Adi Shankara 1

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SRI ADI SHANKARACHARYA

 

 

 

Jaya Jaya Shankara !

 

Namastripurasundaryai !

 

Namo Chandramouleshwaraya !

 

Namo Naarasimhaaya !

 

A FEW WORDS ……….

 

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.