Shankara was born in Kerala to a Brahmin couple. They had prayed to Lord Shiva for a son. He gave them an option of multiple sons or one brilliant son with a short life. They chose the latter and Shankara was born. He lost his father at a very young age. At age 2, he could fluently speak and write Sanskrit. At age 5, he received his Upanayanam and mastered complex Vedic scriptures. Shankara was very spiritual at a young age but his mother was protective and wished for him to get married. When Shankara was bathing in the Purna river, a crocodile bit him and asked his mom to become a Sanyasi and she allowed. He travelled to the banks of Narmada and met his guru, Govinda. Shankara mastered the Advaita philosophy and composed many Ashtakams.
His guru ordered him to spread the Vedic knowledge in India and established 4 Mathas. When a teen Shankara was in Varanasi, he encountered a sage. They both engaged in a debate which lasted for 16 days and Shankara realised the sage is Vyasa and he granted him 16 more years to live. He died in Kedarnath and ascended towards Kailasha.