All the orthodox views have to be bifurcated to get pure essence of Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.+

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage  Sankara can be summed up in the following statement: ~ 

Brahma Satyam, jaganmithya, jivobrahmaivanaparah ~ Brahman alone is real; the world is non-real, and the individual Self is essentially not different from Brahman.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~ VC~.63: "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Mundaka Upanishad 1.3:~ complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them.  When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown is Gnana.”

Sage Sankara says the seeker must first know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth. 

All the orthodox views have to be bifurcated to get the pure essence of Sage  Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.

 The interpretation of Sage Sankara's writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd. 

Sage Sankara wrote his commentaries on Manduka's commentary first, and then as this revealed that he thoroughly understood the subject, his Gurus requested him to write the commentary on Badarayana's Brahma Sutras, which was a popular theological work universally studied by Advaitins. That is why his commentary is written from a lower dualistic point, for those who cannot rise higher, save that here and there Sage Sankara occasionally has strewn a few truly Advaitic sentences. 

Sage  Sankara's commentary on the Brahma Sutras is not on a philosophical basis, but on an orthodox and mystic basis, with an appeal to the Vedas as a final authority.

In Brahma Sutra Sage  Sankara takes the position that there is another entity outside us, i.e. the wall really exists separately from the mind. This was because Sage Sankara explains in Manduka that those who study the Sutras are orthodox minds, intellectual children, hence his popular viewpoint to assist them. These people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse to accept Sruti, and God's authority, in case they mean punishment by God.  A Gnani says the scriptures are for children, but wise seekers will think rationally.

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sankara takes for granted, and assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie, nevertheless one will find Sage  Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The text of Brahma Sutras is based on religion and dogmatism but in the commentary, Sage Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that many Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, only a few Upanishads do not but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

Scholars' translation of Brahma Sutras in Sacred Books of East must be read cautiously as he has not understood its highest sense, e.g. for Advaita, they wrongly put "Unity" instead of “Non-duality."

Sage Sankara gave religion scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Mandukya is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.

Sage Sankara's commentary on Manduka Upanishad is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy.  North India is the home of mysticism and deification and South India of keen rational truth.

Sage Sankara says in Brahma Sutras~: “Brahman is the cause of the world, whereas in Manduka he denies it. This is because he says that at the lower stage of understanding, the former teaching must be given, for people will get frightened as they cannot understand how the world can be without a cause, but to those in a higher stage, the truth of non-causality can be revealed. 

Sage Sankara varied his practical advice and doctrinal teaching according to the people he was amongst. He never advised them to give up their particular religion or beliefs or metaphysics completely; he only told them to give up the worst features of abuse: at the same time, he showed just one step forward toward the truth.  Sage  Sankara was extremely precise and careful in his choice of words. 

Sage Sankara's basis of his Advaitic wisdom is either on reason independent of Sruti or on Sruti confirmed by reason."  

Sage Sankara’s commentary on the Manduka Upanishad, II, 1:  This (the unreality of duality)  is borne out by the Srutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object world even from pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken for that purpose.

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the ignorant populace but Advaitic wisdom only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd. 

Sage  Sankara himself has warned us not to use ambiguous words, and to practice semantic analysis in his book "Definition of one's own ‘Self’. (Page 199, v.24 of "Sankara's Selected Works)

Sage Sankara says the seeker must first know what is before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth. 

That is why Sage Sankara: ~ VC- 63: "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

Mundaka Upanishad 1.3:~ complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world, the spirit behind it, and the source of both of them.  When the cause of all causes becomes known, then everything knowable becomes known, and nothing remains unknown is Gnana.”

The Orthodox Advaitic path is the path of ignorance and it is meant for the ignorant crowd. Orthodoxy is the home of mysticism and deification which is why they are not keen on the rational truth. Orthodoxy has to be discarded if you want Sage  Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom. 

The Orthodox Advaitic path is based on ignorance. The buried wisdom has to be discovered by the seeker himself.

It takes time for the seeker to gain a perfect understanding of ‘what is the truth’ and ‘what is untruth’. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar