 Śaṅkara’s philosophy is perhaps most infamous for undermining the reality of the universe and its ultimate value. His philosophical adversaries pejoratively labeled him a māyāvādin—“one who argues the world is illusory (māyā)”. While this epithet is not exactly incorrect, it misrepresents his intention as centered on world negation, and ignores the fact that he infrequently uses the term “māyā” (see Hacker 1995 on his use of this term). Śaṅkara places great emphasis on moral virtues and acting for the good of the world (see BhGBh ch.3 for example and  §4.1  below). Furthermore, the world is a pedagogical necessity as the instrumental means to discover nonduality (on this, see Suthren Hirst 2005). His goal is not to negate the axiological value of the world and intersubjective life (see Rambachan 2006 for a development of this point). Rather, his focus is simply brahman. The world is a dependent effect of brahman and therefore not other than brahman, and brahman is not a cosmogonic construction. This metaphysical view possesses epistemic value for liberation, along with is positive psychological byproducts such as cessation of suffering and the deepest happiness.