the words of the holy texts of their acutal meaning and thus it is condemned in the
world. It recommends the renunciation of one's own duties, since those who have fallen from
their duties say that the giving up of duties is religiosity. In this way, I have also falsely
propounded the identity of the Supreme Lord and the individual soul."
brahmanas caparam rupam nirgunam vaksyate maya sarva-svam jagato py asya mohanartham
kalu yuge (Padma Purana 6.236.10)
Translation: "In order to bewilder the atheists, in Kali-yuga, I describe the Supreme Personality
of Godhead Lord Krishna to be without any form and without qualities."
vedante tu maha-sastrera mayavadam avaidikam mayaiva vaksyate devi jagatam nasha-
karanat (Padma Purana 6.236.11)
Translation: "Similarly, in explaining Vedanta scripture, I described the same non-scriptural and
inauspicious mayavada philosophy in order to mislead the entire population toward atheism by
denying the personal form of my beloved Lord."
Are there any similar verses in other scriptures saying that Lord Shiva would appear as a
Brahmana to preach the mayavada philosophy?

The following verses are from Garuda Purana, Brahma kanda, 16th Adyaya:

maNimAnnAma daityastu shaN^karAkhyo bhaviShyati |

sarveShAM saN^karaM yastu kariShyati na saMshayaH || 3:16:70

tena shaN^karanAmA.asau bhaviShyati khageshvara |

dharmAn.h bhAgavatAn.h sarvAn.h vinashyati sarvathA || 3:16:71

A Demon by name maNimAn will come into being as Shankara, who will, no doubt, pollute
everything. This is why, O King of birds (Garuda), his name will be Shankara; he will pollute and
destroy all BhAgavata Dharmas.

Source
vAyu purANa :-

janayiShyathi Kala: kaScinmaNimAn vidhDhipaarvathi |

praviSya thathra dhEvESa pracCannam boudhDhamEvahi ||

( Rudradeva saying to ParvathiDevi-When Demon by name Maniman will take birth on earth in
Kaliyuga, By entering in him, I will preach Advaith Shasthra which is another form of Boudha
Shsthra).
skamdha purANa :-
kAladi grAmake rudhrAvESAjjayathi mOhayan |

boudhDhaSAsthra parO viprO ya:kaSciththasya SiShyaka: ||

sasamkaraSca sanyasya thasmAthsanyAsarUpiNa : ||

vEdhAmthaSAsthramithyEthath dhuShtaSAsthram cakArayath ||

( In a Village which will be called as Kaaladi, Demon will take birth with Rudravesha and will
be a Disciple of follower of Boudha Shastra and in disguise of a Sanyasi (Yathi) will
preach Bouddha Dharma (Dushta Shasthra) by misleadingly saying that he will
teach Vedanta Shasthra.

Most Puranas seem to portray Shankara in a negative light except the Kurma Purana
which in the 30th chapter says the following:

तदे व साधये न्नृणाां दे वतानाां च दै वतम्।

करिष्यत्यवतािाणण शांकिो नीललोणितः॥ ३३॥
श्रीतस्माततप्रणतष्ठार्त भक्तानाां णितकाम्यया।
उपदे क्ष्यांणत तज्ज्ञानां णशष्याणाां ब्रह्मसांणितम्॥ ३४॥
सवतवेदान्तसािां णि धमात न्वेदणनदणशततान्।
सवतवणात न् समुणिश्य स्वधमात ये णनदणशतताः।। ३५।।

The people should adore Lord Mahadeva, who happens to be the god of gods. The
brown complexioned Shiva, for the establishment of Srauta (Vedic) and Smarta
dharmas (belonging to the Smritis), and for the welfare of the devotees shall
incarnate on earth. He will enlighten his devotees on the subjects of the gist of
Vedantas, the knowledge relating to the Brahman, and all the dharmas enshrined in
the Vedas, which have been narrated earlier.