Which of the following statements about the philosopher Adi Shankara is or are true? 1. Shankara espoused a form of Vedanta philosophy called Advaita. 2. He elaborated on and systematised the philosophy of Gaudapada. 3. Shankara tried to demonstrate that the Upanishads and the Brahmasutras contain a unified and systematic philosophy. 4. Shankara founded the Amnaya Mathas (monastic centres) in different parts of India. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Introduction / Context:
Adi Shankara is one of the most influential philosophers in the Indian tradition of Vedanta. His work shaped the development of Advaita Vedanta and had a lasting impact on Indian religious thought. Examinations in history, philosophy and religion often ask about the key features of his doctrine and his institutional legacy. This question presents four statements about Shankara and asks which of them are true, so you must evaluate each statement carefully according to standard historical understanding.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement 1 says that Shankara espoused a form of Vedanta called Advaita.
• Statement 2 states that he elaborated on the philosophy of Gaudapada.
• Statement 3 says that he tried to show that the Upanishads and Brahmasutras contain a single systematic philosophy.
• Statement 4 attributes the founding of the Amnaya Mathas to him.
• We assume generally accepted scholarly views on Shankara's life and contributions.

Concept / Approach:
To answer, you need to distinguish between doctrinal contributions and institutional traditions that may have developed around his name. Shankara is universally recognised as the systematiser of Advaita Vedanta, and his commentaries on the Brahmasutras and Upanishads argue that they teach a single non dual philosophy. He builds on earlier thinkers such as Gaudapada, whose work on the Mandukya Karika anticipates some Advaitic ideas. However, the traditional belief that Shankara founded four Amnaya Mathas in different corners of India is not accepted equally by all historians; some see it as a later construction and not as firmly proven historical fact. Examinations based on standard academic sources sometimes treat this fourth statement as less firmly established.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate Statement 1. Shankara is best known as the principal exponent of Advaita Vedanta, the non dualist interpretation of the Upanishads. This statement is clearly true. Step 2: Evaluate Statement 2. Gaudapada wrote an important text called the Mandukya Karika, which contains early Advaitic ideas. Shankara drew on and further developed these ideas, so this statement is also true. Step 3: Evaluate Statement 3. Shankara wrote bhashyas (commentaries) on the Brahmasutras, Bhagavad Gita and major Upanishads. In these works he aimed to show that they all consistently teach the same non dual philosophy. Therefore, this statement is true. Step 4: Evaluate Statement 4. According to tradition, Shankara established four Mathas in Sringeri, Dvaraka, Puri and Badrinath. However, the historical evidence for his direct role in founding all these monastic centres is debated and not as strong as the evidence for his philosophical contributions. In many examination keys, this statement is treated as less reliably attested. Step 5: Based on standard examination practice, mark Statements 1, 2 and 3 as correct and treat Statement 4 as not necessarily accepted as historically certain. Step 6: Choose the option that lists Statements 1, 2 and 3 only.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can further verify Statements 1 to 3 by recalling that Advaita Vedanta is identified with Shankara in almost every introductory text, and his commentaries explicitly argue that the scriptural corpus is internally consistent when interpreted as teaching non dualism. Gaudapada is regularly mentioned as an intellectual predecessor whose ideas Shankara systematised. In contrast, discussions about the Mathas often mention that while tradition credits Shankara with founding them, modern historians do not always treat this as firmly proven. The question asks which statements are true in a firm sense, so it is safer to restrict the answer to Statements 1 to 3.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1 and 2 only: This ignores the clearly true Statement 3 about Shankara's effort to show scriptural unity.
• 3 and 4: This combination wrongly excludes Statements 1 and 2, which are central to Shankara's identity as an Advaitin.
• 4 only: This treats the most debated statement as the only true one and is completely inconsistent with standard knowledge of Shankara.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates are tempted to accept all four statements as true because the idea of four Mathas is widely repeated in religious tradition. However, examination questions often require you to distinguish between doctrinal facts and institutional legends. Another pitfall is to overlook Gaudapada's role and to think that Shankara created Advaita entirely on his own, when in reality he built on earlier ideas. Finally, some students do not read carefully and assume that Statement 3 is trivial, but it is actually a central feature of his exegetical project.

Final Answer:
The statements about Adi Shankara that are firmly regarded as true are 1, 2 and 3.