Life of Adi Sankaracharya
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This is an offering of tribute at the feet of Sri Shankaracharya, the incarnation of Shiva. So great was and so majestic was his life that it is not possible for ordinary mortals to speak about his divine Charita completely. This is just a selection of some episodes from his inspiring Life.
The influence of Advaita Vedanta preached by Sri Shankaracharya has pervaded the whole of world. It was this message of Vedanta that Swami Vivekananda, the messenger of Sri Ramakrishna, the harmonizer of all religions, propagated in the east and the West.
The realization of Advaita is the final stage of religious experience. But Shankara never disdained the steps that have to be traversed to attain this stage. It is for this reason that Shankara appears to us an enthusiastic organizer of worship, devotion and rites. He was not merely a monist traversing the path of knowledge. A rare and supreme devotion tempers his entire life and all his writings. The whole of Hinduism is brilliantly and uniquely reflected in the ideals of his life. The effulgent form that he gave to the Sanatana Vedic Dharma may have been dimmed by the passage of time, but it has not been obliterated. The Hindus owe an eternal debt to this teacher whose life span extended over only thirty-two years. He opened up a new and radiant horizon for the spiritual life of India and brought about a revolutionary transformation in her social life.
To call Srimadacharya a mere monist would be to denigrate his personality and his impact. His life in fact appears to be a meeting ground of Advaita, Dvaita and he has gone beyond all these stages to stand effulgent in the radiant light of the self. Rarely among the great does one encounter such harmonization.
Swami Vivekananda has said: " The modern civilized world marvels at the writings of this sixteen year old boy." The modern civilized world is a world of science and reason. Shankara was able to establish the religion of the Vedanta on the firm foundation of science and reason.
Shankara's life offers interpretation of his philosophy. Hence it would be of immense inspiration to know about the life of this great incarnation of Sri Dakshinamurthy. This is a presentation of his life based on Anandagiri's Shankara Vijaya, Maadhaveeya Shankara Vijaya and works by Swami Apoorvananda.
Dedicated to the holy feet of Mahatripurasundari, Chandramouleshwara and Lakshmi Nrisimha, who have filled my being with their limitless grace, assuming the form of my gurus Shankaranandanatha and Chidanandanatha, is this humble piece of literature that tries to present before you a small picture of the divine life of our Acharya.
Acharya Shankara is one of those god-men who have appeared in the world in historical times in order to establish religion firmly. Shankara's advent took place at a very critical period in the national and in the religious life of India. At that time the Buddhist faith in the Indian sub-continent has passed through many stages of rise and fall for over a thousand years. It had sunk to a condition in which it was not only of absolutely no use for Indian religion and culture, but was positively ruinous. Subjected to the influence of degenerate Buddhism, the eternal Hindu faith had become enfeebled, devastated and disintegrated.
Within two centuries of Acharya's lifetime, India had to encounter the powerful incursion of the Islamic faith. Degenerate Buddhism would not have possessed the vigor to resist the onrush. It was only the immense strength of the Vedic faith, which is eternal and man- made, and is the repository of universal truth, that could stand and did effectively resist the inroad of Islam. The advent, the career, the life work and the teaching of Acharya endowed the Hindu faith with the energy needed for the task ahead of self-defense and survival and ensured the everlasting stability of the Vedic religion by firmly establishing it on very sure foundations. Such a claim for Shankara is amply supported by historical evidence. Has Shankara not come on the scene, it would have been quite within the bounds of possibility that Hinduism got transformed into a veritable Islamistan.
If the Hindus of today can legitimately be proud of their great Vedic religion, it is in no small measure due to the services of this thirty-two year old monk. This needs to be adequately realized by all especially those belonging to man-made cults and sects who dismiss Acharya as a Mayavadi. It is unfortunate that some people indeed have succumbed to falsehood despite of Acharya's efforts. Shankara strengthened the foundations of the eternal Vedic faith to such an extent that the vigor imparted by him was an unfailing support in later years to the work and mission of people like Madhwa, Ramanuja, Nimbaraka etc. this is an undeniable historical fact. In Shankara's life and teaching and propagation lies embedded the immense vitality, which is responsible for the safe preservation and sure sustenance of the eternal Vedic faith.
To designate Shankaracharya as just an upholder of Monism, just like any other sectist Acharya's is a tone down to his gigantic personality and to dilute his contribution. Not in any of his writings does any evidence exist of one-sided outlook, the narrow vision, the vigorlessness, and the incompleteness, which are the characteristics of most of the later preachers and teachers. Indeed Shankara was the greatest, the noblest and the most luminous representative of expansive, universal and all embracing Sanatana Vedic Dharma. All that is sublime, strengthening, glorious in the Vedanta faith as it obtains today is the handiwork of this distinguished monk, and this is true not only in respect of the philosophical aspect of that faith, but also in respect of its practical side. The resplendent story of Sri Acharya's life is a veritable lighthouse illumining the path of the universal Vedic faith.
THE SAVIOUR IS BORN ………….
Acharya Shankara is not to be ranked with ordinary religious aspirants. To style him as a Siddha, a perfected master is also not saying the whole thing about him. To accomplish a mission of Providence was he born under divine auspices as Consciousness Awake. He took birth in a noble Brahmin family of the Nambudari caste in the province of Kerala at the southern end of India. In Malayalam, `Namp' means faith and `Puri' means being full. Accordingly, the Brahmin who is filled with faith in the scriptures is a Nampuri or Nambudari Brahmin. Shankara was born and lived at the village of Kaladi, beautiful with groves of coconut and betel, mango and plantain and with river Alwa (also known as Purna) flowing beside. His father was Shivaguru; a gem of a Brahmin community and mother was Vishista Devi (some biographers call her Aryamba), a woman who was goddess-like.
Shivaguru was the only son of Vidyadhara and a scholar versed in the scriptures. When he was at his studies in his preceptor's place, he at first had no idea of returning home at all. The earnest desire of his heart was that he should spend all his life learning and teaching the scriptures. But because of the importunities of his father, he returned home from his preceptor's place and rather late in life entered upon the life of the householder. In due course the father passed away and Sivaguru took on himself the responsibility of maintaining the small household, and along with it, in tune with his interest in the scriptures, he spent long hours in study and instruction. A small Devottara property (property donated to the Gods) helped him to supply all the wants of the small family.
Time passed and Shivaguru grew old, but he was childless. The Hindu idea is that one's getting wedded to a wife is only for the purpose of getting saved from the hell of "Put" by begetting a son. But such a consummation was not yet the let of Shivaguru. There was also no joy in the heart of the Childless Aryamba. The couple deliberated to take a vow. They decided to take refuge with Chandramouleshwara Shiva, the ever-awake god who had his abode on the Vrisha hill not far away their village. For a few days they lived only on roots, and then they subsisted only by drinking the holy water, which washed the feet of Shiva. Always praying with a full heart they kept on fulfilling their vow, offering worship and adoration and engaging themselves in penance, till their bodies became week and feeble. Even before a year had gone by Shivaguru had a dream one night. Sadashiva in a resplendent body white like camphor and with matted locks appeared before him. In a sweet voice the Lord said, " Child! I am well pleased with your devotion. Tell me what your longing is. I shall fulfill it. "Shivaguru fell flat at the feet of the God of the Gods and prayed, "Please grant me the boon of a son who will be long- lived and all-knowing".
With a smile on the lips Lord Ashutosha replied, "If you long for an all-knowing son, he will not be long-lived. If on the other hand, you desire to have a son who will have long life, he will not be all knowing. Do you ask for an all-knowing son or for one with a long life? Choice is yours!"
Deeply religious by nature that he was, Shivaguru prayed for an all- knowing son. Then Mahadeva, the great Lord, told him, "Your desire will be fulfilled. My dear son, you will indeed get an all-knowing son, In fact I myself will come down as your son. You need not continue your penance. You may return home with your devoted wife."
Overwhelmed by the joy of the occurrence and filled with ecstasy Shivaguru made obeisance to the Lord's feet. Being told of the details Of the dream vision, Aryamba felt herself exceptionally blessed. The pure-hearted couple then returned home and spent their time in worship and adoration of Shiva. It was the fifth day of the fortnight of the full moon in the month of Vaishakha. The time was the auspicious mid-day hour. At this divinely ordained hour in 686 AD, Aryamba was delivered of a son. The child was charmingly glorious like a very child-become God Shankara. On his looking at his son's face Shivaguru's delight knew no bounds. He resolved in his mind to make generous offerings of money and cows and lands to Brahmins, and in view of his having obtained the Son by the grace of Sri Shankara or Shiva, named the newborn one "Shankara". Every Avatar who has come down to earth as a Religious Teacher for the fulfillment of a divine mission has been born by the will of providence in a manner that is supernatural and mysterious. The few Supermen who were born in historical times for the resuscitation of religion all made their advent in ways which were extraordinary. Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Christ are well-known illustrations. That Acharya Shankara too was born partaking of the nature of God Shankara and that he came to earth especially for fulfilling a divine mission will become clear as we proceed with the story of his life.
Shivaguru duly performed the rites to be done after the birth of a child and had the horoscope of the newborn baby cast by the astrologers. He was delighted to find that the dream in which he had a boon from Shiva had indeed come true. He saw that his son was of a divine lineage and bore the marks of an incarnation.
Note: also in obedience to the commands of Mahadeva, the gods took birth as humans in order to be of help in Shankara's mission of firmly establishing Vedic Dharma. Padmapada was born of Vishnu's lineage; Hastamalaka came from Pavanadeva's lineage. In Brahma's line came Sureshwara and in Brihaspati's avatar came Anandagiri and Chitsukha in Varuna's lineage. The mark of wheel on the boy Shankara's head. The impress of the third eye on the forehead and the sign of the trident (Trishula) on the shoulders made wise men decide that he was an incarnation of Shiva.
Even from boyhood Shankara was distinguished for his quiet disposition and sharpness of intellect. The superior genius and the extraordinary intelligence, which were to fascinate humanity in his later years, were clearly sprouting in him even when he was a boy. This wonder of a child had even by his third year finished reading many books in his mother tongue Malayalam, and by only listening to the readings and chanting of the Vedas, the Vedanta, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas learnt them by heart. The most surprising thing about the boy was that he was a Sruthidhara (a person able to repeat in full all that he hears just once). Whatever he read or heard got indelibly impressed in his memory.
SHANKARA IN GURUKULA ……..
Shivaguru was extremely happy to find his son endowed with supernatural intellectual acumen. He made up his mind to have the boy's Upanayana ceremony (the investiture with the sacred thread which distinguishes a Brahmin) performed even in his fifth year, and then to send Shankara on to the preceptor's house for study. But the fates willed differently. Shivaguru died before he could have the Upanayana done. Aryamba was overwhelmed by this sudden bereavement. She dutifully performed the funeral rites of her husband, and shedding profuse tears of agony she repaired with her little son to her father's house to seek asylum there in her forlorn condition. But she did not forget the last wish of her departed husband. As soon as Shankara reached his fifth year she returned with him to her own home and performed the Upanayana according to scriptural injunctions, after which she sent him to the preceptor's house to be taught and trained.
Hardly had a few days gone by, when the Guru was charmed by the genius and the devotion to learning, which he saw in his young pupil. The correctness of the boy's mode of pronouncing words and the sharpness of his intellect quite fascinated everyone. Shankara assimilated effortlessly the contents of all the books he was taught, and what was more, he sat beside his Guru when he explained the scriptures to offer pupils and by mere listening to the exposition very easily mastered all of them too. No wonder that within a short time the young Shankara became the Guru's favorite. Tow years had not passed, but Shankara was already proficient in the Upanishads and the Puranas, in Itihasa and Smriti and in the various philosophical systems like Nyaya, Sankhya, Patanjala and Vaisesika. Indeed he was as well versed as Brihaspati, the teacher of the celestials.
In accordance with the rules governing residential pupils staying and studying in Guru's house, Brahmachari Shankara used to go out for alms every day. One day he went to the house of a poor Brahmin for alms. The Brahmin was an extremely poor householder. There was not in his house that day even a handful of rice to be given away as lams. The Brahmin housewife, not knowing what to do, gave Shankara an Amalaka fruit (Emblic myroblam), and shedding profuse tears told him of their indigent state. The woman's terrible poverty deeply moved the tender soul of Shankara. Standing there in a word of compassion he composed a hymn to goddess Lakshmi, the great mother who removes poverty and misery, and in a voice choked with tearful weeping and with all his heart centered in Her he laid at the feet of Bhagavati his soulful prayer for the redress of the poor woman's plight. Pleased with the hymn, which is known all through the world to this day by the devoted as the great Kanakadhara Stuti, Goddess Lakshmi appeared before him and said, "My dear child! I know what is in your mind. But the members of this poor family did not, in their past lives perform any meritorious acts which will enable me to bestow on them, wealth and riches." The boy Shankara then gave a reply to the Mother, " Why Mother! This housewife just now gave me an Amalaka fruit. If you are minded to favor me, set this family free from poverty." The boy's request brought joy to the Goddess, who said, " So be it. I shall give this family lots of Amalakas of gold." Shankara was delighted to hear words and assured the Brahmin lady that she would very soon acquire wealth and returned to the guru's house. At dawn the next day when the Brahmin couple awoke from sleep they saw their whole courtyard bestrewn with Amalaka fruits of gold. Overwhelmed with joy, they started picking and gathering the fruits of gold and told everyone that it was the Boy-Brahmachari Shankara's blessing that had helped them to so much wealth. The news of the boy Shankara's supernatural power spread on all sides. This brief incident was revelatory of the spirit of compassionate concern for others, which Shankara possessed.
Supermen endowed with divine authority stay in the embodied state holding on to just one support, the urge of compassion. We are indeed fascinated on coming to know of the expression of the quality of compassion in the life of Shankara even from his very early boyhood. We shall in the course of this biographical narrative have occasion to become acquainted and be lost in silent wonder as a result of it with the way in which in later years this stream of compassion of which Shankara was the source, moistened hundreds of dried-up souls and brought contentment to numerous hearts that were arid and thirsty and parched. And we shall realize beyond any possibility of doubt that the Lord and Shankara born of his aspect are oceans of motiveless and disinterested grace and compassion.
Endowed as Shankara was with a superhuman genius and a sharp intellect and with the uncommon skill of a Sruthidhara (of retaining in the memory everything heard even once), he had not to stay with his Guru for long. While even the very intelligent students tool at least twenty years to acquire mastery of all scriptures, Shankara was able to acquire that mastery in only two years time with the blessing and the favor of his Guru. As we know from biographies, Shankara mastered, even in his boyhood, all knowledge, including the secret knowledge, and much of this knowledge was acquire by him without any assistance from his teacher. He studied the philosophical systems of Nyaya, Sankhya, Mimamsa, Patanjala etc. and also the Buddhist philosophical systems like Sautantrika, Yogachara, Madhyamika, Vaibhashika etc. he also studied Jaina and Charvaka systems of philosophy. In addition, he also acquired especial proficiency in Itihasa, Purana, and Smriti literature. He had studied very many books on his own.
The Guru considered himself especially honored in having as his pupil a boy of such unmatched intelligence and caliber. Blessing Shankara again and again, permitted him to return home long before the expiry of the prescribed term of pupil hood.
SHANKARA, PERSONIFICATION OF VAIRAGYA …..
Meanwhile Aryamba had negotiated Shankara's marriage with a beautiful girl in the neighborhood. Hardly had her son returned home from the Guru's abode, she told him of her resolve to get him married. The scriptures have enjoined that soon after schooling I done and the pupil has left the Guru's abode to the parental home, he should get married. The wedded state has to closely follow the state of studies. The Grihastha Ashrama had to be taken up at the close of Brahmacharya Ashrama, and not for a day should he remain unassigned to the legitimate Ashrama. But Shankara would not under any circumstance agree to get married. Aryamba tried many ways of persuasion and shed many a tear. But Shankara whom his widowed mother considered as the only hope of all her future happiness and welfare stood firm in his determination not to get into matrimony, and he would not relent. Such grimness of resolve on the part of a boy surprised the mother and bewildered her.
Shankara as a Brahmachari, now lived on at home and devoted himself to learning and teaching. But it was the serving of his mother that was for him his all-important duty and his greatest discipline. He ensured his mother's comfort and happiness by attending on her and serving her in all sorts of ways. The little boy's measureless proficiency in studies and uncommon skill in instructing brought him much renown, and within a few days his fame spread on all corners. Even aged scholars in large numbers began to come to him for a deeper study of the scriptures. His sublime and simple exposition of scripture and flare of genius on the part of a boy of seven were indeed indicative of Divine Power.
The devout Aryamba used to go for a bath to the river Alwai (or Purna) everyday. (Alwai is also the name of a town, and the river Purna flowing by the town naturally came to be called Alwai too. Alwai is a railway station on the Trichur - Ernakulam broad gauge line and is 17 kilometers from Ernakulam. Alwai town is situated at a distance of 55 kilometers from Trichur. From Kaladi, Alwai is about 96 kilometers). And on her way back home, she offered worship at the shrine of Keshava who was her family deity.
The Alwai was adored as a sacred river in those parts. The river was a long way off from Shankara's house, but yet his mother, with great steadfastness, went to the river every day for the holy bath. Once in the summer season Aryamba went to the river as usual, but even though a long time passed away she did not return home, and Shankara was very much worried. He went in search of her and as he was walking along the riverbank he saw her lying unconscious on the roadside. In deep misery at the sight he wept profusely and started nursing his mother back to her senses and when she came round he then slowly led her home by hand.
Shankara was by nature ardently devoted to his mother, and so his feelings on seeing the condition of his mother were such as no words can portray. Her suffering quite unnerved him. All in tears he sent forth a prayer to God saying, " Lord, Thou art indeed omnipotent. If Thou only wishest, anything is possible. I cannot bear to see this suffering of my mother. Be gracious and bring the river closer to our house. Then there will be no more suffering for my mother." This was his only prayer and longing and it overwhelmed his heart and soul, day and night he was immersed in this one supplication to the Lord.
The All-merciful Lord is not deaf to the prayers of devotees. He does hear them. Shankara's entreaty moved Him and He responded. During the night, rains were so heavy that the river changed its course. Breaking through its north bank, the Alwai River began to flow by the village of Kaladi. Aryamba was indeed very proud of her son's achievement and started telling everyone, "It is as a result of the prayers of my son Shankara that the Lord has brought the river close to out house". This miraculous incident was big news and spread within a few days to all corners of the area. People came in groups to have a sight of this wonder boy. Indeed through the will of the Lord many an impossible thing becomes possible, and along with it the glory of devotion as well as the glory of the devotee gets proclaimed.
Rajashekhara was the ruler of Kerala at that time and when he came to hear of Shankara' divine powers, he was filled with wonder. He himself was a very well read man delighting in the study of the scriptures. He was also of a pronounced devotional temperament, and was full of respect for the sacred books and the learned. Coming to know of the unprecedented depth of scholarship and the abundance of divine power in a Brahmin boy of seven, the ruler ardently desired to meet him. He sent his chief minister to Shankara, with the gift of an elephant and extended an invitation to him to meet him at the royal place. When the minister in all humility told Shankara of the king's desire, Shankara said, " O best of donors, of what avail is an elephant to those who live only on alms, whose clothing is only deer- skin and whose daily round of duties consists of sun-up and sun-down prayers, adoration of fire, study of Vedas, teaching, and the service to the Guru? O minister, carry this reply of mine to your royal master, and expressly tell him that a monarch's primary duty is to endeavor to ensure that the four Varnas duly perform the duties allotted to their particular stations and lead righteous lives. A king should never good people to wrong ways through temptation." With these words he declined the invitation to call at the royal palace.
This behavior of Shankara in no way displeased or angered the King. On the other hand, he became even more drawn to the precocious boy. Accompanied by the ministers of state the ruler himself arrived at Kaladi one day in order to meet Shankara in his own place. He saw Shankara clad in deer-skin with a cord of grass as a belt round his loins, and the white sacred sacrificial thread on his left shoulder and under his right arm. All round him were seated Brahmin scholars engaged in scriptural study. Shankara cordially welcomed the king showing him the respects due to royalty. In years he was but a boy, in demeanor and conduct he was one of the eminent and wise.
The Kerala monarch's object in coming to Kaladi was to test and measure Shankara's scholarship. Even after a brief discussion with Shankara on the import of the scriptures was it possible for the ruler to realize that the boy was a prodigy distinguished by intellectual sharpness and extraordinary discriminating skill, and he was naturally charmed and amazed. That Shankara was endowed with divine powers, the king had now not the least doubt. Both king and the boy merged into a discussion of scriptural themes for a long while, much to their delight. The monarch then laid at the feet of Shankara many gold coins, and paying obeisance to him begged him to accept the money and the gift. But in a severe way did Shankara tell the royal donor, " Noble King, I am a Brahmana and a Brahmachari. Of no use to me are these gold coins. The Devottara property made over to our family by your forefathers for our service in the temple is quite sufficient to meet my and my mother's expenses. By your kindness, we experience no want in our home."
Shankara's desirelessness, renunciation and disinclination to receive gifts greatly astonished the king. Holding together his palms in reverence he said, " Worshipful one, such sentiments are indeed becoming of you and you only. I consider myself blessed indeed. But how can I take back to myself the gift I have intended and set apart for you? Please distribute the money yourself to worthy recipients. " Without a moment's delay Shankara replied smiling, " You indeed are the monarch of the land. It is more in your line to be able to know the deserving and the undeserving than a Brahmachari devoted to scriptural studies. The gift of learning is the sacred duty of a Brahmin, while the gift of wealth is the duty of the ruler. It is for you to therefore distribute this wealth to fit and deserving folk."
The monarch saluted Shankara's genius and bent his head in reverence to his brilliance and ordered the distribution of the offered money among the Brahmins assembled there. This incident of Shankara's refusing to accept the preferred money made a deep impression on the ruler's mind. He saw that Shankara was not merely a scholar well versed in all the scriptures, but that the boy was a person of superhuman parts, possessed of powers that were divine in quality. And he was so much drawn to this boy-marvel that from then on he visited Shankara's house everyday to benefit by his holy company. Rajashekhara was the author of books like Balabharatha and Balaramayana and these dramas in Sanskrit he read out to Shankara and had corrections made according to his suggestions. The tidings of the king's offer of favors to Shankara and of Shankara's spirit of desirelessness soon spread all round. And even from far off places did many people come to se him, and many scholars flocked to him to hear from him an exposition of the scriptures.
SHANKARA ACCEPTS TURIYASHRAMA ……….
One day it so chanced that a few astrologers arrived at Shankara's home. Aryamba and her son Shankara accorded them a proper reception. After discussing the contents of the scriptures in various ways, the astrologers expressed a desire to look into the horoscope of Shankara. On examining the horoscope they said that the time of Shankara's birth bore the indication of the descent of an incarnation and they foresaid too that he would become a wandering monk. But an examination of the astrological position in regard to the longetivity of his life revealed to them that Shankara would be short lived. They saw that death might overtake him in his eight or sixteenth or thirty- second year. On coming to know this, Aryamba was deeply distressed. But she was told that through penance and austerity the possibility of death at the eighth year could be averted and an extension of life by another eight years could be obtained. But death at the sixteenth year could not, the Brahmins asserted, be escaped except through divine will. When the Brahmin astrologers took their leave, their foretelling of coming events had its reaction on Shankara's mind, but the reaction in his case was of a different kind from that of his mother's case. He resolved to embrace monasticism. He knew that there was no possibility of attaining the knowledge of Truth without resorting to monk hood. And in the absence of knowledge of Truth there was no possibility achieving liberation from the bondage of relative existence. Shankara had just then entered on his eighth year, and that was exactly the time when death might come to him. Therefore Shankara's only thought now was about how he could manage to take to monasticism.
As day succeeded day, the desire to embrace monasticism became stronger and stronger in Shankara. He was quite determined on taking to Sanyasa. One day he found a suitable opportunity to speak to his mother about it and told her of his intention of becoming a monk. Hardly did he mention to her his idea when Aryamba started weeping and wailing. Embracing him and kissing him she said, " Hush child, is it right for you to speak such a thing. You are such a tender stripling now. Let me pass out of life first, and then you may turn out to be a monk. Whom but you I have for a hold. If you turn out a monk and walk out of home, who is there to look after me, my child? Who will take me to places of pilgrimage? Who will perform my funeral rites when I die? No, no, my dear, as long as life pulsated in my body I shall not let you become a Sanyasin."
Shankara remained quiet. Here was a command from the mother not to embrace Sanyasa. There seemed to be no way out of the situation, and Shankara prayed with an earnest heart to the Lord beseeching him to make it possible for him to take Sanyasa. He knew that he had been born with the mission of preaching the super-knowledge of Advaita and he knew that for the carrying on of that mission it was imperative that he took to Sanyasa. He was however confidant that the petty desires of men and women cannot stand against the divine will.
One day, early in the morning, Shankara accompanied by his mother went for a bath in the Alwai River. Many others were bathing there. Aryamba finished her bath and came up to the bank. Shankara was still in the river bathing, when a crocodile caught hold of him. He shouted out, " Mother, save me, save me! I am seized by a crocodile."
Instantly did Aryamba plunge into the river to try to save her son. Others on the spot also caught hold of Shankara's hands and tried to pull him up to the bank. But the crocodile continued to pull him down to deeper waters. Between the pull-up and pull-down, Shankara said, " Mother I am definitely being taken down by the crocodile. I am in my last moments. You did not permit me to take Sanyasa. If at least now you give condescend to grant me permission for Sanyasa, I shall, contemplating on God, mentally take to the dying hour Sanyasa and give up life. Even this will give me liberation."
Aryamba saw that there was no hope of saving Shankara from death. She said weeping, " My son, so be it. I grant you the permission to be a monk." Saying this she fell down in a swoon. Having thus obtained his mother's permission Shankara with a concentrated mind surrendered himself at the feet of the Lord and took Sanyasa. All his being was filled with an indescribable feeling of bliss. All of a sudden, the crocodile vanished from that place, leaving Shankara free. The crocodile indeed was Lord Sri Narayana, who had answered Shankara's prayers. As a result of this taking to Atura Sanyasa the death at the eighth year to which Shankara was destined was obviated. Shankara and his mother were brought to the bank. Regaining conscience after a while, Aryamba hugged Shankara in a warm motherly embrace. She led Shankara back towards home. Shankara then told his mother, " It is not for mw to stay at home here after. I am a monk. The scriptures have prohibited a Sanyasin's residing in his own old house. I shall therefore stay under a tree."
Aryamba felt as if the weight of the sky had descended on her head. Weeping and sobbing she said, " what is this that you say my boy! You are but a child, how indeed can you renounce home now? How long am I going to live? You may indeed leave home after I die."
Shankara did not however loosen his resolve. He said, " It was with your permission, mother, that I took to Sanyasa at the last moment, with all my heart. I am one born of your womb, and I shall not render false an utterance of yours. I shall carry out my renouncing home."
He consoled the wailing Aryamba with these words, " Who do you think saved me from becoming a prey to the crocodile? That very God will look after everything. Whether it be day or night, if in your last moment you but think of me, I shall wherever I may then be, know of it, and I shall reach your abode. Before life ebbs out of you I shall help you have a vision of your chosen deity. That indeed is the essence of all pilgrimages."
The circumstances which attended Shankara's birth now came to Aryamba's memory and she saw that all these happenings were but inevitable and in a voice choked with emotion said, " So be it my son, I bless you by heart and soul that you attain your desired goal."
It was now clear that Shankara's earnest prayers had reached the Lord. By the grace of the Lord, Aryamba's entire being was filled with an ineffable joy. She would no longer hinder her son's ascending to the absolute Brahman. Shankara then prostrated at the feet of his mother, and receiving her blessings on his head walked out to have a view of the family deity Sri Keshava Bhagavan. And the sun just rose to view on the eastern horizon.
KESHAVA ! NARAYANA ! HARI HARI ………..
Aryamba, very like a mad woman followed behind Shankara. Hundreds of villagers, both men and women, also followed the boy monk. On every lip was the question, where is Shankara going? With slow and gentle steps and downcast looks, Shankara arrived at the temple of Keshava. An ocean of love Supreme was surging within his being then. He leaped out from Symbol to Reality, from Form to Formless, from worldly bondages to Universal boundlessness, from microcosm to macrocosm.
Shankara knelt down before the image of Keshava. The eternal anguish that lies hidden in the great silence of creation welled out from within his heart. Tears of deep love flowed down his cheeks. With eyes closed, he saluted the deity in a charming hymn of mellifluous rhythm composed by himself, and adored and worshipped it. After holding Keshava in an ardent embrace, he came out of the temple, when the priests drew his attention to the dilapidated condition of the temple. The Alwai had been changing its course for some years past, and this had weakened the temple structure, which was about to collapse. Shankara saw that unless the image was removed to a safer place, it would soon be lost in the riverbed. So, after getting the approval of all the people, Shankara, with the image of Keshava leaning on his chest carried it to a secure place and set it there and requested the assembled villagers to construct a temple at the spot.
There are other accounts of this incident. One is that when Shankara went in for sight of the holy image, there was a voice from heaven and Keshava told him, " please remove me from here to safer and secure place and fix me up there. This temple will fall down into the river the very next moment ". And Shankara carried out the divinely given message, and transferred the image to a safer spot. Yet in another biography of Sri Acharya, it is said that Sri Krishna himself gave dream instructions to Shankara for the removal of the image to a new area.
While studying the great commentary (the Mahabhashya) of Patanjali for his lessons on grammar, Shankara had learnt from his Guru that the master-yogi Patanjali himself had been staying in a cave by the river Narmada for a thousand years in deep Samadhi. He was now known as Govinda Bhagavatpada. He was the chief of the incomparable Sri Gaudapaadaachaarya. Govindapada was no ordinary saint, but a great yogi who had realized the ultimate Truth and had his mind firmly established in the knowledge of Advaita Brahman. On hearing from his teacher of Govindapada, Shankara had mentally selected him as his Guru and had been waiting impatiently for the blessed moment when he could sit at his feet and attain the knowledge of Advaita. That auspicious time had now come for the realization of Shankara's ardent desire of discipleship under Govindapada.
AT THE FEET OF GOVINDA BHAGAVATPADA …..
Step by step did Shankara leave the village behind, and proceeded north. Aryamba followed behind. So did the villagers too. As the margin of the village was reached Aryamba said, " My child! Here at the outskirts of the village you may put a cottage and carry on with your austerities. Do not go away leaving me unsupported." This was her last effort to restrain him from going away. But he made all of them see things aright and again made his obeisance to his mother and silently marched out northward in the direction of Narmada.
Shankara was his mother's only son, and yet he left his widowed mother in a helpless state and went away! Was he not cruel-hearted? Is this after all, the ideal of Sanyasa? No ! Shankara offered, in the form of Arghya or oblation, his devotion to his mother at the altar of a larger good. For fulfilling the divinely ordained purpose did he leave unfulfilled his duty to his mother, and walk out of his home. But he was ever deeply attached to his mother. At every level of his being his mother was to him a veritable Yashoda and he was the little Krishna, the darling of her affection.
Where lay the Narmada? Who will give him the direction of the way to it? Shankara had only heard that Narmada lay somewhere in the north, but did not exactly know the path leading to it. But trusting the goodness of chance, he trod on and on. An eight year old boy full of dispassion towards worldly pleasures and having cast off mother's affectionate shelter now went about in the eternal quest of the human soul, the search for the ultimate truth.
Those who saw this shaven-headed boy clad in a Sanyasi's orche- coloured robe with staff and water bowl called kamandala in hand, could not take their eyes off from him but gazed on in speechless wonder. Loving mothers, who saw him, shed silent tears thinking of his mother who had borne this beam of brilliance, and a strange but tangible sensation. Sensation of Vatsalya- mother's filial love for the child welled up in their tender bosoms heart. Shankara himself was unaffected by anything he heard or saw. Inquisitive glances, compassionate sighs, eager queries, nothing affected him. He was indifferent to everything except the Spirit and Reality. Meditating with a one-pointed mind on the All-pervading Supreme Energy, the soul behind all creation, he walked on. In the coolness of the mornings he would cover long distances on foot and at noon do Madhukari-ask for alms, accepting food, well-cooked or ill, judging not, from wayside temples or a hamlet hut. After rest for a while under tree shade, he was again on his feet, spending the nights under trees or in temple yards. Thus in the quest of the Unknown he passed through many a village and populated human habitations, towns and cities, crossed many a field and meadow, wild animal infested forests, hills and dales, rivers and rivulets and trod along many unknown paths.
Shankara thus, absorbed in thought, did make his way north towards Narmada in order to find his guru who would bestow on him the wisdom of self-knowledge. Shankara was indeed the model of what an aspirant should be. Qualities like a peaceful temperament, a rigid restraint of the naturally outgoing senses, a climate of moderation in all things, an overflowing abundance of love not rooted in selfishness, a spiritual wander-lust that would not quiet down till the very Everest of Self-Knowledge was reached, were what marked him as the most eligible candidate for spiritual Sadhana. After many days and weeks of traveling, something told the heroic boy that his quest was nearing its end. He began to ask everyone he met where he could find Govindapada. He had by then reached Omkarnath by the river Narmada. There he learnt that a great Yogi had been living in an ecstatic trance for hundreds and thousands of years in a cave. Shankara's heart was filled with indescribable ecstasy. Advancing a short distance, Shankara met a few old monks who lived in and near the caves at Omkarnath and he enquired them of Govindapada. They marveled at him. The gray-haired ones looked on in amazement at the arresting figure of the boy-monk, whose eyes shone with a strange luster and revealed a soul within, of immense potentiality and promise. They soon learnt a few details about him, about his native place and the object of his quest. Seeing how learned and cultured he was, they marveled all the more. How far indeed was Kerala. This boy at an age, when others of his years were still playing with toys and battling with the alphabet, had come alone and on foot, all the way from home in search of a Guru! And he had mastered all the scriptures with their numerous commentaries at such a tender age and what was ever more wonderful was that not only did he digest and assimilate them, but also attained the state of knowledge beyond knowableness.
An old monk told Shankara, " Child. The holy Yogi Govindapada lives in that yonder cave. He has been in trance for a long long time. The march of time touches him not. None here knows how long he has been in that state. In the hope of having the privilege of listening to his words, when he emerges out of his Samadhi, we have been waiting here, and have grown old in waiting. Blessed indeed are you child! Commendable is your Guru Bhakti. "
Shankara listened to these words with bated breath. In joy and amazement his mind and heart throbbed. And very eagerly he asked the old monk, " May I get the Darshan of the great sage? " " Yes, you certainly may." Answered the good old monk, " But the entrance to the cave is extremely narrow, and within the cave it as all dark. There is a lamp here, light it and walk into the cave, and you can see the great sage."
Shankara did not waste a single moment. He lighted the lamp and led by its dim light, found his way into the cave, and there in a corner found a tall majestic figure in Padmasan. His body was emaciated, and matted locks in plenty covered his head. His long drawn eyes closed in meditation had an invisible charm. His skin was dry but his body beamed with eternal effulgence. Seeing the eternal hermit sitting in Samadhi like the great lord Shiva himself, Shankara's heart was flooded with an inexpressible sublime bliss and driven by a powerful urge of devotional emotion he fell prostrate before the deathless master, and with tears welling up from within and flowing down his tender cheeks, he stood with folded hands and broke into a hymn, " Lord, you are the greatest among the Yogins. You have come here to earth to impart the knowledge of Parabrahman to those who seek refuge in you. You are verily the sage Patanjali, the personification of Yoga Shastra. You are born of the great serpent king Ananta. Like the drum of Mahadeva, you sound and resound supreme wisdom. Your glory is infinite. You have perfection, having imbibed total knowledge from Sri Gaudapada, the disciple (son according to some scriptures) of Shukadeva, the son of Vedavyasa. I beseech you to accept me as your pupil and bestow on me the knowledge of Brahman. Rise O Lord, from your ecstasy and grant the prayer of this humble seeker by opening to him the doors of the Final Truth."
Then the assembled monks witnessed a wonder. The rigid body of Govindapada relaxed, a quiver passed through his frame, his suspended faculties awoke to the exterior. He heaved a deep sigh and opened his eyes. The silent entranced idol was now living God. Shankara fell prostrate before the awakened sage. The assembled monks followed suit and offered salutations to the great sage. The cave reverberated with joyous peal and supplication. Gradually the mind of the great Yogi came down to the plane of consciousness of the physical world. The news, that the arrival of a boy-monk had broken the thousand-year old Samadhi of Govindapada, soon spread far and wide. It brought countless souls, men and women, from distant places to Omkarnath for the audience of the King of the Yogis. This turned that Sylvan peaceful spot into a holy place of plgrimage pulsating with life.
Just one look at Shankara was enough for Govindapada to realize that this was the boy he had been waiting for. He immediately understood that it was in order to instruct this boy, the Shiva Incarnate in the discipline of Advaita Sadhana that he had been waiting in ecstasy for a millennium. One of Shankara's outstanding contributions he foresaw was to be the writing of monumental commentaries on Veda Vyasa's Brahma Sutra, and thereby spreading the true knowledge of Advaita or non-dualism, the science of realization of the self as the one without a second.
Advaita Vedanta is a very ancient philosophical system. Acharya Shankara preached its doctrine with a singular fullness and clarity and convincingness, his exposition of its standpoint displaying rare analytical power with a unique power of argumentative ability and refuting capacity. Shankara did not of course newly propound the doctrine for the first time (like Madhwa or Ramanuja, who actually found their doctrines on the basis of their limited understanding of scriptures) but had instead imbibed it from a distinguished lineage of seers. The mighty sage Badarayana Vyasa gave a strong philosophical foundation to Advaita theory by writing out the unparalleled Brahma Sutras. Later he taught this secret science to his son Shuka Muni. Form Shuka Deva, it was passed to Shankara through Gaudapada and Govindapada.
Govindapada, at an auspicious moment, formally accepted Shankara as his disciple, after having the prescribed rites performed in the manner enjoined in the Vedas. Without losing any time, Govindapada started instructed Shankara, the discipline of Yoga. Other Sanyasin's also accepted his discipleship. The aged monks at the place who had till then to be content with being in the silent proximity of the trance-merged Govindapada now sat with Shankara to receive spiritual instruction. The course of studies started with Hatha Yoga in the first year. Shankara easily mastered the techniques of Hatha Yoga before the year was out. Raja Yoga, the science of disciplining the mind-stuff, was then taken up. Shankara stained mastery in this discipline in the second year. As a result he became gifted with psychic powers like telepathy, clairvoyance, movement in space unseen and above all death at will.
In the third year, Govindapada initiated his disciple very confidently into the high discipline of Jnana Yoga, the Realization of Ultimate Reality through Knowledge. Man's final destiny lies not in reaching anything distant and new and foreign to his self but in simply knowing and asserting what he really is. Salvation is not so much attainment as affirmation. Jnana Yoga is thus the royal road to perfection since it helps us perceive Truth in its naked unity devoid of any trappings, coverings or maskings. And only a Sadhaka who is utterly free from all illusions and delusions, who is remarkably clear-minded and fearless, who is not stained by any longings, high or low, and who is qualified to make the last, bold leap into the Impersonal beyond and like a salt-doll lose all sense of individuality in the ocean of Infinity, only such a Sadhaka can be a Jnana Yogi. But if ever there was a qualified aspirant fit to be initiated into this Royal Science, Govindapada intuitively felt, it was this boy. Govindapada made Shankara undergo through the duly regulated scheme of Sravana-Manana-Nidhidhyasana i.e. hearing the spiritual truths and secrets from the mouth of the preceptor, investigating and discussing it and constant contemplation on it. Then he established Shankara firmly in the higher planes of spiritual striving and truth-experiencing. He found that, as the popular saying goes, Shankara became oil as soon as a suggestion of mustard was given, unlike most others in whose case a lot of squeezing of mustard was needed before a drop of oil could me made to flow out. Soon Shankara's mind came to dwell all the time in super-sensual regions of ever new divine thrills which he experienced through meditation on the One Self. Brahma Jyoti, the brilliance, the Light Infinite was shining on his face and was pulsating through his limbs. His entire persona beamed with a radiant charm and a celestial glow. The normal tendency of the human mind to roam out was now one of indrawnness, and it was with an effort and a pressure that he could force his faculties down to the plane of earthly phenomena. In a very short time he came to attain the Nirvikalpa Samadhi in which all mentation merges in one unchanging Awareness, all modifications disappear in one continuing Is-ness. Govindapada found that Shankara's spiritual practice and education completed and he had reached the came of spiritual striving, the last rung of the ladder. He needed no more training and no further instruction. He had become firmly established in Self-Knowledge. And the Upanishads found a new and fresh verification of their statement : " When that Supreme Brahman is realized, the heart's knots get snapped, all doubts are resolved and one's actions become dissipated." Shankara was now a living illustration of the great utterance, " The knower of the Supreme attains the Highest" and of the declaration, " The Knower of the Supreme verily becomes the Supreme."
As a piece of wood placed amidst incandescent embers soon becomes glowing fire, so had Shankara's contact with Govindapada made the disciple indistinguishable from master. The one was now as Purna- perfect as the other. The practice of Hatha Yoga had brought to Shankara unsought many Siddhis or occult powers. Clairvoyance and clairaudience, assuming light and subtle forms, bursting into hugeness, becoming atomic or cosmic, flying through space, entering and operating other bodies and minds, death at will, all these Siddhis were now matters of course for him, because all the laws, gross and subtle, of Nature responded to his volition. But the man of true illumination never gives a thought to these acquired powers and if at all he now and then makes any use of them it is only for doing some good to humanity. The so-called miracles emanate from a sense of passion on his part.
The rains set in and Omkarnath and the Narmada were a panorama of enchanting loveliness. But the rains were unusually heavy that year and the waters of Narmada swelled above the danger mark. The banks were submerged and the whole area was a sea of water. Village folk with their domestic animals moved to higher areas of safety. Govindapada was, in one of his frequently occurring trances, in the cave and was not conscious of the rising of the river. It became very clear soon that the waters would enter his cave and he would be drowned. The monks saw that it might not be possible to de-trance him quickly and the only way out was to lift him away. But to handle a Sage in Samadhi that was the height of discourtesy and they were in a fix. Shankara surveyed the situation and acted quickly. He placed his Kamandala near the entrance to the cave, and in an assuring voice told the anxious monks, " You do not worry. There is no need to disturb in any manner our Guru in Samadhi. The rushing flood waters will quietly enter the jar and be contained in it. They will not enter the cave any further." The monks smiled at the childish behavior of Shankara and felt he was indulging in doll-playing, but great was their surprise to see the madly rushing mighty volume of waters being received into the jar and being held in its small capacity. The cave was safe, afloat as it were amidst the surrounding expanse. Everyone marveled at this expression of Shankara's deep devotion to his Guru and of his supernormal powers. After a time, the floods subsided and Govindapada came out of Samadhi. Learning of the incident of the jar and the flood-waters, he was highly pleased and placing his holy right palm on Shankara's head in a warm blessing he said, " My son, you are indeed Loka Sham Kara - the doer of good to the world. You are indeed cast in the mould of the Supreme Mahadeva. My Guru Gaudapada had long ago told me that you would come to me. His Guru Shuka Mahamuni had informed him that just as you have contained the surging torrents of the Narmada in an earthen jar, you will by your lucid and irrefutable commentary on the Brahma sutras, succeed in reconciling all the apparently conflicting creeds and the mutually exclusive theories, on the high plane of the universally valid and all-inclusive philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. It is in order to fulfill this mission that you have come down to earth. I bless you that you may brilliantly succeed in performing your life's task in a manner that will shed the true light on all humanity for all ages to come. May you in your commentaries and works bring out the true import and the full sense of all the Vedas."
In the writings of Madhavacharya, we find that hearing from the mouth of Govindapada, the Mahavakya-the great sentence, Shankara entered into Asampragnata Samadhi. On coming down from this Samadhi he found his Guru absorbed in trance. To bring him down to the plane of material consciousness, Shankara suppressed the current of Narmada.
Govindapada felt that his part in the training of Shankara to function as an Acharya had been played and that the time for his departure from the world of relative existence had come. He called Shankara to him one day and asked him, " My son do you have any doubts in your mind? Do you feel in you any imperfection, or want or incompleteness? Or are you at peace with yourself and with the entire universe, feeling the tough of reality in everything and the consciousness of Fullness in all? " Shankara in a tone of profound gratitude and utmost humility, but expressive of deep satisfaction and undisguised certitude replied to his Guru, " Sire, by your grace I see that there is nothing for me to be yet learnt, nothing to be yet acquired. You have filled me through and through. My contentment is through and perfect. My only wish is to be graciously permitted by you to remain merged for ever in unbroken Samadhi and experience the bliss of Nirvana." Govindapada after a moment of silence addressed Shankara in a calm and collected voice, " My son, you are born with a divine mandate to re-establish the Vedic religion. There is a cosmic purpose in your advent. The pursuit and attainment of individual salvation is not the mission of an exceptional soul like you. Your task is not to merely swim safely across the turbulent waters of life and death, which you have done as naturally as a fish swimming in a river. You have to help others to do the swimming across. You are not a mere pilgrim, you are a carrier of men. See reflections of Rama, Krishna and Vyasa in yourself. I have been waiting for a thousand years at the behest of my Guru to instruct you in the doctrine of Advaita, otherwise I would long ago have cast off my physical frame. Now my task is done. The treasure of Jnana I inherited from my Guru I have passed down to your eminently worthy hands, and you are destined to accomplish much. It is now high time that I enter final deliverance in self-realization. I shall drop my body like a sere leaf and merge with Parabrahman. Proceed now to Varanasi, the Mokshapuri - the city of salvation. You will have a vision of Lord Shiva Mahadeva and Parashakti Bhavani. They will instruct you, and you act according to their guidance. You are not just an individual, but a whole institution in yourself, not just an isolated star but an entire Solar System. "
Shankara listened and acknowledged the behest with silent consent. On an auspicious day selected for the purpose, Govindapada smilingly cast off his aged body in Samadhi. The pious disciples performed the enjoined last rites on the banks of Narmada in devotion and solemnity befitting the prince of Yogis.
An ordinary Jiva takes several births to reach the final goal of existence, and he plods along a particular religious path. His effort is all praiseworthy, no doubt. But Shankara was not of the ordinary. In three different and exalted Yogas he has attained mastery, an unusually short period for such a Himalayan achievement. This fact demonstrates not only the powers of the great Siddha Yogi Govindapada, but also the receptive powers of Shankara in the spiritual field. At Omkarnath, at the time when Shankara reached illumination, there stayed many old Sanyasins, each mature in his own way, who all became disciples of Govindapada too. But it was Shankara only who mastered the three Yogas in such a short time. Others could possibly achieve the same after several hundreds of births. Shankara had appeared in human form with a reserve of immense spiritual powers in order to fulfill a mission under a divine dispensation. The several instances of Shankara's uncommon spiritual powers have been narrated in this sketch of his life till now. It is no wonder then that the world's veneration has been pouring at the feet of this boy prodigy all down the ages. The scriptures in describing the nature of the Lord say, " One who knows the truths about the projection and the subsiding of the universe, about the arrival and the course of departure of beings, and about knowledge and nescience may be styled Bhagawan - Vishnu Purana 6-5-78 ." It is God, the possessor of the six divine attributes that incarnates as Ideal Man to lead humanity on the path of true religion. It is indeed lucky that in the case of Shankara we have a fairly full record of all his doings from birth. This record is the account of a continuous opening out of amazingly extraordinary faculties. It is the fascinating story of a charming childhood, a precocious boyhood, a full-blooded pupil hood, a sweet mother-son relationship, a stern renunciation at a tender age, as astonishingly rapid practice of Yogic discipline, and a total realization of Reality. It is worthy to note that neither in the case of Rama nor of Krishna is there any systematically and chronologically recorded evidence of schooling and discipleship. We have to be satisfied with brief accounts and suggestive points. Vasishta, the great sage gave Sri Rama instructions in scripture. But we find Sri Rama there already as the Ideal Man and knower of Paramatman-Supreme Self. In Sri Krishna's case, we are told that after his sacred thread ceremony, he studied the scriptures under sage Sandipini. Some of the Puranas hold that Sri Krishna underwent Tapasya-spiritual discipline at Badarikashrama though he was already the knower of the Brahman established in the self, repository of knowledge and revealer of the essence of all scriptures. The Bhagavata says that Sri Krishna stayed at Sandipini's hermitage for sixty-four days mastering one art each day and becoming proficient in all the traditional sixty-four arts in record time. The spiritual depth, the supreme knowledge and the supernormal faculties expressed in the lives of supermen whom the world adores are certainly not the product of any instruction, training or practice. They are inborn and possessed from very birth. So too is the highest realization of God theirs, not by any penance or striving, it is already theirs when they are born. The exercises they undergo are for setting an example to men, for doing good to the world, for resuscitating religion. That is why we do not find an identical preparatory stage in all the Avatars, not a uniform course of discipline in all of them. The mode of life, the stages of development, the ways of equipping themselves, the manner of working out the life mission, all these differ from Avatar to Avatar, according to the needs of the times and the demands of the age.
Shankara was just eleven now. We stand amazed at his mastery over different systems of Yogas and the manifestation of supernatural powers in him at so tender an age. We shall observe henceforth that such powers were pre-eminently needed for the fulfillment of the Divine Mission.
MOKSHAPURI KASHI, THE CITY OF SALVATION ……….
After the passing away of Govindapada, Shankara along with a few other Sanyasins proceeded towards Varanasi even as his Guru had counseled him. He passed through the Vindhya forests, and visited Prayaga, the great confluence of rivers and a noted pilgrim center. From there he walked on to Kashi, the city of knowledge and salvation. He stayed in the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi in a secluded and quiet spot. Suffused as his mind was with the consciousness of Brahman, he found Varanasi peculiarly suited to his temperament. Bathing in the waters of the holy Ganga and having the Darshan of Lord Vishwanatha and Mother Annapurana Visalakshi every day, he was immersed most of the time in meditation, his cultured mind freed from all worldly fretters, easily finding its habitat in the contemplation of the ` Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma `- the Absolute that is Truth, Wisdom and Infinity. It was not however possible for him to stay for long in solitude. He got easily `discovered'. He was self-luminous and earnest seekers and scholars flocked to him in increasing numbers. He was too kind- hearted to turn them away even for the self-absorption that he so much relished. He gladly began teaching them and telling them of the Ultimate Truth. Within a very short time, his vast learning, unusual gifts of exposition, astounding intellectual keenness and charming personality became the talk of the town. Scholars and monks belonging to diverse philosophical sects and schools and owing allegiance to various systems of thought approached Shankara and had their doubts cleared on the Ultimate Truth. Shankara's life task of re- establishing the pure Vedic faith in the whole of India thus had its auspicious beginnings in Varanasi.
Shankara re-established in the undivided Bharat, the Sanatana Vaidika Dharma by freeing the entire country from the baneful influence of distorted and decayed Buddhism and Jainism. It was because of his life that the Vedas and Vedic faith were protected and preserved. He did not build the monastic order only ( the ten monastic orders Shankara established are Tirtha, Ashrama, Vana, Aranya, Giri, Parvata, Sagara, Saraswati, Bharati and Puri). He entrusted the great responsibility of sustaining and protecting the Sanatana Dharma to the Sanyasins, especially to the Abbots of the Maths he established. As a result of this within a short time the Vedic religion revived in the whole of India. He was the architect of the glorious renaissance. It was because of the vitality infused into the Vedic Dharma that in later years despite heavy onrush and oppression of the outsiders and people of differing creeds that India could stand firm and maintain her distinct cultural identity. Hence even today the Sanatana Vedic Dharma is not only alive but her influence in full glory has spread throughout the globe.
Even from pre-historic times, Varanasi has been one of the chief centers of Sanatana Vedic Dharma. It has verily been the abode of the serene God, Shiva Vishwanatha ever lost in the contemplation of his own Gory. Countless generations of spiritual aspirants of diverse schools and renowned scholars of varied interests have realized the fulfillment of their mission in the holy city of Kashi. At the time of Shankara's arrival in Varanasi, there lived in it aspirants belonging to many different sects- Shaiva, Pashupata, Sankhya, Patanjala, Soura, Shakta, Ganapatya, Jaina and Bauddha orders of seekers and scholars, all intent on achieving the Supreme God in ways suited to them. Many of them were drawn to Shankara hearing the news of his arrival and about his genius and soon Shankara's lodgings became a place of sacred pilgrimage. Many, to establish the superiority of their view points, wound enter into debate with Shankara. He lent them patient hearing and with comfortable ease disarmed them all by irrefutable reasonings.
In the presence of the genius and personality of the boy-Sanyasin, the parties aspiring for victory were humbled and the opposing contestants felt blessed realizing the Truth. The earnest inquirers would get all their doubts resolved and desire new light in their spiritual lives. The Sadhaka would feel gratified and receive great inspiration in strengthening his spiritual living. Shankara's stay at Varanasi led the spiritual thought-current of the place to flow in full-flood state.
SANANDANA FINDS HIS GURU IN SHANKARA ……..
A Brahmin youth named Sanandana of the Chola country in South India happened to arrive at Varanasi when Shankara was staying there. He had been for a long time journeying through many places in search of a realized Guru who would put him on the sure path to Ultimate Knowledge. It did not take him long to come to hear of the eminence of Shankara. He heard of Shankara's supernatural power and uncommon genius and developed a high regard for Shankara and made bold to go to him one day with a request to him to be his Guru. Shankara was delighted to meet Sanandana. He surveyed the supplicating youth, saw his worth, and after putting a few queries in order to know something of his past, gave him permission to stay with him. An intimacy of few days was sufficient to convince Sanandana his Guru of the godly life of Shankara. He made a gift of himself to his Guru. He ardently believed that if he could get the grace of Shankara, he could attain the summum bonum of life- the self-realization. So one day he begged of Shankara to initiate him into Sanyasa. Shankara was in a gracious mood and on an auspicious day, initiated Sanandana into Sanyasa. Thus Sanandana became the first Sanyasi disciple fo Shankara.
Sanandana was in every way worthy of Shankara. Even as a boy he had developed a religious turn of mind, felt an intense dispassion for things of the world and had proceeded to a hill called Ahobala in the south to realize God-vision. He had heard that Nrisimhadeva, the man- lion incarnation of Narayana, who is easily pleased with men and fulfils ardent desires of those who pray for his vision was ever available to sincere seekers in that place. Living on a fruit-diet in the forests on the hill, Sanandana had engaged himself in the worship of Nrisimha. His yearning for God-Vision grew intense day by day. One day a youthful hunter came to him and asked him, " why is it that you live alone in this desolate uninhabited forest ? " Sanandana did not like to give out his real intention, nor did he like to be guilty of an untruth. So he gave the hunter a clever reply, " I am looking for a creature with a lion's face and a human body. Can you help me find it? " The hunter retreated without a word and then returned after a while with an image of Nrisimha wrapped in green leaves and bound by tender creepers. Sanandana prostrated before this image and burst into a prayer. The hunter disappeared from view and the living form of Nrisimhadeva stood before Sanandana, asking him, " Dear child, ask for a boon." Sanandana asked for the boon of Abhaya, fearlessness and " It is also my prayer that you appear before me to help me out of any difficulty I may find myself in, whenever I remember you and desire your intervention. " " Be it so, " said Nrisimha as he withdrew out of sight.
Blessed Sanandana regarded it as a stroke of singular good fortune that a Guru of Shankara's eminence had condescended to adopt him as his disciple. He was highly devoted to his Guru. Guruseva was indeed his penance. Like his very shadow, he constantly stayed by the side of Shankara. His greatest Sadhana lay in serving his Guru. Endowed with a superior intelligence and a deep knowledge of the scriptures, he was able to win the complete confidence of his master whose favorite he soon became. He was literally to Shankara what Hanuman was to Sri Rama. On may an occasion he saved the life of Shankara from coming to an untimely end, never hesitating to put his own life into danger.
Shankara's masterly proficiency in the Vedic scriptures and his study of and training in Yoga under the expert direction of Govindapada had helped him to scale the heights of the realization of the ultimate reality. He was established totally in self-awareness. To him, in his lofty perch, Brahman alone was Truth, the universe but an illusion, and the seemingly bound soul, Jiva, was none but the Brahman. The grand non-dual knowledge of the individual soul and the Total Brahman, the Supreme soul, is experienced in the deepest state of super-conscious Samadhi or utter indrawnness. However on the worldly plane where the normal senses function in our practical day to day work and behavior, it is possible in a partial way to maintain undistorted this perception of Brahman in all, only as a result of prolonged and steady practice. Over and above everything else, the Grace of God is needed. The attainment of this state of experience is extremely different and a very rare privilege for ordinary mortals. It is but natural for great men and Avadhootas like Sri Dattatreya, Sri Shankara, Sadashiva Brahmendra etc.
BHAVANI, THE SUPREME QUEEN OF THE COSMOS ……
For the accomplishment of divine task, Shankara was destined to live in the world, established in the experience of the undivided Brahman, rooted in the perception of Absolute Reality. Therefore, Adya Shakti, the Primal Energy or Power, as if overcome by a mood of immense grace ( which is but her very nature), and with the object of ensuring the enrichment of the knowledge of Brahman, showed a Lila-cosmic play, to bestow on Shankara, Brahmadrishti- the recognition and perception of Absolute Reality.
It is the Absolute endowed with `Gunas' or attributes, the Saguna Brahman, that works out the projection and preservation and the dissolution of the three worlds. In the attributeless Absolute which is indifferent to Shakti, there is no authorship of the universe. And what is this Guna aspect of Saguna Brahman? It is a great Shakti capable of bringing about strange impossible transformations possible that constitutes the Guna-quality or the Upadi- modification of the Absolute Brahman. It is only by taking the help of these Gunas or attributes that the undifferentiated and unconditioned Brahman becomes conditioned, endowed with attributes and subject to differentiations. The Saguna Brahman is as it were, the Ocean of Forms for the Formless, the Aroopa.
That which is the attributeless Absolute Supreme Self to the man of wisdom on his wisdom-plane, that same substance endowed with attributes is Ishwara or God on the plane of dual consciousness. This is the image of all rasas or artistic graces rolled into one and the abode of all powers. Says Sri Chandrashekhara Mahaswamigal, the very incarnation of Shankara and literally the mouthpiece of Sri Kamakshi, " The Chit Shakti, the power that is effulgent Consciousness and the Brahman of Vedanta are non-different even as water and its cooling power are non-different". That is why the aspirant on reaching this stage of experience says, " Knowing the secret that Kali is one with Brahman, I have discarded once for all, both righteousness and unrighteousness, religion and non-religion ( Sadhakas of Srividya are well aware of this, and practice exactly this during the Chidagni Homa).
Shankara in his commentary on the Saririka, has supported both the Saguna and Nirguna aspects of Brahman and moreover has assigned a place of importance to the adoration of the Saguna Brahman as enjoined in the Sruti and Smriti. Indeed the adoration of the attributes-endowed Absolute is an unavoidable, indispensable step to the attainment of the attributeless Absolute. The wisdom of non- duality is the last word and the final step to attainment of the attributeless Absolute. The wisdom of non-duality is the last word and the final achievement of all spiritual effort. The Sruti ahs it that whether one takes to the realization of the truth of the Supreme Indestructible Brahman or to the adoration of the Saguna Brahman depends on one's position in regard to native equipment and to attendant circumstances. An individual may be innately qualified either for the one or the other, and the environment, condition, stage of growth etc. of the person may also influence the choice. Shankara was the best of the knowers of the Brahman, and he standing at the meeting point of wisdom and devotion, Jnana and Bhakti, said, " O Paramatman, though the distinction that obtained between thee and me has been obliterated and in consequence the sameness has set in between us, I am really Thine. Never art though mine. For even though the ocean and the wave are identical and non-different, the wave is after all the ocean's and the wave can never claim the ocean as a part of it. "
One day in the very early hours while the darkness of night was still lingering, Shankara accompanied by his disciples was proceeding to the Manikarnika Ghat for the daily ablution at dawn in the holy waters of Ganga. On the way, a pathetic sight attracted his eyes. On the path leading to the river sat a young woman. She was the very picture of grief. A dead body, evidently of her husband, lay on the ground, its head resting on her lap. She was wailing loudly and soliciting help from all present there for the proper performance of the funeral rites of her departed husband. She had been sitting with a corpse in such a way that the narrow path leading to the Manikarnika Ghat was quite blocked. Shankara waited for long, it was getting quite late for the bath, and there was no other path leading to Manikarnika Ghat. He had, therefore, to ask the sorrowing woman, " Mother, if you will remove the corpse to one side of the pathway, we can move on to the river ". The woman seemed to be so overwhelmed with grief that she could not pay attention to Shankara's words. On being repeatedly requested by Shankara for the removal of the lifeless body to one side of the pathway, the woman responded telling him, " Why, Great Soul, why do you not yourself ask the corpse to move aside ?" Hearing her words Shankara told her in a voice choked with compassion, " Mother, you are besides yourself with grief. Can a corpse ever move of its own accord! Has it in itself the needed momentum for moving aside? " The woman then fixed her gaze on Shankara and spoke, " Why, you best of ascetics, you hold that it is the one and only one Brahman who is the sole authority of the universe and Shakti is indifferent. Is this not so? When Brahman is ever present everywhere, why should not the corpse then move? " Hearing the woman's utterance which was pregnant with wisdom, Shankara stood astounded and began to think over its import.
But where was the woman now? And where was the corpse? In a trice everything had receded. What divine sport was this! Shankara's mind was filled with an indescribable joy. Within and without, he experienced the sportive play of the Great Enchantress, Mahamaya, who is none but Adya Shakti or the Primal Energy. It was because of her glance that earth and heaven throbbed. Bending on his knees, Shankara began to sing in praise of the Goddess Mahatripurasundari, the sole refuge of the universe.
" Oh Goddess Supreme ! Brahman, Vishnu, Maheshwara, Indra, Chandra or Surya or any one for the matter of that have I never known. I am taking refuge at thy feet. Thou art my sole shelter. Thou my only heaven, Mother Bhavani! I have surrendered myself to thee. In debate and in danger, in error and in alien lands, in water and in fire, on hills, among foes and in forests, do thou protect me every where and in all places. Thou art alone my sheet-anchor. Thou alone my only refuse security- Bhavanyashtakam !"
Shankara now realized that the Goddess Supreme, the dispenser of boons to humanity, who is worshipped by the Lord of the Universe Himself, had out of her divine and mysterious Grace, made him become aware intensely of her magnanimous glory and grace. She was it, he understood the Creator, the Preserver, and the Destroyer of this phenomenal universe and it was She again that bestowed material abundance and also the final salvation from conditioned existence. It was by the inducement of Her glance of Divine Sport that the Universe blossomed out. It was in her affection-filled bosom that the Universe had its being, and it was she who bore in Her, being the granary of the cosmic universe. All this Shankara realized with clarity and fullness by a moment of Mother's divine Grace. His heart felt strangely filled. He finished his bath at the Manikarnika Ghat and came back to his residence with an enchanted mind. His mode of thought and his pattern of behavior now underwent a revolutionary change. He had already experienced that the individual Soul-Jiva and the Infinite Soul Brahman were identical and non-different. He now understood that the attributeless absolute Brahman was just a witness, a mere spectator and no more. The authorship of the universe was that of the Primordial Energy Adya Shakti.
Shankara had become established in Samadhi Yoga and in the Supreme knowledge of non-dual Brahman. But he had not yet attained to a complete measure of the knowledge and the outlook and the attitude that, on the plane where the Jiva functions, and in the region of the practical and the pragmatic, " The universe in entirety is of the stuff of Brahman Absolute ". But Shankara's advent was only for the purpose of working out a divine mission. His enjoinment of self-bliss by remaining immersed in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which is the state of unqualified self-absorption, would not help him to accomplish his life's purpose. He would have to work out a practical application to life and labor on earth, of his experience of the Absolute Reality subsisting in all created objects and of his perceiving of the Absolute Reality everywhere and in all places. Only then, and only that way, would he become the meaningful living embodiment of the Great Utterance, "All this indeed is verily Brahman", and this Supreme self-knowledge of the non-dual Reality would be reflected in his life.
SRI VISHWANATHA, LORD OF THE UNIVERSE …
Even as Mother Bhavani thus played Her Cosmic Lila in the life of Shankara, Mahadeva, the cosmic consort of Bhavani also one day set up a very wonderful sport with the object of perfecting Shankara's self- knowledge of the Absolute Reality on the practical, tangible material, work-a-day plane of living and doing. On another day, when Shankara with his disciples was going to bath in the holy Ganga, saw a loathsome sight near the Manikarnika Ghat.
A Chandala (an untouchable and worker at the cremation ground, at the very bottom of the social scale and devoid of any culture, a very primitive of men, extremely ugly in appearance and of a terrifying form) with four dogs held in leash, was approaching in a disorderly manner from the opposite direction.
Finding no other way of avoiding a confrontation with him, Shankara addressed him and said, "Oh, you Chandala, step aside one side with your canine company, and let us pass". The Chandala did not appear to have listened to his words at all, and did not tarry of deflect, but continued to advance. Shankara in a somewhat excited voice cried out again, "Stop, fellow, stop. Restrain and pacify your curs. Leave a passage free for us".
The terrible looking Chandala burst out into hideous guffaw and turning to Shankara, spoke out in Sanskrit verses, "Whom are you asking to move aside , Sir? Are you demanding the self to do so or the body to do so? The Self is omnipresent, non-active, ever pure by nature. If instead you ask the physical body to move aside, you know that the body is inert matter, how can it move aside at all? And moreover, in what respect is your body distinct and different from any other body? You say that you are firmly established and rooted in the Supreme Truth and there is but One non-dual entity, `One without a Second'. I see that your claim is all false, you are indulging in vain pride. Is there any difference between the Chandala and the Brahmin from the viewpoint of the knower of the Truth? Are the sun reflected in the water of Ganga and the sun reflected in the wine different and separate from each other? Is this your knowledge of the All-ness the Absolute Reality, so circumscribed? "
Hearing these words of the Chandala, surcharged with wisdom, Shankara was both amazed and ashamed. That this was without a doubt the play of the Divine, he clearly perceived. Then and there he folded his palms in adoration and spoke prayerfully, "He who perceives all beings with an awareness of Same-sightedness, acts in consonance with that perception of sameness in all, he indeed is my Guru. You Chandala are my Guru. I bow down at his holy feet a million times".
All of a sudden the Chandala and his canine company disappeared. But Shankara beheld another sight. The Divine form of the eternal Lord and Father of the Universe, Sri Mahadeva, radiant and shining with the light of thousands of crores of suns and fire, stood before him in all glory holding in His hands the four Vedas. These eternal scriptures were what Shankara had seen as dogs before. The skull in which the Chandala had held wine before now appeared as a Kumbha of nectar. Shankara's mind was filled with intense devotion. He bowed down at the feet of the Great Guru of the Universe and burst into a hymn of praise :
"I reflect on the One Great God, who is the enemy of passion, the Lord of all beings, the annihilator of sin, the great lord, the wearer of the elephant skin, the most excellent one, springing from whose matted locks the waters of the Ganga flow.
I take refuge in Him who is without birth, the eternal, cause of all causes, the all auspicious one, from whom the universe gets expression, the Being beyond the three Gunas or qualities, who is beyond all darkness, the One without beginning and end, the Supreme, the Purifier in whom is no duality.
Salutation to Thee, O Lord, salutation to Thee who art of the form of the Universe, salutations to Three again and again, who art of the form of knowledge and Bliss. Salutations to Thee over and over again, O Thou who art unattainable by rigorous spiritual practices and militations. Salutations to Thee who are reachable by the Vedic Knowledge( the underlying Supreme non-dual Truth of the Brahman), Salutations to Thee again and again."
Pleased by this hymn, Lord Mahadeva placed his hand on Shankara's head and said to him, "Child, I am pleased and gratified. I wish that through you should come about the re-establishment of Vaidika Dharma on earth, the Spiritual Discipline enjoined and elaborated in the Vedas. You must give out a flawless exposition of Vedanta and blow up the religious theories which are vitiated by false apperception, leading men to duality and darkness. You must write out a commentary on the Brahma Sutra of Vyasa and firmly establish that knowledge of Brahman, which is the chief import of the Vedanta philosophy. You have to preach the Vedic faith in such a way as to make it available to all. And at the conclusion of your allotted task, you will be united with me. For the everlasting welfare of the world, you have taken birth as a manifestation of me on this earth". Having spoken thus, Mahadeva disappeared from view.
Shankara's whole being had stood enraptured by this Divine vision, and now he came back to a sense of the outer world. Like one in a trance, he mechanically finished his bathing in the Ganga and his visit to the shrines. How to carry out the Divine behest was the one preoccupation of his mind now. After deep thinking and contemplation, he decided to proceed to Badarikashrama for writing out the commentary on Brahma Sutra. Thereupon on an auspicious day, he made obeisance to Lord Vishwanatha and Mother Annapurana and with his disciples journeyed on in the direction of the holy place of Badarikashrama.
AMIDST THE HIMALAYAS ………..
Badarikashrama is a Tirtha, a holy place with sacred associations, in the Himalayas. The access to it not easy. The twelve-year boy Shankara did not however mind the difficulties of the ascent and went up with determination to reach the place. On his way to Badari, he made it a point to visit all places of pilgrimage and have Darshan of all the different divine images in the temples. With great piety, he worshipped and adored the Gods in all the shrines. Proceeding along the holy banks of Ganga, he passed through places like Prayaga and soon found himself in Haridwar.
Haridwar had always been the home of many monks from ages past, and his arrival at that spot of hallowed associations brought great joy to Shankara. Haridwar is the gateway to the Himalayas. Shankara performed the religious rites due to be done by pilgrims at that holy place and then proceeded towards Hrishikesh, which in olden times was verily a Yagna Bhumi, a sacrificial region. From now on we shall perceive in Shankara, an Acharya, a Jagadguru whose role is of establishing Dharma, true faith.
Acharya was no doubt firmly rooted in the Supreme self-knowledge of the Brahman. Surely it was not for being immersed in Samadhi, the super-conscious state, and for the experiencing of the bliss of the self-hood that his advent had come about. The compelling mission, the grand purpose, of his life was rather virile consolidation, and the firm establishment once again of the whole Vedic Dharma, the Vedic faith.
We see in Shankara's life a bright illustration of the manner in which the knower of Truth, a Jnani lives on in this world of relative values and conditioned existence even after he has attained the Knowledge of the non-dual Unity. The knower of the Truth lives on seeking refuge in Vidyamaya ( the higher aspect of the Cosmic Illusion which turns one to right perception and away from false judgment, Sri Devi's grace to be precise) and holding on to devotion to God, compassion towards beings and dispassion towards objects of enjoyment. His life on earth has two aims, teaching people the higher learning and himself tasting the Rasa, the divine sweetness of the Divine Bliss.
Those who ascend to spiritual realm are of two kinds, the Jivakotis and the Ishwarakotis. The latter are especially endowed individuals. But the patterns of life of these two categories of persons differ and are unique in their own separate way. The Jivakotis can gain the highest self-knowledge by means of spiritual practice and prayer and through intense austerity, but cannot, after coming down from Nirvikalpa Samadhi stay very long in this world. When the great power, Kundalini reaches the Sahasrara, the plane of conscious is Chidakasha and after the union of Paramashiva and Sridevi, which is nothing but realization of the individual Soul as the Universal soul, Paramatman, perfect knowledge is attained and Nirvikalpa Brahma Samadhi follows. Yogi attains perfect bliss and becomes firmly established in Supreme Parabrahman. Now the self can linger in the physical body at the most for twenty-one days. And then, their bodies fall off like dried up leaves. They are then freed for all time from the riddle of life and death and attain Nirvana liberation, which unlike other lower states of attainment of heavenly worlds (which most other dualistic sects mistake for Moksha, the final liberation), is the consummation of all spiritual striving, the very omega of perfection. But in the case of those who are anointed ones endowed with special commands, i.e. Avatars, their embodiment is for the fulfillment of a divine purpose, for the ensuring of the welfare of the world and living beings. They are men out of the ordinary, sent to earth by God as his very manifestations. Their number is few. Whenever there comes about in the world a decline of the true spirit of religion, then the Lord, as promised in the Gita, sends out His anointed souls to arrest the decline of the true religious faith in the world and to re-establish that faith on firm foundations. The advent of these extraordinary spiritual stars is not for the acquisition of self-knowledge for themselves since they are already endowed with this knowledge. They are born liberated. They come down in order to show the dwellers on earth that the eternal path to perfection which men have forsaken and forgotten and in order to lead men on to the way to salvation.
These supermen with divine commissions the greatest of the Knowers of Brahman, but at the same time in response o the especial wish of the Lord, they slide down a little from the final state of Beatitude which is attained only with great difficulty, and for the good of the world, they tarry for a time in the region of duality. In the consciousness of the All-ness of the One Reality, there are two different reaches, one is Jnana- knowledge and the other is Vijnana or super-knowledge or specially verified knowledge. Even on the plane of remaining in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, there are several grades and levels of knowledge-acquisition and these are described in the scriptures. For instance, these states find a mention in them Brahmavid, Brahmavidvara, Brahmavidvariyan and Brahmavidvarishta. Brahmavid means a knower of Brahman, and Vara, Variyan and Varishra are suggestive of ascending comparative degrees of excellence and fullness. The normal human being, the ordinary Jivakoti, who takes to spiritual striving can attain Brahma Jnana, but cannot reach the state of Vijnana or super-specialty.
As long as the commissioned supermen referred to above, having, by the desire of the Lord, come down from the region of the super- conscious state of Samadhi, inhabit the world of living beings, their only wish being to do good to the world. If they remain immersed in deep Samadhi, no teaching and instructing of people becomes possible. Therefore, they do, in accordance with the wish of the Lord, reside in the world, perceiving the reality which is Brahman immanent in all things. That Bhakti or devotion which follows and is consequent on Jnana or knowledge is indeed fruition of right Bhakti. Pity the fools who indulge in duality, terming it Bhakti. We perceive this true and unique Bhakti in Acharya's life by the will of the Divine.
This is the view of the scriptures in general. However, by divine grace, a Sadhaka can indeed perfect Vijnana, by which the Kundalini returns to lower Chakras, allowing the Sadhaka to remain in undisturbed bliss of Brahman, at the same time allowing him to carry out his day to day worldly activities. This exactly is what is taught to followers of Srividya. Most scriptures ( I should say most Yogic and Tantric scriptures to be precise, since I personally cannot claim detailed study in other areas) however stop at Sahasrara since this is indeed meant to be the end of the journey for a Jivakoti. However, in Samayachara, (the very soul and essence of it being Srividya), Vijnana is but a natural course of study since the perfection in Srividya indicates that the Sadhaka is out of the ordinary. However, due to various injunctions in scriptures which ban public discussions on this highly esoteric and highly guarded methodology and theory of Vijnana ( to be handed over by a Guru to a disciple who is eligible to receive this lofty knowledge) and the descent of Kundalini by will. This piece about Kundalini is my own addition and none of the biographies of Acharya speak about it. Ascent of Kundalini makes a Jnani and a tailored descent of Kundalini, possible with certain Tantric techniques and most importantly by Sri Devi's grace, makes a Vijnani.
Shankara conducted himself in his work on the practical plane by taking the attitude of the devotion of the devotee. Making devotion the sporting field, he collected and rested his mind-stuff on that Brahman. Again, in order to re-establish the glory of the centers of sacred pilgrim spots in which the presence of Gods and Goddesses is felt and experienced, he undertook extensive pilgrimages, though to hi, such a discipline was of need whatsoever, for he was himself the very spirit of pilgrimage incarnate.
Shankara had also not come to earth only to preach Advaita Vedanta, though indeed the Advaita experience of the One without a Second is the last word in all spiritual striving. His advent was also for the re-establishment of the Vedic faith, the way of thought and life enunciated in the Vedas, which is all-inclusive of the different attitudes and modes of approach. Few indeed are those who are qualified to receive the acme of knowledge of the non-dual absolute directly. Only when through worship and adoration of the Gods and Goddesses who are the effulgent forms and manifestations of the Parabrahman's ( or Parashakti's) several expressions and aspects and powers, the mind-stuff becomes purified and spotless, does the truth of the non-dual Absolute shine in it. It is because of this that the scriptures enjoin instructions regarding the performance of good deeds and rituals like ceremonial worship, adoration, fire sacrifices etc. These instructions are prescribed to different aspirants and salvation-seekers each suited to the degree and the stage of development in them. This is also the reason why Acharya propelled by a desire to do good to very many people, interested himself in the renovation of the different places of pilgrimage. During his itinerary throughout the length and breadth of India, he not only re- consecrated the sanctuaries of the places but his visits to these sacred spots did much more than merely recharging and reviving the spirit of those places. His wanderings were really big campaigns of national awakening on the front of popular religion. He performed appropriate rites and ceremonies at all the places he visited, and thus helped the especial glory of each place to become more manifest. The genius of each locality became better appreciated and became more operative than till then. As a result of this, there was a religious revival in the society. Numberless men and women came to know from him the true significance of divine worship and took to assiduously adoring the Gods and goddesses. As the Gita puts it wisely, ` What the great souls or leaders practice, the standard set by them, the people and the mass common folk emulate, follow". Even up to this day, it is the ideals highlighted by Acharya that inspire people in respect of the worship and adoration of deities. Hence does the pilgrimage part of Acharya's life work forms an important aspect of his mission of resuscitating religion in the land of Bharat.
Arriving at Hrishikesh, Acharya first proceeded to the temple of Yagneshwara Mahavishnu, the Lord of Sacrifices. In days long gone by, a community of sages had installed at this place, the image of Mahavishnu to be adored at the time of performing Yagnas or sacrifices. But now when Acharya went into the sanctum, he found the pedestal barren and empty. There was no image of any aspect of Lord, and there was no arrangement of any kind for any worship of God. Acharya was sorely disappointed and grief-stricken. He soon gathered information from the people of the locality to the effect that, frightened by the troubles caused by Chinese bandits, the priests of the temple had concealed the image of Sri Vishnu somewhere in the bosom of the bed of the holy Ganga. But afterwards, even in spite of extensive search to recover the image, it had not been possible to locate it and re-install it. All this information made Acharya feel down-cast. He remained silent for a moment and then plunged into meditation. Coming out of his deep trance after a while, he asked the local Brahmin inhabitants of the place, "In case the missing image is found and recovered, are you willing and ready to re-install it and make the necessary arrangements for the regular worship and service?" All of them gave their ready assent in great joy. Thereupon Acharya rose from his place, walked a short distance along the bank of Ganga and pointing to a spot there, announced, " Here lies the holy image". To the great surprise of all, after just a little effort, the image was found intact. The people of the place were overjoyed at the discovery and soon on an auspicious day, to the accomplishment of the prescribed rites, got the image re-installed on the altar in the temple. Acharya stayed on there for a few days and brought satisfaction to all by his philosophical and religious discourses and instructions. He then resumed his pilgrimage and set off towards holy Badari.
India is pre-eminently the land for pilgrimage. And in this vast stretch of the Punyabhumi or the sacred land, no region is more inspiring and invigorating than the Himalayas. The Himalayas are no lifeless rock and stone, no inert slope and peak, they pulsate with spiritual vibrations of high intensity, they are the treasure-house of deep spiritual emotions and urges. The serene and meditative atmosphere of the Himalayas which are the haunt even of the Gods in heaven, powerfully acted on the highly poised mind of Acharya and brought about an indescribable change in his attitude. His usually introspective mind became indrawn all the time. Marching up the mountains was often a test of endurance and a risk to safety, but the great soul, and the one already liberated while living in the body, a Jivanmukta, bore cheerfully the rigors of the difficult ascent.
Close to Hrishikesh is Lacchman Jhoola, famous as the spot where Vidura underwent his religious austerities. Getting across the Ganga here, Acharya surmounting a high mountain uninhabited but covered with forests, reached Vyasashrama. Beyond that place, the path lead towards Devaprayaga. There are five holy Prayagas or river- confluences on the Himalayas and among them, the holiest is Devaprayaga where the rivers Alakananda and Bhagirati mingle together. It is a pilgrim center of great sanctity. At this place, Acharya offered worship at the temples of Sri Rama and Sita, Hara and Parvati, and Ganesha, and also performed the rites associated with the sacred place, and experienced immense satisfaction in consequence. On entering the Himalayan region, Acharya became extremely indrawn and deeply introspective and more and more introvert. His disciples were, with great care, looking after his physical safety and well-being. The Acharya, except when he was actually walking along his way, was most of the time immersed in meditation. Passing Bilwakedara on the way, Shankara and his disciples reached Srinagar. This place was also known as Srikshetra. In the past, this place was the capital of the rulers of Uttarakhanda. Among the many temples in this place, the best known were those of Kamaleshwara Shiva and Sri Vishnu. Another fact of importance about the region was that five centers known as Siddha Peethas or seats of enlightenment, proclaimed the predominance of Vamachara Tantric modes of spiritual discipline. The five Peethas were known as Sriyantrasita, Rajarajeshwari, Kamasammardini, Chamunda and Mahishamardini. In those days, the practice of offering human sacrifice was in vogue among the Tantrika residents of that place.
As the news of Acharya's arrival at the place went around, groups and groups of people flocked to him to listen to his discourses on religion and morals. Acharya came to know from the people of the locality that the practice of human sacrifice was indulged in by the Tantrikas, and he called the Tantrikas to a discussion. The community of Tantrikas came in a body and engaged Acharya in a debate. Acharya however in a very calm and composed way, explained to them the true significance and import of spirituality and scriptures and corrected them of their perverted notions and retrieved them from their infatuation for the earful rite of offering human sacrifice. Even the very stone piece which had served as the altar for the offering of human sacrifice was cast away to the depths of the river waters. So through was the transformation wrought by Acharya.
What a cruel rite this human sacrifice is! And all this in the name of religion and faith too! The primordial power is the Eternal Mother of all created beings. Is it at all possible that she is pleased and propitiated by drinking the blood of Her own children and the offering of the severed heads of Her own offspring. Sri Durga purposefully avoided killing even an evil Asura like Mahisha out of compassion for her wayward son. The Devas had to make her drink Madhu to make her wild with anger so that she could do a higher good to the world by destroying the demon. Sri Devi is thus the very personification of compassion and love. Whatever colourful words and logic may be used by people like Vimalananda and some others, the fact remains that Vamachara is condemnable in most cases. The tantras themselves have stated that Vamachara is indeed for Pashu or Tamasic Sadhakas. Tamas can lead no where. These are very critical times when a lot of nonsense is being pushed in the name of Tantra and Sadhana. In the light of this, Acharya's message gains all the more importance.
Leaving Srinagar, Acharya continued his journey and passed through Rudraprayag and arrived at Nandiprayag. All these places are well- known places of pilgrimage in the Himalayas. At every place he visited, crowds of people came to see and hear him, and he instructed and exhorted them to preserve and safeguard the Vedic faith and culture. Just beyond Nandiprayag, lies the shrine of Badari. It is there that the lovely confluence of the Mandakini and Alakananda is situated. The charming and awe-inspiring sublime surroundings of this sacred spot had once cast their spell on sage Vasishta and drawn him to this region. Vasishta performed severe austerities at this place to win boons from Lord Shiva. It was this sage who installed in that shrine, the deity known as Vasishteshwara Shiva. Closely are the mountain stream Virahi Ganga and the shrine of Viraheshwara Mahadeva. It is believed that in days of yore, Lord Shiva, overwhelmed with grief at the separation from Sati, his consort, did very severe penance at this place. The sacred memory of this act of Shiva proclaims even today the especial glory of the locality and pilgrims who come to the place tangibly feel the powerful undulation of great pathos which is awakened in them on arrival here by thoughts of the Shiva-Shakti separation.
The Acharya found immense delight in these visits to the many sacred centers pulsating with holiness and steeped into serenity. The visits were a soul-enthralling experience to him and his disciples. The Acharya next went towards Garuda Ganga. Tradition has it that at this spot, the great bird devotee Garuda went through severe austerities for the vision of Vishnu. Indeed all places on the Himalayas are surcharged with the spirit of high austerity and ascetical life. That is why the Himalayas are designated as Devatma, the divine souled mountains. That spot at which a great soul attains perfection through a course of spiritual discipline contains for a long time to vibrate with the thought-currents of his experiences. And many aspirants of subsequent periods get the rare opportunity of strengthening and enriching their own spiritual life by availing themselves those thought-currents. The though waves of a Master Spirit do not abate or die with his physical death, they live on and act on kindred souls despite distances in time and space.
Crossing one after another, many peaks of the Himalayas, Acharya and his disciples reached Jyotirdhama. The ruler of that area came to hear about the arrival of the Acharya and personally went forward to greet and welcome the adorable monk and with great earnestness and warmth, accorded him a befitting reception. Four temples in that region were dedicated to Vasudeva, Nrisimha, Durga Devi and Jyotirlinga Shiva. Acharya visited them all and offered worship at each of them to the great joy of himself and the followers. The Acharya did not leave Jyotirdhama at once. At the earnest importunities of the ruler, he condescended to stay on at the place for a few days. Needless to add, the period of his sojourn there saw, as in the case of other places visited by him, an upsurge of spirit in the people.
Even long before Acharya arrived at a place all over the Himalayan region, he was well-known as the one possessed of super-human wisdom, sublime realizations and astounding versatility. The most remarkable fact about him was his age. He was only twelve then. But a divine radiance enveloped his whole being. He struck everyone as the very acme of monasticism. His disciples, by physical age, were older than him. Coming to learn of his arrival accompanied by aged disciples at Jyotirdhama, a huge assemblage of men, Brahmin scholars and spiritual aspirants flocked to have a look at the young and brilliant Acharya. His tireless exposition of the truth of the non-dual Brahman and of the contents of the Vedas charmed every listener. The incomparable celestial charm of the boy-monk, the divine glow on his child-like countenance beaming with bliss of Sacchidananda, his two eyes effulgent with indrawnness and subjective absorption, his severely pleasant form and above all the extreme sweetness of his demeanor and character, filled the minds of all with amazement on the one hand and delight on the other. The Acharya's listeners and pupils were much senior in age and worldly experiences than him. But the boy-monk, by his clear exposition of the scriptural contents and by the great force of his personality immersed and nourished in the profound experience of Brahman realization was able to completely free everyone from doubts and fill all minds with intellectual contentment and satisfaction.
In the hymn to Dakshinamurthy, the south-facing Shiva, composed by Acharya, there is a very captivating picture of a strange scene : " This indeed is wonderful, under a banyan tree are seated old, aged disciples before a youthful master. The master sits mute or silent and by his eloquent silence, dispels all the doubts of the disciples". " He, who sitting silent emanates the knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, he, the young, most eminent of the a1s, surrounded by the assemblage of hoary-headed devout aspirants for the knowledge of Brahman, he holds Jnana Mudra in his palm and is the very embodiment of bliss, merged and satisfied in Self, with eyes closed, him that Dakshinamurthy do I adore".
In this hymn the Acharya ahs described, as it were, his own Guru aspect. He was verily the incarnation of Dakshinamurthy, the greatest of all Gurus. By his mere presence and proximity, lit the lamp of wisdom in many a soul and conferred the elixir of immortality in the life of vast number of beings. As the rising of sun automatically dispels the covering of darkness, so does the mere sight of a Knower of Brahman drive away the darkness of ignorance in a man. To the superficial eye, the Knower of Brahman also inhabits a physical body like that of an ordinary man, but in fact even his body is one that is beyond nature, super-physical, transmundane. He is light and consciousness and nothing else.
People have observed in the proximity of great saints like Sri Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamigal and Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal of Sringeri Sarada Peetham and also Sri Srimat Paramacharya Chandrasekhara Mahasannidhanam of Kanchi Kamakoti Mahapeetham as also in the presence of Sri Ramana, a strange power of divinity that automatically dispels all doubts. A learned scholar once had a doubt whether he had to take Sanyasa to achieve realization or continue as a householder. He sat thinking about it in front of the altar where Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi was performing Pooja to Sri Mahatripurasundari and Sri Chandramouleshwara. Automatically he heard the voice of the Acharya ringing in his ears, " Son, why take Sanyasa? Why cant you achieve what you want to, living as a normal householder? You are not meant to become a Sanyasin. What difference does it make any way? Worship Bhagavati Sri Kamakshi with devotion and nothing will remain impossible to you any more". The Guru's counsel brought tears of joy in his eyes. When he later went to receive Prasadam from Acharya, the great sage smiled meaningfully at his disciple who was now cleared of all doubts. Such is the greatness of the Acharyas of the lineage of Adi Shankara, who have carried the light of Brahmavidya even to this day, in an unbroken chain, Avicchinna Parampara. My Salutations to the great Guruparampara.
Many eager aspirants from all over the Himalayan region, athirst for knowledge availed themselves of the presence of the Acharya and felt themselves blessed. Leaving Jyotirdhama behind, Acharya visited one after another the shrines of Vishnu Prayaga, Dhauli Ganga, Brahmakunda, Vishnukunda, Shivakunda and Ganesha Tirtha and many other holy spot too and reached Padukeshwar. It is said that the king Pandu performed severe penance and ardent worship here and obtained the vision of Ashutosha Shiva. Now a days, trip to the Himalayas is comparatively an easy affair. At present, year after year, more than a hundred thousand pilgrims drawn from many parts of India visit Badari Narayan at the season of pilgrimage. There are arrangements now for quick transport of pilgrims by motor bus, and pilgrims who go to Badari Narayan can easily return Hrishikesh within a few days. Good roads have been laid, hotels have come up, and the wayside Chatis or rest-houses provide residential facilities to the pilgrims. But most pilgrims still prefer to go on foot the distance to Badari Narayan believing that there is greater religious merit in arriving at a shrine as a pedestrian rather than as a bus-passenger. But in the days when Acharya toured the Himalayas, conditions were quite different. Very few people dared think of going to these traditionally holy shrines as no one could be sure of reaching them alive at all. Death on the way from cold, starvation, wild animals or accidents like land slides or snow fall. In fact any one who left on a tour of the higher Himalayas in those days was quite meaningfully said to be leaving on a Mahaprasthana, a grand going or a great departure. For it was a going which might never know a coming back. And inaccessible holy places were called the veritable gateways to the great departure, the last parting.
Though Acharya had reached the pinnacle of the realization of nun- dual Brahman consciousness, and was gifted with unfathomable learning and far-famed eloquence, from the view point of age, physical build and bodily strength, he was only a boy of twelve years. Yet, divinely commissioned for fulfilling His mission he had, during a period of three months, defied the hazards of difficult mountain tracks and the frowns and inclemencies of the nature and moved on foot. He crossed many a river and rivulet, passed through dense forests teeming with wild, ferocious beasts, stayed in many inaccessible mountain caves, surmounted many tall peaks and overcame innumerable obstacles in the way.
Badari Kshetra soon became visible at a short distance. The altitude of the area is 10,224 feet above sea level. Acharya and his disciples reached a very holy place there called Bhuvaikuntha. The unparalleled loveliness of this sacred spot and its solemn surroundings were such as to automatically transport the mind, to a plane beyond physical consciousness, to the world of the super-sensuous. At this place did the sages Nara and Narayana perform penance in days of yore. On two sides of the region, two snow covered mountain peaks, as white as foam, named Nara and Narayana, stood aloft in noble grandeur proclaiming the glory of that ancient past. Close by, flowed in its own majestic course, the river Alakananda carrying down cold glacial waters as also the spiritual message of the Himalayas. Just by the side of the temple of Narayana were hot springs. Acharya and his disciples bathed in the hot springs and went to the shrine of Badrivishalji. But the four-armed idol of Badari Narayana installed by the sages in the Satyayuga or the Golden Age was not to be seen in the shrine. In the place o that idol, they were worshipping a Salagrama stone. Acharya performed in the prescribed manner the worship due to the deity and came out of the temple with a heavy heart. The temple priests had assembled there to have a view of him. Addressing them, Acharya enquired, " O venerable priests, why is the shrine without the idol of Narayana? I have heard it said that in all the four yugas, the lord dwells at this sacred site".
The priests answered, " O great soul! In consequence of the depredations of Chinese bandits, our forefathers found it advisable to conceal in safety the holy image in some spring nearby. But in spite of intensive search, the image could not be recovered yet. Therefore, all along, since the Lord has been worshipped here in the symbol of the sacred Salagrama stone". Hearing this account, Acharya became immersed in deep thought, and remained absorbed in meditation. On returning to normal consciousness, he slowly rose with a one- pointed mind and proceeded towards the Naradakunda springs. The disciples, temple priests and the pilgrims all followed him in mute wonder. Reaching the springs, Acharya stood motionless for a moment and then started getting down into the waters of the spring. The priests who saw him going into the spring, were greatly alarmed and cried out, " Great One, do not get into these springs. They are connected underneath with the Alakananda river. The under-current will draw you into the deep bottom of the river. Quite a number have lost their lives by getting into these springs. Please come away!" Acharya did not pay any heed to the alarm raised. He dived into the springs and came out holding in his hands, a four armed image of Narayana. But on scrutiny, it was found that the image was a broken one. A few fingers of the right hand of the image were seen to be broken, and so the image being one which had suffered a mutilation of limbs was not worthy of worship. He cast away the broken image into the river Alakananda and once more plunged into the springs. Again he came up with a Narayana image in his hands. But what a wonder! He had risen with the very same broken Narayana idol he had first picked up and cast aside. Without any hesitation, he immersed the image in the currents of the water and plunged into the springs a third time to come out again with an idol in his hand. It was the same broken idol once more. Holding it in his hand, and no longer impelled to cast it away, Acharya reflected in amazement, "This is indeed Divine Sport". Then he heard an oracle from the heavens, " Great Acharya, do not hesitate. In this age of Kali, it is this broken image that will receive worship here". These words stirred the depths of Acharya's heart. With a mind overwhelmed by devotion, he rose from the waters carrying on his shoulders the image of Narayana, the refuge of all humanity and the source of the world's auspiciousness. The place and its surroundings resounded with shouts of joy. This miraculous happening astounded the people. The Acharya then, in accordance with the prescribed modes, did the ceremonial bathing of the image, and with his own holy hands installed the Narayana idol in the shrine. An installation by Acharya meant the transmission of a powerful spiritual current whose efficacy would remain unimpaired for many a millennium. The Acharya entrusted the responsibility of worshipping the installed deity, laying down the procedures for the worship, to a worthy group of his Brahmin followers, who had come all the way from down south. He then proceeded in the direction of Vyasashrama.
THE LIBERATING COMMENTARY ON THE BRAHMASUTRAS…………….
Not far from the temple of Badrivishalji, is a triangular piece of territory. At the farthest end of this area is a mountain. At the foot of this mountain is situated the Vyasashrama of great antiquity. It looks like hug cave. Close to is the Keshavaprayag, at the confluence of river Alakananda and Keshava Ganga. All round rise the Himalayas, eternally clad in snow. It is said that Bhagavan Badarayana Vyasa composed the Mahabharata with its one hundred thousand verses, sitting in this very cave located high and far away from the din and bustle of the maddening crowd of the world. Adjacent to the cave on its right side is a temple of Sri Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, while a temple of Ganapathi is situated on the left.
There are legends about it all. Vyasa composed in his mind the one hundred thousand verses of Mahabharata for the mankind, but was cogitating about the means to teach his disciples this holy Samhita Grantha, work of collections. Unless the whole thing was recorded in writing, it could not at all propagated. Coming to know of this anxiety of Sri Vyasa, Lord Brahma, the ancestor of the world, appeared before the sage and told him, " I suggest you think of Ganesha for this work. He will be the transcriber of your literary piece."
Vyasa accordingly remembered Ganesha, and in an act of immediate response, the great God Ganesha made himself manifest to him and told the sage, " I shall willingly be penman for your treatise. But once the transcribing starts, my pen will not rest even a moment. It must be kept ceaselessly engaged. If at any time you are not able to chant the verse to be penned, and in consequence my pen is made to stop working even only once, I shall drop the transcribing then and there altogether".
Vyasa reflected and then remembered that his composition could be summarized to eight thousand verses, which were so abstruse and hard to comprehend that only he himself and his gifted son Sri Shukamuni could grasp their sense. So he imposed a counter-condition and told Ganesha, " You must not transcribe anything of what I say unless you first understand the import of it fully". Ganesha expressed assent. And the dictation and the writing began. Ganesha of course, was well versed in all branches of learning, but when the turn of the abstruse verses came, even he had to do a little thinking and probing before writing and this gave the needed time to Sri Vyasa, now and then, to catch up with that extraordinarily fast writer. It was in this strange way that Mahabharata and other Puranas were written. Goddess Saraswati used to be sitting at the place, as the witness to the whole affair, verifying the entire writing.
On reaching Vyasashrama, the Acharya let himself go into deep meditation for a few days. Then he busied himself with composing his Bhashya or commentary on the Brahma sutras which was to be acclaimed not only by the men on the earth but also by the Gods in the heaven as a masterpiece never heard or seen before. Even as the commentary was being composed, he taught it all to his disciples. By the force of his meditation, he comprehended the natural import and the hidden, inner, deeper and true sense of the Sutras, and wrote the commentary in the light of and on the lines of that comprehension.
The news of Acharya's staying in a remote Himalayan cave, for the purpose of composing the commentary, soon spread all round, and aspirants and scholars belonging to different faiths and varying schools started assembling at Vyasashrama. Every day between periods of writing out the commentary, Acharya imparted counsel to his disciples and the aspirants on the practice of Yogic discipline. In this way, the time was spent very usefully in dealing out and explaining the commentary, discussing the true import of the scriptures and practicing yogic techniques. The minds of all the disciples were lifted to a very high plane and all of them lived and moved at high levels of spiritual thinking and feeling.
SANANDANA IS NOW PADMAPADA ………
Among the disciples of Acharya, Sanandana was the most worthy of him in all respects. Sanandana possessed a very keen intellect, profound scholarship, deep attachment to the sacred Vedic scriptures, a superior talent, a versatile genius and above all an unbounded devotion to the Guru, and naturally he was the best-beloved of Acharya. Therefore, the other disciples, human as they were, looked on Sanandana, perhaps unknown to themselves, with a rather jealous eye. This did not escape Acharya's eye. And in a strange manner he made everyone understand and concede the superiority of Sanandana.
One day Sanandana had on some errand reached the other side of the Alakananda river. He had crossed the river by means of a bridge close by which spanned the river. Desiring to give to all, an exhibition of hid dear disciple's unique greatness and unequalled Guru Bhakti, Acharya just at that moment, making it appear that he was in a pressing need of the disciple's services, cried out in a loud voice, " O Sanandana, come to me at once !"
This fright-filled call of his adored master disturbed Sanandana a great deal. He felt for sure that his master was in some danger and was in need of immediate help. But he saw that getting to the opposite bank of the river by walking over the bridge back would mean a precious while. The call of his master was a distress signal and had to be responded to immediately. He was in no mood to calculate and count the pros and cons of his action. And so he answered his master's call by simply getting into the Alakananda river and walked. The water was ice-cold and was such as to benumb the limbs and freeze the body to death. The current was strong enough to sweep away even an intoxicated elephant. But in Sanandana's mental horizon, there was no river to be crossed, no cold to be borne, no danger to be faced. Only the call of the master sounded in his ears and only the imperative need to be near his master., as expeditiously as possible, worked in his mind. He was utterly oblivious of every other consideration. His spontaneity of behavior stuck the onlookers on the other bank as rash madness. They were sure that he would sink in the water and perish. They raised shouts of alarm and waved at him in warning. Sanandana was deaf and blind ti everything. His body was divinely protected. And then, a miracle happened. The corporeal frame of the water-walking disciple did not sink. At every step of his foot, bloomed a lotus and supported him, and he crossed the river walking verily on the bed of lotuses. This was the Divine mother's play. Sanandana ran breathless and stood before Acharya for his commands. The other disciples stood amazed at this supernatural happening and were dumbfounded. Then pointing to Sanandana, Acharya addressed his other disciples, " You have now witnessed what immense grace the Bhagavati has on Sanandana. Henceforth Sanandana will be called Padmapada, the lotus-footed ". Padmapada was quick to see through Acharya's purpose in calling back from the other bank. He was not vain or proud. On the other hand, he was overcome with a sense of humility and a spirit of dedication and he bowed again and again at the holy feet of his adored master. He was rooted in faith that the Guru's grace was the sole means of crossing the deep ocean of transmigratory existence, ` Guru Kripa Kevalam'. He fully appreciated the rare blessedness of close association with an incarnation of the Supreme like Acharya Shankara. He saw the as a result of the grace of such a Guru, aspirant could be the recipient of Chaturvargaphala, the four-fold goals of life, and that to the seeker of the Self, because of this, the vision of the Self could come under his easy control and become a matter of felt experience. Surely his Guru, the spiritual master was no mere human being though he was in a physical body. Padmapada clearly showed that the Guru really was that Conscious Supreme which dwells as the Self in the body and that the power of the Guru was in fact the Chit-Shakti or the Supreme Spirit as power, which alone animates and enlightens all of the universe.
Some of Acharya's biographers say that this incident took place at Uttarakashi whilst others say it took place on the bank of Ganga at Varanasi.
The other disciples, by this time, had realized their short-comings and begged of Acharya's pardon. The Acharya blessed them and asked them to emulate Sanandana and make their rare human birth blessed.
By now Acharya had finished the work of composing commentaries on sixteen well-known books namely, the Brahma sutras, the twelve Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu Sahasranama and Sanatsujatiya. To all of his disciples, he had taught his commentaries intimately from end to end. He had also instructed them thoroughly in the practice of several spiritual disciplines and had inculcated in them the virtues of calmness, self-control, forbearance, indifference, and had trained them in Pratyahara- restraining the senses from their objects, Dhyana- meditation, Dharana- one-pointed concentration and Samadhi - going beyond self-consciousness to super-consciousness. He ahd, in a remarkable way, perfected the growth of the inner spiritual culture of his disciples. It was, as if, he had come to Vyasa Tirtha for the especial fulfillment of this task. Within a period of four years, he had completed doing all this work. The disciples were full of exhilaration. An upsurge of missionary enthusiasm and a noble desire to share with others the treasures they had received, and they spoke to the Acharya about the ways and means of popularizing his gospel among the ordinary people. Acharya listened and expressed his approval. He was now ready to play the new role of Lokacharya, the prophet of the people and that of Jagadguru, the World-Teacher.
Setting out from Badari, Acharya and his disciples proceeded to Jyotirdhama. Like the peals of a ringing bell traversing the void and striking the ears of men at a distance, the glory of Acharya's super- human life and labors reached far away places. Many scholars of established repute and renown, and men in varying strata of life became his ardent followers as he moved along. The ruler of Jyotirdhama who had already become an ardent devotee of the great Acharya, made all arrangements for the Acharya's stay at Jyotirdhama. He also hastened out to welcome and greet his adored Gurudeva. Soon Jyotirdhama was transformed into a center of religious festivity. Many scholars, men of distinction, monks and aspirants owing allegiance to different schools of faith, persons well-known for their many achievements, and good folks of all kinds, flocked there. The place resounded with joy. Acharya and his disciples explained to people at different corners, the import and significance of the commentaries which had been composed. The scriptures were analyzed and discussed and their sense and significance were pondered over, and there were recitals over the glory of the Vedas. Hearing from the great Acharya himself, his exposition of Advaita, all were charmed. It was a time of spiritual high-tide in the Himalayan abode.
The good ruler of Jyotirdhama enlisted many learned copyists to the work of copying the invaluable commentaries and several copies of these divine treatises soon got ready. But the religious enthusiasm that the Acharya enkindled was not confined to the literary and intellectual sphere. It touched and covered every section of the people, and every aspect of community existence. Acharya knew the value of temple-worship in the religious life of people. He selected for appointment as temple priests, persons with vast knowledge and deep devotion, and caused the worship in all the temples and shrines to be performed with a high fidelity to scriptural injunction and tradition and with deep earnestness and application. The temples began to pulsate with a new life and spirit. During the onrush of the Buddhist faith that had swept over the country, many Hindu temples had been destructed, neglected and abandoned, but the constructive genius of the Acharya caused all of them to be reclaimed and renovated, the deities reinstalled with arrangements for proper worship. The good ruler of the place, true to his profession of Prajaparipalana, protecting the people, warmly co-operated with Acharya and of his own accord did all he could to make his subjects pursue learning, adhere to exemplary conduct and live religiously. And the ruler himself practiced what he preached. The Acharya ceaselessly exhorted the householders to take to the worship of Panchayatana, the five deities - Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Vishnu and Surya and to the performance of the five great sacrifices- service of the Gods, of the Pitrus or ancestors, of the sages, men and of all living creatures. Acharya's stay on the mountains, in this manner, in a very short time, powerfully stirred up a wide-spread resurgence of a spirit of vigorous spirituality and the ages old Vedic dharma got itself securely re-established.
After a happy and useful stay of a few days at Jyotirdhama, Acharya, along with his devoted flock, journeyed to the other pilgrim centers of Uttarakhanda. The Puranas proclaim the glory of Kedara Kshetra as rapturously as they sing the greatness of Badari. In this pilgrimage, the ruler of the place also accompanied Acharya. Under the royal command, an advance party of officers marched ahead of the party repairing and setting right the hilly paths, providing the necessary facilities, thus making it for the pedestrians to walk along. Even then, the journey from Jyotirdhama to Kedara was quite a hardship to pilgrims, it tested their physical endurance. Taking the path along Nandiprayag, the party arrived at Kalpeshwara, the holiest of spots among the Pancha Kedars, the five Kedars. Places with inspiring associations like Gopeshwara, Anasuya Devi were then crossed, and Rudranath, the fourth of the Kedars, was reached. At all these places, large number of people thronged to have a look of the great Acharya. Acharya on his part, satisfied every heart by his spiritual counsel and instruction. His influence served to install into every one, a new zeal to live a spiritual life.
Acharya's next halt was at Tunganath, the third Kedara, at an altitude of 12,072 feet. Situated on a lofty mountain, its expansive sight was fascinatingly beautiful. Till far north, shone the strikingly while snow-clad Himalayas, the enchanting view of whose majesty struck the onlookers at Tunganath dumb with awe. Such a superlatively captivating, such an irresistibly charming sight was not seen until then. The region is verily a bed of all-white blossoms where Kedareshwara, the lord of all the Yogis is ever present to lift his devotees from all specks of duality. Nature shining in her dark green radiance, her tresses of hair flowing out, her whole being merged in a deep meditation on her Lord Mahadeva, ever busy with the task of showering love and care on her children caused a feeling of intense love and devotion in the heart of the enlightened Acharya. His mind was completely lost in the contemplation of the Divine Infinity.
This state of at-one-ment with the One and All is a condition which all can aspire after and eventually achieve. So long as man lives and moves and has his being in the consciousness of the small ego, the little, limiting individuality, the narrow self, the range of compass of his mind is very much circumscribed and exceedingly narrow. But when the man dips and merges his individuality-consciousness in the Universal consciousness i.e. when the Vyashti is lost in the realms of Samashti, he has a vision of the uttermost reaches of feeling and outlook. Man can then identify himself with the entire bosom of the universe. The bliss of that state is without a parallel. Man then, feels himself submerged in the ocean of supreme cosmic joy, Virat Ananda. The individual personality is then annihilated. As drops of rain falling in the ocean become the ocean, the limited human personality, freed from all limitations, becomes the illimitable. Man, the insignificant, then passes from the petty to the Mightiest, from mundane life to Supreme existence and from earthly joy to Infinite Bliss.
This is a clear demonstration of the fact that Acharya was a perfected Vijnani, and mot merely a Jnani as some foolish Vamacharis claim.
Tunganath was a reputed center of learning, and the scholars of that place were extremely to have seen and heard the great Acharya. The flow of sermons from Acharya brought them no little joy, and their feeling of regard for the Acharya was so profoundly deep that to perpetuate his holy memory, they even made and installed a stone image of him. The image found a place among the revered images in the shrine.
Leaving Tunganath, Acharya in the next lap of his pilgrimage, visited and sanctified by his visit, many places like Sonitapur, Guptakashi, Madhyameshwara ( the second Kedara ), Mahishamardini, Shakambari, Triyugi Narayana, Shonaprayag and Mundkata Ganesha ( the headless Ganesha). In due course Acharya arrived at Gaurikunda where Bhagavati Gauri once performed penance. Gaurikunda is 6,500 feet above sea- level. The place is famous for its big hot spring and is in consequence a favorite resort of pilgrims. Anyway, children always run to their mother, who in turn makes everything fine and good for her children.
The region of Kedara begins from Gaurikunda. Pilgrims who cannot bear the intense cold of Kedara choose to stay at Gaurikunda, in the cozy lap of the Supreme Mother. Tradition also has it that Gauri Devi conceived Kartikeya at this place. Having taken bath t the hot spring, Acharya visited the shrines at that place, took some rest and then passed along to places like Chiravasabhairava, Bhimasena's slope and arrived at Kedara Kshetra.
Kedara is an extensive plateau region, triangular in shape. Enclosed by mountain ranges, shrouded in eternal snow, the place is enveloped in an unbroken stillness and a sublime grandeur. The high altitude of the place naturally subjects every visitor to breathing difficulty. The Lord of Kedara is indeed a deity, whose living presence is palpable to devotees. At their mere remembrances of Him, Lord Shiva becomes graceful to his devotees. Kedara is the meeting place of pilgrimages. In the Mahabharata it is mentioned that the five Pandava brothers passed through Kedara during their Mahaprasthana, the last journey.
When Acharya arrived at the holy Kedara Kshetra, his usually poised mind rose to heights of divine ecstasy, indescribably intense. In an attitude of bliss and veneration, he visited and adored Kedaranath and kept the religious observances appropriate to the place. Kedara is at a height of 11,753 feet. Situated at a much higher altitude than Badari, it is much colder. The disciples of Acharya felt greatly distressed in the intense cold. The tender-hearted Acharya could not bear the sight of their suffering and a mood of deep compassion came over him. He went into meditation and was able to divine the presence of a hot spring nearby. In pursuance of the Acharya's instructions, the men in the king's party removed the snow, the rocks and boulders at the place pointed out. A little excavation brought to light, the hot spring. And great was the joy of all, for a hot spring at such altitude is a rare thing indeed.
At Kedara, Acharya was, most of the time, absorbed in meditation. It is not precisely recorded how many days he stayed at Kedara. Some hold that he remained at Kedara for a month. Everyday, he went to temple of Kedareshwara and remained in ecstasy for a long time. Having tasted the divine delight of the company of Kedareshwara, Acharya set off towards Gomukhi, the source of Bhagirati or Ganga.
His path lay across Gaurikunda, Triyugi Narayana and Buda Kedara and then passed through the difficult climb of the formidable mountain pass of Paoali (11,364 feet above sea-level) and through forests infested with ferocious wild animals. The march was an encounter with death at every step and after as long as a fortnight's advancing, the Acharya was able to get the first glance of Ganga. The celestial river which purifies all the three worlds with its nectarine waters has put on at this place, an unique beauty and grandeur of form, and shines with an unsurpassing brilliance. Forcing hard rocks off their base, tirelessly making a way through mountain walls, the river has flowed ceaselessly on keeping an exuberant flow. The Ganga symbolizes a perpetual moving on, a non-stop reaching out, an endless questing forward. Charming townships, prosperous cities, quiet villages, enchanting groves, populous settlements, all these in large numbers get sanctified, purified by her holy waters, and the sacred river flows on to reach the great receptacle, the Ocean. The mountain walls echo and the deep forests resound and re-echo with the sound of the joyous ripples of Sri Ganga hymning in praise of Lord Mahadeva. Catching a glimpse of the divine river, and thrilled by that experience, Acharya was filled with delight and exhilaration and chanted out a sweet hymn in adoration to the Goddess Ganga.
" O Goddess and Divine Mistress, Consort of the Lord Supreme, Mother Ganga, Thou art the deliverer of the three worlds. On Thy bosom sport wavy ripples and Thou hast thy abode on the crest of Shankara, the doer of good; oh symbol of purity, grant that my mind may ever abide at Thy lotus feet".
" O Bhagirata propitiated stream Bhagirati, bestower of bliss, Mother Dear, the glory of Thy waters is lauded in the scriptures-is it not for little of me to comprehend Thy greatness, Gracious one, protect and save ignorant me …….".
Walking up the banks of the Bhagirati, the Acharya proceeded to the source of Ganga, Gomukhi. Not only was there a Ganga outside to him, there was an immortal Ganga within him with its current of abounding grace and sanctity. The Gomukhi region is literally impassable. Up till Gangotri, there is some sort of path trodden by a few people. But not even footmarks are seen beyond Gangotri in the direction of Gomukhi. When the river is frozen hard, one has to tread over ice to reach Gomukhi. The region is all a kingdom of ice, a territory devoid of human beings, uninhabited by beasts and birds. The stoutest heart might get terrified by the sombre forlornness of the area. But Acharya was fearless. And fortified, as it were, by divine strength, emboldened by a super-human resolution, the Acharya, caring not for life or death, walked on to Gomukhi. Not many mortals would dare even of a trip to the scarce Gomukhi eternally buried in snow, and utterly devoid of vegetation.
Of course today the position has improved, and Gomukhi now attracts a growing number of pilgrims in the season. Beyond Gangotri, Dharma Salas etc with facilities for lodging and boarding have sprung up on the way to Gomukhi. But in the days of Sri Acharya, the picture was an entirely different one. The Ganga in Gomukhi is only thirty to forty yards in width. During the six winter months, the flow of Ganga becomes slower and width narrower.
It is said that the river Ganga came down from heaven to earth through the matted locks of Lord Shiva. To check the torrent, Ganga assumed the form of a glacier and flowed in three streams, Bhagirati, Mandakini and Alakananda. From Satpanth glacier, it has broken up into three currents and flowed in three directions. The one and the same Ganga flows in three streams.
Reaching Gomukhi, the Acharya was in a exuberance of self-delight. The scenery all round was fascinating in a variety of ways, and the poetic Being of the Acharya was thrilled to rapture. The distant horizon seemed to get merged in the infinite. It was ice and all ice to the farthest limit of vision. Of incomparable beauty was that ice- bound panorama, golden in the rays of the sun, under a dustless clear sky. The heavenly stream Bhagirati was gushing through an opening shaped like a cow's head, earning it the name, Gomukhi.
Because of the difficulties caused by snowfall and hail-storm, Acharya had to return to Gangotri to ensure the safety of his disciples. There was heavy snowfall all along the path and the lives of Acharya and his followers were endangered several times. The pilgrimage to Gomukhi required for its successful accomplishment, great fortitude and mighty forbearance on the part of Acharya and his devotees.
On reaching Gangotri, Acharya's mind was filled with compassion for those weak men and women, who were incapable of visiting the liberating Tirtha of Gomukhi. He knew that the arduous journey was not for everyone. So, in an overflow of pity for the feeble, Acharya got a temple of Ganga and Shiva erected at Gangotri. He blessed the place that, if pilgrims went up to Gangotri and had a Darshan of the deities at that temple erected by him, the would actually reap the high benefits of a trip to and a view o Gomukhi itself. Tradition has it that Acharya, with his own holy hands, installed a Shiva Linga and an idol of Ganga Devi at Gangotri.
VEDAVYASA BLESSES SHNAKARA …………
Acharya stayed a few days in Gangotri and then left for Uttarakashi. Uttarakashi is an ancient sacred spot and pilgrim center. Countless Yogis and Rishis passionately eager to attain final liberation have practiced arduous and lifelong penance here, making the very atmosphere of the region vibrant with spirituality. The river Ganga is north-flowing in this place, and it encircles this sanctuary in the form of beautiful crescent and flows on, proclaiming the glory of the holy spot. The sky-kissing surrounding mountain ranges shut off Uttarakashi from the tumult of the worldly maddening crowds and serve to enhance the solemn sublimity of this place of penance.
At the time of arrival at Uttarakashi, Acharya attained the age of sixteen. He now seemed ready to return to his trans-physical realm of existence. Almost all the time, he was absorbed in Samadhi. Padmapada and others were agonized to notice this trend in him. Acharya had heard the call of the infinite and appeared to be getting ready for the final emancipation.
Vijnananauka, the boat of Supreme Wisdom is a treatise composed by Acharya. It is important to us because it gives us a picture, partial though, of the state of his mind at this period. He writes :
1. The self that is attained by the mind, purified through practices of austerity, rituals, charity and the like and as a result, free from all attachment, and renouncing all worldly and royal gifts, I am that Eternal Supreme Brahman.
2. The Truth, that the learned realize in deep meditation and constant contemplation upon the Self after discrimination and by worship of the Brahman-knowing Guru, I am that Eternal Supreme Brahman.
3. He, who is bliss-personified, Self-effulgent, who holds in check the Universal illusion in his greatness, who is attained in the realization of the limitless thought, ` I am Brahman', I am that Supreme Self.
4. He, who is beyond mind and words, in the ignorance of whom the phenomenal world exists and with the advent of whose knowledge as the self, the objective creation vanishes, I am that pure, boundless Eternal, Supreme Brahman.
5. He, the one without a second, the Transcendental Brahman, is reflected in fullness in the hearts of the yogis in Samadhi, attained by stoppage of sense faculties following the Vedanta assertion, Neti Neti, ` not his not this, this is not the reality, this is not the absolute', I am that Supreme Brahman.
6. He, by a single particle of whose inherent bliss the entire universe is made blissful, by whose revelation all things are revealed, whos beauty is manifest in all that is beautiful, I am that Supreme Eternal Brahman.
7. He, who is the infinite, the cause of all causes, the all pervading, the womb of all, the inactive, the auspicious, the abstract, attainable through Pranava, the deathless, the formless, the resplendent, I am that Eternal Supreme Brahman.
8. He alone attains that final beatitude in the lotus feet of Vishnu who has quenched his great thirst by drinking the nectar of real knowledge and thus crossed the ocean of ignorance and duality via the boat of Super knowledge of the Brahman.
The disciples thought deeply over some means of bringing their adored master's fast soaring mind to the plane of normal human functioning. So, after long deliberation on the matter, they went to the Acharya with the prayer that they might be taught his Bhashya in detail, with all its nuances and profundities, as he alone was the competent authority for exposition of their right and full import. The plan worked. After earnest and repeated appeal, they succeeded in making the Acharya agree to impart sermon and instructions on Bhashya.
One day in the forenoon, Acharya was expounding to his disciples, the commentary on the Saririka Sutras when an aged Brahmin appeared at that place. The lesson was stopped as the venerable old man stepped in and everyone there got up and with great reverence, requested him to take a seat. But without taking the offered seat, the Brahmin queried, " I hear that a certain Sanyasi here expounds the commentary on the Brahma sutras. Can you tell me where he is ? "
The disciples answered, " this is our Guru Shankaracharya, who has all the scriptures stored in his memory and they are all at finger tips. He has written a commentary on the Saririka sutras which has silenced all differences in interpretation. He is now teaching us that valuable treasure".
The old man now took a seat and made a request to the Acharya, " They call you the commentator on the Brahma sutra composed by Veda Vyasa. Well, let me see, please tell me the import of the first section of the third chapter".
With great humility Acharya submitted, " To all masters who know the import of the sutras, I offer my salutations. There is in me no such egoistic feeling that I am a great comprehender of the sutras. And yet, I shall try to give a correct answer to what you have asked me about".
With these words, Acharya started giving out a lucid and correct explanation of the sutra that the Brahmin had asked. His was a very thorough, highly learned and extremely convincing exposition, but yet, Acharya found in the old Brahmin a very powerful contestant. Hardly had the Acharya expounded a point with his natural unmatched brilliance, the aged Brahmin cut short with what struck everyone as an unassailable objection. Following close on the youth's heels did the old man throw out a shattering query or a devastating refutation. Bt Acharya did not reel. With great steadiness and in an unperturbed way, he met the Brahmin's objection with replies, strikingly sensible and impressively rational. But the old man would not be silenced. He would put forth another argument, only to draw out a more powerful counter-argument from Acharya. Indeed this battle of wits went on for long. Tirelessly did the Brahmin shower on the young head of the Acharya, questions dealing with highly mystical problems, only to bring out the illuming flashes from his genius. In this volley of dialogue, the whole of the Brahma sutras, the four Vedas, the Karma Kanda, the Jnana Kanda, many scriptures, various philosophies, all came in for analysis, elucidation, research and summing up.
The astoundingly deep scholarship, the astonishing power of memory, the limitless sweep of intellect, the rare depths of introspection, and the uncommon skill in debate of both the combatants, sp far removed in age from other, but so alike in wisdom and learning, made the disciples dazed and dumbfounded as the entertaining warfare went on. The discussion went on till past midday when the Brahmin suggested that they adjourn for the day and resume the debate the next day. The Brahmin rose and walked away in the direction from which he had appeared.
The next day was a repetition of the first day. When the morning class had assembled and the Acharya had started teaching his disciples, the aged Brahmin stepped in and began to discuss high philosophy exactly from the point where it had been left the previous day. A sharp debate ensued. The Brahmin raised questions which were extremely complicated provoking. Acharya, with unruffled temper, always gave convincing replies. The Himalayan debate raged for seven days (seventeen days according to some biographers). On the seventh day when the Brahmin had, as usual departed, Padmapada, who, of all the disciples, had followed this clash of high talent and top ability with keen understanding, approached the Acharya in private and asked him, " Master, who is this Brahmin who knows so well the hidden truth, mystery of Vedanta? Who other than Vedavyasa can possibly possess all this superior scholarship, this sharp intellect, this great skill of debate? Is it possible that Vedavyasa comes here in the disguise of this Brahmin and we stand outwitted as to his real identity? "
Acharya smiled and replied, " You are correct my dear, it is indeed the great Vedavyasa who is coming here everyday in the disguise of the old Brahmin. Well, if the Brahmin repeats his visit tomorrow I shall ask him to let us know who he is".
On the eighth morning, the Brahmin again entered Acharya's abode with a hard nut of a question for the young adversary to crack. Acharya first gave a suitable reply to the question and then fell reverentially at the feet of the Brahmin in an act of deep adoration and with all earnestness, addressed him saying, " Great soul, we have been eager to know who you are. Kindly satisfy our curiosity by letting us know your identity. All of us instinctively believe that you are indeed Vedavyasa Krishnadvaipayana. If our inference is right, please throw off your disguise and assume your real form. You are the first among the Gurus, and I feel blessed by this rare boon of these visits from you. Deign to accept my salutations".
The spontaneity and sincerity of Acharya's words touched the Brahmin deeply and he told the Acharya that his inference was correct and that he was indeed Vedavyasa. In an instant, the aged Brahmin was gone and in his place was seen a serene majestic figure, dazzling like lightening and brilliantly dark like the rain clouds. The crown of matted locks on his head, the sacred sacrificial cord on his body, the robe of the skin of black antelope round his loins, the wisdom- filled countenance and the grace-pouring eyes created a palpable atmosphere of divinity round the intensely human personality of Vedavyasa. A beatific smile played on his lips and placing his hand on Acharya's bowed head, the greatest of the sages blessed the young Sanyasin.
The poetic vein the Acharya immediately came into play and his veneration for Vedavyasa took shape as a beautiful hymn. He said, " O Great Sage Krishnadvaipayana, my life has become blessed by the sight of your holy feet. You have ever been devoted to the good of the others. You have performed mighty deeds for the benefit of the mankind, and your services, like your name, will live for all times to come. You are the compiler of the eighteen Puranas. You have classified the Vedas into four parts. You know the past, the present and the future. There is nothing on earth that you do not know. Your being is like the milky ocean, and out of it has come the Mahabharata like the moon. You have done infinite good to the world. Your glory knows no end and your activities are marvelously beneficial to one and all. I salute you as the foremost of the Gurus".
The eighteen Puranas which are the works of Vedavyasa are, Brahmapurana, Padmapurana, Vishnupurana, Bhagavatapurana, Markandeyapurana, Varahapurana, Agnipurana, Bhavishyapurana, Brahmavaivartapurana, Skandapurana, Lingapurana, Vamanapurana, Shivapurana, Naradiyapurana, Matsyapurana, Kurmapurana, Garudapurana and Brahmandapurana. The great Suta, in enlisting the characteristics of the Puranas in the Brahmavaivartapurana says, "There must be found in a Purana the following five marks - a description of creation, an account of the final deluge, tracing the lineage of the moon, the sun etc., a statement of the rights of the fourteen manus, and an enumeration of the rulers of the solar and the lunar dynasties. Scholars consider that the Upapuranas ( which include Kalikapurana, Nrisimhapurana etc. Some also count Devibhagavata here. But modern scholars feel that Devi Bhagavata is the fittest work to be called a Mahapurana. Instead some feel Bhagavata should me classified as a Upapurana ) also must possess these five distinguishing features. The Mahapuranas contain the following ten characteristics : an account of creation, of sustenance and destruction, a description of the process of protective nourishment, and of the course of desire, a glorificatory mention of each one of the fourteen Manus, a description of the final deluge, a definition of liberation, singing the glories of the Lord, and singing the praiseworthy qualities of the community of the Gods, individually and severally.
Vyasa felt delighted as much as Acharya's discovery of his identity as at his right understanding of his gifts and greatness. Taking the seat offered by Acharya, he said, " Wise boy, your erudition has quite charmed me. You are divinely gifted, with attributes unequalled on earth or in heaven. There is not one on earth who could have answered even one of my queries, while you answered them all to my complete satisfaction. Among the spiritual teachers, you are a class apart. I have come to love you as much as I love my son Shuka. Hearing that you have written a commentary on my sutras, I came to see you. I am convinced by my tests that you are indeed worthy of the big task of commenting on my sutra. I knew long ago that the lord Mahadeva himself would, in the form of a human Shankara write a commentary on my sutra".
Acharya, with great humility placed his commentary in the hand of Vedavyasa. Vyasa went through the commentary and was immersed in it for quite some time. Extremely pleased, he gave out his estimation of the work of the Acharya, " My dear son, this commentary is indeed worthy of you. At places you have cast reflection i.e. oblique hints at the sutra. I am very glad you have done so. Young and brilliant scholar that you are, you have the intuition to grasp the true sense of all things. I foresee a great future for you. Like the Sun in its dazzling glory of brilliance, you too will remove the darkness of ignorance in the world by spreading the glory of Self-knowledge of Advaita Brahman. The world will be amazed to witness the play of your astounding genius. All my unexpressed and implied thoughts in the sutra have been brought out by you in your commentary in a way in which no one could have done. Of course in one sense this does not surprise me. For I know that your being and your powers are derived from Mahadeva, the Supreme Being. You are verily Him. Your Guru Govindapada and his Guru Gaudapada are my lineal descendants, for Gaudapada learnt the scriptures from my son, Shukadeva. I now charge you with a continuation of your noble work. You have to write commentaries on the two other Prasthanas also, one the Sruti and the other the Smriti".
Acharya finds an important place not only in the lineage of Advaita Guru Parampara, but also in the Srividya Guru Parampara. This lineage, beginning with Mahatripurasundari, with other Gurus like Sri Dakshinamurthy, Sri Anandabhairava, Sri Hayagriva, Sri Dattatreya and Lopamudra, also lists Acharya as an important Guru. There are many variations here, and what I list here is my own lineage, which is very interesting to note because of its striking similarity with Advaita Guruparampara.
Narayana, Brahma, Kapila, Atri, Vasishta, Sanaka, Sanandana, Bhrigu, Sanatsujata, Vamadeva, Narada, Gautama, Shunaka, Shakti, Markandeya, Kaushika, Angirasa, Kanva, Jabali, Bharadwaja, Parashara,Vedavyasa, Shuka, Gaudapada, Govindapada, Shankara Bhagavatpada, Sureshwara, Vidyashankara, Vidyaranya, Nrisimha Bharati, Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati, Chandrasekhara Bharati, Valukeshwara Bharati, Vidyabhinava Valukeshwara Bharati to my own Sri Gurunatha. There are however some Acharyas after Sureshwara, both householders as well as belonging to the Jagadguru Parampara of Sringeri Sarada Peetham, that I have omitted here.
" I have already accomplished that work also, " said Acharya and produced the other parts of his works to Vyasa. Vyasa was quite amazed to see the prodigious labors of the young Acharya, and went through all his writings- commentaries on Sruti and Smriti- with a one-pointed attention indicating absorbing interest, and then said, " All this is very well done indeed. The production is eminently worthy of the producer. It is all as it should be. I am in a transport of joy".
Acharya now threw a bombshell as it were. He made a submission to Sri Vedavyasa Bhagavan, " Sir, I have done all the work that you expected of me. Kindly give me the permission to terminate my physical existence in Samadhi in your very presence here and now".
Padmapada and other disciples were at their wit's end. Vedavyasa was also astonished. He remained sunk in thought for a while. There was silence all around. And then Vyasa Bhagavan looked up said, " No Shankara, your task, contrary to what you think, is not yet finished. Much yet remains to be done. You have to meet and vanquish in debate all the renowned scholars in the land of Bharata and bring them round to your point of view of scriptural truth. You alone can do it. Extremely pleased with your work, I have come here to grant you a boon of extended life-span. My dear boy, destiny had fixed your span of life at eight years first. But you took Sanyasa and by the grace of Mahakala, the death-destroying Shiva, your life was extended by eight years. It is the gracious dispensation of the Supreme lord that you live for another sixteen years in this body till the age of thirty-two. Your first task now is to vanquish Kumarila Bhatta. Then you have to journey across the vast Bharata, traversing the holy land from end to end, in order to confront, conceive and convert all those who contradict your views, sticking to duality and ignorance. Your foremost work will be to harmonize the different schools of thought. You will also have to hoist aloft the flag of Advaita, establish Vedanta on a sound basis and proclaim the glory of the Brahman to all. On your shoulders rests not the destiny of an individual, but a whole nation's spiritual welfare ".
Acharya felt there was nothing to be said by him. He bowed down in approval, and Vedavyasa disappeared from view. Acharya felt the absence and became sorrowful. The minds of all the disciples were freed from the dark, hovering clouds of anxiety, and there was now no fear of their Acharya's quitting the world early. They were overjoyed and happy at the extension of his life-span.
After Vyasa left, Acharya became very eager to carry out the instructions of Sri Vyasa. His first task was to conquer Kumarila. His mind was now pre-occupied with this one thought. Acharya came to know from scholars present there that Kumarila was holy soul, who had vanquished in debate various philosophers and propagandists of anti- Vedic schools, and had re-established on a firm footing, the karma kanda of the Vedas. This section of the Vedas deals with rituals and extols their value. Acharya also came to know that the aged scholar, Kumarila Bhatta now lived in Prayaga.
The disciples of Acharya were eager to know about Kumarila about whom they heard good things. A Brahmin scholar there narrated the life and labors of Kumarila Bhatta.
Bhattapada's life is quite out of ordinary and his doings are such as to excite our wonder. It is quite obvious that his taking birth as a human being is solely for the purpose of re-establishing on this land of the Aryas, the ancient Vedic faith and culture. He was born in the Chola country in South India in a Brahmin family devoted to a religious discipline and exemplary living. Form the very boyhood, he was devoted to the Vedas. The well-known Buddhist logician, Dharmakirti, is Bhattapada's nephew. Dharmakirti got converted to Buddhist faith, and became very proficient in Buddhist philosophy, after undergoing a course of instruction under the Buddhist teacher, Dharmapala. He then came to the Chola country and challenged his uncle Bhattapada to a debate. Kumarila was vanquished in the debate and according to the solemn undertaking given, it became a matter of honor for Kumarila to switch over to Buddhist faith, to learn it better. He then went to the Buddhist Vihara at Nalanda and became the pupil of Dharmapala and studied Buddhist logic under him. Though circumstances compelled him thus to embrace the Buddhist faith, his inborn respect for and belief in the Vedic religion remained full as ever.
Anandagiri, in his biography of the Acharya says that Kumarila Bhatta went to Nalanda in order to study Buddhist philosophy. Bhattapada himself tells Acharya when the two meet each other, " In order to refute any school of thought, one should master the philosophy of that thought and have a thorough knowledge of its theory and practice. I had no knowledge of the tenets of Buddhism and so in order to combat Buddhism I had to master its philosophy and know all the intricacies of its workings and beliefs. So I was compelled to enter a Buddhist Vihara and be a Buddhist pupil and learn Buddhist doctrines ".
It is said that one day, the Buddhist teacher Dharmapala, seated in the midst of his disciples among whom was Kumarila, started abusing and ridiculing the Vedas. Kumarila felt extremely agonized at heart, to hear his condemnation of the sacred Vedas, and with face bent down, began to shed tears. The Buddhist Bhikshus noticed him weeping, and enquired about the cause for it. Kumarila was too grief-stricken to explain away his remorse and so told them frankly, " The teacher is vilifying the Vedas, this has cut me to quick". The Buddhist monks acquainted the teacher of his clear evidence of Kumarila's lingering sympathies for the Vedas which he was supposed to have discarded. This infuriated the teacher, and he admonished Kumarila saying, " Why do you weep in this way? Your tears clearly show that even now, you are a Veda-believing Hindu at the core, covered superficially by a guise of Buddhism. Donning the garb of a Buddhist you have been deceiving us.".
Kumarila did not choose to pocket the accusation without protest or let the tirade against the Vedas go unchallenged. He entered into an argument with his teacher and said, " Sir, you have been vilifying and speaking ill of the Vedas, quite in an immoderate way for no reason whatsoever". The straight remark from an anguished heart in righteous protest roused the ire of the Buddhist teacher and in an excited voice, he challenged the pupil saying, " If you think that way, argue and establish the illogicity of my remarks and judgments ". Then began a long debate, a philosophical duel on a high plane of thought and feeling, a battle of keen wits, between teacher and pupil. Kumarila effectively smashed the successive positions and attitudes of the teacher, who found himself more and more powerless to contend against his own pupil who overwhelmed and confounded him with unanswerable refutations and forthright arguments. Kumarila was easily able to establish the Supreme authority and the unbeaten superiority of the Vedas. Having quieted down the teacher by the power of his greater understanding and argumentative skill, he declared, " Without the grace of the omniscience one, the individual soul cannot achieve omniscience. Buddha at first trod the path of Vedic faith and he became proficient in the profound wisdom of the Vedas, but then he rejected and disowned, repudiated and discarded the Vedas. In what manner can we style his behavior other than call it the practice of downright thieving?"
( I am grateful to the scholars, philosopher and other knowledge seekers for the collection of their works )
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