shankara 4

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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?"

 

The strong and the severe remark of Kumarila made the Buddhist

teacher red in anger, and he burst out, " You are defaming the lord

Tathagata. The only proper atonement for this high sin of yours is

the doing away with your life by throwing you down the roof of this

lofty mansion". Hardly had these words come out of the teacher than

the excited monks forcibly pushed Kumarila down the tofty mansion. In

their display of vengeance, the disciples outran the teacher. The

fast dropping Kumarila quickly composed himself into Yogic

steadiness, remembered the Lord and uttered, " If the Veda be true,

may my life be protected".

 

And the miracle happened. In spite of his having been rolled down

from a great height, Kumarila did not die. He sprang up safe and

sound. The disciples of Dharmapala could not believe their own eyes.

But the news of this wonderful event soon spread all around the

place. The Brahmins of the place who followed the Vedic religion,

said in this incident lay a victory for them, and honored Kumarila in

various ways. They also took away Kumarila in pomp from the precincts

of the Nalanda Vihara. The incident did not end there. Rather it

sparked off a heart-rending conflict between the Hindu and Buddhist

communities of the day. To the Hindus, the miraculous escape of

Kumarila from death seemed to be no less than the victorious

assertion of the superiority of their faith. Making Kumarila their

leader, the Hindus arranged a big assembly and challenged Dharmapala

to a debate. The conditions of the debate were very harsh. That party

to the debate which suffered a defeat had to change over to the faith

of the victor or death by entering a fire of husk, called Tushanala.

 

At the time of Kumarila, the follower of every religion was firmly

convinced that his was the only true religion and his the best among

all faiths, and the worth of a religion and its superiority were all

determined by debate and discussion.

 

>From all corners of India, Buddhist monks came to Magadha to

participate in the great assembly where the big debate was to be held

and the superiority of the Vedic faith or the deteriorated Buddhist

faith was to be established. The sparking brilliance of Kumarila put

into shade the arguments of the Buddhists. Dharmapala, despite all

his eminence and not withstanding the tireless efforts he and his

followers made to turn the tide of the discussion in their favor,

lost the debate. He however refused to change his faith and decided

to sacrifice his life. In fulfillment of the terms of the debate,

Dharmapala entered husk-fire, letting his body die a slow death in

the smoldering flame.

 

This victory of Kumarila over the Buddhists had a national impact,

and here was a new awakening among the followers of the Vedic faith.

A grand Ashwamedha sacrifice was arranged to celebrate this victory

by Adityasena, the king of Magadha. The celebration was a clear sign

of the waning of popular support for Buddhism.

 

Kumarila was victorious in his campaign of resuscitating the Vedic

faith wherever he went in North India, and he effectively lowered the

prestige and brought down the influence of Buddhism and Jainism. He

then left for South India on a victorious campaign of propaganda with

a view of strengthening the roots of Hinduism. After his vanquishing

of the best of the Buddhist teachers, Dharmapala, Kumarila found no

one ready to face him in a debate. Everywhere, he demonstrated by

argument, how the Vedas contained the true faith and how they were

not man-made, but trans-human.

 

Also to be noted is that Kumarila is held to be the part-incarnation

of Skanda Bhagavan. Mandanamishra, of whom we shall hear later, was

born of the powers of Brahma. It was lord Mahadeva who directed them

to be born on earth in order to assist Acharya in the work of re-

establishing the Vedic faith. Kumarila is credited with having

conquered the Jains as much as he conquered the Buddhists. He was a

man of great initiative and power and proved much more than a match

to many well-known religionists of that day. He was also a noted

writer and wrote with authority on the Mimamsa philosophy. His

authoritative works Sloka-Vartika, Tantravartika, Manavadharmasutra

etc have made his name immortal.

 

This fascinating account of Bhattapada as narrated by the Brahmin of

Uttarakashi deeply impressed the Acharya's disciples. The great

services of Kumarila to the cause of the mother faith filled them

with reverence and admiration for him.

 

BEHEST FULFILLED ………………

 

 

 

Determined to carry out the behest of Sri Vedavyasa, Acharya set out

on a world-conquest on the religious plane. His first objective was

to meet and vanquish at Prayaga, Bhattapada, a very great scholar and

make him write a Vartika or a critical explanatory work on his own

commentary on the Brahma sutras. This indeed was a new chapter in

Acharya's play.

 

>From here on, we shall find Acharya playing with single-minded

devotion, the role of one who, with zeal and fervor, preached and

spread, defended and strengthened the cause of Vedic dharma. Holding

aloft the flag of Sanatana dharma, the Religion Eternal, he traversed

India from end to end for sixteen years from the Himalayas to Cape

Comorin, from Assam to Trans-Kashmir regions, on foot, broadcasting

the message of Vedanta. For no less than twelve hundred years had

Buddhism and its doctrines flourished in India, and Hinduism had, in

consequence been weakened and enfeebled. To this emaciated Hinduism,

Acharya infused vigor and rendered it invincible. He also gave the

necessary philosophical background and scriptural sanction to various

views and sects and schools of thought and furnished the needed

intellectual justification for many Vedic positions and stands,

making them more acceptable to the rational-minded. He thus made

Hinduism a co-operative assembly, highly organized, well-knit of

expansive faith.

 

In the spread of Buddhism in India, the royal patronage and state

support had played a great part. With the active patronage of the

rulers of the land, it was easy for Buddhism to register a phenomenal

expansion and practically the whole land of Bharata. It would appear

that the Buddhist order of monks spoke to the common people thus, "

The king of the land is ours. Deny and discard the Vedic way. The

Vedas are all unworthy of credence, because the Vedic declarations

are not demonstrable by direct proof or indeed by any other proof ".

Through such assertions and arguments, did the Buddhist order of

monks try to induce and compel the public to take increasingly to the

State-supported Buddhist faith.

 

The Acharya had no resources other than his spiritual profundity, and

strong in the strength of the spirit, he went out holding the torch

of enlightenment, and dispersed the dense darkness if national decay.

His campaign of world-conquest on the plane of religion and

philosophy, without the backing of the state or royal authority is a

unique phenomenon of great significance. The Hindu community had in

those days forgotten that the Hindu way of life was rooted in the

Vedas, and as a result of this, twisted out of shape and created in

its wake several other schools of thoughts, most being no more than

just dry rituals and dull doctrines. At this critical juncture,

Acharya's advent brought light and solace. In his walking-tour

covering the whole of India, he established by discussion and by

citation of scriptural authority, the fact that the several branches

of Hindu religious culture were all but parts and aspects of the

grand tree of the Veda and that all the Indian schools of thought and

sects of philosophy had sprung out of the one Sanatana Vaidika

dharma. The Acharya had to carry on debates with as many as seventy-

two varying religious sects of the time. He proved beyond doubt that

all these several attitudes and ideas had their roots in the Vedas,

which were their origin and source, and thus he established the

universality of Vedic philosophy. Acharya's powers of planning, his

constructive way of executing things, his farsighted vision, all

these were of astonishing interest to his contemporaries, and no less

are they of astonishing interest to us, moderns. History has not many

examples of individuals who did so much, so thoroughly, so enduringly

and in such a short time as Acharya did. He opened the highway of

Vedanta to the followers of the traditional Vedic faith. For this

monumental service, Acharya and only Acharya, next only to

Dakshinamurthy and Sri Krishna, will for all time be venerated by all

as the Jagadguru, the world-teacher.

 

The Acharya had, even during his earlier wanderings, paid visits to

most of the shrines and sacred places on the banks of the Ganga. He

now desired to visit and worship at the many holy spots on the banks

of the sacred Yamuna, and so moved down along the Yamuna towards the

direction of Prayaga. On the way he touched Kurukshetra, the site of

the epic Mahabharata battle where the Gita was first given out. In

course of time, he reached Vrindavan, the playground of Sri Krishna's

boyhood. At this sacred place, the Acharya, with great veneration and

devotion, went to see many spots associated with Krishna's benign

boyhood and visited the famous temples in the region. At the shrine

of Lord Krishna, his mind was overcome with divine love for the

Supreme Guru of Gita, and reverentially offered a sweet hymn at the

feet of Krishna.

 

The eight verses are famous as Sri Krishnashtakam.

 

1. May he, who is ever held in embrace by Sri Lakshmi, the Goddess of

abundance, who is all-pervading, in whose physical form is the entire

created world-the animate and the inanimate, who is the theme of the

Vedas, who is the unattached and impartial witness of the actions of

the human intellect, who is ever pure, who is the remover of the ills

of the devotees, destroyer of the dark forces, who is lotus-eyed, and

the holder of the club, the conch, and the Sudarshana Chakra, who

wears a garland of wild flowers of unstained glory, who is

everlasting sweetness, who is that worthy refuge of all and the Lord

of the Universe - Sri Krishna be visible to me.

 

2. May he, from whom has emerged all this universe composed of ether,

air, water, fire and earth, who is the destroyer of Madhu, who by his

own Guna of Satva protects the infinite creation, who at the time of

deluge withdraws everything into himself, who is the all-pervading

substance and the refuge of all and the Lord of the Universe, that

Krishna be visible to me.

 

3. May he, whom the pure-minded sages, by practicing first the Yogic

injunction of restraint and Pranayama thus subduing all the mental

faculties, perceive in their heart as Vishnu - the adored of the

three worlds, who has assumed the Maya body, who is the shelter of

the entire Universe, that Sri Krishna grant me his vision.

 

 

 

4. May he, whom the Vedas declare , ` One without second, stainless,

He stays in the world and controls the world, but Him the world knows

not", who is the supreme director of the play of the universe, who is

the sole object of contemplation of Gods, sages and mankind, who is

the bestower of liberation to all living beings, refuge of the entire

universe and the Lord of the world, that Sri Krishna be visible to me.

 

5. May he, by whose power Indra and other Gods became powerful and

conquered the demons, without whose doing no one can act and has any

freedom to do anything at all, who takes away the pride of poetic

talent of the world, conquering all the learned, refuge of the

Universe, that Sri Krishna be visible to me.

 

6. May he, without meditation on whom a man is born in a lower body

like a pig, without knowledge of whom man is oppressed with the dread

of birth and death, without the remembrance of whom man gets the body

of hundreds of worms, who is the refuge of the universe, that Krishna

grant me his vision.

 

7. May he, who is the destroyer of fear and remover of delusion, who

is the help of the helpless, who has the complexion of a new rain-

cloud, who is the playmate of the children in Gokula and a friend of

Arjuna, who is self-existent, the parent of all beings and giver of

happiness to beings according to their karma, that Sri Krishna be

visible to me.

 

8. May he, the birth less Lord of the universe, who appears in the

form of Vishnu for the deliverance of the pious, like a bridge of

righteousness, whenever there is a frightening decline of Dharma, who

is devoid of all changes, whose glory the Vedas sing, who is the lord

of the Vrajabhoomi, that Sri Krishna grant me his vision.