Fascinating legend about Sri Sankara and Guruvayoor

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

This post is actually a supplement to my ABCPN – 12, where this

matter was mentioned. The following is taken from ‘Temples of

South India’ by N.S. Ramaswami. The expressions within brackets

are mine.

 

“Here is a fascinating legend about the origin of rituals in

this temple (of Guruvayoor). One Ekadasi day, which marks the

occasion when Sri Krishna taught the truths of the Gita to

Arjuna, Sri Sankara and Narada were travelling by air. Narada

said that he proposed to alight in Guruvayoor. Disdainfully, Sri

Sankara refused to follow him, thinking that ( ! ) worship of

images and recitation of the Lord’s name were meant for the

ignorant and not for him. But within a few minutes he had a fall

and lay prostrate on the earth by the northern side of the

temple. He then realised that he had erred grievously. He

besought the Lord to forgive him. A hole in the ground near the

temple is pointed out as the place where Sri Sankara had fallen

down. The Lord told him that ( as if he did not know!) temple

worship, repetition of the Lord’s name, listening to religious

discourses and taking part in the temple festivals were all ways

of expressing devotion. He also asked Sri Sankara to organise

the daily worship in the temple. What Sri Sankara laid down is

being followed to this day.”

 

Whether you believe in such stories or not, analogousr stories

abound in the folklore of each and every temple. As an advaitin

we have to take them as the lIlA of the Lord to impress upon us

the values of devotion as the sure path to spirituality.

 

praNAms to all advaitins

profvk

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

 

 

 

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