Vedas and Adi Sankara - Part 9 By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji.

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Dear Members,

 

Sankara desired to take ‘sanyãsa’ (ascetic life). But

His mother refused to grant the permission, as he was

her only hold in life. But, one morning when the child

was bathing in the river a crocodile caught the

child’s legs. The mother writhed in pain seeing the

child being pulled to death. The young Sankara then

said to his mother, “Mother! Grant me permission to

embrace ‘sanyasa ashrama’ for it is equivalent to

giving up this life and taking another birth..” The

mother gave her consent immediately with the only

thought of saving her child’s life, even if he were to

become an ascetic. She felt that she would at least be

able to see her son. Sankara at once took the vow of

sanyasa after uttering the prescribed mantra. The

crocodile left its hold and the child was saved from

the clutches of death. Having embraced ‘sanyasa

ashrama’ Sankara did not return home. The mother wept

seeing her only child and holds in this life leave

her. She wondered who would perform her last rites. He

consoled the weeping mother, “Mother! Do not grieve. I

have been born not just for you but for the whole

world. Wherever I am the moment you think of me I will

come to your side. I will be with you in your last

moment and perform the duties of a son.” And Sankara

left home to work for the benefit of the world.

 

Sankara, in his wanderings in search of a Guru who

would bestow on him the formal initiation of sanyasa

ashrama reached the banks of the Narmada. Here he met

his Guru Govindapada. From his Guru, Sankara learnt

the Advaita philosophy and as per His advice went to

Varanasi, a great place of learning. It was here that

Sankara wrote commentaries on the Upanishads, the

Gita, the Brahmasutras. It is in Varanasi that his

disciple Sanandana walked across the river Ganges

without a second thought as he was beckoned by his

Master from the other bank. At each step a lotus was

produced and thus he earned the name of Padmapãda

(Padma-Lotus; Pãda-Feet). During his wanderings

Sankara met Kumarila Bhatta and later his (Kumarila

Bhatta’s) disciple Mandanamisra, a great Vedic scholar

like his Guru. Defeated in a debate Mandanamisra

became Sankara’s disciple and was named

Suresvaracharya.

 

Sankara traveled the length and breadth of the

country. As has already been said it was an age

innumerable when evil faiths had sprung up. A

religious sect called the Kapalikas who believed in

human sacrifice caught hold of Sankara. He readily

consented to offer his body (that of a sanyasin) to

please their god. However, his disciple Padmapada’s

intense prayer to Lord Nrisimha was answered and

Sankara was saved. It was then that Sankara composed a

hymn of Lord Nrisimha in which he asks Lord

Nrisimha,‘why did you save this body?’

 

During his travel in Karnataka Sankara was met by a

brahmin couple who had a son who was dumb. The parents

lamented that he showed no sign of any kind of

response to anything around. Sri Sankara asked the

boy, “Who are you?” and for the first time the boy

spoke showing indications of being a highly

spiritually evolved person. Sankara then said to the

parents that he would be of no use to them and advised

them to send the boy with him. Sankara named him

‘Hastamalaka’.

 

It was during his time spent in Sringeri that Sankara

was met and served by a deeply devoted disciple Giri

who later became Totakachãrya, showing to the world

what devotion to the Guru can do. Though dull

headed,Giri, loved his Guru Sankara very deeply. He

served Sankara with deep love. One day Giri was late

in returning from washing his Guru’s clothes. Though

it was time for the class to begin and all the

students had arrived Sankara waited for this lovable

disciple of his. When the disciples wondered and

questioned about the delay in beginning the class,

Sankara said, “Giri has not yet come!” The whole class

burst out laughing. The compassionate heart of the

Guru melted with deep warmth as the others laughed at

his lovable disciple and the Grace sprung forth from

him and engulfed Giri who was still on the banks of

the river.The class of scholars was wonderstruck when

in a few minutes time ‘the dull head’ came into the

hall clapping and singing the praises of his Guru in

eight stanzas in Totaka metre. No amount of intellect

or genius can help as does Guru’s Grace. Guru’s Grace

can bestow knowledge on a person in no time. Since

that day Giri came to be known as Totakacharaya as the

hymn

was composed in Totaka metre.

 

!!! Will Continue !!!

 

Regards

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

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