Learnings from Shri Adi Shankara’s Life: A Management Perspective

Religion, philosophy, science, and management cannot work in isolation in the long run. These need to be harmonized and synchronized for the success of a society. It is also needed to live, feel and practice a balanced and ideal life and is imperative for a successful and great leader. Shri Adi Shankara is one of the greatest philosophers the world has ever seen. He was not only a Tattva Jnani (man of wisdom), but also a great expert in managing worldly affairs. During the 8th century, a chaotic situation prevailed in the Hindu society of Bharata Desha (India) with its very existence in jeopardy and its values, culture, and traditions in peril, on the verge of vanishing. Shri Adi Shankara strode across the country debating with scholars and propounding his philosophy of Advaita (Non-duality) and unifying people of differing viewpoints. Without him, Hindu religion would not have been in subsistence. Keeping this in view, an attempt is made in this paper to discuss the management perspectives that emerge from the life, works, and teachings of Jagadguru Shri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpaada. It looks at his leadership qualities and the effort he made at integrating India into one unified whole.