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

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Radhe Krishna To all,

 

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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