Dharma and Identity in Śaṅkara's Advaita
Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi June 30, 2025 Namrata Narula
Śaṅkara's Advaita Vedānta teaches that the true self (ātman) is non-dual with brahman, making all worldly identities—caste, gender, and embodiment—false superimpositions born of ignorance. Liberation (mokṣa) requires renouncing these identities. Yet Śaṅkara also insists that only certain social identities are entitled to seek liberation, seemingly contradicting his own metaphysics. Some scholars see this as an unconscious bias. This paper argues that the two positions are reconcilable from an advaita perspective, showing how Advaita Vedānta has historically justified socio-religious hierarchy. Understanding this past configuration helps identify and resist such stratifications in present-day Hindu contexts.