212 Abode of Gods:
pagated their ideals. They created such an intellectual ferment
by their words, actions and examples that even today, decades-
later, people talk of them with respectful silence and gratitude.
As such it is imperative that we must know about their life and
times and the contribution they have made to make Uttarakhand;
whatever worth it is today.
Sankracharya
First and above all, I would like to take into account the-
contribution made by Swami Sri Sankracharya.
The remarkable man may be reckoned among the "worthies""
of the province, owing to the important part played by him
in its religious history, and his death within the sacred boundary
of Kedar. Sankaracharya must be regarded as one of the
greatest spirits and most influential personalities of the world.
There is, in fact, no one, with the single exception of Lord
Buddha, in the range of Indian history who approaches to him in
greatness of mind and wide appeal. There have been monarchs,
like Ashoka or Akbar whose names are better known, but Sankara-
charya by sheer force of intellect rose from a humble position
to sway kings and empires and inaugurate vast religious changes
throughout the length and breadth of India. The times were
then favourable for him because Buddhism had become* corrupt
and it no longer held the minds of men in thrill. The force of
Brahmanism, which was lying inactive was aroused by this
young Andhrite, who died at the age of thirty two, leaving,
behind him an array of literary works that might well have
occupied centuries. Today we feel bewildered over his bound-
less zeal in preaching the dogmas of Brahmanism, reforming its
sects, settling its disputes, defining,its bounds, and organising its
priestly constitution, in addition to founding a sect of his own
the tenents of which strongly resemble the philosophic theism
of our own day, represents an amazing output of energy. The
attraction that drew him from far off Malabar to these northern
mountains must have been their well established sacredness as
the home of the gods, especially of Siva, for whose worship
he seems to have had a decided preference.
The religious unity of India owes its origin from Sankracharya.
who established four maths in the four corners of India. Each