SARADA AT KUDALI SRINGERI

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KUDALI - THE PLACE WHERE SANKARAA CONSECRATED SARADA DEVI

 

Most of the biographers of sri Adi sankarAchArya narrate his

consecrating sAradA at a sacred spot in the karnAtakA region. The

guruvamsa kAvayam which was composed in about 1737 AD, under the

direction of sri sacchidAnanda bhArati swAmi of SringEri math states

that the AchArya installed vAni at a beautiful spot on the bank of

the tungabhadra river( not on the bank of tungA river).

 

sankarA prayed to saraswati to go along with him until he consecrated

her grace at some congenial place. She complied with sankarA's

request , laying a condition that he should not look back at her

during the course of the journey and saying that in case he chose to

look back, she would stop at the very spot whence he looked back at

her. sankarA accepted the condition.

 

The long trek towards the South began. When sankarA reached a sandy

place near the confluence of the rivers, tungA and bhadrA,

saraswati's anklets got struk up in the sand and the small bells

attached to the anklets ceased to tinkle. Till sankarA felt sure of

saraswati's accompanying him by hearing the tinkling sounds caused by

the bells in the anklets. Now, sankarA turned back. saraswati

stopped. The dazed sankarA consecrated vAni's grace at that spot,

near the confluence of the tungA and bhadrA,(not on the bank of the

tunga river as all believe) where she chose to stop.

 

When sankarA came to kUdali (kUdal- to join)about nine miles from

shimOgA, where the confluence of the tungA and bhadrA takes place..

he turned back.. and on contemplation saw that the Goddess was

inclined to stop at the holy junction of the two rivers, tungA and

bhadrA. (KUDALI).

 

sankarA had per force to establish a monastic institution, owing to

accidental circumstances, at the place where he consecrated vAni (as

sAradA) and also appointed one of his disciples for the continued

worship of of sAradA at kUdali.

 

Fitting with the information of the consecration as mentioned in the

guruvamsa kAvyam and the popular traditions recorded by sUrya

nArAyana row in his two works, the mUrti of saradA in the math near

the confluence of the tungA and bhadrA (KUDALI) is in the STANDING

POSE, WHILE THE ICONS OF SARADA IN THE MATHS AT VIRUPAAKSHA (HAMPI)

AND AT SRINGERI (ON THE BANK OF TUNGAA, both said to have been

consecrated by sri vidyAranyA are in the SITTING POSTURE!

 

The strong traditional and popuar belief that the AchAryA sankarA

consecrated vAni as sAradA on the bank of the tungabhadrA (not on the

bank of tungA) gets confirmation in chidvilAsA's sankara vijaya-

vilAsA (in which the name of the river tungabhadra occurs more than a

dozen times), sankaravijayasangrahA of purushOttama bharati edited by

W.R.Antarkar, AnantAnandagiri's sankaravijayam, guru paramparA nAma

mAlA of the kudali sankarAchArya math and Manuscripts of Dr.Hultzeh

which included the list of bhArati gurus of the tungabhadrA region.

>From the verse quoted below, it is to be understood that a math was

established by sankarA on the bank of the tungabhadrA near the

confluence the tungA and bhadrA (KUDALI MATH) and that the founding

of the math was FOR THE WORSHIP OF SAARADAA, consecrated there by the

AchAryA and as referring to his long stay there. The verse is as

follows:

" samthApya swamtham kr.tvA tungabhadrAnadeetatE

tatra sthitvA dvAdas.Abdam yatim pr.thvIdharAbhidham".

 

These clearly indicate that Adi sankarA, due to unforeseen

circumstances, had to consecrate vAni as sAradA, at kUdali (NOT AT

SRINGERI WHICH IS ON THE BANK OF TUNGA RIVER) near the confluence of

the rivers, tungA and bhadrA (after which confluence the broadened

river gets the name "TUNGABHADRA") and also to establish a monastic

institution for the worship of sAradA, with one of his disciples as

its first head.