Shankara's portrait

[nanda chandran]

One more point regarding Advaitam and other schools of philosophy :

Traditional Vedic renunciation is much tougher in practice than the
non-Vedic type. See Manu for rules regarding VAnaprastha and SamnyAsin
stages. The Vedic ascetics are not dependent so much on the society for
subsistence as the shrAmanas - nor do they live in the comparitive security
afforded by the non-Vedic schools (monastery etc) - though Advaitam
traditionally had supporting mathams, the traditional rules regarding
samnyAsam would not have kept the ascetic inside the matham for long.

And Advaita philosophy is not the "do good" variety as expounded by other
ethical schools. In Advaitam, moksham is cessation of karma - all activity -
good and bad. The true VedAnti according to ShankarAchArya is one who is
covered with basmam (ash), with matted hair and wanders around in seclusion,
concentrating only on brahman (supreme reality) - or rather "knowing and
being brahman - brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati" - one without a second.

So interaction with the society is that much lesser, which would be
reflected in popular accounts of grants, donations etc
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