or Samkara
born 0441; 700, Kaladi village?, India
died 0441; 750, Kedarnath
Indian philosopher and theologian.
According to tradition, he was born into a pious Brahman family and became a sannyasi after his father's death. He is said to have traveled all over India, holding discussions with philosophers of different creeds, and is believed to have founded four monasteries. He is the reputed author of more than 300 Sanskrit works, most of them commentaries on and expositions of Vedic literature, but most are not regarded as authentic. The most renowned exponent of the Advaita school of Vedanta philosophy, he is credited with laying the foundation for Hindu orthodoxy in India after centuries of challenge from Jainism and Buddhism.