Sri Sankara Charitham-Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna

Jaya Jaya Sankara Special Series on the life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated & Illustrated by: Sri Narayanan Bala Volume 29 October 2014 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Saranam Introduction Hari Om! Namaskaram from the Kanchi Periva Forum community. We are pleased to bring you our Twenty Ninth edition ebook, which is the launch of a special Anusham series – Ja a Ja a “a ka a , a o de ful t easu e originally authored by Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna, and translated by our moderator Sri Narayanan Bala a usha 6 i ou fo u . Most of our readers are aware of our efforts to bring out regular ebooks which are designed to protect and nourish our age old traditions, culture, devotion and spirituality. Apart from these standard ebooks, we ha e also pu lished spe ial se ies e ooks like those o “ i Maha Pe i a s Life Histo . Sri Narayanan Bala is a very well-known moderator to our Forum members (by the Forum name anusham163) and he has already made his presence strongly felt through many drawings/sketches of Periva and by his phenomenal translation works on Periva and on materials related to Periva. An ardent devotee of Sri Maha Periva, Sri Narayanan is a born artist. While he did not get a formal coaching f o a o e, his a aseeka gu us e e “h i Ma i a , “h i Gopulu a d “h i “ilpi. We would like to express our sincere thanks to him for coming forward to translate and bring out this beautiful series, which will help to cement this wonderful treasure in the minds of the present and future generations. On behalf of this Forum and our respected members, I would also like to specially thank our moderator Smt Sumi, who has put in a lot of effort in putting this title together and for getting it published well in time. If you are not already a member of our Forum and received this ebook from any of your friends, please also register on the forum http://www.periva.proboards.com to sta updated o de otees e pe ie es a d to receive our regular free publications. This ebook contains brilliant descriptive write-up of the life of Sri Adhi Sankara, and Sri Narayanan Bala has closely reproduced the beautiful, touching language deployed by Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna in the original. I am very sure each of you would find this as engaging and moving as I felt in the first reading itself – especially the superb description of the Bala Sankara and comparison of the infant with Lord Sankara! We humbly submit this e-book edition at the lotus feet of Shri Maha Periva. Though this book is for restricted circulation among like - minded members of the society, this is a free publication like all our other publications, which can be downloaded from http://www.periva.proboards.com/ Any feedback or queries may be sent to us at [email protected] Administrator Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Note from the Translator Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah! Sri Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Charanam.

This narrative titled Ja a Ja a “a ka a on the life of Sri Adhi Sankara Bhagavat Paadhal was written by Sri Ra .Ga apath

as a se ial i

the KALKI

eekl

i

6 ,

with wonderful and lively drawings by Sri Maniyam.

I have undertaken the ambitious task of translating the same into English. I bow my head to and submit my A a hthakoti Na aska a s at the Lotus feet of the AdhiGuru and Sri MahaPeriava, to guide me through this task.

I am greatly indebted to my very good neighbour and a very good friend of over forty years Sri N.V.Subramanuam, who has taken it on him the task of reading my manuscript word by word, comparing with the original and suggesting a lot of improvements in the selection of words and reconstruction of sentences. A million thanks and Namaskarams to him for this great help.

I welcome your feedback on this compilation. I can be reached on [email protected]

Narayanan Bala About the Author of the original series – Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna Sri Ra.Ganapathy Anna belongs to a rare breed of writers, who could bring through his pen and with his authentic personal experience, the quintessence of religion expounded by great sages. A naishtika brhmachari, he has a distinct style in Tamil that is enjoyable to read and teases you sometimes with complex structure of sentences.Sanskritised in certain narrations, he still does no violence to the purity of language but captures beautifully the native Indian spirit in his works. Read more about him & download his ebooks here: http://divyavidyatrust.org/

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

CHAPTER 1 The Ultimate Bliss Takes Birth The land of Malayalam, resplendent with Natu e s p isti e

eaut .

It

was part of the Land of Tamil as the Malayalam language had not developed

then.

The sweet

language of the South (Tamil) and the evergreen language of the North (Samskrit ) had joined hands with the people of the land and were growing.

On the bank of the river called in Ta il (ஆலவா்்

ALAWAY ுழை)

PU)HAI and

CHOORNAA NADHI in Samskrit ,was situated a beautiful village. As that village had been made sacred by the constant caress of the holy feet of great mahans, it was (and is) known as KALADI.

There lived in the village a noble Brahmin, by the name SIVAGURU, who was famous for his material wealth, his wisdom and benevolence. The Puja room in his house was proof for the fertility of

Kerala and his devotion. Bananas,

coconuts and flowers in baskets which had been offered as Neyvedhyam to God, were heaped there.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

But, the Vedic scholar who was looking at them and having his food

in the kitchen was not

happy with what he saw. His mind was only thinking about the one great wealth which was not present in the house.

The distress was overwhelming;

The tears in his eyes blocked the sight of the Neyvedhyam items. Afterwards, he could not swallow the food also.

He swallowed only his distress with pain. His hands were kneading the food, while the pain was kneading his mind.

He wanted to share his mind with his wife ARYAMBIKAI who was serving the food. Although hers was a delicate heart of a woman which can be more easily hurt and wounded, hers was a heart fully cultivated with devotion. Therefore, Sivaguru seeked solace from the person whom he should console.

As he was not able to speak, he silently pointed his fingers at the Puja room. That noble woman cal l said, the

The f uits a e

ell ipe; the hild e

ill eat

eage l .

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The hild e

ill eat the

eage l

------what a broad—minded attitude hers

was ! All the children in the village were her own children ! She gets so much fulfillment and happiness by giving the Prasadham to them.

Wh , that

as e e dea to “i agu u s hea t ! E e so,

hat a eautiful sight

it would be if two young and tender hands, filled to the brim with the fruits, e e to gi e a a lessed

that P asadha . Oh ! Ho

u lu k

I a ,

ot to

e

ith that sight! ---was his longing.

Where is that child ? where is the fruit of all my Puja ? when is my Punyam (Virtue ) going to be fully ripe and bless me with a son ?

A a ! -----he called his wife. Fo ge e atio s, hild e With Wh

e that usto should it

Baga a

You

is ……. “i agu u s hea t

o e to a

gi e His P asadha

P asadha

ha e o e to this house a d a epted P asadha .

e d? to those

as full of pangs.

---asked A a

o fide tl . Will

hose p a e is al a s,

ot the

e should gi e

to othe s ,

a sa so ! But I ha e lost

faith in my own prayer. As long as we

fill our heart with only wishes, how can we have full concentration on the Puja ?

The f uit

ill

e a o di g to that o l ! ---said he, with a feeling of

dejection.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The ,

h do t ou stop pe fo

“i aGu u I a

i g the Puja? asked A a al l !

as sho ked ! What a e ou sa i g ? --- he asked, a little agitated. sa i g that YOU do

ot pe fo

concentrating on it, is t it ? But

e

a

the Puja. You at h a d e jo

i d is the

liss,

ot he

somebody else, with a fully concentrated mind is performing the Puja. E

……..I ha e

ee

a ti g to tell ou so ethi g fo

uite so e ti e -----

Arya said.

Yes ? -----her husband encouraged her. I ou “i appe oo te ple, the

o du t spe ial A adha as a d A hisheka s.

They say that our hearts will melt down when they perform Abhishekam with pu e ghee. That “i appe oo Appa

is the savior of the mankind in this Kali

Yuga-----this is what every one says. It has been my long pending prayer to go the e a d o se e Baja a

fo a

a dala

da s I hesitated to e p ess

my desire as you may not stop the Puja in our home. Moreover, a change of pla e

ill do a lot of good………

Yes ! es ! -----agreed Sivaguru. Wh should

e diffe e tiate as Ho e Puja a d Te ple Puja ? Is

ot the

same Deity (பெுமா்) who is accepting our Puja and blessing us in our home, is now calling us to Sivapperoor through you ? Our attitude and mindset are more important, than whether it is our home or the temple. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Why do you doubt whether I will come to the temple, which has been rendered sacred with single—minded devotion of the Rishis and Sidhdhas ? As ate

u s i

all the pla es u de

the ea th s su fa e, so also God

is

omnipresent. But, only in some places, our holy ancestors have brought out His Presence (சா்நி்ய்) by the power of their Atman, and built wells of Anugraha.

When we are unable to dig out and take water from our own home,

why

should we hesitate to make use of these wells in the Temples ?. Sivapperoor is also ot fa a a . ----- “i agu u spoke thus i tu e It

as de ided that the

ould o se e

Baja a

ith his .

ife s desi e.

Hus a d a d

ife

together going to sacred places; staying there for a Mandalam or two, taking bath in the temple pond, spending time always in meditation and prayer with strict control of mind, ------this is alled Baja a

.

It is a belief that if we observe this, we will get what we seek. Even today, a

people do this like olde

then, is

da s. What

known as Thrissur at present, (*

as

alled Thi u “i appe oo

and the temple is known as

Vadakkun Nathan Temple).

I

“a sk it, the pla e

as

alled

Vi ushaasala Kshet a

. Es a a

has

installed Himself on the beautiful hill which is eulogized as the figure of Nandhikeswaran, the Virusha king.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The Sivaguru couple, immersed themselves in the Aradhana performed on Eswaran, and were slowly ridding themselves of the pain and sorrow. They spent their time in thoughts of God only. Their speech, and breath, dream and thought were all Sivam only.

Yes, even in dream, the thought of Sivam only. Virushaasalesan appeared in “i agu u s d ea

as Vi usha a ooda

Lo d “i a a d De i Pa athi seated o

the back of the bull). His virtue has at last borne fruit ! What else could he ask for after having that holy Darsan !

But Vi ushasalesa

as

ot satisfied

ith the fulfill e t of “i agu u s p a e ;

He decided that time had come for the virtues of all the Rishis, wise men, and devotees, who have made this Bharatha Boomi a Punya Boomi, to be rewarded; and time had come for listening to the requests made by Devas.

Therefore, He granted the boon requested by Sivaguru; He told him that He had blessed him with the boon of having a child !

But, He specified a strange condition along with the boon !

I

ill g a t ou a so ,

ho is

lessed

ith

isdo

a d Di i it , ut

ith a

short life span; or many sons with long life but less wisdom. You may choose fo

the a o e t o. said the Lo d.

“i agu u

as

o fused at this st a ge

o ditio

a d did t k o

hat to

answer !

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

But the Vi usha a ooda

did t sta

the e lo g e ough to hear whatever

answer he was to give. Sivaguru woke up from the sleep. But the confusion created in the dream continued in the awakened state also. He wanted to wake his wife up and tell her all that happened and ask for her advice.

At that time, to his surprise, Aryambal herself touched him and woke him up ! The surprise increased in intensity when he heard what she had to say !

She had also had the same dream ! God had enacted a good drama with both of them ! He had appeared in each of their dreams separately and specified this condition, in order to test their maturity of minds and intimacy.

But immediately after that, He had disappeared without waiting to hear their answer as He could not bear the thought of doubting their mutual love for one another.

God is pla i g a Di i e D a a . Is it so eas to get His Da sa a

? He ga e

us that fortune but at the same time, granted us such a (strange) boon hi h

e a t e jo . He has also pla ed a t i k

ith it.. E e though it is a

trick played by Him, if we fail in that test , there will be disaster for us.

We should lose a wonder child very young ! Or we have to leave a bunch of fools behind us , as our representatives ! I am at a loss as to what we should de ide. What is ou opi io ? —asked Sivaguru.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

It does to e.

ot appea to ho a e

e as

ou put it. ---said Arya in a calm but deep

e to de ide ? God

ill

e e put a

o dition to true

devotees. We should prove that we are true devotees and make that condition non—e iste t……..do t ou u de sta d ?

His condition is to choose between two alternatives; who are we to choose whether we want this o that ? What please de ide a d do . If espo si ilit

ests

e etu

ith Hi . We a

ou thi k is good fo us,

the

o ditio

to Hi

ou

a

sa i g thus, the

e at pea e. -----said Aryambal.

Seeing her calm composure, Sivaguru also was relieved from the dilemma and regained his calm. At that time, there was somebody else who was more at pea e tha

these t o. He is

o e othe tha

the Kailasa Pathi

The Lo d of

Kailasam ), who removes all the confusions and grant ultimate peace.

Sivaguru expected fruit for his own penance; he only wanted the Aradhana in his home to continue after him, without break But Lord Siva was waiting for an opportunity to fulfill the desires of this holy land.

He had a sacred plan to start and install a hierarchy of wise men who will perform the Chandramouli Puja on a permanent basis, and bring together the whole land as a single family.

He wanted Himself to be born as the first member of such a hierarchy. He was searching for a worthy couple in this Kali yuga, to whom He can be o

as thei so , a d

ho

He a

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all A

a a d Appa .

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

At last He had fou d His ideal pa e ts i “i agu u a d A a

ika. The efo e

when He created a problem to test them, that problem became His.

ou k o

hat is

eeded ! You

ill

esto

all ou

eeds ! You wish is our

fo tu e ! ----- standing in front of Virushasalesan, and saying these words, the couple surrendered at His feet.

You shall

e

lessed

ith a o le so ! ------spoke the Sivalingam in their

thoughts !

The couple

etu ed to Kaladi a d pe fo

ed a g a d

“AMA‘ADHANAI

(சமாராதழை). After every one finished eating, Aryambikai ate the P asadha . “he ate it

ith he

i d full of the Al ight s thought. That e

moment, that great Jyothi entered her womb.

The Bliss that He is, who cannot be tied up to anything, got tied up (as with de otees

ithi A a

a s od

a d sta ed the e fo te

o ths. Is He

ot

the all pervading Siva, who gives the humanity the strength and wisdom, and relieves them from the worldly bondage ? Therefore, Aryai nurtured the Jyothi, without any pain or weakness. Ten months passed off.

It was the (Tamil) year of Nandhana ----the year suitable for the Ultimate Bliss to take birth. It was Spring time, when Mother Nature, out of Her Love for the living beings, blooms with beauty, in spite of the severe warm conditions, in order to give prosperity to them.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Lord Mahadevan had pledged to Himself that He shall descend from the level of Ultimate Bliss and bloom in this heat, in order to rid the Humanity of the family bond and elevate them to the higher level.

He decided to

e

o

as a Jee a

Muktha

ho

ould si g thus:-- Jee a

Mukthas are those who, having attained true knowledge of the Supreme Brahman and got liberation even while living, do good to others without expecting anything i

etu , like the sp i g seaso .

This is the 37th verse in

Viveka Choodamani).

It was the month of Vaisaka, very dear to the Supreme Being; it is also k o It

as Madha i ,

hi h

as “hukla Paksha

the “ath a Moo th

ea s Jas i e. “p i g also efe s to Jasmine. ight fo t ight of the

hose hea t is as

hite as

o th ,

hi h is also dea to

utte , sp eadi g the spi it

of wisdom.

It

as Pa ha i

hi h is

e

apt to the fi e—lette ed

ந ம: சி வா ய )

(NA MA: SI VA YA ), five—faced Lord, who performs the five duties of Creation, Protection, Destruction, Maya (False sense of reality ) and Anugraha.

It was noon, when Bhagavan Suriyanarayanan, who removes not only the darkness outside but also the inner darkness, was overhead.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The sta of the da (ஆ்்ரா ,

as Adhi ai

ea i g soaked i

hi h is de i ed f o

the

a e A‘DH‘A

ate .

Accordingly, Sivaguru was performing Abhishekam to the Lord already soaked in Love, bathing Him with water, chanting simultaneously, Sri Rudram, which sees everything in this Universe as Eswaran.

Somehow, on that particular day, both his heart and eyes were more damp than usual. His heart started melting, even as he started the Abhishekam with the fi st s lla le “AM ச்)---- ea i g Ma I e jo the Bliss .

The happi ess I ---he

as thi ki g,

a t is a so ; hile pe fo

ill that “AM—KA‘AN i g the A hisheka .

e o

toda itself? -

You a e the pleasu es

of this world and the outer world; you are also the Sankaran, who creates the

----- he he

as ha ti g the Ma t a………..

Oh ! The everlasting happiness, which is the Ultimate Bliss, which is enjoyed by the devotees due to their matured devotion, and which is experienced by the wise men at the peak of their meditation, was born as his son bringing happiness into his family !

The ever present Immortal Being, took an Avatar, in order to grant immortality to the human race which was suffering from the pangs of birth and death.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The Supreme Being, which is always in a state of bliss, without any external feeling, out of Its abundance of Love, moved away from that state and took a human form in order to give that ultimate pleasure to the human race.

At that sacred moment only, the nectar - like p i iple of

Be e ole e

(அு்) got the full import of its meaning.

Aryambikai gave birth to a male child on whom she will pour her abundant love.

The gifted couple were in a state of ecstasy !

Some saints who came to have a look at the child, felt even happier than them. What they saw was not a mere child; they realized that the origin of all matters with no differentiation as male and female, had taken Avatar, in order to give entirety to the ability of the male and the kindness of the female.

They saw the figure of Sankaran Himself reflected in the marble like figure of the beautiful child.

They marveled at and enjoyed the coolness of the dark hair, which contrasted the white marble--like body. They understood that it is the coolness obtained by wearing the crescent moon and the cool water (of Ganga) on His head.

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

They opened the young and tender palms, which were closed as if holding the At a Thath a

i side, a d

oti ed

ith jo , the li es of ுவி and

ஜெமாழல., running along the palms; and the black mole on his throat reminded them of the blue neck of Lord Neelakantan, who swallowed the poison from the ocean of milk.

They were also happy at seeing the small scar on his leg and realizing that it was the mark created when He kicked Yama.

The

suggested to “i agu u, to

a e the hild as “ANKA‘AN , afte looki g

at the child very minutely and enjoying the bliss they experienced.

Sivaguru had also come to the same conclusion, as the child was born when he

as sa i g Na a: “a ka aa a du i g the ha ti g of “ i ‘ud a . The a e

was also suitable to the child from another angle.

There was a tradition in Kerala to name a child according to the day of birth.

In the practice of counting by using letters as numbers, the letters SA(M)-KA—RA respectively indicate the fifth day of the month, first fortnight (ெஷ்) of the month, and the second month of the year.

So, when the Matter without a shape, obtained a shape and was born, that nameless Matter got a name too !

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Kaladi was surrounded by an environment of auspiciousness at the auspicious time of the birth of Sankaran; an atmosphere of Peace descended on it; the plants on the banks of Alaway Puzhai, showered their flowers on its waters;

The river water reduced its swiftness in order not to hurt them; the tiger and the deer which came to the river to drink water fondled one another; the elephant caressed the back of the tiger with its trunk.

In the Homa Kundas (the vessels where the flames are raised for the Homa), the flames revolved clockwise (்ரதஷிண்). The petals in the lotus flowers that are the hearts of the wise men opened out in bloom. The devotees enjoyed a peculiar happiness.

But at that same blissful moment, fear engulfed the minds of some persons. Their awareness (knowledge) stumbled somehow; The ுவிக் which they were holding fell down on their own. These are the people who were responsible for the birth of Sri Sankara.

We ha e to t a el

a k a fe

ea s i

reason behind this. We have to (ழகலாய் a d ea h ALADI

the o ea

alled ti e , to k o

the

leave Kaladi and go to the Himalayas the foot of the Banyan tree).

(TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 2 ………………………………………….………….)

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Chapter 1 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan All these paintings are done by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara Special Series on the life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated & Illustrated by Sri Narayanan Bala Volume 31 November 2014 – Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 2

The Mountain Melted

The place is Mount Kailash in the Himalayas; there is a tall and well grown Banyan tree. U de eath the t ee…………….

Seated there is Lord Siva, as the idol of wisdom, idol of Silence, idol of Beauty, and Dhakshina Murthy, all at the same time. As He is the Immortal Being, who is beyond Time and Space, He is Kaala

facing South, the abode of

Ya a .

Pure white in colour , whiter than the ice frozen on the peak of Kailasam.Soft and delicate body, softer than the heaps of clouds sleeping on the mountain.

Mass of braided hair like the dense forests of the Himalayas.

Bunches of hair are hanging from the head like the tender vines

hanging

from the branches of the banyan tree.

As a mark of the sea of Bliss that His mind is full of, Holy Ganga is oozing out, from His locks.

The moon born from the ocean of milk, is perched

on the head, as a

crescent shining brighter and cooler.

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

May be, He is wearing the crescent moon, to indicate His quality of blessing those who surrender to Him with growth and prosperity.

The

Ko d ai flo e s

ககொ்றை்ூ்க்----cassia

ga la ds fo His sake, a e taki g lesso s f o

fistula), which bloom as

the hai o

soft ess .

The hair strands from His head are dancing on His wide forehead, over the third eye, like the beetles on the lotus flower.

His forehead is smeared with the sacred ash, announcing that He will cleanse the mind of the three gu as . His e e o s a e like

o s,

just aisi g

hi h He o

ue ed Ma

atha

the God of Love, when he approached Him (with mischievous intentions).

His blue eyes are partially covered by the eyelids, as the petals of Lotus flower, cover the blue lily.

His eyeballs are in a fixed gaze without any movement whatsoever. Eye brows are like clouds which have drunk the Jyothi emanating from the cheeks. His prominent nose in the centre of those cheeks, acts as though it is preventing the two oceans of Jyothi from merging. A gentle smile is blooming at one end of the lips, which look like the coral vines in the ocean of milk.

The remainder of the glowing beauty, after decorating the major part of the face, has been spent on the chin. The ears are like two fans, fanning the “ou da a Laksh i d elli g o © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

His fa e. The ea

i gs

ு்டல்க்),

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

o

o

the

a e efle ted o

His heeks ese

li g the Adhi“esha

i the

ocean of milk.

For Him who has no other seat than the Banyan tree, there is no other e ta

tha

Haalaahala

the da ge ous poiso

churning the ocean of milk for nectar). இவு்ு

hi h

a e out

hile

[ ஆ்அலொ்இு்றகயி்லொத

ஆ்அலொ்அுதமி்றல அ்லவொ?].

His blue neck reminds us of His benevolent act of swallowing the dangerous poison, while giving the nectar to the Devas; it also reminds us of Lord Vishnu, with His blue tinted body, who resides in His heart. Garlands of cr stal, Thu

ai Leu asAspe a , jas i e a d Ma tha ai O hid flo e s a e

dangling from His neck and also garlands of Rudraksham and Bilva leaves; all these i di ate He is the

ause fo the th ee

ualities, “ath a

, ‘ajo a d

Tha o .

His fort—like chest prevents His heart from totally running away towards His devotees. The sacred thread is running along the chest like a water fall. His body allows the poisonous snakes to dwell on. His abdomen, which contains all the worlds within it, is itself flat and drawn in.

His body is covered with the skin of the elephant. Four long rounded arms branch off from His shoulders. The axe He is holding on His right rear hand will destroy all the evils from their roots.

His ight lo e ha d sho i g the Chi philosoph

udh a

hi h e plai s the t ue atu e

of Dhakshi a Mu th , ope s out the th ee fi ge s a d gi es

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

protection. The fo efi ge poi ts to the “up e e Bei g, a d de la es ou a e Hi

த்வமஸி ; Hi

The thu that At a

he e

ea i g Vish u.

i di ates the Jee a , hi h d ells i

the

loated od

a oga e. Upa ishads

e tio

is the size of the thumb only; By

joining the thumb and the forefinger, the right lower hand explains Adh aitha p i iple

the

that Jee ath a a d Pa a ath a a e o e a d the

same.

The bent forefinger in the right lo e ha d sa s that If Jee ath as

o e

even a little towards Him, the Almighty will bend forward and pull them towards Him. The Rudhraksha garland hangs from in between the forefinger and the thumb; He proves that by rolling the garland and chanting (Bagavan Nama) one can become totally unaware of any feeling.

The deer He is holding in His left upper hand is humbled by looking at the beauty of His eyes and has lowered its look. It shows how the ever wandering mind becomes totally motionless in His presence. The Lord of Supreme Knowledge is holding the ுவிக் (scriptures of knowledge and wisdom inscribed on palm leaves).

He is the very proof that one can reach the state of total Realization by repeatedly studying those scriptures. He who is the destroyer of arrogance, is wearing the tiger skin across His waist. The feet which have become tired because of dancing non—stop i

the Ka aka “a ai , a e

esti g he e i

comfort.

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

He has folded His left leg and placed it on the right leg, which in turn had been placed on the figure, which symbolizes all evils (அப்மொருுஷ்). It is very apt that He has given a place of honour to the left leg which i di ates A ug aha

i

His da e i

the left leg elo gs to A

ikai i His

Thillai Chida

aa

, a d also

e ause

a ifestatio as A dhaNa ees a a .

His ten nails are shining like the silver boats on the banks of the ocean of milk. Each particle in His feet, rendered red by the constant rubbing of the crowns of Devas who prostrate at His feet, contains in it, infinite number of galaxies and stars. He is sitting under the banyan tree only to show that a small minute seed contains such a huge tree in it.

The banyan tree offers a cool shade to those who come under it after a tired walk under the sun light; but He shows the light to those who, immersed in the darkness of ignorance, surrender to Him. This Adhi Guru is the Wonder Light which gives the devotees a coolness which is more soothing than the shade of the banyan tree!

In front of the Supreme Being, are seated the four Rishis, Sanakar, Sanandanar, Sanaathanar and Sanathkumarar in a state of absolute Bliss, unaware of themselves. These aged persons, did

ot get a

sha thi , e e

after learning the four Vedhas and the six branches; therefore they wandered in search of a proper Guru. When they saw Lord Dhakshinamurthy with the ுவி in his hands seated in such Peace, they went to Him not minding that He looked much much younger.

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

But that Guru did not tell them anything either from the ுவி, or from anything else ! He had maintained absolute silence, enjoying by Himself ! Even the , those aged pe so s got the Upadesa

i itiatio

the

a ted, i

fo t

of the youngster ! They also realized that His silence has given them the e pla atio fo the Upadesa As far as the

ae

! The also sta ted li i g the e !

o e ed, this Gu u ,

silence, exists without being there.

ho gi es the

Upadesa

i

When others are seeing Him as

DhakshinaMurthy, they realize Him as formless.

A supreme Peace prevails in that environment of pure whiteness and coolness.

There is a minute motion in the waveless ocean that He is. He opens His eyes a little.

B ah a a d othe De as, fell at His feet, la e ti g, Oh ! Mahade a ! Please sa e us !

A veil of distress had spread over their faces including the ever satisfied saint Naradhar. Bagavan did not open His mouth even then, but raised His eyes a little, as if aski g the

What is the

atte ?

Although He is the all—knowing Supreme Being (ச்வ்ஞ்), it is the duty of the Devas, who have been appointed by Him as the protectors of the Universe, to report the goings—on there, of their own will.

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

B ah a eplied,

M

Lo d ! E e

as you have created the infinite universe

with a purpose, you decided to make the land known as Bharatham among them, the unique abode of wisdom. You had spread your breath there, which are the Vedas. You had mentioned in the Chapte of Duties (க்மகொ்ட்) , the duties to be performed by the humans from their birth until their death, for their own welfare and for the sake of their ancestors, the society, the Devas and for You !

In the end, in Upanishads you had also shown them the path of wisdom, which will make them understand the meaning of them all, and attain Moksha

ealizi g ou i the .

MahaDe a ! No , that Veda a d the Vi tue it p ea hes are in danger of peril ! In the land of Bharatha, duty, devotion and wisdom are deteriorating. Those who follow the path of Karma and who are supposed to be the living proof of what the Vedas teach, undergo the cycle of birth and death, as they do not perform the Karma with devotion and wisdom. Some other persons are following the evil and horrible practice of human sacrifice in the name of Bakthi.

Or, some create a cleavage bet ee supe io

to that God . People

ould

a ious fo

s of God, sa i g this God is

ot adhe e to the paths sho

Budhdha and Jeenar also, as they, while identifying and preaching Love and Benevolence through logic, did not say anything conclusive about you ! All are your children; As they do not possess a firm belief that You are the one who bestows fruits for every Karma, they do not realize the necessity of © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

showing love towards others, or the bad consequences of wrong doings. They a e g opi g i the path of

o fusio , as the do isdo

is also i sha

Mahesa ! You ha e gi e

a

ot k o

thei

At a . Be ause of this

les.

assu a e that whenever Dharma (Virtue) is in

da ge , I shall take a ata a d sa e it ; if ou a e i a ti e, i dulgi g i

the

bliss of your Atman, when the forces against Virtue have reared their ugly heads and as many as seventy two religions have cropped up, what will happe to the

o ld ?

B ah a s

hoked i

oi e

e otio . He lo e ed His fa e. But the sile e of

Dhakshinamurthy was not broken yet.

Vanikanthan (husband of Vani ) lifted his head , searched for something in vain and again became emotional with sorrow. Does not the Lord know whom Brahma was looking for ? He must have searched for the Mother, who always speak on their behalf. He smiled to Himself !

B ah a is thi ki g that I a

a a

fo

De i ! Is it possi le fo “i a

a d

Shakthi to be separated? When that Shakthi is not walking out alone in “athi oopa , is “he

ot shi i g

ithi

Hi

as Lo e, Be e ole e a d

Knowledge? That Intelligence spoke now; spoke to the Sivam where She is resting.

Yes !Dha

a

should

e esto ed i

Bha atha . But ho

? Ea lie ,

he

a

separate group called demons tried to wipe out Dharma, it was possible to eliminate them and re-establish Dharma. But now, there is no one as demon © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

here. The demonism has taken shelter in the minds and heads of all people. The a e u de the spell of the g eatest de o

alled Ig o a e .

Therefore there is no way destroying those who have deviated from Dharma; Their ignorance and non—virtuous thoughts must be destroyed. Jyothi of wisdom must be lighted and the inner darkness must be driven out. Only I should do that job.

The e is

o use sitti g he e a

o e as “A —Bu [the fou tai

sou e of

everlasting happiness (bliss)]. There are no persons who will come here in search of this fountain to drink this. Therefore, I should go to the people and flow into them as the idol of Love. I should take Avatar as SAM---KARAN (one who does everlasting good).

The idol of Silence opened His mouth and spoke. The voice soaked in honey came out.

Wo Dha

ot,

hild e ! I

self

ill

e

o

as “a ka a ha a , to esta lish

a.

Ha a !Ha a !Mahade a ! ----These full—throated happy words emanated from the Devas and reverberated on the peaks of the Himalayas !

The Supreme Bliss spoke further, laced with the love of Mother and a sarcasm of a child.

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

“o e people

ight ha e

ee

pe tu ed

ot fi di g De i he e. “he

ho

gives the ability to see cannot be missing. She is within me now. That is also for your good only. If your Mother had been here as a separate form, She also will have to come to the earth with me.

But I have decided to take Avatar as an Ascetic, in order to spread knowledge and wisdom. Therefore a wife is of no use to me. It was good anyway that you had prayed to me as a single entity. I shall be born as a single form ith De i s Lo e a d Be e ole e as its p o i e t pa t.

He paused for a while and looked at Brahman and spoke again with a smile, B ah a

is the pe so

ho spoke

o

s

pathizi g

ith the

a ki d. But

in my Avatar, he will be the person against whom I am going to fight and i ; fight

e el

ea s

ua el of

Ma da aPa ditha , as a p ea he he he B ah a s

o ds ; he

e

o

of Mee a sa s ste

ill p ea h the Path of Ka i d

ill

ith the

a e

of phiolosoph ,

a .

as a little sti ed . He was shocked if this is a punishment for

him for speaking as if he is more concerned about the mankind than the Lord is !

At that time, Lord Siva looked at His beloved son Muruga (Karthik) and smiled at Him. Karthik was also Guru for Lord Siva.

He is also the reigning deity for Agni (Fire), to whom oblations are offered by those following the path of Karma.

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Lo d spoke to hi , B ah a . You

ill

Ku a ilaBatta

a d

Dea e a

hild ! You u h

igge

ust also go to the ea th before Mee a sa

alled

ill e sp eadi g the path of Ka

a. I

the ill

a e

i o e

ou

too !

Brahman got a big relief on hearing this ! He realized that If it is true that He will not curse His son, then His ordaining him to take human birth will not amount to a curse.

All ou De as also

ill take hu a

i th a d help

e i

this

issio ! –He

told the other Devas.

E e o e

as pleased. God does t stop

o l gi i g

hat is asked of Hi ,

but He also goes one step further and offers Himself for help. Thinking about that sacrifice, the Devas departed from there even forgetting to prostrate before Him.

The Lo d said, All of ou a e thi ki g that I a

a

u ifi e t

ho is goi g to

be born on earth to save the humans and you ! In reality, I am going to take i th, i o de to sa e Yes ! Lo d Na a a a ,

self ! and smiled mischievously. ho is dea est to

e, took A ata as “ i ‘a a a d “ i

Krishnan and destroyed aDharma and restored Dharma, is it not ? Time is nearing when the humans fail to remember Their births and celebrate those da s. I a

goi g to

o du t this “a ka aJa a thi i

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o de to sa e those

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

othe Ja a thi s. I a

also goi g to sa e Na a ath i,

hi h is so dea to De i,

a d “i a ath i !

Devas returned with a pleasant feeling and peace of mind. Only Brahma was hesitating to leave.

Lo d “i a

alled hi , Chathu

uka!

o e

ith fou heads . Brahman looked

back with pain.

Do follo

ot

o

. Whe

ou. This e eptio

ou go to the ea th, is e lusi el fo

ou dea

wife Vani will also

ou ! . Brahman prostrated before

Him and left happily !

Once again only the Supreme Being and the four Rishis were left alone there. The four Rishis who were in deep meditation were totally unaware of whatever was happening there so far ! The Siva Yogi

again went into deep

thinking. Where to be born and to whom ? These were the thoughts !

Mount Kailash is a great mountain. It is an amazing mount, which keeps melting every day. It is a big mountain, which gets covered with ice more and more even as it keeps melting ! It becomes cooler and cooler as one climbs higher and higher. The greatness of a human being lies in a cool heart. Mou t Kailash is a sta di g e a ple of the t uth that o e s

ealth

ill e e

get reduced as one keeps giving away. Kailasa Nathan who is the mountain of Wisdom has prepared Himself to melt and create the perennial river of Love !

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 3……………………………….. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 2 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan All paintings are done by Sri Narayanan Bala

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Jaya Jaya Sankara Special Series on the life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala Volume 32 December 2014 - Anusham

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

CHAPTER 3

During Childhood The pro le posed De as pra er to Mahade a as o sol ed the prayer by the Sivaguru couple. He decided to be born to them as their son. Though He bestows more than what is asked for, in order that those who got the boon do not become arrogant, and the fact that life is a mixture of happiness and sorrow, He told them that the child will live for a short period o l . Thus He as or o a Vaisaka “hukla Pa ha i da a d started His human life. But is it reall a A atar ? A atara ea s to des e d a d o e But ho do e sa fro here He, ho is the I fi ite Brah a a d ho does ot have a beginning or an end , o es do ? “o eho , the Brah a took pity on the humanity and assumed human form. As e sa the su ho is al a s there has rise , e also sa that the O iprese t has rise . As a i di atio that His risi g is goi g to e the egi i g of the e d of the other religio s hi h do ot follo the path shown by the Vedas, a darkness engulfed the minds of such persons momentarily, and their religious scripts fell from their hands. After “a kara as or , “i aguru s fa il a d ho e, e jo ed a happi ess, which they had not experienced before; at the same time, a feeling of sorrow also ran through that happiness. Siva guru and Aryambikai, were constantly worried at the thought of losing that happiness. Duri g the perfor a e of Jatha Kar a , he the hild as lessed ou shall li e hu dred ears , “i aguru s heart as stri ke ith grief. His voice roke do he he tou hed the grou d a d said, Bless e so that I shall ot ha e to r for so . Sankaran grows up among the love and care of relatives and friends, shining with the rituals performed as ordained in Vedhas. He blooms along with the His childhood play.

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

They take all protective steps so that He is not affected by any doshas ills ; He passes through the phase of hildhood la eri g . In the sixth month, the parents feed Him food as per custom. They place toys, weapons and palm leaf—scripts in front of Him, as per Sastras. The child picks only the scripts of wisdom. Then he starts to learn walking; he walks and goes to any one who calls him; starts looking at things around him and also at the sky and the moon. Bala Sankaran was very mischievous. The Puja items which used to be in their specific places, are now scattered everywhere. But the parents of that A ai appa ere o l too pleased ith those is hiefs. They know that there is no better Puja than making him happy. The saying goes, the hild a d God ill e here the are eulogized ; ut here the God is also the child ! The hild s i telle t as u h superior to its eaut ut ore tha the intellect was his ability to be kind and loving towards others, which made them forget the effect of his mischiefs. What Sivaguru wanted ----- he wanted a young child in his home to distribute the prasadham to the other children, with his tender hands----is happening now ! Before He reached the age of three, He learnt to speak all the words in Tamil fluently; it sounded like the sweet jingling noise coming from Goddess Saraswathi when Her ornaments shake. But this child, born in Tamil Nadu, has taken throughout Bharatham, is it not? Therefore, is should excel Himself in Samskrit, which was the then ? It is an interesting story how He got the poetry. That da , Child “a kara as thi ki gone out on some job. For Mother Ne edh a to “ a i. But Father ithout offeri g to A apoora i ho

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Avatar to spread Dharma it not necessary that He popular common language proficiency in Samskrit and

g seriousl o so ethi g. Father has also it is not convenient to perform has told me that we should not eat feeds us all.

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

What to do o ? I do t feel like ha i g a thi g ithout perfor i g Ne edh a to “ a i. But the aid has kept a up full of milk here for e to dri k. He found a solution to His problem. He picked up the cup of milk and went to the Puja roo ; looked at De i; He uttered Ksheera Ni edha a i I offer this milk to you) as His father used to say, and closed His eyes. Annapoorni laughed to Herself. Even though She is living in this Sankaran, She appears as a separate e tit also. Is “he ot the I fi ite , fro hi h if o e takes the infinitude, what re ai s is the I fi ite alo e? Brahadhara aka Upanishad invocation verse.) Smiling, She now played a trick on Him ! With the result……… When Sankaran opened His eyes and looked at the cup, He almost cried ! Yes, the cup of milk was empty ! The Mother who feeds everyone, has robbed Him of His food ! His tender heart melted at this disappointment. The small lips trembled. Tears appeared in the eyes. That moment when the child cried was the time to sow the seed for the proficiency in the poetic ability which is going to make the world happy. For the Vedhas to prevail and the world to prosper, the time has come for Sankaran to attain proficiency in languages. He cried, therefore. When He looked at the cup with eyes full of tears, it looked as though it was full of water. He closed His eyes and opened them again, so that the tears dropped off, and then looked at the cup again. Oh ! What a surprise ! The cup was full to the brim with milk ! Was it the ordi ar o s ilk ? No; It as the er esse e of Wisdo ; Mother ho feeds the whole universe, fed Herself that day ! Once before, another child, which was crying for milk, drank the milk of wisdom fed by ParaSakthi and became the master of the three sections of the Tamil language; and today, this child attained the peak of wisdom, and mastered Samskrit. But Sankaran never forgot the fact that He was a Tamil child. Later when He became the Jagath Guru Sankara BagavathPadhar, He mentioned this incident

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

i “ou dar a Lahari Dhra ida .

here He had said

You ga e that to the

hild of

In those times, it was believed that the tuft was the roof to the body where God resides. In His third year, Sankaran had a tuft which was bundled up and tied in the Chera (Kerala ) style. Duri g this ritual, he the Ma tra Ma ou li e for o e hu dred a d si tee ears , as ha ted, “i aguru as agai pertur ed. Fro the o , his prayer was always that he should precede the child. He submitted that prayer to that child only ! Because, one day , the child had made him realize who He was ! Little Sankaran was enjoying playing with the toy chariot. Seeing this, Sivaguru i olu taril ha ted the li e fro the Na aka ------ Pra a s to Para es ara ho is a harioteer . The He started ha ti g the Na aka , a d he he a e to the li e, Pra a s to Para es ara ho is seated i the hariot , the a tual hariot of the illage a e to the street ! “i aguru re e ered it as ‘athotsa a ele ratio ith hariot that da . He lifted Sankaran and went to have Swami Darsanam. The chariot came near ; he ould see the Vigraha s idols of Lord “i a a d De i U a. He alled “a kara a d poi ted to hi the deities a d said, “a kara ! look at the U aa hi ea i g U a ahes ara , ut said i a ha ged for for the sake of small babies and children) and turned towards the child. Suddenly, he felt he has been lifted to the top of a huge wave. Yes ! The Lord who was sitting in the chariot was now sitting in his arms ! He was thrilled ! He wiped his eyes and looked again. Now he saw Devi sitting in his arms ! When He somehow got over phenomenal experience, he saw the child sitting there.

this

No the hild ope ed His te der lips a d spoke, Appa ! I a speak er ell o ; the h are ou sa i g U a hi ? ou ould sa U a ahes ara ! The depth, the fir ess a d the mischief which reflected i these ords, ade “i aguru s heart u le ith happi ess !

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

U a—Mahesa ! Only you should protect this child----no this child only should prote t e ! —he prayed. Then he shifted his vision to the chariot where the deities were decorated and seated. Oh ! Wonder of wonders ! Is not Sankaran sitting there ! Sivaguru became breathless and speechless for a moment ! When he regained his normal self, he realized that he has see hate er he has t, up till that ti e; i spite of seei g, heari g, a d tou hi g so a ti es, hat he has t u derstood so far, he understood now ! There are a lot of unlucky persons who lose many things; he decided that he should not be an unlucky person who will lose God Himself. Therefore he prayed to Sankaran who is going to be known as Sankara BagavathPadhar, to reach him to the lotus feet of Bagavan. The

o le

a s desire

as fulfilled. “a kara

as four the .

Aryambikai who somehow got out of that sea of distress, was irritated with herself. She was scared that her bad luck would infect Sankaran also. She decided to conduct His Upanayanam (Brahmopadesam ) and send Him off to a GuruKul (home for learning under a Guru) out of her sight. So, Brahmopadesam was performed for Sankaran at the age of five. Sivaguru, the Vedic scholar, was unlucky not to have got the good opportu it to pro e that the a e “i aguru as er apt to hi initiating Sankaran in the Gayathri Mantra. The “a skara aki g o e perfe t ha i g ee performed by relatives instead of parents, Sankaran prostrated before His mother as an orphan. Why should the Supreme being be subjected to this humiliation ? Is it to show that in life, suffering grief is unavoidable? As per the custom specified for a Brahmachari (bachelor), Sankaran left His mother to begin His stay in the home of Guru to learn Vedas. When He started the studies, Veda Matha (mother of Vedas) was overjoyed and started inscribing on His tongue. Before the age of seven, He mastered all the Vedas, Vedantha, its branches, Smrithis, Puranas, Sastras and the epics. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Those teachers (Gurus) did not understand whether Sankaran was learning from them or Sankaran was showing them new meanings. Whe He utters su h se te es as Thath Th a Asi ou are the “upre e Being) which teaches the oneness of Jeevathma and Paramathma, from the depth of His heart, the Vedic scholars, who got the opportunity to teach the Adhi Guru, themselves felt that the disciple is teaching them. Among all this, Sankaran memorized only one principle again and again. Sri Dhakshinamurthy took the human form for that purpose only; beginning from the first se te e, E jo doi g sa rifi e , the o e pro i e t pri iple of sainthood which is prevalent throughout the Upanishads, got etched deep i to “a kara s i d. “a kara as a e a ple for the Upa ishad s sa i g that “upre e Bei g, i sear h of ho , the pra ti e Brah a har a . He follo ed the rules of the Ashram deligently; discarding the palatial house, away from His mother, He remained with the teachers and did their chores. He went to each and every house and begged for alms. He ate the same thi g , gi e as prasadha the guru path i s i es of the tea hers. That was a Dhwadhashi day. Those who observed fasting on the previous day (Ekadhashi day) used to break their fast in the early morning itself. There as o su h reaki g of the fast i o e house; the house of Vedi scholar Ayaasakan. Because, there was no Ekadhashi fasting for him; meaning, his was a poor house where everyday was an Ekadhashi day, because he is A—Yaasaka , ho e er egs a od for a thi g. Bha athi Bikshaa A aasaka s ife.

Dhehi ! ----the ringing tone waved into the ears of

She was not concentrating on the meaning of those words; because, she was eager to see who it was who had such a sweet voice, and went to the front door. There in the fro t of the house……

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Oh! Has the blue—coloured Vamanan Himself come down and is standing there ? Or is it the six—faced Arumukan (Karthik) who has come with a single face ? A boy sparkling with the brightness of a lightning was standing in the street. Like the dark cloud whose darkness is not diminished by the lightning, there was a tuft tied up neatly on the top of his head. The shaven front portion of his head was shining fresh. A wide forehead smeared with the sacred ash as if representing the three Vedas. E es like err s. A ose like the full loo ed Cha paka flo er. Tiny teeth looking like pearls planted in the coral—like mouth. That mouth was showering the nectar—like ords, Bha athi Biksha Dhehi .. When the rays of the morning sunlight were passing through the crimson ears of the child, even the veins inside were visible. The diamond ear rings were spreading a brightness around the face. A neck like the conch. That conch only had made this sweet sound. Sacred ash smeared all over the small body. A small sacred thread is resting on the chest. A deer skin wrapped over the dress and a belt made of grass worn around the aist ust e hurti g his te der ski . A Dha da ade of Palasa t ig was inserted in the belt. What for he has come to me, hurting his tender thighs and feet ? Bha athi Biksha

Dhehi

Now only her mind turned to what he had been so far saying and understood the meaning and also the purpose. Yes ! He is asking this beggar to give alms ! The poi ts of the fi gers, hi h ere grippi g the Biksha Paathra had become more reddish and reminded her of Sri Lakshmi sitting on the lotus flower. Why this child, in whom the Ten Lakshmi swaroopams are residing , should ask e, ho is the Ashta dharithrai poor lad for al s ?

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

She ran inside the house with an agitated mind. She felt that her heart would break if she did not give something to that child.

But, there was nothing in the house to give ! Her mind and body staggered; she caught hold of the wall for support; the place where she put her hand as a Purai

a s all depressio

the olde da s houses,

o

the fa e of the

all,

here a la p or a pi ture of a Deit

She found something there; it was a small

hi h ou find in is kept .

amla fruit, which had even

decayed a bit.

A idst this utter po ert

also, her hus a d s

elief in Sastras had not

diminished a bit. He had kept that amla fruit, to break his

fast after

returning from a bath in river Soorna.

Yes , toda

is D adhashi ! Therefore,

esterda

as Ekadhashi ! That hild

standing in the street must have been fasting throughout yesterday.

I should not keep him waiting anymore; I have only this amla fruit; I should gi e this to that ou g o !

She came running to the front door, wondering whether he was still waiting or had gone away. TO BE CONTINUED…………………….

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Chapter 3 of Jaya Jaya “ankara by “ri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan These paintings are all created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara ( Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala)

Volume 33 January 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 4

The Time Has Come

A asaka s ife felt elie ed o l afte seei g “a ka a at the doo . Will Parameswaran, who begged the rishis of Thaarukaa Vanam (forest of Thaarukaa) stubbornly for their arrogance, leave and go without getting the Biksha gi e he e ith lo e ? The lad

d opped the A la f uit i to the Biksha Pathram’ (பிஷை் பா்ட்). She did it with a feeling of utter humiliation. In that one moment, the cruelty of her poverty struck her forcefully. One can manage oneself without having anything at all; but what if there is nothing to offer to those who come for alms ? The peace which she enjoyed a moment ago by seeing Sankaran at the door was blown away. She ran inside the house with a heart - breaking sob. Sankaran looked at the A la f uit. He sa the lad s i d as lea as a amla fruit in the palm. He noticed a pure heart in that fruit. Wealthy persons donate their wealth only, but this poor lady ? Had she not given away her whole heart? The tender heart of Sankaran melted with compassion at seeing that Brahmin lad s u o t olla le g ief at ot ei g a le to sho he o e flo i g lo e with a material object. That compassion flowed out of His mouth as words in the immortal language. Yes, the milk of wisdom given by Devi has started bearing fruit ! The tender, tiny mouth started praying to Sri Lakshmi Devi ! He prayed to Her to turn Her loving glance towards these poor people. Her glance is always towards Lord Jagannath who has the whole universe as His od . Ha i s hea t ill get th illed, he He look falls o Hi ; as a external indication of that, His whole body would get goose pimples. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

That will beautify His body more than the other ornaments. Sankaran prayed, Would ou ot tu ou e es ith hi h ou de o ate ou dea hus a d thus, to a ds these poo people fo sake ? Sankaran has seen many times, how a beetle touches the water—lily, how the flower will shake, and how the beetle will get scared and move away from the flower, only to come back and sit again. Same way, when Her look falls on His dark blue body, it will vibrate; immediately, Her look which went to Him with affection and love, would turn a a f o the e ith a lush. Wh ot ou tu that o de ful gla e towards these poor people ? --- prayed Sankaran. “aathaka (சாதக் ப்சி), is a kind of cuckoo often mentioned by poets. It is said that it has a hole in its throat. It cannot drink the water from the ground surface, as normal birds do. When it flies with thirst in search of water, the rain water drops will enter its throat and quench its thirst. I the sa e a , h ot ou ou self sho e the ai of ealth f o ou loving glance on these poor people who suffer from the thirst of poverty ? They might have committed some sins in their previous births; but you have that cool breeze of compassion which can quell that fire and push that loving glance of love towa ds these poo folks -----The child boy (Sankaran) sang thus impressively. Indhirai (Sri Lakshmi) appeared before Sankaran. “i e ! You a e aski g e to ipe off the si s ith o passio ! But if su h compassion is shown towards those who commit sins, then no one will desist from committing sins in the world. Is it not relevant to block the flood of o passio ith justi e ? — She asked Umapathi, whom Her consort married manifesting as Mohini. “a ka a hose lotus feet a e apa le of ha gi g the fate, eplied, The e are times when compassion will wipe out the divine doctrine of justice; it is when the love shown by sinners that wipes out the fruits of their Karma.

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

The feeli g of lo e that o e flo ed that lad s hea t he she ga e a la f uit, ould dest o the si s of all he p e ious i ths.

e this

That is all ! MahaLakshmi, immediately showered Her compassion and Love , in the form of golden amla fruits, In the courtyard of the poor Brahmin lady who offered Him just a decayed amla fruit ! Su—Varnam (ு—வ்ண்) has two meanings; one, glittering gold with pure colour; and two, a beautiful alphabet (அழகிய அ்சர்). First a rain of eautiful o ds sho e ed f o “a ka a s outh, a d o se ue tl , a ai of pure gold also came down. The Avatar of Sankaran took place solely for establishing Dharma by Wisdom; but still, Acharyar happened to perform a few miracles bound by the power of love. Those miracles are not important to us; what is important is the Love, which happened to be the origin of such miracles. They would fade away from the memory of the characters in the drama as fast as they happened. That prayer on Sri Lakshmi which emanated from the tender heart of Sankaran is the KANAKADHARASTHAVAM (கனகதாரா்தவ்). Is not compassion (love), the birth place of poetry ? Did not the feeling of sorrow felt by Sri Valmiki Rishi on seeing the injured KROUNCHA bird (கிரரௌ்ச ப்சி) which was hit by the hunter, become a “loka a d eate the Fi st Epi ‘a a a a ? Adhi “a ka a s fi st G a tha also was born out of compassion. Before the age of eight, Sankaran mastered all the Vedas, Sastras, and Epics. The sta i the ho e of Gu u ுுுலவாச்) concluded. Now, He has to return home. One very early morning, there came a sound of somebody crying, disturbing the atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Aryambikai, the head of the wealthiest family in Kaladi, for the first time after losing her husband, came

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

out of her home, and entered the GuruKulam crying aloud. Pasupathi ran towards His mother as a calf would, to its mother cow. A a ikai s hole od shi e ed he she e a ed Hi . “he told those noble Brahmins ho pa ified he , The Al ight is f ighte i g e i the dreams also as if the grief I am undergoing when awake, is not enough. This early morning I had a dream where my dearest child is wearing saffron robe and is goi g a a ith a Dha da , like a e di a t. He od as shaking violently while saying this. “he folded he ha ds up to a ds the sk , a d said, M Lo d ! Fo the pleasure of seeing my son again now, I am prepared to have thousand such ad d ea s, ut please do ot ake this d ea o e t ue ! “a ka a s heart also was overwhelmed with emotion. Arya returned home with her son, and got back her peace of mind which she had lost for a very long time. She felt much happier now than when she gave birth to Him seeing her son as a treasure of wisdom and a noble being, But the well-being was restricted to her mind only; her health was deteriorating. One day, when Arya went to Alaway Puzhai for bath, she swooned and fell down on the river bank. The son who went in search of His mother was shocked to see her in that condition. He lifted her head and placed it on His lap. Arya regained conscience when something very chill struck her face. Somebody is spraying water from a wet lotus ud; Oh ! It is ot so e od ! In front of her, and near the lotus bud, she saw another lotus flower----“a ka a s fa e ! “he ould see tea d ops i the o e s of His lotus—like eyes also. The mother read thousands of stories of joy in that face ! Next day, the son did not allow his mother to go to the river for bath. When there were many servants waiting to do the chores, He Himself went to fetch water, with the noble thought that He should do service to His mother. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

He started for the river with two pots in His hands. Alaway Puzhai was proud that the Supreme Being who punished and contained (river) Ganga in His head, was Himself coming to her. But the river which was flowing in a noble land, changed her course a d sta ted flo i g ea “a ka a s house ! “a ka a told His othe , I do ot k o hat is this i a le, A a, ut the i e is flo i g ea ou house o l ! ----as if He does not know how ! The Devas were worried that the task of Eswara Avatar has not started yet and more over Parameswaran had told them that He would discard the human life in a short period. They wanted to remind the Supreme Being of this. The Bagavan also was acting as if He forgot all about it, in order to check whether they (Devas) were doing their duty properly. He had actually scared them by saying that He would return within a short period, in order to prevent them from getting arrogant after getting their boon they asked of Him. Agasthya Rishi, Naradha Rishi and other ascetics sent by Devas disguised themselves as aged Brahmins to hide their identities, and came down to Kaladi. They treaded that holy place sanctified as it was by Him, with hesitatio , a d a e to “a ka a s house. The e i ded Hi that the ti e had come for fulfilling the goal of His Avatar. A a hea d o l the o ds Ti e has o e , a d u de stood the i a different way. Did not Virushasalesan bless them with a child with a short life? “he thought that these B ah i s e e sa i g that he so s life as nearing its end and was agitated. I lost dea lea es e ?

hus a d;

o

should I

o ti ue li i g afte

so

also

Sankaran asked His mother why she was crying ? How could she mention it to Him in so many words ? Somehow, she struggled and stammered and told Him the matter, and started crying uncontrollably.

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Though the time to depart from the earth had not come yet, He had to now leave His mother and go away. Therefore Sankaran decided to prepare her mind to accept His separation from her. Now that He got the opportunity for that, He started talking to her seriously. Mothe ! A e ou o ied that I ould lea e ou ? Wh Himself had said that I would die young, what is the worrying about it ? We can change what humans do; alte ati e fo God s ill? The efo e, a e ou self a d a

this o ? If God use, then, of you but where is the ept it.

He o ti ued fu the , You had so a y children in your previous births. Tell me what is the relationship between them and you now? The attachments we develop in this worldly life are not permanent , Mother! Do t you know this? The attachment we create with something that is ever pe a e t, is the o l elatio ship that is pe a e t, is it ot? What “a ka a spoke i the ool oi e, f oze A a there speechless and breathless.

ikai s

i d. “he just sat

Sankaran heaved a sigh and continued to speak steadily, clearly, word by word, like a musical sound. I a ig flood of ate , the e appea a a air bubbles on the surface. Among them, some air bubbles attach themselves to each other; after some time, neither this bubble nor the other one exists. They dissolve into the water. We a e all like those u les, i the flood of ti e , eated Ma a (illusion) which shakes the still reservoir of supreme bliss. Does it not follow the that all of us should si k i to that liss ? Arya was listening to her son, open—mouthed. But even she who is a matured intellectual, could not understand what Sankaran was saying. Like the o di a illite ate folks, she lu ted out, Is this what you speak to a mother? A e ou sa i g, ou ha e se t fathe a a f o this o ld; ou a send me also away and live in this o ld ? © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sankara! Think in your mind that I should go away, say it aloud in so many words ! Then it will come true ! I will also join your father ! Even if I do not ha e the jo of pe fo i g ou a iage……… . Her voice choked and she could not speak further. “a ka a s hea t so ed afterwards, He smiled.

he He ealized His

othe s

ish; ut i

ediatel

What a strange thing ! Marriage for Him ? Which object He will marry ? His fo is Kal a a ; His ualities a e Kal a a i tuous ; Is the e a othe object of virtue, except Him, or outside of Him, which He should search and marry ? He e e e ed a sloka, Whe the “up e e Bei g, hi h is the form of total virtue, takes an Avatar in a human form to bless those who surrender to Hi , people a t to pe fo a iage fo Hi also ! But there is nothing strange in this; even Brahman who recites the four Vedas, searched for Kalyani, outside of Him; why not, then, Aryambikai speak about marriage for Sankaran? Aryambikai talked about marriage; but Sankaran, on the other hand, had been thinking about renunciation for some time. He had decided to leave His home to teach Dharma to the world as promised to Devas; to sacrifice a personal life with wife, children, wealth etc, and to start living for the welfare of others. He did not wa t to adopt sai thood ithout His othe s pe how to make her agree to it ?---He started to think of a way.

issio . But

Mothe ! Co e, let us go a d ha e ath ! ------Sankaran called His mother one day. Both of them went to the river, which was running very near to their house, to have bath leisurely. “a ka a got i to the ate . Ne t o e t, a loud above the noise made by the river flow.

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Ahhhhhhh! ,

ose

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

“a ka a ! What happe ed ! ----Aryambal shouted in a louder voice. M leg…..leg….. ------cried Sankaran. When she looked at His leg-----Oh ! a crocodile had caught hold of His leg between its ferocious jaws ! Its sharp teeth were digging into the silky flesh of “a ka a s leg ! Aryambikai was shaken beyond control. She was throbbing and palpitating, not k o i g hat to do. Oh ! I a goi g to lose ge afte all, that too i this ho i le fashio . But Sankaran was shouting helplessly, asking her to rescue Him. But who will rescue Him and how ? Is it humanly possible to relieve Him from the o odile s fi g ip ? If that e e possi le, the o je ti e of the A ata would not have been fulfilled, is it not ? The villagers who gathered near the river bank could not be aware of all this. They tried their best to drive away the crocodile. But there were some persons among them who did not make any attempt, not knowing it was impossible. They were the relatives of Sankaran (who might have inherited the family property, were He not born !) who had, by His late arrival to the family, had dashed their hopes ! Therefore, externally they acted as if they were uneasy about not being able to save Him, though, in their heart of hearts, they were gleeful. As if her so s pai as ot e ough, the attitude of the elati es oke A a s hea t. She started running madly. Mothe ! Mothe ! please do ot lea e

e ! -----shouted Sankaran.

“a ka a ! What is that I a do fo ou o at h ou slo l ei g………… ------sobbed Arya.

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? “hould I sta d he e a d

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

You do ot k o hat to do ? If only you put your mind to it, you can sa e e ! ---said the child. He said this casually as if He was not feeling the pai suffe ed f o the o odile s ha d g ip. Me ? To sa e Hi ? hat ould she ot do, if that were possible ? She was even ready to sacrifice her life if only that would save her son. That being the ase, h He is sa i g that if ou put ou i d to it, you can save e? What a e ou sa i g my dear child? How could I , a helpless lady, save you? —said Aryai. Please gi e e pe issio to ha e a e- i th ! I ill, the e sa ed ! ----said “a ka a . The ONE ho GIVE“ the oo of o e i th , is A“KING a oo from His mother to have Rebirth ! Arya was confused. She did not need to permit Him to have rebirth---because, that ferocious o odile is goi g to s allo Hi o a a ! His p ese t Ja a is goi g to end now and consequently, next birth will follow. Aha ! Did He not speak about previous birth and future birth very recently ? Should all that come true so quickly and in so horrible a fashion? “a ka a ! You e e speak a thi g without substance ! Only I cannot understand what you are talking about, my dear child ! I am already a fool, now I have become senseless due to my suffering. Please tell me once again clearly so that I can understand. How does it matter whether I give you permission or not, for you to have your rebirth ?----asked Aryambikai. Sankaran started to speak. The moment He had been waiting for, has now arrived! TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 5……………………………..

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Chapter 4 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan These sketches are all created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 5 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala Volume 35 13 February 2015 - Anusham

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

CHAPTER 5 A Child for the World Sankaran, who was caught in the jaws of the crocodile, spoke to His mother ho as looki g at Hi ith s path , Mothe ! It is ot e essa that this body should be destroyed for taking a rebirth. Changing the life pattern o pletel is also e ui ale t to e i th. The efo e, I ….. --Sankaran stopped speaking, not wanting to hurt His mother. Even if it is acceptable to ask for her life, how could He ask her to give up her son ? No mother would be able to do that sacrifice. Sankaran was not even able to look at His mother who was standing there as a statue. Only when He lowered His eyes He realized that the crocodile had caught His leg. He pretended that the pain was unbearable, and continued with a feeli g of sh ess, I a ot a le to ea this pai , othe ! That is h I am telling you. What I am trying to tell you is that if I change my life style o pletel a d a ept sai thood…..it is e ual to e i th. The the f uits of this birth and its fate also may change. Thereby my imminent death in this i th a also e p e e ted. O l if ou pe it e to renounce life, I will change my life to one of Dharma. Then I will get an opportunity to escape from the jaws of this crocodile; Why not we test it, mother ? Even if the test fails, it is alright, because, if I do not accept sainthood now, is it not absolutely certain that I will be swallowed by this crocodile ? The crocodile moved its jaws up and was nearing His thigh. Aryambikai could not bring herself to watch that horrible sight. At this difficult juncture, what else could she do ? She had a good dream and got a child, and now, it looks certain that another dream is going to come true and she is going to lose her child. Could she bear it ? But is this the ti e to thi k of that a d hesitate ? Oh, the et hed o odile….. With pain gripping her heart, Arya opened her mouth. How she managed to open her mouth and utter these words is difficult to understand, but she said

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

i a hoki g oi e, tea s olli g do he heeks, It is al ight if ou li e i so e o e of this o ld, as a sai t o a e di a t, dea hild ! . Whe she uttered each and every word, a horrible deathly experience surrounded her thickly , as if her heart was broken into pieces and flew away. Sankaran hardened His mind. As His mother was the temple where He dwelled, renounce the world without her permission, and circumstances and achieved His objective; now that He vowed to discard all worldly relations, chanted the and dipped in the Soorna river.

He did not want to so He created those got her permission, He Mantra for Sainthood,

With that all the inner bonds attached to Him also drowned in the water. The Supreme Being who saves those who surrender to Him from the sea of worldly life, dissolved the bonds of His birth here, in Alaway Puzhai and emerged as a Saint. From now on, He does not belong to any individual family. who did not have a life of His own, but belonged to one owned the whole universe, became an entity owned BY ha ted the Ma t a I should ea h a state he e o li i af aid of e and became a saint, is it not?

He became one and all. He who the world. He g ei g shall e

Saint ? Did He become a saint ? What did He renounce ? Other saints would renounce the world and proceed to forests or caves, but our Saint, instead of renouncing the world, was going in search of it ! A a had ead i the Pu a as, that the de eased took a dip i the hol i e a d e e ged f o it as a health a d st o g pe so . But, o she it essed a much stranger sight. As soon as Sankarar dipped into the water , a celestial figure raised from the river , and stood in the sky, with folded hands. No, No, there ! Sankarar also got out from the river. But, where did the crocodile go ? Who is this Celestial being ? He is saying something to Sankaran !

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

“ a i ! Whe I as e jo i g usi , i e sed i the pleasu e of o e and (intoxicating) drinks, Rishi Dhurvasa came that way and I did not pay obeisance to him. He became very angry and cursed me to be born as a crocodile. Then He gave me a way of deliverance , asking me to go and lie down in Kaladi Puzhai, and wait for the Supreme Being who would come there as a child and get the deliverance by holding on to His feet. Today, I got my release due to your Anugraha ! Because I caught hold of your holy feet, surrendering at which people get released from the family bonds, you yourself got released f o ou fa il o d. Ho lu k I a ! —said the celestial being, prostrated before Sankaran and went off to the heavenly abode. Co e ! Let us go ho e ! -----Arya called Sankarar, typical of a loving mother. Ho e ? ----“a ka a asked, ope i g His ou g outh. “hould ot The I which always pokes itself in the front go ? Which home should He go ?! Yes dea o ! I a sa i g let us go to ou house. All the da ge s hi h afflicted you are now gone ! From now, you will live hundred years. Virushasalesan who gave the boon eight years ago has now fulfilled it . Come, let us go ! We have to perform certain remedial rituals which will i g “ha thi . ------said Aryambikai. ‘ituals to i g “ha thi ? “a ka a s i d a d hea t.

But

A solute

“ha thi

has al ead

o upied

He asked he i a soft oi e, Mothe ! What did ou sa a little hile ago , and what are you saying now ? When the crocodile caught hold of my leg, did you not allow me to renounce the world and become a saint ? Where is the ho e fo a sai t ? A a ikai stood stu ed o hea i g this. I had some bad dream, but the ad effe t ould e d ith the d ea itself a d ould ot o ti ue ---this was what she thought; The full meaning of the permission she gave at the time of the danger, struck her only now when Sankaran explained it once

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

again. A veil of vacuum engulfed her again, frightening her. Aryambikai who felt that her senses are leaving her, could only hear some words. “a ka a kept talki g, the e is o ho e for a saint; the world is his home; there is no mother for him; all the women who give alms to him are his mothers; all those who teach him are fathers; his disciples are his children; entertainment is nothing but enjoying within himself. Mother, you are repeatedly talking about marriage. I, who is a saint have already married “ha thi sile e, pea e . Fo e the e is o a iage, as u de stood the people. I have to spread the lo e hi h has filled hea t. Mothe , ith a iage, hild e et . life ill e d ith the p o le s of home; if everyone follows this path, who will then worry about the world ? Do t ou k o , othe , ho this orld is getting deteriorated ? Can you not sacrifice your son to correct this to the best of his ability ? Will you not sha e ou ight of othe hood ith all the o e i the o ld ? Sankaran pleaded with her. Arya, as she slowly recovered from the shock, thought, He sa s all those ho gi e al s a e His othe s ?! A d I should gi e the that ight, He sa s “a ka a ! I p a ed a d o se ed pe a e fo a hild, a d I a ied you for ten months in my womb and gave birth to you ! How can I renounce you o ? He th oat a hed as if it ould u st. The eyelids of Sankarar clouded His wide eyes, and grief stuck His throat in small bursts. He controlled His emotions and continued to speak to His mother. You a e e tai l othe . If all ladies a e othe s, the , ou, ho ga e birth to me are very special. That is why I expect you to love me more than they do and also to fulfill my desire to renounce the world, just like a othe ho ould gi e a thi g hi h he hild ould i sist o ha i g. You a e, o dou t, othe ; ou do ot ha e othe hild e on whom you could shower your motherly love; you are also a widowed mother who does not have anybody else to support you than me; but still, my dear

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

mother ! As I have my duties towards you, so also I have many duties to a ds this u i e se. You a ask e What is the hu

fo the

? ou a fulfill the

afte

ti e ?

Let me tell you what I have in my mind. Right now, not only I am asking you to allow me to become a saint, but I am asking you also to renounce the o ds; if ou e ou e e o l , the o ds ill lea e ou. Mothe ! A e the st uggles ou ha e u de go e i this i th ot e ough for you ? In spite of possessing immense wealth, you were not happy as you did not have a child to enjoy that wealth; you got a child; but immediately after that you lost your husband; and you were constantly worried when you would lose your so also. Do t ou a t to attai pea e of i d ithout all such worries ? Mothe ! Ha e ou ot hea d of this sa i g f o the Vedas that o e a ot achieve a state of immortal peace without worries, by possessing a child or ealth; it a e got o l th ough sa ifi e ? Ma ou attai fa e pe fo i g su h a sa ifi e ! Ma ou e eulogized that He e as a othe who sacrificed her child, whom she got through severe penance and prayer, fo the sake of the o ld !------Sankarar prayed with utmost humility and obedience. Aryambikai was one who lived a more detached life than Sivaguru. God tested her severely by kindling her emotions, in order to rid her of all her sins from the previous births and make her merge with the true Supreme Being. Now, the earlier state of equanimity, was rekindled slowly. Like the dancing shadows in a dim light, she said in Sankara ! Are you asking for my permission to go and ou that o …. o…. o….I a ot gi e ou pe issio fo g a t ou pe issio ONLY to go… es, please do ot unlucky poor lady.

an inaudible voice, come ? Yes, I grant COMING, es, I ill come back to this

You do not have to think about me ever. Sankara, I will never be in the way of ou duties. The efo e, go ithout a thought a out e……..

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

She ended with words which broke he hea t i to s ithe ee s, a d ….. do ot o e a k !

Please go

“a ka a s hea t ithe ed. He is a Mothe ette tha a othe . But still, only when He, who showers blessings as a mother, got a mother for Himself, He u de stood a othe s hea t ! He just ould ot ea that othe discarding Him. He spoke with emotion. Mothe ! Please do ot totall put e a a like that ! Do ot ake e a man of deceit, who left a widowed lady at the mercy of her greedy and jealous relatives, and ran away. Mother ! Please think of me when you reach the last moments of your life ; whichever corner of this land I am in, whatever important ritual I am performing, I will leave them all, and come running to you. In your last moments, I shall keep you on my lap, comfort you, and send you to heaven. I will see to it that you get a noble deliverance and attain Moksha. I shall also light the fu e al p e, ei g ou o l so ! ----an emotional Sankarar spoke with a trembling voice. A a s hea t hi h had ee ha de i g so fa , sudde l sta ted to elt agai . She made a final attempt to retain Sankarar with her, by holding on to His own words. “a ka a! All that is fi e ! Bo as ou e e, as the o l so , should ou ot perform the relevant rituals for your father and ancestors, as you do for me ? Is it not against Sastras to stop the family hierarchy without producing a heir, to discontinue the performance of the traditional Puja ? Is it not your duty to ensure that our family is protecting the Vedas ? My dear child ! you talk about renunciation, sainthood etc. But Your father has told me that the sacrifice and renunciation made by a married person is the highest of all----The family person has been ordained with the duty of sacrificing all his wealth, body and life for the sake of Devas, ancestors and the society and all li i g ei gs. “a ka a ! Do ot de ei e e, thi ki g that I k o othi g !

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

Sankarar replied, making His oi e i e a d s ooth, Mothe ! “ast as also mention that one can perform the rituals to his ancestors, without leading a married life. If one leads a noble life of a Saint without bypassing any rule, then his an esto s fo t e t o e ge e atio s ill attai Moksha. Ou “ast as , k o i g full ell that hu a s a ot li e ithout a iage, made it into a proper system; but I cannot accept that it is the system meant for eve o e. G eat “ouls ha e said that Fa il life is a o te hi h pulls o e do a d is a stu li g lo k to attai i g li e atio . A e these mere words and not to be practiced ? Do not be afraid that a branch of Veda will get cut because of me. I am saying this without any self—esteem; my duty is to make Dharma grow in this land. Same way, I am giving up the Puja in our home, in order to nurture Devotion and the syste of si — eligio o ship all a ou d this country. Please less e so that I shall e a t ue “a asi a d pe fo all these duties ell. —Saying these words, Sankarar prostrated at the feet of Aryambikai. A saint must necessarily prostrate before his mother----says the Sastras. The confused mind of Aryambikai cleared up on seeing the firm stand taken “a ka a . He ha ds hi h e t fo a d eage l to take he hild a d embrace Him, closed their palms involuntarily and paid obeisance. Tears welled up in her eyes when she saw the small figure (of Sankarar) who was ready to discard all the wealth and prosperity He possessed, and start on a mission of saving the country all alone, and with no support; she saw in front of he the figu e of “a ifi e pe so ified i His fo . There was heavy flood in Alaway Puzhai. The water level kept increasing. Water entered the temple of Lord Krishna which was near the bank. Sankarar entered the Sanctum Sanctorum which was sinking in the water. He took the idol of Lord Paranthaman in His own hands and came out. He re-installed It in another place.

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

Mothe , f o o o , go anywhere else. You Him, He will look after looked at a d the look

This Gopalan is your son. He will not leave you and do not have to worry about Him. If you look after you. Afterwards, the one who looks, the one who is ill all e o e o e si gle e tit .

Ma I go a d o e -----

நா் ( ப ா் ) வர்ுமா?

A a ikai s e es elled up ith tea s--- Is this goi g to that I will hear those nectar—like oi e?

e the last ti e

Wh these foolish e es a e se eti g tea s a d li di g e ? “hould I ot keep seeing my son, as He walks in pain with His tiny legs, step by step, till my eyes start paining ? Fou ea s ago, he the Little “a ka a st et hed and showed His plump legs, she massaged them; that was the last. Later, when He went to each and every house, asking for alms, His legs became thin, like the tender trunks of a banana tree. Now, where all those legs will go and get tired ? He said that all the ladies are His mothers; will anyone among them, go after those twisting legs and massage them ? If those legs, which push the wet clothes and walk, suffer from excruciating pain, will anyone among them give them a warm massage ? My dear dear child is leaving me and going away without any of these worries. The eight-year old child which should be playing with toys at home, is going away tirelessly, with a firm mind and with the single mission of saving this world; going away to fulfill some extraordinary duties. There ! He has gone away from my sight. Therefore, let the eyes now secrete plenty of tears. From the beginning of this world, to this day, who would have sacrificed an object rarer than this son of mine ? His sacrificing me, who is but a foolish lady is nothing big; What is really big is the boon, I got, of sacrificing my son for the sake of the world. What better job these eyes have than pouring out a flood of tears of joy on account of this? Aryambikai found her peace in the joy of this sacrifice.

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 6…………………………….

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Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy anna)

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This drawing is the creation of Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 6 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

The above painting by Sri Narayanan Bala has been re-drawn from the original by Sri Maniyam

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala Volume 36 12 March 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 6 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy a

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CHAPTER 6 Meets the Guru Oh ! How many days have passed by after Sankarar left Kaladi ! Where is He still going showing no trace of tiredness or weakness ? How many places, how many forests, how many hills and how many rivers He had crossed by then ! How many different kinds of folks----folks with varied customs and speaking different languages----He had seen ! But still, where does this child Ascetic keep going with aching legs ? Have those legs become reddish like the trunk of the red banana tree, due to the blood clotting because of the nonstop walking ? Or was it due to the colour of the setting sun ? But those legs which were white like marble and which had become like corals, stopped at last ! He could continue His journey only if He found a way to cross the heavily flooded Narmada river. But it did not appear as if He stopped His journey due to the flood ! One ould oti e pea e a d al i His fa e as He thought , Ah ! I have at last o e to the pla e he e I a ted to ea h ! a d ot a hesitatio afte seeing the flooded Narmada. What are those beautiful eyes on His moon—like face, looking in all directions and searching for ? Why His look finally stops at the cave in the hill ? Is it because of the nonstop walking that His tender feet are shaking lightly ? Is it only because of the tiredness that His heart,---- although the size of a palm, but which has conquered the entire world with its benevolent grace , ----- is beating fast ? Are the drops of sweat appearing on His face, like the drops of nectar swelling from the moon, signs of only the tiredness ? No….No….! The eal easo fo all these is His a iet that He is goi g to meet the person who has to give Him permission for starting His mission for which He has taken this birth ! Yes, Sankarar, who is the Adhi Guru and Divine saint has to get His initiation for sainthood from another Guu . He has to be humility personified and serve the guru. After all this only He should start on the mission of His Avatar. That is why He walked so far, and long, not stopping anywhere. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Sankarar stopped as His innermost feeling told Him that the Guru who is enjoying the bliss of His self, is in meditation in this cave only ! In a ooks o “a ka a Vija a the e a e t o e sio s of ho He et His Guru---one version says that He met Him on the banks of river Narmada, and another version says that He met Him in the cave of Badri. In yet another source, in the copies of the ancient book by name A a dagi ee a , hi h is elie ed to e the ea liest of all the ooks, it is mentioned that Sankara Bagavath Padar met His Guru in Chidambaram. Sankarar, in His Viveka Choodamani, has said that It is not important where these ise pe so s li ed ph si all ; i thei i d, the all li e i the Wide spa e of isdo hi h is Chida a a சித்பர்த: ). Sankarar who stopped there, calmed His mind and walked around the cave clockwise three times; He paid obeisance to the great soul sitting inside; “a ka a s ho e soaked oi e pie ed th ough the flood of Bliss flo i g f o the great soul s hea t. The As eti s hea t th o ed; e es ope ed; his thi d e e too ope ed. He understood that the disciple ( is He a disciple ?) for whom he had been waiting so long, had at last arrived ! In order to confirm it, he spoke from i side the a e, Who is the e ? . The ajesti oi e e hoed f o the alls of the a e a d fell o ears above the noise of the flowing water of the river.

“a ka a s

“a ka a eplied, It is ot the combination of the transitory earth, other ele e ts a d the se ses, ho has o e he e. It is the adh aitha ot t o matter which shines in the depth of wisdom----Pure Sivam, which has come he e. Sankarar revealed Himself in ten such beautiful verses (தச ்ல ோகி). Now it was crystal clear to the Ascetic in the cave, as to who had come there. He also knew that there was nothing that needed to be taught to that Jyothi of Wisdom.

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Chapter 6 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy a

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Yet, his Gurus had sent him here in order to give initiation to IT, as per the custom in vogue. The lion of wisdom came out of the cave with his steady mind jumping with joy. The scarlet sky painted the lion which came out of the cave, red. The tall tree of wisdom came and stood under the Banyan tree which had spread its branches wide and big , near the river. The young Sankarar looked at him with eyes full of humility. The simplicity of Sacrifice stood obediently in front of the strength of penance. The great soul looked at Sankarar as he would look at his son with love. Again his heart jumped with joy. The evening sun which had painted the sky a d the hill tops ed, sho ed “a ka a s ash --white body also scarlet. The old sage felt hypnotized as if he was looking at Sri Lalitha who dwells on the left side of the Supreme Matter where the heart is. He as thi ki g, Is ot the saff o de o atio do e Natu e e ough fo this child who had already renounced the world in His heart? Is it necessary for me also to give the saffron robe and initiate Him ? Should I be the catalyst for the goodness of this young mind, to flow out as Love and Poetry like the scarlet coloured flood water of river Narmada is raging ? As the sage thought of the Flood in the river Narmada, he recollected in his mind a very old thought; he looked at Sankarar with eagerness. Sankarar went near the water body, as if He already understood what was in the mind of the old sage. He dipped His wooden water vessel into the water. Wonder of wonders ! All the foaming water waves entered into and disappeared in the vessel; Will ot the Ka a dala oode essel) of the Supreme Being, who subdued and contained river Ganga in His dense braids of hair , contain Narmada? Fo the thi d ti e the “age s hea t ju ped ith jo . Tea s of jo appea ed i his eyes too. He managed to hold them from falling down, and looked up. Through the tears of joy in his eyes, the long branches of the Banyan tree danced like waves. His thought waves also went back in time on a long story. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 6 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy a

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We observe the white foam - laden waves dancing on the blue sea, is it not ? But on the top of a still wave in the ocean of milk, sleeps a blue heap of foa . The “up e e B ah a alled HA‘I ho sleeps o the s ake ed Adhisesha will be creating waves in the hearts of those who have experienced Him. The blue color indicates the limitless sky and the sea. The objects which look different from each other under light, become one under darkness, is it not ? Same way, It is the darkness which sees the whole world as one, and blesses. “ees as o e ? What a the atte hi h loses its e es a d sleeps, see ? That is illusio ! The e is o e like this Ma a a Vish u ho dest o s the illusion. The fact that He has given the white color to the poisonous snake Adhisesha a d has take the olou of the loud fo Hi self, ho is nothing but Nectar, is also illusion only. His sleep is also illusion. How can the o e ho p ote ts the e ti e u i e se sleep ? He is falsel sho i g the state of His meditation as sleep. Ah ! What a beauty—filled sleep it is!

Adhiseshan who is cradling that beauty and dancing with the waves, lowered his heads to drink that lovely sight with his two thousand eyes. The combined brightness of the one thousand gems on its heads spread on the body of Pe u a as a ed sheet. Naga aja as elated ! At the sa e ti e Pe u a s hea t also e pa ded ith pleasure. He took a deep breath ! That is all ! He became so heavy that Adhisesha ould ot ea His eight! M Lo d ! I a ot able to bear your weight ! I am sinking in the ocean of ilk ----shouted Adhisesha . Immediately He became as light as a heap of flowers. What is this e

illusio ,

Lo d? ----queried Adhiseshan.

Purushothaman opened His mouth as well as eyes. He asked the king of s akes, Whe e eat the f uits hi h e feel hea hile a i g the , © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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the weight disappears, is it not? Contrary to that, I took out the fruit of Bliss which I enjoy by keeping it inside me, and kept it outside of me and was enjoying it. “o, it e a e hea a d o se ue tl , eighed ou also do ……Do ou ot understand ? I separated from me the Supreme Bliss which I always keep inside me and was enjoying as Nataraja Murthy. You could not bear that sudde i ease i pleasu e a d e jo e t . A ish a ose i granted it.

Adhisesha s

i d. Padh a a a

u de stood his

ish a d

If you go to Chidambaram, you can witness Him dancing there blissfully, and pa ou de otio . Naga aja as i e sel pleased a d ea hed Thillai A ala Chida a a . He ou d hi self ou d Lo d Nata aja s leg as a ornament. The joy of the touch was not sufficient for him. Therefore he was born to ‘ishi Aththi i as Pata jali Maha ishi a d e jo ed Lo d Nata aja s da e. He also heard the sweet sound emanating from His Damaru (a kind of small du hi h Lo d Nata aja holds o His ight ha d . As “esha s e e a d ea are the same, Patanjali enjoyed the sound and light together. Lord Pasupathi entrusted Pataanjali Maharishi with a job. I a going to entrust you with the responsibility of cleansing the mind, speech and body of the people. For cleansing the mind, you have to write aphorisms on Yoga. You have to make a Sastra which will protect and nurture the body as a temple where God dwells. It will become famous as Ath e a “a hithai afte ou a e, ei g the so of Ath i . And you have to write explanatory commentary on the grammar Samskrit, to make the language pure. As far as you are concerned, these the o e i po ta t jo s tha a othe . If Yag a s ha e to e pe fo properly, as ordained in the path of Karma, there should be clarity in pronunciation of Mantras. Their meanings also should be understood.

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of are ed the

Chapter 6 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy a

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To understand the Upanishads, which form the heart of the path of Wisdom, knowledge of language is essential. I am giving this task to you, as I believe that only you, with one thousand mouths, can explain the grammar of Samskrit properly. Though there are many commentaries for many scripts, only your commentary o the g a a of “a sk it ill e k o as Maha Bhash a the g eatest o e ta . I g a t this oo to ou. ----Thus spoke Lord Nataraja to Patanjali Rishi. Patanjali was immensely pleased. Maharishi Panini made the aphorisms on the Samskrit Grammar, from the sounds that emanated f o Lo d Nata aja s Damaru. Therefore, he considered it a great boon, to write commentary on it, and was very proud of the same. There is a 1000—pillared Mantapa in the temple in Chidambaram. The thousand—fa ed Adhisesha sta ted tea hi g the Bash a o e ta o the Samskrit Grammar to one thousand disciples in that Mantapa. Even when proper transport and travel facilities were not available in those days, one thousand students from all directions gathered there for learning the V aka a a Bash a . Patanjali Rishi wanted to complete the task of teaching quickly. Therefore he decided to answer the questions of all the thousand disciples simultaneously. He de ised a a to do this, a d took the Adhisesha oopa fo ; ut the students would not be able to look at this form, because, the moment Adhisesha s eath tou hes the , the ould e u t to ashes. Therefore he decided to hang a curtain between him and the students, sit behind it and teach them. He did not reveal his identity to them. He only warned them that if they opened the curtain and tried to have a look at him, they would be reduced to ashes. What if the students leave the class and go out once he goes behind the u tai ? I o de to take a e of this p o le , he agai told the , If I come to know of anybody leaving the class without my permission, I shall u se hi to e o as a B ah a ‘akshas .

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B ah a ‘akshas is a ki d of a ghost. Those ho lea Vedas a d eet ith u atu al death, ill a de as B ah a ‘akshas . It is thei atu e that the will question those who have learnt Vedas, and if they do not give proper replies, they will kill and eat them. All the students agreed to the above conditions and the lessons started. If students get doubts they will go near the curtain and ask him. Patanjali will give explanations to each one of them separately with each one of his thousand faces, simultaneously. A few days passed off after the lessons started. The pranks associated with the age of B ah a ha a ha e ee p e ale t at all ti es, it see s ! O e day, one particular student had a curious desire ! He wanted to see how Patanjali was speaking to many students at the same time ! The eagerness which the student had somehow kept under control, for fear of getti g hi self u t as pe Gu u s a i g, e a e u o t olla le that day and burst out! So the student pushed aside the screen hung before the Guru ! That as it! A fie e hiss i g oise, a d the , o l there in the places where the students were !

heaps of ashes

ee

Patanjali was overwhelmed with extreme sorrow. He could not change e ed this uel i ide t hi h happe ed he he as sesha . He lamented that all these thousand students had died unjustifiably, and that he could not fulfill the task give to hi God he e , the Maha Bash a could not be preached. He wiped the tears in his eyes realizing that there was no use lamenting this misfortune, when he saw one student coming towards him hesitantly from a distance. He was surprised ! The surprise was that one student had disobeyed his second order that nobody should leave the class without his permission. But that surprise did not turn into anger. Instead, It turned into a kind of sola e. He thought that he ould p ea h the Maha Bash a th ough this student at least. He did not know the name of that student also but knew © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 6 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy a

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that the humble student who did not mix much with others, came from Go da Desa . Gowdar approached the teacher , a little scared in his mind. He told him that he had to a s e atu e s all u ge tl a d he e left the lass oo , a d apologized. Patanjali pacified him and told him of the misfortune. He also de ided to e t ust his Maha Bash a ith Go da . He thought that it might not be possible for him to teach him the whole script in the normal way, and so he would give him his full and complete blessing, and through that make him assimilate the whole book. Patanjali , the ought his hole i d to full fo us a d told hi , Ma ou k o all that I k o ! a d lessed hi . We light firewood, blow it, fan it and make it to catch fire with a lot of struggle; this is one way; another way is to put on an electric switch and get heat fast and without any struggle; this is a much easier way. Similarly, great souls can bring out their power of Atma in many ways. Gowdar got the complete knowledge of all Sastras at lightning speed. But at the sa e ti e he also ha ged i to a B ah a ‘akshas ! Patanjali then told hi , I a e to k o of ou lea i g the lass id a , only now; therefore the curse also takes effect only now. Even I cannot make it null and void immediately; yet I shall show you a way to get released from the curse; when you meet a person who gives a correct answer to your uestio , ou a tea h hi the Maha Bash a ; the ou ill get eleased f o the u se a d get a k ou o igi al fo . Patanjali also provided him with the question that Gowdar had to ask. Go da , i the fo of a B ah a ‘akshas , fle i to the sk , a d a e to the bank of river Narmada in the central Bharath, and sat on the same Banyan tree where Sankarar had also reached !.

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 7………………….

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Chapter 6 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy a

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This painting is the creation of Sri Narayanan Bala

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 7 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala)

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

CHAPTER 7

THE HOLY HEIRARCHY

The place was the central part of river Narmada which had to be crossed by travelers trekking from South to North as well as those traveling from West to East. Therefore, Gowda Brahma Rakshas got a lot of people whom he could ask the question given by Patanchali. But, it was of no use, because no one could give a correct answer to the question. Go da s hea t ould lo g fo getti g eleased f o the u se; at the sa e time the Brahma Rakshas roopa would be celebrating, because it would be elated at the thought of eati g the B ah i s od , hi h had e o e s eet by constant chanting of the Vedas. Gowdar became very tired unable to manage these two opposite kinds of his nature. He was frustrated, continuously thinking about his present condition where he, who was leading a noble life, had become a man—eater , and also that he had lost his ability to get out of this curse. One day, a beautiful looking Brahmin boy passed that way. His Brahma Rakshas i d as elated at the thought of eati g the o ; ut Go da s othe i d was happy at the thought of how nice it would be if he could teach the boy, the Maha Bashyam. He asked him the same question. Let us now look at that difficult question for which no one had given a correct answer till then. In the grammar of Samskrit language, there is a section which deals with the terminations used to form participles (Prathyaya:). When you add the te i atio kth to a oot of a e , it e o es a pa ti iple. Fo e a ple, Bhuj is a oot hi h ea s eat ; if the te i atio kth is added to it, it e o es Bhuktha that hi h as eate ; sa e a e ha e ‘aktha that hi h as ade ed , siktha that hi h as ade et et .

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

The oot Pa ea s ook e DOE“ NOT e o e Paktha aphorism for this.

; if the te i atio kth is added to this, it ut e o es Pak a The e is a sepa ate

Brahma Rakshas would ask every traveler to tell him the participle of the root Pa . Normally no one would know this; added to that it would first ask the pa ti iples of othe oots su h as Bhuj et . a d fi all ask this uestio ; consequently the traveler would be confused; even some one who knew the o e t a s e ould a s e o gl as Paktha . No, Pak a is the ight a s e ; You a e also ooked ou —saying this, he would eat him !

ell fo

e to eat

Same way, he confused the young Brahmin also by asking him the participles of other roots and finally asked him this. To his great wonder, the youngster a s e ed Pak a o e tl ! The e as o li it to Go da s jo . I ha e got a suita le pe so ! I ha e to teach this you gste Maha Bash a , a d get eleased f o the u se . M dea

o !

he e a e ou goi g ? ----Rakshas asked the boy.

I a goi g to Chida a a ; Pata hali is tea hi g the V aka a a Bash a (commentary on Samskrit grammar) there. I am going there to learn the same -----replied our youngster. ‘akshas laughed ith pai ; That he e Pata hali, ho taught the hi . The stude ts ha e all left ; o a d alo g ith it, I, ho k o s it. he.

has e Bash a l the Co e,

o e a old sto , has go e o Maha Bash a I ill tea h ou

; I do ot k o hat happe ed to is o e ai i g ight he e ! ----said

The boy agreed and started to learn from the Brahma Rakshas. Who was that bold youngster, who knew the aphorism in the grammar unknown to others ? Gowdar mentioned earlier that he did not know where Patanchali had gone or what happened to him, is it not ? In fact nothing happened to him nor did

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

he go anywhere. That youngster who came to river Narmada in search of Gowdar was none other than Patanchali ! He had his own problem. He did not know of anybody born on this earth, who could a s e Go da s uestio . I ha e al ead o dai ed o Go da that he should tea h Maha Bash a o l to the one who gave a correct answer to the question. How, then, the V aka a a Bash a itte e o the o de of A ala a a Lo d Nata aja ould sp ead a d e o e fa ous ? ----thinking about the problem, Patanchali finally decided that he himself should be born again and answer the question; only then both Vyakarana Bashyam and the humble Gowdar would get liberation. Accordingly, Patanchali was born again in a Vedic family and was called Chandra Gupthan. Today he had come down here to learn from his own disciple ! The original Acharyar for Vedantham was Sri Narayanamurthy. From Him only, The Sanathana Thathvam reached Vasishtar through Ayan. Therefore, Vaiku taNatha happe s to e the Pa a a Gu u fo Vasishta . But did ot Lord Vishnu take Ramavataram, and become a disciple of Vasishtar ? This seems to be a strange custom with the Vedantic tradition! Even the first Guru Sri Dhakshinamurthy had appeared in the hierarchy of disciples and come down to the Narmada river bank to be a disciple of Gowdar ! Chandragupta Sharma started learning under Brahma Rakshas. It was not an eas task to a age a ghost ; it spe ified a o ditio s to hi . ou also should climb this tree, sit here and learn; I a sa i g ou ha e to lea o l for formality; I have no time for you to hear the lessons, then for me to ask you questions to find out whether you had understood them etc. Therefore, you have to keep on writing what I am going to tell you; in between you are not allowed to get down from the tree, or to eat or sleep; we have to o plete the task e fast. ----said the Brahma Rakshas. Chandra Sharma agreed to all these conditions because of his enormous interest i the Vidh ai . He li ed the t ee a d sat the e. B ah a ‘akshas sta ted the lessons !

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Oh God ! He asked e to ite do the lesso s, ut, he e to ite and with what ? I have no palm leaves nor I have a writing instrument, but ‘akshas is goi g ahead, sa i g the lesso s; I a ot get do also ! Hesitate he did ot ! He p a ed to the Vata Path a “a ee ho slept o the Banyan leaf; he plucked the leaves from the tree; made a sash on his lap; he dipped the stem end of the leaf in the blood and started writing on the Banyan leaves ! He learnt by truly shedding his blood ! He kept writing at an incredible speed, without any rest, break, sleep, food or any feeling in the body, and without getting tired or bored. Was there any wonder in his single minded concentration on his duty without having an food o sleep ? Adhisesha , ho had o e o as Cha d a “ha a, had earlier taken another Avatar as Lakshmanan, and spent fourteen years in the forest, in the service of Sri Rama, discarding food and sleep, and attained fame, was it not? The complete Maha Bashyam was thus written down; Gowdar also was released f o the u se a d got a k his o ide tit “ a a oopa . The life as B ah a Rakshas was over for him ! Gowdar decided that now he should protect the supreme wisdom and give it to the world. He e t to the Hi ala as a d su e de ed to “ukaB ah a ho as a o Jee a Mukta . He o tai ed sai thood a d Veda tha Upadesa. As he as always absorbed in the lotus feet of the Almighty, he came to be known as Go da Padha ha a . Chandra Sharma, who climbed down from the tree was totally exhausted. The sta i a he had as “o ith i i D apa a uga, had been reduced very much i this Kali uga. He put do the u dle of lea es o hi h the Maha Bashyam was written, and slept off due to extreme tiredness. A goat came that way. Whether a donkey knows the scent of camphor or not, this goat did ot k o the s e t of V aka a a ! Though ei g a egeta ia , he was not aware of the scent of human blood also.

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

It started eating the banyan lea es o hi h V aka a a Bash a had ee written, from the bundle. When Sharma woke up, only a portion of the bundle was left out ! He was terribly pained as if a portion of his heart itself had been eroded ! He collected what as left of the Maha Bash a , and reached Ujjain , extremely sad. ( Even today the unavailable po tio of the Maha Bash a is alled Aja hakshita Bash a Bashyam eaten by goat ). There is a lot of affinity between sorrow and sleep, it see ed. “ha a, ho e t to a t ade s ho e, a d lied down on the front yard, went into a deep sleep. It was not a mere sleep; it was a sort of coma. The daughter of the trader who found him in that state took sympathy on him; in order to bring him to his senses, he prepared and brought curd rice and rubbed it on his stomach. The essence got into him through the roots of the hair. Sharma woke up. He wanted to thank the trader and leave that place. His wish as to spe d his lifeti e i tea hi g the a aila le po tio of the Maha Bash a . But the t ade pulled a sho ki g su p ise o hi . He told hi that his daughter who brought him back to senses had fallen in love with him and requested him to marry her. But Sharma had absolutely no desire for a married life; so he declined the offe . But the t ade did ot gi e up; he a gued that “ha a s life as now their property because his daughter had saved him. He filed a complaint in the court of the king.

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

The ki g also as fas i ated Cha d a “ha a s eaut . He a ted to gi e his daughter in marriage to him. He wanted to know if he would be a suitable match for his daughter and so called the minister, for consultation. The minister came; he belonged to the Brahmin community and had a daughter too! The minister thought that the king had selected this groom for her only ! All the three vied with each other to give their daughters in marriage to Sharma who ever wanted to marry. In those days, there was a condition that if a man wanted to marry more than one woman, such a marriage would be approved only if the groom (from the Vedic community) married one girl each from the four races (Brahmin, kshathriya, Vysya and sutra). According to that rule, Sharma married these three girls and a fourth one also. He led a married life with the noble intention of fulfilling his duties towards his wives, till each one gave birth to one child. He gave four noble sons to the world; they were Vallaba Rishi (Vararuchi), Vikramadhithyan, Patti, and BharthruHari. Later he preached and spread the Maha Bashyam and with the satisfaction of having done his duty well, he renounced the worldly life and proceeded to the Himalayas in order to perform the challenges to achieve Mukthi. He met Gowdar who taught him the Vyakarana Bashyam in Badarikashramam and learnt the nature of Atman. He obtained sainthood from him and came to be known as GOVINDHA Bagavath Padhar. Sri Dhakshinamurthy is the first (silent) Guru for the supreme knowledge of Adhvaitha, and Sri Narayanamurthy was the first (speaking) Guru. The hierarchy of Disciples was formed through son and his son and his son and so on, in Brahman, Vasishtar, Sakthi, Paraasarar, Vyasar, and Sukar. Sukar did not marry; therefore, the hierarchy of disciples continued with natural disciples; the disciple of Sukacharyar was Gowda Padhar, his disciple was Govindha Muni and so on. Who else is going to be near and dear to us than this hierarchy of Gurus, who will bestow us with the indestructible wealth of immortality ?

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Once, the four Rishis, Vyasar, Sukar, Gowdar and Givindhar assembled in Badri. V asa spoke at that ti e, Lo d Pa a es a a is goi g to take A ata , i o de to purify Bharatham which is in the grip of Kali. He is going to lead an Ascetic life and establish Dharma. In order to give Him sainthood for namesake, Govindhar should reach Narmada and await His arrival. The Supreme Being will Himself come there in search of hi . Ath i Maha ishi, ho as Go i dha s fathe he he as Pata hali, gave him a clue to identify that disciple who was none other than Sivam. He who could contain Narmada in his Kamandalu would be that disciple. With great pleasure, Govinda Padhar him so well, and sat inside the cave his learning (of Maha Bashyam)----in Being who sits under a Banyan tree

came to the bank of Narmada known to near the same Banyan tree where he did order to give initiation to the Supreme and recites Vedas !

Sankarar, who was born with the sole mission of creating and establishing a hierarchy of Acharyas who were going to protect and nurture the Vedas, Sastras and the philosophy of Adhvaitha for thousands of years and spread them like the Banyan tree, walked thousands of miles from Kaladi and met Govinda Bagavath Padhar ! Sankarar, saw in Govinda Bagavath Padhar, the bed for Hari, the ornament a ou d Ha a s leg, the o a e t Ka ga fo Pa athi, a Laksh a a , Balaramar, and Patanchali Maharishi, all at a time and prostrated before him considering himself as an ordinary boy. Govinda Guru, like wise saw in Sankarar Hari, Haran, Devi, Raman, and Krishnan; somehow he removed the old relationships from his memory, and eated a Gu u---“ish a Bhaa a attitude of the elatio ship et ee Gu u a d Disciple ) in his mind. M dea hild ! Co e ! Co e ! I ha e his voice soaked in love !

ee

aiti g fo

ou o l ! ---he said,

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 8………………….

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Chapter 7 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 8 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala)

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

CHAPTER 8 THE SUPREME TRUTH

Govinda Bagavath Padar was waiting to hand over the wealth of wisdom to the Supreme Being, the same way a person protects the wealth and hands it o e to its o e . We all that ealth of isdo as ADHVAITHAM . But a we say that Govindar had lost that wealth after he handed it over to Sankarar? Even after Sankarar gave it to the world after becoming an Acharyar , does it not shine as an invaluable wealth to those who receive it? Now let us try to u de sta d hat that Adh aita is , to so e e te t. Adhvaitam is a philosophy which is extensively dealt with in the Vedas, Upanishads, Brahma Sutram, and Gita. Even the Epics and Puranas have mentioned a lot about Adhvaitam. There are many ancient books on Adhvaitam. Gowda Padacharyar had written a compendium on Mandukya Upanishad as a full book on Adhvaitam. It cannot be said that Acharyar had said something new on Adhvaita, which has been ever present. But, He was the great soul who established it (Adhvaitam) as an unshakable religion. There were many great souls who just flew to the state of Supreme Bliss like birds fly. But, only Sankarar established the various well organized methods, as steps for us ( who cannot fly,) to ascend and reach that stage. The Avatar of Sankarar itself had taken place for the sole purpose of establishing Adhvaita as a religion. Is it not, therefore, that this history would be incomplete without understanding that? To put it i a utshell, TAT—TVAM த்—்வ், = THAT IS YOU) is the philosophy of Adh aita. THAT is the Supreme Being, which is the original Matter, and hi h sustai s the hole u i e se. YOU ep ese ts the li i g ei gs, hi h e a e . Fi st let us u de sta d the THAT . Adh aita “ast a e tio s the “up e e Bei g as B ah a . B ah a ea s BIG. Is the e a thi g igge tha that Whole hi h o tai s e e thi g ? © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

There should be a cause for everything that we see. We accept that it is the Supreme Being. We say that that Supreme Being is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. If IT has to be omnipresent, then there cannot be a name or form or any identification for IT, is it not ? Accordingly, Adhvaita says that IT is bereft of any qualities (ி்்ுண்). One cannot desc i e IT as this is like this . A thi g a e des i ed only in relation to another thing. How, with what and who can describe a matter which does not have anything else except itself ? That is h Vedas e plai the “up e e Bei g as IT is ot this, that…. Et . i stead of sa i g that IT is this, IT is that…. Et . The IT is not apparent, IT is not subtle, IT is neither short nor long etc. can you explain the taste of sugar to somebody who has not tasted

IT is ot sa that Yes, how it ?

You can only say that it is not bitter, nor sour, nor salty and so on. Adhvaitam says that unless one experiences the Supreme Being, one cannot understand its nature. No let us see ho is the Jee a ho has to e jo that Bliss. Whe e sa , Brahmam is omnipresent, and omniscient etc. does it not follow that there a ot e othe Jee a s tha the B ah a ? The e a e ot a At a s like Jee at a a d Pa a at a; oth a e sa e; Not t o diffe e t atte s is hat Adh aita ea s. B ah a is the o l T ue Bei g; Jee a is ot so ethi g diffe e t f o that ---says Acharyar. The Adh aita e pla atio of Jee a is a a azi g o e, a epta le to the intelligence. Adhvaitam says that it is totally wrong to think that the perishable od ith the a alga atio of se ses is the I . I p a ti e also, do e ot wander somewhere else mentally, when we are in a totally different environment physically ? Whe e thi k of the a o e, it a see o l the i d is . If that e so, h the i ? A d he ou ake up, so ethi g akes hat is that so ethi g ? What is that it the body and the mind were asleep ?

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that the od is ot the I , ut d is ot a ti e, du i g deep sleep us sa , Ah! I had a good sleep ; ess hi h as a ake he oth

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

When awake, all the organs of senses, the mind, intelligence, and the ego will be active; During the state of dream, the senses will not be functioning, but the inner organ of sense (subconscious mind) will be creating the dream world; in deep sleep even that becomes inactive. Therefore, does it not follow that these organs of sense and the subconscious i d do ot fo the I ? The , hi h is that I hi h al a s e ists i the Jee a ? That is Atman. A அ்) ea s o e hi h gi es life . At a is the o d which has come f o that oot o d. At a is the fu da e tal philosoph hi h gi es life to the senses and the subconscious mind, and makes them act as they do. It is the one which is active during the three stages, namely, wakefulness, sleep and dream. U less the At a J othi light of At a s eeps o the su o s ious i d, the mind, intellect and the thought will not become active, same way as sound is not recognized by the ear during the time of sleep when the mind is not active. Our mindset, body and the intelligence have undergone a vast change from hat the e e he e e e hild e . But, the feeli g of I self that I am o hat I as the o ti ues to o e t the The a d No , ithout any break, like the thread in the centre of a garland runs. The a a e ess of this u ha gi g feeli g of I self is eated the At a . It is a a epta le fa t logi all also that the At a , hi h does ot pe ish but shines through the various stages of life , dwells in different bodies, which perish and take subsequent births. Therefore it follows that this (Atman) is also perpetual like the Supreme Being; it also e o es lea that like the “up e e Bei g, the At a is also ithout a fo a d a ide tit . It also follo s that the At a ust e a all pervading wisdom as It enables the jeevan to obtain any type of intelligence. The efo e, Adh aita sa s that the At a , hi h gi es life a d i tellige e to the Jee a , is B ah a o l . Whe it is said that the basic element for

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

e e thi g is B ah a than that ?

o l ,

hat

ould e the asis fo the Jee a

othe

There are no many Jeevatmas. Acharyar says that just like the open spaces in each of the pots merge into the one external space as a single entity when the pots are broken, when we, the individual Jeevatmas, break our individual ide tities, e a all e o e o e si gle At a “ a oopa . Al ight ! If Jee a a d B ahman are one and the same, then how came the thought which identify them as two different entities? There is this world where all the Jee at as li e as diffe e t e tities; What is this so alled o ld ? ----these questions arise naturally. A ha a sa s Jagat Mith aa —The o ld is UN‘EAL Vi tual . If it e so, e a e i li ed to aise the uestio , A e the all total lies, the ? Is the o ld itself a aste the ? We hesitate to accept the idea that the world which we see in front of us, and which is the supporting place for our lives filled ith Dha a a d Dis ipli e , is u eal ! In fact, Acharyar never said that the world is a lie, but said that it is unreal (virtual). He says that the way we see the world ( its appearance as we see it) is false, and further says that the world itself is Brahmam only. The world is not such an unrealit as, fo e a ple, the so of a a e o a o the ho of a a it et . that ould e e e thought of. We think the shining shells as silver, a rope as a snake in the darkness; but till we go near them and find out that the shells are not silver and the rope is not a snake, what we saw earlier was true, is it not? But they were not the final truth. This is what is unreal or virtual. Same way, the thing that we see as and think as world, is true as long as we see it that way. Acharyar says that the moment we start seeing it as Brahmam, we will realize that our earlier knowledge (understanding) was wrong. He calls this philosophy which looks real in one level and unreal in another, as ிராிபாிக ச்ிய் ( Praathi Bhasika Sathyam= Looking like Truth or illusory ).

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Initially calling the world which we see as true in our practice, as ியாவஹாிக ச்ிய் (Vyavaharika Sathyam = Practical / transitory Truth ), then analyzing it in the logical way, He finally shows us that the world is ிராிபாிக ச்ிய். The true state which is above all these ----realizing that everything is Brahmam only------ is called பாரமா்்ிக ச்ிய் (Paramarthika Sathyam =Absolute or Supreme Truth) . Brahmam is the only Real thing. Then what is the reason for the Brahmam to appear as the world and the Jee at as to elate the sel es ith thei odies ? A ha a sa s that the easo is othi g ut Ma a Illusio . Ma a sho s the Brahmam as the many—sided o ld. The sa e Ma a eates a state of ig o a e a d akes the Jeevatmas unable to realize their true state of Brahmam. Ma—Ya ea s that hi h is ot the e . Ma creates and shows another world in its place. it is ot the e ? The efo e, as e said that the also Ma a ea s, that hi h does ot e ist i ot ea that it is e e the e .

a hides the B ahmam. It How can it be said that o ld is u eal i tual , so the fi al stage , a d does

Whe e u de sta d the o ept of Adh aita ith the help of isdo , the Ma a ill disappea . A ha a sa s that though the o ld is created, it is not real, but at the same time, it cannot be totally discarded as unreal also. This is something which is indescribable--- A i a ha ee a . The e a a ise a uestio , Fo he o Ma a ega showing the B ah a as the o ld a d the Jee at as diffe e t f o the B ah a ? . There is no meaning for this question. Because there are no time span, or place or present existence for Brahmam. When e sa that ti e itself is the eatio of Ma a , ho a the e uestio , F o he Ma a as eated ? ? A ha a sa s that Ma a o egi i g. But, although Ma a is p e--existing , it is not Permanent B ah a . As Ma a disappea s he isdo gets i , it is ot a pe a reality (truth). Therefore, Brahmam alone is truth (reality).

e a has like e t

A othe uestio a a ise, Wh should B ah a , shi i g o its o , appear as o ld due to Ma a ? . No o e had a s e ed this uestio till toda .

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Ma e, a a s e a ot e gi e . Ma a is the ause fo us to k o the o ld i a ious fo s; the ho a e a al ze Ma a with that knowledge gi e to us Ma a itself ? Thi ki g a out it, h at all should e o a out the egi i g of Ma a ? Like da k ess disappea s he light o es, Ma a is dest o ed o e e attai wisdom. The h othe as to he a d ho the da k ess Ma a appea ed? Ou o je ti e ust e to oss o e Ma a a d see the o ld a d us as Brahmam (Supreme Being), is it not ? Acharyar has planned and given to us a beautiful path for achieving it. Wh should e oss o e Ma a ? Wh should e ealize ou eal state---that we are the Brahmam ? It is not for the mere purpose of analyzing the philosophy. Deliverance or Liberation of Jeevan by merging with Brahmam is the objective of Adhvaitam. The distinct greatness of Adhvaitam is that it is not a mere dry philosophy but it is a way of life, and a path to get liberated from the mundane life. Moksha ea s li e atio . Li e atio f o hat ? F o the u da e existence. We are afflicted by unwanted qualities like desire, anger etc. because we are away from our true self. We are swayed by the transitory worldly happiness, and sorrow. When do we get rid of these ills and attain liss a d pea e ? That is the eal li e atio o Moksha . Only when we get the feeling that I a the all—pe adi g B ah a , ill e get the isdo I a hate e I see . The o l , e a e o e lissful, ise and full of love, without getting angry with anything. This way only, we can break away from the grip of Karma and get liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and attain immortality-----This, the is Adh aita . A ha a , the ocean of love, shows us very clearly, the path to reach that stage. The only way to get rid of birth and merge with Brahmam, is the path of wisdom----says Acharyar. There is no liberation by doing karma. Because, we can only make something, change its place, or convert it into something else, or change its quality with karma.

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

We cannot create the all—pervading, omnipresent, ever pure Atman, or change it into something else, or change its place or change its quality, is it not? That is why Atman is not a matter for Karma, says Acharyar. The only way to reach the Atman (Brahmam) which is within us, is to know it. To k o i di ates To e pe ie e ; At this stage of ealizi g the self, e e these words are not suitable; when we try to explain the state of Atman in mere words, such contradictions cannot be avoided. The initial steps to reach the path of wisdom are Karma and Devotion. A Jeevan is activated by the three aspects, namely deed, feeling and intelligence. Therefore, Acharyar has shown us three steps , namely, Karma, Devotion and Wisdom which are dependent respectively on these three aspects, as the path to attain liberation. The mind becomes pure by performing Karma without attachment and e pe tatio of a f uits. This is alled NI“HKAMYA KA‘MA Ka a ithout desire). Sankarar emphasizes on the path of Karma and says that one should pe fo the A ushta as as o dai ed the Vedas. He has ot dis a ded the , just because world is an illusion; at the same time, He had not allowed the intellectual self to follow whatever the mind dictates just because nothing can affect the Atman. Everyone should lead a life of Dharma; although the world is a mere illusion, one should obey the rules and lead a noble life as long as he believes in the world; Acharyar Sankarar emphasizes that in addition to realizing the Atman, one should not desist from fulfilling his duties towards the society. Only the Karma thus performed without desire and hatred, and as a submission to God, will purify the mind ( give purity of mind), and in the end take him to a state free of Karma. Why this Dharmic binding for the Atman which is not bound (by anything) ? Let us take an example of a bundle of firewood which is tied up securely with a tight knot. It is not possible to untie this knot in the normal way. What do we do then ? we wind another rope around the bundle more tightly, but do not tie it with a knot.

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Because of this tighter and closer binding, the firewood logs close in still further, and so the earlier binding becomes loose; when we remove this earlier binding sideways( without the necessity of untying the knot), and then loosen up the second binding, the bundle of logs are released. In the same way, we can remove the first binding on the Jeevan which is bound by the senses etc. with the help of a se o d o e alled Dha a A ha a ; o e li e ated, eithe of the bindings exists. Acharyar emphasizes on Devotion (Upasanaa) also. This is the only way to bring the mind, which has been purified by performing Karma, to focus. He says that idol o ship of Gods is ot o t adi to to Adh aita Bha a aa o ept of Adhvaita). Some people think that He allowed idol worship because it would be difficult fo the illite ates to o ship B ah a as Ni gu a ‘oopa . This opi io is totall o g. Whe e sa Visualizatio , e e thi g othe tha B ah a , including us, is visualization only. We are the image of ignorance. The form of Brahmam along with its wisdom is Eswaran who is SagunaBrahmam. I this state, Ma a e o es the po e of Es a a . It follo s that Es a a does the jo s of eatio , P ote tio a d Dest u tio th ough Ma a . Ou Gods are the different forms that Brahmam, by Himself, has taken with the power of Ma a , i o de to p ote t the people. But, he the “up e e Bei g is e pe ie ed as Fo less , eatio , life a d dest u tio ill all disappea . Acharyar did not recommend the path of devotion with an indifferent attitude. Those ho follo Adh aita elie e that o e ill get Wisdo of Adh aita o l ith God s A ug aha. Me tio i g a out God s A ug aha itself is a ple proof that God does not stop at giving the fruits of Karama only, but adds His love to It, and liberates us from this illusory world. Acharyar has given great importance to idol worship in the various Muts which He established, which is followed to the book even today. A ha a , ho has itte a lot of G a thas o Adh aita , has also itte a lot on Devotion. He has written slokas on all Deities, and many devotional songs of the highest poeti g a deu hi h ill elt e e o e s hea t.

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

He, ho had esta lished Adh aita, had also esta lished “ha atha , hi h specifies the procedures for the worship of the six Deities, namely, Eswaran, Devi, Thirumal (Vishnu), Vinayakar, Murugan and Suryan ( Sun). Hence, there need be no doubt on the importance and high place He had given to Bhakthi (Devotion). Jee a s i d hi h gets pu ified th ough Ka a, is ought to focus through Devotion. Only then, he becomes eligible for (following) the path of wisdom. Acharyar says that he has to follow four practices now. Fi st, the seeke has to a ui e the dis e e t that At an is imperishable a d all othe thi gs a e pe isha le . Ne t, he should get the i dset ot to go after the pleasures in this world as well as the other world, and has to be totally detached. Next, he has to acquire the wealth of six good qualities; among these six, the first one is controlling the mind; the second one is to prevent the senses from going their way and to turn them around; the third one is to ensure that the senses thus turned around are not going their way again; the fourth one is to be able to accept the two opposite experiences of happiness and sorrow as one; the fifth one is to bring the mind to focus; and the sixth one is to develop interest and belief in Vedas and what Vedantas teach. This is same as the belief that we shall place in the words of the Sages who experienced the Supreme Bliss, which could not be realized by their wisdom, but which could be, right in the presence of the silent Brahmam. The fourth aim is liberation (MUMUKSHATHVAM), which means single minded perseverance to get liberation and achieving it. After acquiring these four practices, he should do analysis on Vedanta. Hearing (Sravanam), Memorizing, and profound Meditation are the parts of this path. Sravanam involves learning the meaning of Vedanta verses f o o e s Gu u. Guru has a very important and significant position here, because He is the one who drives out the darkness of ignorance and gives the Light of Wisdom (GU--Darkness, and RU----one who removes). Guru is the proof for the philosophy

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of Adhvaita which leads one to the experience (of Supreme Being). Teaching by the Guru takes place in this illusory world only. So what ? Suppose a lion appears in our dream and roars; we wake up. The lion which came in the dream made us wake up from the sleep. In the same way, Guru who comes in this illusory world, wakes up the Jeevan in the state of immortality. Sravanam is hearing from the Guru. Memorizing means thinking about what one heard from the Guru and analyzing it continuously. Confirming and Establishing what one heard through understanding with knowledge. We see, by this, the important place logic occupies in Adhvaita. Meditation involves constantly thinking about what was learnt and understood. By this, one can experience what was accepted through logic. At this stage only, one gets At a G a a Wisdo a d o se ue tl , the Ma a is d i e out. Jee a ill e ge ith B ah a , ithout e e ei g able to realize that he is the Brahmam. This experience of Brahmam is got here and now, by the one who learns and practices all sections of the path of wisdom well----sa s the Upa ishads, Geeta, a d A ha a s iti gs. The proof for the reality of the philosophy of Adhvaita is the fact that the state of liberation is not somewhere else; it is not sometime later, nor is it in something else, but is very much with us, here and now. Death is not a must for the Jeevan to merge with its Atman. Adhvaitam says that liberation is the true state of and the birth right of Jeevan. Adhvaitam has been accepted as a world religion and is being eulogized by great scholars of the world, because it reiterates that everyone can attain the state of Brahmam here in this world itself. O e ho gets li e atio i this o ld is alled Jee a Muktha . He does ot have any desire because there is nothing that he has to achieve. There is no anger in him, because anger is the result of unfulfilled desire. There is no fear also in him, because, fear comes only if he possesses something. In both the states where neither he is afraid of anything, nor anything is afraid of him, he reaches the state of fearlessness. Fearlessness and Adhvaitam are one and the same.

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Some people opine that in our religion, emphasis is not laid on Love , as seen in other religions. Nobody will practice love by a mere mention of it. Adhvaitam akes the seeke ealize that I a the all –pervading Brahmam, and therefore all othe li i g thi gs a e e o l , sho i g hi the a to attai immortality, and thus makes him the personification of Love. Who else, othe tha the Jee a Muktha is a ette lo i g pe so ?. He has neither Karma nor Thought. He, whom nothing affects, pretends to take on himself both, purely for the sake of welfare of the world and in order to guide the world. He ill o e the ules as pe A ha a usto ; e e afte ea hi g the state of Brahmam, he will perform Puja and show devotion; he will perform good deeds , a d gi e G a opadesa . “u h G eat souls a e the li i g s ols fo the supreme truth, which is Adhvaitam. Adhvaitam embraces everything. It accepts this world up to some extent; while accepting that no one can live in this practical world without earning a livelihood, it emphasizes that Jeevan must perform, additionally, those duties which are useful to the world as well as self. It accepts feelings; as it is not easy to control the feelings, it puts forward Devotion, in order to cleanse them and then abandon them. For Adhvaitam, all Gods are one and the same, all religions are acceptable, and all people are equal; worshipping, considering Jeevatma and Paramatma as two different entities is also right, because It believes that even this path leads to Adhvaitam in the end. But still, there is only one final truth; when we say o e , it also points out to something; so that is also wrong. Adhvaitam says that there are no two entities as Jeevatma and Paramatma (A--Dh aita , ea i g ot t o . Science is also not against Adhvaitam. Acharyar said that the world is real in o e state ut false i a othe state a d sho ed the a states of the eal one, is it not ? Science agrees with this. Even certain practical realities which conform to the rules of law, become false while proving certain other principles at a higher level –says science. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

We fi d that Ne to s la of g a it is t ue p a ti all ; ut at a highe le el of s ie tifi esea h, this t uth is p o e wrong. Einstein in his Space— Time—Continuum says that both the force of gravity and the field of gravity are illusory. Matter is of the form of a Particle. Whereas energy such as light and heat is of the form of a wave----This is what the earlier scientists said and also what we saw practically. But Einstein discovered that energies like light etc. will also behave like particles. Another scientist Da Brackley discovered that matter can also exist in wave form. Another scientist Drak went further and declared that particle and wave are not two different entities but two forms of the same truth (reality ). That is not all; Adhvaitam says that it is wrong to speak of matter and energy as two different entities. Modern science says that both matter and energy are basically connected and that one can change into the other. Acharyar says that everything is Brahmam. Science says that all are same, but in a different way; all things like tree, earth, mountain including man are electro—magnetic waves; what we see with our eyes are the different forms of it. Great scientists go one step further and say that this world does not appear to be a machine but appears as a thought. Going further, they may come to utter the philosophy of Adhvaitam itself !. Adhvaitam gives intelligent answers to all the doubts about the appearance of the o ld. If God eated the o ld, hat did He eate it ith? Was it ot with something other than Him ? If so, how is it right to say that there is not another thing than God ? Or, is it that He created it by transforming Himself like milk becoming curd ? If so, as there is no milk after it becomes curd, would there be no God, after the world was created ? -----all these questions get struck out by the philosophy of Adh aita a out Ma a . A othe ite tha ope is ot e ui ed fo the rope to look like a snake, is it not ? When the rope appears like a snake, the rope does not vanish too! Same way, except that Brahmam appears to be the world, in reality, where is creation and where is transformation?

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

It also becomes a question as to why God created evil. When we said that in the final stage, there is no creation, where is good and where is evil ? Evil also is seen in appearance only , is it not? But still, in order to destroy the evil, which is seen in appearance only, God manifests Himself as different Avatars or sends great souls. Nothing is greater than this compassion! Acharyar, with His amazing wisdom, has given us the truth of Adhvaita like butter, with suitable arguments and counter arguments, through His works such as His commentaries on Upanishads, Brahma Sutram, and Geeta, and His own scriptures like Upadesa Saahasree, Viveka Choodamani, Prabodha soothaakaram, Atma Bodham, Sadha Sloki, Abarokshaanuboothi, Manishaa Panchakam, Dhakshinamurthy Slokam etc. For those who cannot digest butter, He has given it as milk itself, His devotional scriptures. Butter is present in milk, for certain !

through

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 9 …………..

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Chapter 8 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala (origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy Anna)

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 9 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala)

Volume 39 June 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 9 THIS IS MY DETERMINATION

Govinda Bagavath Padhar welcomed Sankarar with the love of a mother. He gave initiation to Sankarar as per norm and thus placed the lamp which was in the pot, on top of the hill. In addition to getting the fruit of his own birth, he inaugurated the e e t of “a karar s irth realizi g its fruit. The child Sankarar dressed Himself in saffron robe. Ragam means love, affe tio . A as eti is alled Viragi Vi—‘agi e ause he dis arded raga . The ord ‘aktha ----red----also origi ated fro raga ‘aktha i “a skrit ea s affe tio ate, lo i g, pleasi g . But a Viragi saint) wears a saffron robe! A sai t s lo e, i stead of ei g centered on himself, is centered around and in the world, is it not ? Sankarar had also got His tuft, which symbolizes arrogance, shaven. He also took up the Dha d i His ha d, as a i di atio that the i d, the spee h a d the body have been punished and brought under self control. Govinda Pujya Padhar gave away the highest wealth that is Adhvaitam, to “a karar. Utteri g these eautiful ords, You ha e o pe sated for ha i g poured out the poisonous flame through your one thousand faces, by showering the nectar—like ords ith our si gle fa e “a karar , prostrated efore him. For so e ti e, He ser ed His Guru as a true dis iple ould. As Guru Ashtaka sa s E e if o e possesses all kinds of wealth, none of them will equal the pri ilege of o e ti g o e s soul ith the golde feet of Guru , “a karar served His Guru on the banks of Narmada with enthusiasm and devotion. Sankarar had eulogized the hierarchy of Guru with so much of love mixed with humility. Significantly, He has sung all His prayers on Krishna, using the name Go i da of His dire t Guru. He sa g Baja Go i da ! Baja Go i da Gita har a ! Go i dar s heart elted © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

o e ti g both His Guru and ith e otio he he sa

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Dha da uthapa i Lord Muruga / Karthik i Pazha i Hi self i “a karar. He e e o dered hether “ri ‘udra alls Lord “hi a as Vi upthakesa o e who has removed his hair), because of this Avatar! Govindar who bestowed wisdom on Sankarar, had to do the same sacrifice as did His other ho ga e Hi His ph si al od . M dear “a kara ! We ill part ways at the worldly level. Please proceed to Kasi Kshetram and teach Adhvaita; you will also write a commentary which will explain that Brahma Sutram as told by Sri Vyasa Bhagavan also supports the principle of Adhvaitam o l . I a e trusti g this jo ith ou, as ordai ed to e Guru. ----saying these words to Sankarar, he departed to Badarikashramam. The first among the seven places which give liberation, is Kasi. It is the place where the Supreme Being, who has dissolved the whole universe within Himself, manifests as Viswanathan. In the perspective of wise men (Gnani), it is the place where everything else other than Him will get destroyed. It is the urial grou d hi h ill kill the death itself a d gi e Moksha . “he, ho gi es that Moksha is orshipped there as A apoora i. Ma ifesti g as Visalakshi, She looks at the world with Her large eyes full of love, and then only feeds them. But the wise men (Gnani) will say that the Wisdom (of the Supreme Being), which was not involved with but was only a witness to the dance of deluge, is Visalakshi. Kasi is a place identified not only with Shiva and Shakthi, but also with Vishnu. Lord Parameswaran will give Moksha to those who breathe their last in Kasi, only after uttering Rama Nama in their right ear. We can see an analogy here----imagine the sacred river Ganga as the bow, Kasi as the String and Jeevan as the arrow. The arrow when shot, will reach its destination which is the Supreme Being. River Ganga embraces Kasi in the shape of a bow only. Great souls say that the sacred river is more purified because it flows up north here. Ganga has the great privilege of dwelling in the locks of Parameswaran, which even Vishnu could not see. Now she got the privilege of caressing the holy

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

feet of Sankarar also, which Lord Brahma could not see. Yes, Sankarar has reached the banks of Ganga in Kasi ! For Him, Kasi is Wisdom personified. He eulogizes it i fi e so gs as This Kasi lea ses a d righte s e er thi g . Ganga is not a mere river on the earth, for Him; He saw it as the water with which Brahma consecrated the holy feet of Thrivikraman (Vamana), the manifestation of Lord Vishnu, when He took His second step in the Brahmalokam, and flows down as Ganga. Lord Parameswaran Himself received and contained her in His locks. He heard the waves of Ganga singing the philosophy of Adhvaita which says that Haran and Hari are only two manifestations of the original Supreme Matter. He sang the sa e as Ga gasthuthi . The pla e as Mukthi Ma dapa i Ma ikar ika Ghat ‘i er Bhageerathi Ga ga was flowing full. Young Sankarar had started teaching the philosophy of Adhvaita, showering them in His Divine voice and sounding simultaneously the Gong. The flow of His words was higher than the flow of Ganga; they are the pure philosophy of Adhvaita which cleanse the hearts as the water of Ganga cleanses the body. Thousands of people kept converging there to hear this child who was wisdom personified; then, they realized that He was not a child but a great preceptor and so became His disciples. They adopted Adhvaitam , the eternal religion of Bharatham, as their own religion. Sankarar evolved as Sankracharyarar. When they looked at Him, they got a confidence as if they had caught hold of the holy feet of the Almighty. They worshipped Him as Bhagavath Padhar. They admired the way He taught those afflicted with ignorance. They eulogized Him as Para aHa sar as He e its the realizatio AHAM “A: I a Hi ---Jeevan is Brahmam ). They were surprised at the way this small child lived all by Himself---a state where there was none other than Him. They eulogized Him as the real Wa derer Pari irajakar ho had re ou ed e er thi g ! The also said, Did he only renounce everything ? Is he not the Jagath Guru who embraces every

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

heart with his love and his teaching of the philosophy which is acceptable to folks of all ou tries a d all religio s ? Fro the depth of their hearts, the all Hi Jagath Guru “ri Para aha sa Pari irajaka har a “ri “a kara Bhaga ath Padhar . For Sankarar, the time passes off with the routine of Ganga Snanam, Viswanatha Dharisanam, and Adhvaita Upadesam. He is also writing the commentaries for Brahma Sutram and Upanishads, as ordained by His Guru. “a karar eulogizes Lord “hi a “totra , KaalaBhaira ashtaka him with wisdom.

ith Veda“ara “i a “ta a , “i a Na a ali et . He pra s to “ri A apoora i to esto

A youngster comes and prostrates at His lotus feet. He humbly requests Him to accept him as His disciple. He re eals his a e as “a a tha ar a d sa s that he comes from the land of Cholas. But in fact he was the manifestation of Vasudevan, and became Jagath Guru much earlier to Sankarar. But, for Sankarar, there is no DEVI other tha Hari. He a epts hi as His disciple. But how do the other disciples know how affectionately Eswaran and Achuthan move with each other? They become jealous of Sananthanar because they think that Sankarar likes him more. But Sankarar gets on, without so much as having heard this complaint. One day, Acharyar was teaching His disciples lessons on Vedanta on the north bank of Ganga. Sananthanar was on the opposite bank. Sankarar had sent him there on some job on purpose, and started the lessons for the others, in order to remove the wrong opinion in the minds of other disciples. Lessons are going on. Sankarar shows His hand and calls Sananthanar to come to Him. Sananthanar, who just obeys the Guru, starts walking immediately towards His Guru. Ganga is crossing his path, but does not come in the way of Guru s order. “a a tha ar is thi ki g of only one thing---- A har ar has alled e; I should go to Hi . Without having any feeling that the river is running across his path, he walks on the surface of the water! Oh! What a wonder ! How is he walking on the

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

water? No! He is not walking on the water. When he takes each of his steps, Ganga Devi makes a lotus flower bloom under his foot and holds him!. Sananthanar walks along by stepping on to the lotus flowers. He reaches this bank, by walking on the bridge of lotus flowers. The ge eral pu li a d the dis iples u dersta d his Guru Bakthi towards Guru) only then.

de otio

Sankarar el o es hi e te di g His ha ds a d asks hi , M dear Ho did ou ross ri er Ga ga a d o e here?

o !

Oh! Ha e I o e here rossi g ri er Ga ga? ----- Sananthanar realized the truth only then. He did not know yet about the flower bridge! He was certain that the flood of lo e oozi g out of “a karar s heart had o l pre e ted the flood of ri er Ga ga fro tou hi g hi , just to sa e hi fro the other disciples. The ig o ea of “a sara fa il thi ki g a out ou ! What is so Sananthanar. It is him.

o d itself e o es k ee—deep just by ig a out this Ga ga ater? a s ers

ot like that “a a tha a! Just tur

arou d a d look! -----Sankarar tells

Sananthanar, turning around, sees the lotus -- flower bridge that had held him while he was crossing the river. Then he looks at the lotus feet of the Almighty which had made then bloom, and becomes ecstatic. But that Almighty, as if ot a are of all this, lesses hi , The lotus flo ers PADHMAM supported your feet, is it not? Therefore, fro o o ou shall e k o as PADHMA PADHA‘ . Good folks, like honey bees, ill s ar arou d ou ho oozes the ho e of isdo . A other da , A har ar by disciples.

as retur i g after ha i g Ga ga “ a a

, surrou ded

At that ti e, a u tou ha le perso o es er lose to Hi . As if the disgusting appearance is not enough, the vile smell of the liquor from the pot

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

he is carrying, suffocated Him. In addition to all these, he is holding four dogs in his hand, by the leashes. Sankarar asks him to keep away from Him. An amazing thing happens then ! That u tou ha le perso starts asking a few questions like lotus flowers bloom from the dirty mud. Oh, “ a i! Whi h is the o e ou are asking to keep away, and from which? Is it that you are asking one body nurtured by food to keep away from another body, also nurtured by food? Or are you asking the flame of wisdom residing in one body to keep away from the flame of wisdom residi g i a other o e? Two bodies grown by food, are mere masses containing bones, flesh and blood. Then how can one of them pollute the other? Are they not both rubbishes? At the same time, it is wrong for an Adhvaita Sanyasi to ask two flames of isdo to keep apart. Be ause, to sa fla es of isdo i plural, is itself a falla . There is o l o e Wisdo . Where is together ess a d separatio i that? The u tou ha le further asks, The refle tio of the su falls o oth the sacred Ganga as well as the trash basket. Is there any difference between the two reflections? The same empty space that exists inside a golden pot also exists inside a mud pot.

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Likewise, is it not true that even if the bodies are different, the matter that is inside them is the same ? Does not the same sea of wisdom, which is devoid of waves and which is pure bliss, exist in both the bodies? Then, tell me Swami, here does the differe e as Brah i a d U tou ha le o e i this? Sankarar heard these words, not with His ears; but with His soul (Atman) He just swallowed the inner meaning of what he said. He just fell on the feet of the u tou ha le perso a d prostrated. He took hi as His Guru i His i d. That o ept flo ed out of His outh as the fi e slokas of Ma eesha Panchakam . O e ho has the fir elief that he is ot the atter od hi h is ph si all visible, but the Wisdom, which is shining through wakefulness, dream or sleep; the Wisdom which supports everything from Brahman down to an ant; the Wisdom which is witnessing everything without attachment----whether such a perso is a edi s holar or out aste, he is Guru; this is fir o i tio . O e ho has the fir o i tio that he is the Brahmam; that this world is the appearance (Maya—illusion) created by the Wisdom; that he is imagining all this appearance because of the three qualities (Gunas) of ignorance and lives in the highest and purest level which is indestructible and which is pure Bliss----whether such a person is Vedic scholar or an outcaste, he is my Guru; this is fir opi io . O e ho realizes through a Guru that this hole process of movement and destruction; one who, with is experiencing the Brahmam continuously; one who future karmas in the fire of Wisdom and surrenders whosoever he be, is my Guru - I state this fir l .

u i erse is i o tinuous a naturally peaceful mind, burns down his past and this body ; such a person

That Yogi, ho keeps e jo i g that At a ----that which the animals, humans a d De as sieze as I - because of whose brightness, the heart, the eye and the body understand things; like the cloud created by the Sun, not only hides the sun itself, but shines due to the brightness of the sun; that from which the world appeared, but hides it and in turn shines itself----and has merged hi self ith the Brah a hole heartedl , is Guru, hoe er he e.

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Those rare perso s, ho surre der their i tellige e i the sea of Bliss, -----by consuming even a tiny drop of which, the Devas are satisfied fully; by fully obtaining which in their knowledge, the sages are satisfied ----who not only realize the Brahmam, but become Brahmam themselves are to be worshipped. This is er fir o lusio . Thus spoke the Great soul ho as oth the Adhi Guru Dhakshi a urth a d the Jagath Guru “a karar, ithout a iota of dou t. He prostrated efore the outcaste, and worshipped him whom he declared as His Guru, in the broad daylight, in the great city of Kashi in the presence of all the people with no hesitation whatsoever . He declared that His religion will respect a person, purely on account of wisdom and not according to his caste.

The sloka

e ded a d the u tou ha le disappeared !

In his place, Lord Viswanathan appeared ! The liquor pot became Ganga and the four dogs turned into the four Vedas ! When a second Jyothi is lighted from the first one, the latter does not disappear. Same way, Sankarar came from the very wisdom which resided in the Kailash. On that day, they both stood together. Eswaran, came down to the earth as a human-- Sankarar, as there is no greatness in coming down as God to establish Dharma. But God Himself appeared now, in order to show to the world, the miracle which shines in “a karar s hu a for . He lessed “a karar a d disappeared. The first four slokas of Maneeshaa Panchakam express the essence of the principles, mentioned in some of the most important among the great sayings in the four Vedas—Rig, Yajur, Sama and Adharvana, respectively. As a commentary to these great sayings only, Sankarar, at a later date, established the four Peetas in Puri Jagannath, Sringagiri, Dwaraka and Badhari respectively. These great sayings belong to one of the branches of Veda. Pranavam is the greatest saying common to all the branches.

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

The Pra a a Ma thra OM o tai s i it the ore sou ds of the Maha ak a sa red a thra “O HAM hi h e plai s the pri iple I a that Brah a . As a symbol of that and the meaning of the fifth sloka, Sankarar established the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and installed Himself there. These incidents come later in this story. When we think about Sankarar, and the exalted position He occupied and also the time in which He walked this earth, and then imagine how He accepted the out aste as His Guru, o l the e a u dersta d His hu ilit , si pli it and the total absence of arrogance in Him. Can anything other than this incident be practical example to the famous couplets from Thirukkural ?

1) To discern the truth in every thing, by whomsoever spoken, is wisdom 2) Self-control will place (a man) among the Gods; 3) The touch-stone of perfection is to receive a defeat even at the hands of one's inferiors. Even today, we can see some great souls who occupy the sacred Peetams, leading a simple life.

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 10 …………..

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Chapter 9 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 10 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala)

Volume 40 29 June 2015 – Soma vaara Pradosha Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 10 BETRAYAL AND PUNISHMENT Sankara Bagavath Padhar was nearing sixteen years of age. One day, an old Brahmin came to meet Him. He said, I hea d that ou ha e itte a o e ta o B ah a “ut a. I a one who have got immersed in that. I have understood various meanings. Shall we compare our views and see if we agree on them? I want to know if you a lea dou ts . Lea ed e ha e a u i ue happi ess i Bagavath Padhar agreed happily.

e ha gi g

ie s, do t the ?

The old Brahmin was a very smart bloke ! Although he was using expressions like E ha ge of ie s a d Clea i g his dou ts , i ealit , he see ed to have come for a debate ! The debate was on the third chapter of Brahma Sutra. The old man started aski g e i t i ate uestio s o Thadha tha a P aka a a hi h des i es what happens to the spirit after the body perishes. But Sankarar, with His sharp intelligence, was giving him amazing answers. But the old man was not in the mood of giving up ! He went one step ahead always. He looked an ocean of intelligence. Many days passed after the debate started. It did not look as if the debate would end. Padhma Padhar was watching this debate with amazement. He looked at His Guru and the old man. Suddenly, he was thrilled! He understood that the old man was not an ordinary human but none other than the very Vyasa Bagavan who wrote the Brahma Sutra , the eighteen Puranas, the epic Mahabharatha and classified the Vedas! He realized that the great soul but for whom Hindu Religion would not have survived, had himself come there ! Vyasar was the manifestation of Lord Vishnu, and so was Padhma Padhar. Therefore there was no wonder in him realizing

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the truth. He also knew who his Guru Sankarar was. Could anyone ask for something better than a debate between Haran and Hari ? “a ka a is Lo d Pa a es a a , a d the old a is V asa , ho is Vish u Himself. What a poor attendant like me can do amidst this debate between the ? ---Padhma Padhar recited this sloka and prostrated before them. When Sankarar heard this sloka sung by His disciple, He was shaken completely. He p ost ated efo e the old a . The de ate had, the e ded. “a ka a had answered all the questions posed by him. “a ka a p a ed to V asa , If the o e ta hi h I ote ag ees ith hat you had meant it to be, then, please show yourself in your true form, and less e! Vyasar appeared in the place of the old man. I had thought a out all possi le o je tio s to this “ut a a d had i o po ated suitable explanations also there. You have really understood all those. In your commentary, You had opened out the hidden inner meanings and made them blossom. I tested you in order to show to the world that your commentary as to liki g. -----Vyasar (Padharaayanar) told Sankarar, with a smiling face. When great Mahans wrote on any topic, they used to foresee all the possible objections to it and provide suitable explanations also for them (This was called Poo a Paksha . A ha a i His o e ta ies a d the a ious topi s hi h He wrote had also adopted the same procedure and had written down all possible objections and explanations for them. Those who are knowledgeable would appreciate His wisdom. “a ka a said, I ha e itte the o e ta ies; If people a e a le to understand them, the Vedic religion will take rebirth by itself. I have also completed 16 years of age; I think that I will leave this world now; I request ou to pe it e. V asa did ot app o e of the idea. It is ot enough if commentary is written; Nobody other than you can spread it among people. Besides, you should also

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Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

set right the path of devotion. You should write books on Devotion (Bakthi), because, for ordinary people, only those ooks ill e helpful. said V asa . He was also aware of another fact. Initially, Sankarar wanted to live only for eight years. When He completed eight years of age, for the sake of His mother, He entered Sanyasa Ashramam, from Brahmacharyam, when the crocodile caught his leg. His age doubled to sixteen years then. Now it would also come to an end. So Vyasar granted Him another sixteen years. Another version of history says that Vyasar had asked Brahma, for a boon; and Brahma had said that , as Sankarar is Eswaran Himself, He could live as long as He wanted. Ho e e , Jagathgu u o e ed ‘ishipu ga a s o ds as he as the se io i the hierarchy of Gurus. He agreed to tour the country and establish Advaita and get other religions eliminated through debates. Vyasar bid a reluctant farewell to Sankarar. V asa had th eaded i ple t of ge s i His B ah a “ut a. Pu dits ould ot get the meaning for those for a long time and hence could not get their benefits. Only Bagavath Padhar gave the meaning for those so that all could e jo the . O l the , V asa ha a got the e efit of His o k. ----so says a sloka. V asa s B ah a “ut a o tai ed i it, g eat ideas in tiny aphorisms, just as containing an ocean inside a mustard seed. Sankarar not only wrote commentaries on Brahma Sutra; He also wrote many other commentaries explaining how all the ten Upanishads---EASA, KENA,KATA, PRACHNA, MUNDAKA, MANDOOKYA, THAITHREEYA, AITHAREYA, CHANDOKYA, BRUHADHARANYAKA--show Adhvaitham as the ultimate truth (philosophy) in the end. The te Upa ishads, B ah a “ut a a d Gita, a e alled the Th ee “ ste s ( P astha a Th a a . Dh aitha a d Visishtadh aitha philosophies also a e up ased o the Pastha a Th a a o l . The efo e the e a e o e ta ies for these three, based on those philosophies also. Some say that Sankara ote o a d “ ethas atha a also. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

e ta ies o

N usi ha Pu athaap ee a

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,

Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

I Maha a atha , the e a e th ee i po ta t upadesa s hi h p ea h the Supreme Truth (Parathathvam). One is Gita, with which Sri Krishnar enlightened A ju a, i ho ‘ajo Gu a passio ate a d a ti e as p edo i a t; the second one is Sanathsojaatheeyam (ஸந்ஸுஜாீய்), with which “a athsoojaatha e lighte ed Dh utha ashti a , i ho Tha o Gu a ignorance and demonish trait) was predominant and the third one is Vishnu Sahasra Namam, with which Bheeshmar enlightened Yudhishtirar, in whom “at a Gu a di i e t ait as p edo i a t. Bagavath Padhar wrote commentaries for all these three. It is said that the o e ta o Vish u “ahas a Na a as His fi st G a tha ook . The e is a story about this. Acharyar wanted to begin His work of writing commentaries, with one on Ambikai who is the “ a oopa of Aksha a o ds . A o di gl , He a ted to start by writing commentary on Lalitha Sahasra Nama., He asked o e of His dis iples to i g the Lalitha “ahas a Na a ook to Hi . The disciple brought the palm—leaf scripts of Vishnu Sahasra Nama. He o de ed at the Ma a Leela of De i and started writing commentary on Vishnu Sahasra Nama. These o e ta ies a e the sole ealth of this paupe “a ka a . Padh a Padhar eulogized Hi as the Maste of o e ta ies . The eaut of the words, the depth of meaning and the sharp wisdom that are noticed in His commentaries have surprised many a wise men all over the world. They call His st le of iti g hi h ha e so u h la it a d depth, P asa a Ga ee a . His o e ta ies alo e had ea ed Hi the title, NI‘GUNA B‘AHMA KAVI poet A poet is one who describes. How to describe Brahmam who has no Gunas (Nirgunan)? That too not in poetry but in prose order? Sankarar had accomplished that job ! “a ka a ega His Pada at a Jou e foot to desti atio s i all di e tio s. He left Kashi and went to different places on foot, in order to make the world

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Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

u de sta d the “up e e T uth . The si tee —year old lion started on His long walk, in order to sanctify the country with the caress of His holy feet. He started towards the East. He a e to P a ag also k o as Th i e i where the three holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the invisible Saraswathi mingle in one junction. The hole to about to pe fo Who

of P a ag as talki g a out o e Ku a ila Batta Thushaag i P a esa .

as this Ku a ila Batta a d

hat is Thushaag i P a esa

ho

as

?

A lot had to be said about Kumarila Battar. So, let us first understand what is Thushaag i P a esa . Thusham means husk. Husk is collected in plenty and is set fire to. It will burn slo l , a d so o e has to keep ki dli g it. O e ho does Thushag i P a esa will enter this slow—smouldering fire and let his body get charred. What a horrible way to die?! Kumarila Battar had undertaken to accept this torturous way to die! What for? As a punishment for betraying a Guru. Let us know his story which will tell us which Guru he betrayed and when. Kumarila Batta elo gs to the Poo a Mee a sa philosoph hi h suppo ts o l the Ka a Kaa da a h of the Veda. The ‘ishi ho esta lished this philosophy was Jaimini Maharishi. Those who belong to this, perform the rituals e tio ed i the Vedas, ithout fail. But the do ot a ept the G a a Ka da of the Vedas. The follo the path of Ka a o l . The do ot elie e i Gods as ell. The a gue, Ka a ill gi e us the f uits; If we perform a Karma, its resultant benefit accrues to us; Then why God is eeded ? If the e is God, ho o e the e a e good a d ad? The ag ee the existence of Devas just like us Humans; They perform Yagnams and offer ablutions to them. But they argue that it is the Karma (Yagnam) that gives the fruits and not the Devas. We should uphold dha a a d e ighteous. The efo e, e ill p a ti e the duties (Karma) ordained in the Vedas. But there is nothing to be obtained by the Upanishads. Only the portions of the Vedas, which involve us in Karma,

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have the real essence. There is no Karma in the Upanishads. They only discuss about Atman and Brahmam. We should consider Upanishads only as references (giving examples) and there is nothing in them to adopt as guide lines for li i g. ---is the argument of Meemamsakas. The e a e a At a s; e a ullif all the Ka a Pala a d a oid ebirth, merely by performing the duties mentioned in the Vedas without any like o dislike. —this is their conviction. Meemaamsaa does not discuss about the liberation of Atman, or the status of the Jeevan when Atma is liberated. Their main objective is to analyze as how to understand and interpret Veda Mantras. Based on that interpretation, it will decide which in the Vedas is suitable for performance of Karma, and which is not necessary for it. Meemaamsa does not recognize Gods as mentioned in the Vedas; but for the Buddhists, even the Karmas ordained in the Vedas are not needed. Therefore, Buddhists are the primary enemies to Meemaamsa followers, who insist on Ka a A ushta a . Kumarila Battar took an oath to eliminate Buddhism. If he had to condemn them, then he had to thoroughly understand its philosophy and principles. Therefore he plotted a scheme. He became a Budhdhist himself, or to be more correct, he pretended to be so! He joined a famous Budhdha Vihar in Prayag and started learning the principles of that religion. The double life he led there (believing in something in the inner heart and acting opposite outside) started bothering him very much. When he was learning the lessons from the teachers, his heart was wounded hearing them censuring the Vedas and the Karmas mentioned there. Tears would well up in his eyes he the o de ed the Mee a sa philosoph . He ould sa , Ah! Ho i el ou a e o de i g Mee a sa! Tea s of happi ess ell up e es! and somehow manage the situation. Although he was suffering a lot in a totally alien environment, somehow, he managed to be there eating and sleeping along with them.

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Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

There were some smart guys among those who belonged to the Vihar. As time passed, the u de stood the t uth a out Bhatta . The e a e fu ious that the cursed Brahmin had cheated them and learnt all the principles of their religion. As he had learnt a lot from them, they, the preachers of Ahi sa , felt it would be wrong to let him live. Therefore, they tricked him and took him to the seventh floor and pushed him down from there. Kumarila Battar was falling from the seventh floor. Even at that moment when death was nearing him, his belief in Vedas did not diminish. He fell shouting IF Vedas a e t ue, o ha should o e to e . There was nothing to be gained by saving this body. But who else other than me, who has understood Budhdhism so well, can eliminate it and establish Veda Karmas? I should survive so that my efforts should not go fruitless. Kumarila Battar came and hit the ground. Wonder of wonders ! His body did not break into pieces although he fell from such a height ! Even the legs and hands did not get fractured.; and he was breathing well! But, he did not realize all this. He felt only a pain in one of his eyes. Somehow, a stone had pierced one of his eyes. He was not surprised that he had survived the fall; because his belief in Vedas was so strong. But he was surprised at the wound in his eye. He thought a g il , tho oughl ? A fo

h

this suffe i g even though I believed in Vedas

less oi e told hi , Did ou elie e i Vedas THO‘OUGHLY? No!

What ! Did HE not believe in Vedas?! The sa e fo less oi e told hi , ou did elie e i Vedas, ut ot COMPLETELY! You added a IF a d said, if Vedas a e t ue I should su i e Does it not point out that you did not have complete faith in Vedas, and had so e dou t? You did ot thi k, Be ause Vedas a e t ue, I ill su i e ! But still, your faith in Vedas is strong, that is why you at least survived with a da age i the e e. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Nothing is more trustworthy than the sacred expressions of the Veda Rishis, who understood the hidden, invisible philosophies with their inner instinct and told us. Kumarila Battar started preaching the Meemamsa religion. He became one of the i po ta t e e s of Poo a Mee a sa The guideli es he p ea hed became to be k o as பா்ட மத் . He defeated a lot of Budhdhists in debates. He realized that he had done what was expected of him, and decided to leave the body and this earth. There was a big pain in his mind. He was suffering very much from that pain. I heated those Bhudhdhist Gu us ith a false disguise! Is it o th of e? Is it ot a et a al? —he thought and moaned. The path follo ed those udhdhists i the Viha ight e rong; but did they not accept me as one of them and shower their love on me? was it also false? Though the environment there was not to my liking, they believed that I loved it and offered me shelter, food and robes, is it not? I enjoyed all that hospitality and betrayed them ! As if that was not enough, I condemned the . Did I, ho p ea h the p i iple of Ka a Pala , e o e old e ough to believe that such false deeds of i e ould ot affe t e ? Kumarila Battar, who became world famous, was feeling extremely guilty. If, at least, he had believed in God, he could appeal to His Karunyam and seek remedies for his misdeeds; As he did not have that chance also, he decided to subject himself to punishment. He decided to subject his body to the heat of fire, in order to get rid of the heat in his mind. He who prayed for survival when he fell from the top of the Vihar because he wanted to accomplish his task, now decided to subject his body to torture and die. With that decision he now entered the slow—smouldering husk—fire. Sankarar came running to see him!

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 11 ………….. © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 10 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 11 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Above Cover drawing done by Selvi Rutu.H.Paradkar, grand daughter of Sri Narayanan Bala)

Volume 41 - July 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 11 SEVERE TEST The e e e t o easo s fo “a ka a s a iety to meet Kumarila Battar. One, he happened to be a great scholar who defeated the Budhdhists in debates; secondly. He thought that if He could make Battar who talked highly of only the path of Karma, also accept the path of wisdom, advocated by Adhvata, then the great divide that had been present in the Vedic religion could be bridged together. Therefore, He rushed to the home of Battar. The primary enemy to Meemamsa was Sanyasins, who had discarded Karma. But still, lea ed pe so s like thei e uals, do t the ? A o di gl , Ku a ila Battar who was slowly being charred in the husk—fire, welcomed Sankarar. Even in that situation, he wanted to hea “a ka a s philosoph , a d sho ed a lot of interest to debate with Him. A ha a , e plai ed His eligio , e ela o atel to hi . Batta s i d ope ed slo l . A e these mere words which are coming out of this youngster? I feel as if droplets of cool fragrant water are being sprinkled on me. I am not even aware of this intense heat which is burning me. This young man is calming so ethi g i e hi h is ot u de the o t ol of Ka a, ut a o e it, hile my body is experiencing the fruit of my Karma. He is making me realize that sta i g fi edl i that so ethi g is the fi al f uit of performing all Karmas. What is this

o de ! ---Kumarila Battar was astonished !

How does Adhvaitam counter Purva Meemamsa? Adhvaita Sastra accepts Veda Karmas. But it also says that performing Veda Karmas can only help purify the mind and will not lead the doer to Mukthi. Afte a hie i g pu it of i d, o e should editate o o e s At a , a d e ge with Brahmam. This can be achieved only through the path of wisdom as advised by Upanishads. This is the essence of Adhvaita.

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Cause, itself a ot eate effe t as lai ed those follo i g o l the path of Karma. There is but ONE cause, the original cause of all that we witness; to know that ause is to e o e that itself. I that state of e pe ie e, there is no Karma. When one looks from that state, the whole world of Cause a d Effe t e o es a false appea a e Ma a . —says Adhvaita. It says that the paths of Karma, Devotion (Bakthi), Yoga and Wisdom, lead one ultimately to this supreme state. The acts of creation, protection and destruction exist only as long as we believe the o ld as t uth . The efo e, Adh aita tells Meemamsa, that the good and bad that we see in this illusory world will not affect the Supreme Being. The interpretation of the Meemamsas that, the rules laid out in the Vedas for the humans to perform Karma and the specific Karmas mentioned as not to be pe fo ed a e the o l thi gs to e follo ed, is i o e t. Those e p essio s, which do not specifically tell us to perform any Karma, but help us understand the nature of so ethi g, a e also to e a epted –asserts Vedanta. For example, he e ead the e p essio Moo shi es ightl , the e is o Ka a to e performed; but by understanding the nature of the moon, we will be able to decide what all things we can perform during the night. Therefore, Upanishads, which explain the nature of Atman, without mentioning the Karma, do also have meaning, says Adhvaita. Moreover, Meemamsa accepts those expressio s hi h tell us su h a d su h Ka as shall e do e , as ell as those hi h tell us ot to pe fo e tai Ka as. Fo e a ple, he it Vedas sa s Do ot o su e i to i ati g d i ks , It means that not doing certain Karmas is fruitful. Therefore Adhvaitam questions the Mee a sa, Whe ou a ept the a o e, the h should ou eje t Upa ishads hi h p ea h the path of ealizi g the “elf ithout pe fo i g a Ka as? The reason for performing a paticular Karma or not doing another, is the belief that it will fetch one, happiness in this or the other world. Is not the fruit of achieving Supreme Bliss better than such ordinary happiness? The path of Wisdom says that we can reach that stage only by crossing over all Karmas. If we can get better fruits without performing any Karma than one with Karmas, why should we reject that path?

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Bagavath Padhar explained all this to Kumarila Battar and made him realize these t uths. We ha e o l o e At a. We a ot i d it ith Ka as. Experiencing and living in Atman is the supreme happiness which will get rid of the cycle of i th a d death. —Sankarar explained to him. But the first step towards achieving this Karma—less Bliss is to perform those Karmas as laid out in the Vedas. It is similar to removing a thorn with another thorn and throwing away both the thorns. We have to dig out and throw out the birth obtained through old Karmas with the help of The Vedic Karmas and throw out the latte also; o l the e a get id of the ill—effe ts of p e ious si s a d e jo the self. Whe e pe fo a Ka a, the e a e a fa to s i it like the o e ho performs it, 2)the Karma itself, 3)the object of Karma and 4) the fruit of the Karma. One who does a Karma, experiences problems, fear etc. because of the object and fruits of the Karma. If he gets benefits also, they are not permanent till the end. When the Karma—less stage becomes the objective, we get the realizatio that the e is o ANOTHE‘ thi g tha us. Whe e see e e thi g as I , the ho do e get a g ith o ho do e fea f o ? Ho a there be any distress? Should we not welcome such a state? The path of wisdom shows us the way to that state. Adhvaita elaborates the path to reach that state. You cannot discard the path of wisdom unless you think that there is no use attaining a state where there is no fear, no pain, no anger and no so o . Acharyar explained to Kumarila Battar. Ku a ila Batta s thi d e e ope ed out. He as ot othe ed the pai i his body being slowly charred. The voice of Bagavath Padhar, and the philosophy He explained were soothing to his burning body like sandal paste, like de s, like Paa ijaatha flo e Nyctanthes arbor-tristis). He realized that the f uit of Ka a Ka da as e di g up ith G a a Ka da . He full a epted the philosophy of Adhvaiata. He prostrated before the Great soul who came and gave Dharsan to him at the time of death and liberated him from the bonds of Karma. He also accepted Him as his Guru.

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Batta told “a ka a , “ a i! I a ot fit o to p ea h ou philosoph myself. Look ! How deep I have been charred. In a few moments I will leave this od . The efo e I do ot ha e the Bag a of sp eadi g Adhvaita. Hence, I request you to do me a help. In the city of Maahishmathi, there lives a Mee a sa follo e a e Ma da a Mis a Pu dit . He is o e se ious a follo e of Ka a Ka da tha I a . If ou de ate with him and make him a ept ou philosoph , I a su e, Adh aita ill sp ead fa a d ide. He, then gave up his body to the fire (Agni). In the beginning, in order to remove the anxiety in the mind of Brahma, Dhakshina u th asked His so also to e o as a Ka a athi o e ho follows the path of Karma only). Kumarila Battar was the manifestation of Kumaran. There might be another reason for Kumaran to have taken birth (as Battar). Once, in a particular context, Kumaran enlightened His own father Siva, ith Upadesa Ma t a . Ma e, “i a had a ted to et e e ith Ku a a in a debate. Kumaran took birth from the fire particles emanating from the third eye of “i a. He is alled Ag i Poo flo e of fi e , e ause of that. The efo e, Ag i will never hurt Him. Battar, a manifestation of Kumaran, therefore, was also not hurt by Agni. He just merged with Kumaraswamy. Bagavath Padhar came to the city of Maahishmathi on the banks of river Narmada, to meet Mandana Pundit. He took bath in the river Narmada. Then He asked some ladies where Mandana Pu dit s house as. The a s e ed Him in poetry form, which showed even o di a ladies e e ha i g poeti tale t. Those ladies told Hi , The house where the female parrots will be debating whether Karma will bear fruits or God will bestow them, is the house of Ma da a Mis a . Acharyar went in search of that house. He noticed some parrots holding a Vedic conference on the front courtyard of a house. He understood that it must be the house He came in search of.

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

But the front door of the house was shut. When the chattering of the parrots became less noisy, Mantras could be heard coming from inside. Ceremony for the departed souls was going on. There are no worldly Karmas for Sanyasins; therefore there is no ceremony for the departed souls for them. That was why, Meemamsas despised Sanyasins! Sankarar thought that He had come there just at the proper moment. Suddenly, the three—eyed Sivan became mischievous like Kannan. Laughing to Himself, He a e to a de isio ! He thought Let e use the t ee-climbing skill I learnt f o a li e toda . He e t ea a o o ut t ee o the st eet the Mantra which the tree—climber had touching the ground. Acharyar caught hold The tree slowly turned upwards and bent Ma da a Mis a s house. “a ka a got do turned upwards and stood erect as before.

ea the Pu dit s house and uttered taught Him. The tree bent down of it and uttered another Mantra. down again into the courtyard of i the ou t a d sile tl . The t ee

Sankarar went inside step by step and appeared all of a sudden in the hall where the ceremony was going on. He stood there, sweat beads on the forehead slightly erasing the sacred ash, smile on His mouth, His robe slipping on to the shoulde s, ith a Di i e eaut . But Ma da a Mis a s i d hi h had no devotion in it, did not move. Whe Ma da a Mis a a a ged fo the B ah i s to sit fo the Boja a food and looked up, he saw Sankarar and immediately, anger and frustration rose in his mind. He wondered how this Paupe ith the sha e head appea ed suddenly from nowhere. He should not utter the Mantras which would certainly fall in His ears and at the same time, he could not also keep the Brahmins waiting! Sastras say that the Kartha should not get angry during ceremony time. Manadana Misrar forgot that also.

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

O e hel ed head ?

a ge , he shouted at “a ka a ,

As if e pe ti g this mischievous smile.

uestio , “a ka a a s e ed,

he e f o , Fo

the

ou “ha e e k ,

ith a

Sanyasins should not shave below their neck. Keeping that in mind, Sankarar a s e ed taki g Ma da a s o ds, lite all . He hu led the pe so hose chief objective was to understand the Vedic expressions correctly, by finding fault in his words. I asked the

a

ou a e. —Mandanar shouted at Him.

Oh ! I thought ou asked ME so ethi g. I see that ou asked the WAY I a e; what did it tell you? “a ka a s to e

as like that of a

is hie ous hild e t upo f ust ati g.

Mandana Misrar had no heart for enjoying the prank. He raised his voice and shouted, Yes! I asked the WAY ou a e. It told me that your mother is a ido ! Did Sankarar get angry? Not a bit ! He said in a sweet voice, mixed with sa as , You asked the WAY I a e, so ethi g a d It a s e ed ou, ou othe is a ido . Was it ot? Ma da a Mis a as stu ed; his od shook. This s all o is fi di g fault in my words, while I have debated with a lot of Sanyasins and Budhdhists and defeated the ! That too o ti uousl ! —he thought. Mandanamisrar did not know what to do or what to say. Words failed him. His anger reached such a level that one would expect him to do anything! The Brahmins were watching all this. They were none other than Veda Vyasar, and Jaimini who established Purva Meemamsa. Vyasar knew who Sankarar was. So He did not want this quarrel to continue. Jaimini was worried that his disciple would lose the fruits of performing the ceremony because of anger. Jaimini who spoke highly of KARMA, accepted the existence of God in the end,

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

a d sa g Vedapadhastha a o Thillai Nata aja . He as a a e of “a ka a s fame. Therefore, both of them pacified Mandanamisrar. They told him, Do ot ua el ith this “a asi ho has o e he e at the ti e of Boja a . Let Hi also take food. Make Hi sit at the Vish u leaf (ி்ு இலை . Their words could not be disregarded by Mandanar! He, with much dislike, requested Sankarar to take His seat and eat. “a ka a k e hat as goi g o i his i d a d said, I did ot o e to quench the hunger of my stomach, but came for a debate. Kumarila Battat only sent me he e. That did it! Mandanamisrar was totally transformed ! He became extremely happy ! After all he was a learned man; so he was very happy at hearing the o d De ate . He as all the o e happ , e ause, Batta had sent Him. He welcomed Sankarar with customary ritual, prostrated before Him and e uested Hi to take His seat a d ha e food. We ill egi the othe food afte e fi ish this food. These B ah i s a e aiti g. Ce e o y should not e dela ed. He said. Sankarar accepted the request. The ceremony was over. Vyasar and Jaimini departed. The debate can be started. Ma da a asked, We ette ha e a ediato fo this de ate, to gi e the fi al e di t. Do ou k o a Pu dit i this to ? . “a ka a hoose.

eplied,

I do

ot k o

a

od . I a

ag eea le to a

od

ou

Ma da a s i d as i t igued ! This ou gste is so confident about himself! Am I not going to win this time?...... If so, should some third person be a it ess to that? Wh did I sta t this? ---he thought. For a moment, Manadanamisrar fumbled. Suddenly, he got an idea.

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

M ife “a asa a i is a g eat s hola . “hall asked. B all

e ha e he as a

ediato ? ---he

ea s —replied Sankarar, bold as He was!

Sarasavani was truly a great scholar; she, in fact was the manifestation of Kalaivani; Mandanar as B ah a s a ata . I the egi i g, he B ah a as perturbed, Lord Murugan, who was born as Battar, sent Sankarar here now ! Once before, He had punished Brahman when he could not explain the meaning of P a a a ; now He was going to punish him again through His Father ! Sarasavani was confused; one was Her husband, and the other was a Sanyasin. She felt embarrassed as to which side she should speak for ! She wanted to avoid the blame falling on her. She brought two garlands. She asked each of them to wear one. She pronounced that the person whose garland started whithering first would be the loser. There are many forces superior to and outside of Logic. Saraswathi might have ished to de ide the esult of a de ate of isdo that a . Before the debate started, both of them agreed on a condition---If Sankarar wins, Mandanar should become a sanyasin; If Mandanar wins, Sankarar should accept married life. The debate started and continued for twenty one days. Sankarar told Mandanar the same argument which He placed before Kumarila Battar. The garland which Mandanamisrar was wearing started to whither. Anybody who realizes that he is losing will get angry soon. Anger is a kind of heat. The garland will naturally start whithering. The garland Sankarar was wearing was as fresh as new, because of His cool attitude. Although the ga la d sta ted hithe i g, Ma da a is a s i d losso ed. His heart and mind fully accepted the philosophy explained by Sankarar. He came fo a d to e ei e “a asa Dheeksha f o “a karar and start preaching Adhvaita.

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sankarar asked Mandanar to accept Sanyasam, not for showing to the world that He had defeated him; His idea was to utilize him, who was a highly learned person, to spread the Adhvaita philosophy among people. Sarasavani was now greatly worried. Husband could renounce wife, but how could a wife do it, accepting it whole heartedly ? She was thinking of a way to prevent this. She got an idea. Sarasavani was aware that She was Saraswathi, the ocean of wisdom. Therefore She was extremely confident that nobody could defeat her in a debate. Now She decided to retain Her husband with Her using Her knowledge and wisdom. She told “a ka a , Although Hus a d a d ife ha e t o sepa ate odies, the have but one Atman. Therefore, you need to defeat me, who is half of him, also in a debate; then only you can be considered as having won the debate. O l the , he ill e o e a sa asi . Sankarar agreed to have a debate with her also. Sankarar answered all the questions posed by her on various branches of arts. Let us now know certain details about A ha a s p ofi ie

i a ts.

Acharyar took avatar to spread the path of wisdom. He renounced the world and became a sanyasin to fulfill that task. But yet, He did some special things which were normally not specified for Ascetics. He wanted to learn all the sixty fou a ts a d e o e a “a ag a all—k o i g . What fo ? Did He ot shed all His desires? No, that was not the reason. Sankarar spoke about the Path of Wisdom, which is the highest among all arts. He spoke about the Bliss it gives. When a person well versed with all the arts says that the bliss one gets from following the path of wisdom is greater than that from the others, then only People will listen to him. That was why He learnt all the sixty four arts. Mo e o e , a all—k o i g pe so al a s gets the a i u espe t f o others. When such a person speaks about Adhvaita, people would accept his words. He might have also thought that only when people realize how much

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

k o ledge a pe so s i tellige e ould o tai , the ould ealize the g eat ess of At a . The efo e, He e a e a t easu e house of k o ledge . Acharyar learnt Vedas, Vedantham, Epics, Ithihasam (History), Literature, DharmaSastras; also learnt Jothisham (Astrology), Ganitham (Mathematics), Music, Dhanur Vedam (Archery); He excelled in Mantra Sastra. One has to read all that He had written to fully understand how learned He was. There is a story which says a lot about His proficiency in every art. A cobbler wanted to test if He had learnt that art well. He came to Him ( an incident which showed that anybody could approach Him.). He threw a torn footwear, a needle, and sewing thread in front of Him. Acharyar picked up the needle, and wiped it on His nose twice and started sewing. The cobbler was stunned ! It is a custom for the cobblers to start their work after wiping the needle on their nose. The reason for this is that when oil present on the surface of the nose , gets smeared on the needle, it will make it easy for the needle to pierce the leather. Acharyar did it and earned great applause from the cobbler. True knowledge is different from merely studying and storing information in the brain. The latter will only make the person arrogant. Knowledge, only when controlled by the mind, becomes true knowledge. Sastras mention that Knowledge and Humility should go hand in hand (Vidhya Vinaya Sampannae). Acharyar Sankarar was a true example of that. His prostrating before the out aste a d a epti g hi as Gu u, a d lea i g to li t ees a e suffi ie t proofs for this. Whe k o ledge o e s the i d, o e ealizes the i The purpose of knowledge is realizing God.

e light and that is God.

A couplet from the famous Thirukkural says, No fruit have men of all their studied lore, Save they the 'Purely Wise One's' feet adore. What Profit have those derived from learning, who worship not the good feet of Him who is possessed of pure knowledge ?

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

“a ka a s

eatio

Bajago i dha

also tea hes the sa e.

“a ka a as also o ied a out those lea i g “idhdhi di i e po e , can intoxicate a person.

hi h

Sankarar once saw a person who did several years of yoga and obtained the skill of fl i g i the sk . His o passio flo ed, M dea a ! You eed ot have performed that severe a yoga to get this boon of flying in the air ! Those who commit sins also are born as crows, and eagles and keep flying through out their lives, unlike you who can fly for a short time only. Why did you waste the supreme philosophy of yoga for this? —He asked the person. A ha a s u i ue ualit as to a ept e e thi g keeping each in its proper place.

ut, to o ga ize the

For Sankarar, all living things were same. And He was devoted to all Devatas. All the arts embraced Him. Sarvagnathmar had said that Sankarar only gave meaning to the God of Knowledge. Saraswathi, the Goddess of knowledge is called so because She resides in the pond of wisdom. This pond of wisdom was muddled due to the debates of various religions. She had to reside in that muddled pit. Only Sankarar, with His proper debates cleared the muddle, made it a clean pond again. Sarasavani now hesitated unable to decide if She should defeat such a noble soul, who saved Her, now! There was another reason for Her hesitation. She struggled with the idea whether it was proper on Her part to ask that particular question, which She had not so far asked. Is it a fit uestio fo a o le lad to ask? That too a “a asi ? “a asi…“a asi…. . “he looked at He hus a d ho as eage to e ou e the world and accept sainthood. Her heart broke. She gathered all Her resolve, froze Her heart and finally threw that question at Sankarar. “he asked “a ka a a out the pleasu e of o jugal life ! Acharyar was shaken! To be continued in chapter

………………

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Chapter 11 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 12 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Kumari Tejaswini)

Volume 42 August 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 12 DRAMA OF FAMILY LIFE There is nothing that is not known to those who are one with the Supreme Being. It is not that Acharya Sankarar did not know about the pleasure of conjugal life. But if a saint talks about matters which can be known only by experience in this material world, his sainthood will be suspected to be tainted. Not only that, ordinary folks will talk bad about sainthood itself in general. If the answer was not given to Sarasavani, it will amount to a defeat in the debate with Mandanamishrar; and as per the condition agreed upon, Sankarar would have to adopt married life; there is an amusement even in this contradiction ! As a punishment for not answering the question on conjugal life, He had to adopt married life ! What a knotty situation ? Sankarar just sat dazed ! Sarasavani, was sitting shy--faced, blood making her white face red. Her mind was deep in thought to find a way out of this embarrassing situation. As she could not find any immediate solution, she thought of postpo i g the p o le fo so e ti e. “he told “a ka a , “ a i ! I will g a t ou a o th s ti e; the , please fi d the a s e to uestio a d o e a k! Sankarar, who was calmness personified, started walking to where His legs took Him, His mind agitated. Padhma Padhar and the other disciples followed Him. Walki g th ough a fo est, dist ess as it o e “a ka a s e es; ut sudde l , it changed and a brightness and enthusiasm appeared in them ! What did He see ? King Amarukan, who had come to the forest on a hunting mission, was lying dead under a tree ! There was no one near him. He must have lost his way and come here alone and met with his end. Acharyar was certainly sad at finding his dead body. But why then , suddenly, His mind became clear and confident ? Padh apadha ! I fou d a a to sol e ---- said Sanakarar, elated !

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p o lem and get rid of my worry! -

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Look ! I a goi g to e te this od of the ki g; I am going to return to his kingdom; I am going to live and rule as king Amarukan for some time. Besides, I ill fi d the a s e to “a asa a i s uestio th ough e pe ie e. Withi the one month time limit she had given me, I will lea e A a uka s od , a d eenter od . Till the , let this od of i e “a ka a s spee h fu led he He utte ed the o d this od of i e e i side that a e. Lust ill ot affect the Atman; I will not also enjoy the pleasure with this body of mine. He e this de isio ! ----- said Sankarar. Padhma Padhar became white—faced. His voice trembling with fear, he started speaking his mind, which he had never done efo e agai st his A ha a s decisions. “ a i ! Please pa do e fo sa i g this. I a s a ed at ou de isio . You shine as the Atman itself. A Dheepam (Light), irrespective of whether it is in a ga le s de o God s “a tu “a to u , ill al a s sp ead its light a ou d it and brighten its surroundings, without getting affected in the least by its surrounding. The same way, whether you are in a Sadhas (conference) amidst s hola s o i the ki g s pala e su ou ded the o e , the outside environment will never affect you. But still, will the ordinary folks understand this? They cannot understand that for holy men who always reside within their Atman their physical body is irrelevant to them, wherever it lives. Please abandon this drama ! Ordinary people can never understand whatever you said about Atman and the body. Please do not subject yourself to this ignominy, “ a i ! ----Padhma Padhar pleaded with Sankarar, his voice brimming with emotion. Sankarar caressed Padhma Padhar with His golden hand. Wh a e you treating this as a test for me and worrying ? Why are you forgetting that if I do not undergo this test, The Supreme Truth itself will suffer ? I am prepared to accept any disgrace if only I can solve this problem. If, as an Ascetic, I talk about conjugal pleasure, people will banish me as a fake ; i su h ase, I ill u de go a o se disg a e tha this e pe i e t of leaving my body and entering that of the king). Or are you of the opinion that

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

it is alright if I lose to Sarasavani? I am not worried about my victory or defeat, Padh a Padha, ut I a ot fail i the ai o je ti e of A ata … Forgetting Himself, Sankarar had mentioned about His Avatar. Padhma Padhar also kept quiet. Is he not the manifestation of Sri Narayanan? Sri Narayanan, incarnated as Sri Raman, accepted the blame for the way He killed Vali. He, as Sri Krishna, also, accepted all the blames and sins which others failed to perform in Kurukshetra. The uniqueness of any Avatar is to subject himself to all sorts of severe tests, in order to save the humans from their difficulties and worries, is it not ? Tears rolled down the eyes of Padhma Padhar non stop. He said, with emotion hoki g his oi e, “ a i ! That da i Kashi kshet a , he the out aste came near you, you pretended that you believed i u tou ha ilit , though i reality you did not, in order to teach the world a lesson. You acted as if you were not pure in mind, so as to advise others. Now you have decided to undergo a similar disgrace with ou od …… -----Padhma Padhar, who was struggling under the grip of extreme sorrow, could not speak further. “a ka a , iped the tea s f o Padh a Padha s e es ith his lo g thi fi ge s; as if that cool touch was not enough, He started speaking to him in a cool oi e, Padh a Padha ! fo this itself ou a e so u h g ie ed; A ti e ill come, when I will have to bring harm to my sainthood itself ! Yes, I, who is going to save my sainthood with my intelligence, in order to defeat Sarasavani, will be giving up my sainthood for the sake of pure love. That will not be a drama like it is now; I am going to discard the rules and regulations ( specified fo a As eti as t ul as a othe s lo e. “hould ou ot ha de ou i d to a ept su h a situatio ? Padhma Padhar and the other disciples did not open their mouth. They understood the situation ----when Siva Himself has come down to the earth as the Acharya, who could gauge His nature ? A ha a ho as ell e sed ith the Yoga “asth a, took out His P‘ANA (life) from the toe of His leg, came out of His body a d e te ed A a uka s body. His body was kept inside a cave.

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

The joy of the people in the capital city found no limit when their king returned alive from his hunting mission ! They were surprised at noticing the spe ial Tejas adiati g f o his fa e. The i iste s e e a azed at the sharpness of mind and the intelligence they noticed in him. The queens could not understand the reason how their husband who was after worldly pleasures sudde l tu ed i to a ise a ! When our back itches, we rub it on the wall; It is so soothing to us; but the wall which gives us the pleasant feeling does not experience any feeling itself. When Gopika girls were with Krishna Paramatma, He made them experience the pleasure without Himself experiencing any feeling at all ! Sankarar also o du ted His fa il life i the sa e a e . The Acharya, who was eulogized by the people as Jagath Guru, Acharya, learned a d e e ole t, e e o side ed His ph si al od as His o . Like ise He e e o side ed A a uka s od also His o . Whethe the leaf f o the tree falls on the street corner or inside the Siva Temple, the tree never bothers a out it; the sa e a , a G a i ise a ho sta s put ith the At a , never bothers where his body lives ----- this was what Acharya had said before. He was the g eatest G a i ise a ho had li ed ithout the state of His body affecting His Atman, just the same way, as the shadow of the body does not get affected whether it falls on the cool water of a pond or in the boiling oil. He, ho elie ed that the o ld as a Ma a , ill e e elie e the e e ts happening in such a world ! But still He enacted this drama, with the sole purpose of establishing the Supreme Truth. The doubt about the king, in the minds of the learned ministers who were well versed with Yoga Sastras strengthened further. They came to the conclusion that a rare event of a spirit leaving its body and entering another had taken place. They thought that if they could find the other body and burn it off, the ould etai this spi it i the ki g s od fo so e o e ti e a d get the benefits of a good governance by a wise king ! Thus came the danger ! They searched and located the body of Sankarar in the jungle cave. They placed the body, where in dwelt the Paramatma, on the pyre, set fire to it and returned to the city !

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

The disciples, sensing the time had come, came to the cave with their hearts beating fast with anxiety. The body of the Acharya was burning in the fire ! At the same time, as if the overwhelming devotion from the heart of Padhma Padha , pulled a d d agged it, “a ka a s P a a depa ted f o A a uka s body and entered its old dwelling ! “a ka a ose f o the p e a d a e out. The elated dis iples happi ess did ot last lo g. “a ka a s spi it had entered its body only after the fire had charred its hand , the lotus hand which blessed the people, the tender hand that had ee al a s g ippi g the Dha da the sa ed pole of the E pi e of Wisdom. Padhma Padhar, after seeing it, felt that his own eye had been charred ! “ a i ! Please p a Laksh i Na asi ha “ a i a d get a k ou ha d ! We cannot look at you without that hand which has come to save this world. Please do not ignore it as irrelevant, Swami ! I am struggling, unable to focus my mind and pray; that is why I am requesting you to pray. Swami, for our sake please get a k ou ha d ----cried Padhma Padhar. Sankarar agreed for the sake of the disciples. He started praying to Sri Narasimha Murthy, the chosen Deity of Padhma Padhar. He sang emotionally, saying , whether true or false or drama, He had to fall i to the o ea of “a sa a fo so eti e. A t ee alled “a sa a , a t ee o e out of so i g the seed of si . A t ee ith a hes of Ka as ; a t ee ith shoots of senses; a tree where lust blooms; a tree where the flower of lust ripens into so o ; I li ed that t ee of “a sa a a d fell do ! Oh Ka u a Mu th ! Laksh i Na asi ha ! p a gi e ha d a k ! ---- He prayed with a melting heart. He accepted a mistake which He did not do, just to show us how we should repent having really committed that sin. A ha a s p a e did Na aHa i s lessi g.

ot go u e a ded; “a ka a got

a k His ha d

ith

This stot a alled Laksh i N usi ha “tot a , has thi tee slokas a d solves the p o le s of those ho e ite it; he e a adje ti e “a kata asa a is added to it.

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sarasavani, then lost her debate with Sankarar. As her husband was going to renounce the world and become an Ascetic, she announced that she had decided to get back to Brahma Loka and merge with Vani (Saraswathi). But Sankarar , i o de to stop he etu i g, ou d he ith Va aDu ga Ma t a . He requested that her presence be frozen in a place that He chooses and bless Him. Sarasavani also agreed to it. According to His wish only, She established Herself as Saradhai in the Sringeri SriMatam which was established by Sankarar later. There is a legend that says Sankarar and Saraswathi are brother and sister. They are deities who wear the white colour and are wisdom personified. She stayed in Sringe i as pe He othe s ish. I additio , “he also e a e the A ha a s disciples in the hierarchy. The Peetathipathis (heads of Mutt) of “ i ge i take the Ash a a Na a BHA‘ATHI. I the e d, he A ha a esta lished the Ka akoti Peeta He a ed the “ iMata the e as “a adha Mata a d hile occupying the Peetam, assumed His name as Indra Saraswathi. Mandana Mishrar renounced the world and became a Saint. He got the name “u es a a ha a . He, ho as a Ka a ogi , late ote the ook Naishka a a “idhdhi hi h pa es the path fo the Ka a—less state. Acharyar continued His Digvijaya Yatra, with His old disciples and Sureswarar. Du i g A ha a s ti e, the e e e totall se e t t o eligio s so e of the founded on the tenets of Vedantha and others not based on Vedic concepts, which were followed by different walks of people. Acharyar eliminated all these single handedly, without the help of any king, but solely through His wisdom and intelligence. He established Adhvaita. History accepts and is amazed at this fact saying there had never been another wonder as this anywhere anytime. Afte A ha a s ti e, a ious othe o epts su h as Visishtadh aita , Dh aita , Saiva Sidhdhantham were also established. But this development did not affect Adhvaita Sampradhayam very much; the proof for this is the presence of Smarthas in this country. But Acharyar while establishing Adhvaita, removed many religions from here totally. We even do not know names of some of

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those religions. All this He had accomplished in the 32 years He lived in this world. Other than admiring at these miracles----miracles performed purely through the wisdom and not otherwise----and paying our tributes, we are unable to put them in mere words. Acharyar, during His Digvijay Yatra only, met the heads of various other religions, de ated a d ade the a ept Adh aita. This as the f uit of Pa a es a a s Avatar. He left His footprints all over this country, in order to accomplish the objective of His Avatar successfully. Va ious ooks o “a ka a s Dig ija a , gi e slightl o t adi to e sio s regarding when and where all Sankarar went during His Vijaya Yatra. Some doubts exist regarding certain persons whom He was supposed to have met, whether they belonged to that time. But all of them confirm that He cleansed the whole country with His holy feet and made it shine. Researchers think that Acharyar must have travelled around the country three times. What purpose did He do all this for? He had no Karma, nor did He enjoy its fruit; He, the holy God, took this human form and wandered this land only to help the humanity attain the state of Mukthi as long as this world and the humanity in it exists. ( Tra slator’s ote :---- Here Sri Ra.Ganapathy elaborates to a considerable extent the details about some prominent religions which existed during His time, and which He eliminated with His wisdom and intelligence through debates, such as Meemamsa, Nyaayam, Vaiseshikam, Sankiyam, Yogam etc. which were based on Vedic tenets. They may be useful to history students, historians and researchers and such persons. With all humility, I am taking the liberty of skipping these elaborations. In short, we may say that those religions say that one can attain Mukthi by dividing, combining and expanding the various philosophies mentioned y the ; ut A haryar says There is ut o e “upre e Bei g. What we see with our naked eyes are Its appearance only; it is impossible to divide combine and expand such an all— pervading matter. To become THAT is Mukthi; Experience is only Mukthi and not resear h/a alysis. -----He established this without any doubt. He also laid the path to attain that experience. He went on His Digvijayam explaining this and debating and firmly establishing His philosophy.)

To be continued in chapter 13 …………

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Chapter 12 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darsha This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 13 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayanan Bala)

Volume 45 September 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 13 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 13 HE OFFERED HIS BODY

In the land of Bharatha, along with those religions which were based upon Vedic tenets, there were also other religions which did not believe in Vedas. Acharyar won His debates with them also. Important among them were Jainism and Budhdhism. Jai s sa there are i u era le At as. The pra ti ed Ahi sa ot hurti g other living beings) very rigorously, because they maintained that we should love all of them. They also say that Atman will either shrink or expand according to the body form it takes. We cannot understand any object comprehensively; our knowledge of things will depend on our intelligence, time and place, and so we can never say for certain if what we see is true or otherwise. Jainism does not agree with the philosophy of one supreme being. They insist that e should follo i the footsteps of those ho attai ed Mukthi after having crossed the state of Kar a . As per the , At a has o s ious ess (feelings), and Karma penetrates Atman and pollutes it. Their philosophy is that o l e ra i g their religio “a a a , o e a get rid of this Kar a Pala fruits of Kar a a d thus get li erated. Jai is ad ises o trol of se ses as a a to pre e t Kar a fro polluti g the At a . But it does ot elaborate clearly, the nature of liberation obtained through release from the Karma. This philosophy does not also explain the cause which created this world. Thus neither the beginning nor the end have been explained here, properly. Question also arises as to how the Atman, which is being interfered with daily by the Karma, does stand away from it and reaches beyond happiness and sorrow. Budhdhism also does not say anything about God or worship of God. It also e phasizes o o trol of se ses a d other a s like Jainism. It says that World is a meeting place where knowing, feeling, opinion, nature of mind, and appearance , meet and depart, in many ways, none of these is permanent, and there is no phenomenon as Atman. Some opine that Budhdha had never

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mentioned anything about Atman, and that the disciples who came later were the o es ho de ied the e iste e of At a . Whate er a perso sees e ists in his intelligence; world is a mere flow of the state of mind. The elements that are the ever changing customs, constitute this world. At the end everything is only a void. It says that reaching this void by conquering the quest is Mukthi or Moksham (Nirvana). Budhdhism says that the world we see is an illusion; Advaitam also says that the world is an illusion. That is why some from other religions which came later, a used A har a as a irtual Buddha. But the truth is very much different from this. When Adhvaitam says that the world is an illusion, it DOES NOT say that it is a oid. O l the appeara e of the orld as e see, is a illusio , ut the world itself is the “upre e Bei g --It says. Sankarar did not stop by saying e er thi g i this orld is a illusio ; E er thi g is Brah a ----said He ulti atel , ith total o i tio . He did ot sa that e er thi g e ds up i Void , ut de lared that e er thi g e ds up i Whole . While Budhdhism said that everything is impermanent, our Acharyar had elaborately explained about the Atman which stands permanently, relating all those impermanent motio s. The Budhdhist philosoph that hate er o e sees i his i tellige e is the appeara e of the orld , is aki to sa i g that this orld is Jee a s i agi atio or drea . I that ase, there ust e se eral worlds, ea h a ordi g to e er o e s i agi atio , is it ot? I A har a s religion there are no different worlds. Brahmam, with its power of Maya (illusion), appears as ONE world to every Jeevan. O l those ho argue that oid a d hole are o e a d the sa e, that Budhdhism and Adhvaitam are same.

a sa

Only Rishis (Ascetics) established Vedic religions. The one who established the original Meemamsa was Jaimini Maharishi; Nyaayam was propagated by Rishi Gouthamar. Vaiseshikam was established by a Rishi by the name Ganaathar; Sankiyam by Kabilar; Yoga Sastra by Pathanjali Rishi. Rishi Vyasar was the one who established Vedantam, which was elaborately explained and re—established

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our A har ar. Those ho follo ed “a atha a Dhar a Dhar a indestructible with time or place) believe that although all the Rishis had understood the Supreme Philosophy as Adhvaitam, each one looked at it from different angles and came to different conclusions. For example, Rishi Jaimini who did not talk about God, obtained the Anugraham of Koothapiran ( Lord Nataraja) and had prayed to Him. Pathanjali himself manifested as Govindha Bagavath Padhar and preached Adhvaitam. Nyayam, Vaiseshikam, Sankiyam, Yogam, Poorva Meemamsai and Vedantham are all called Vedic Dharsanams (Appearances). The ord Dharsa a sho s that ea h a d e er o e looked at the Supreme Being from different angles and got many views. which proves the inter—religious harmony. Budhdhism and Jainism are called non—Vedic religions. Acharyar did not destroy these views (Dharsanams). He only made them full. In fact, the truths that are abundant in these views constitute Adhvaitam. For example, the Karma rituals done by Poorva Meemamsites, and the yogic practices of the Yogic religion are not exceptions to Adhvaities. At the same time Acharyar made the non—violence which the Budhdhism emphasized, as an important part of the Adhvaita religion. God and God worship which are found in Nyaya and Yoga, is found in Adhvaita also. All the religio s a ept the o e otto Mukthi is the state here there is o pai ; O e should dis ard desires to rea h that state. The o o pri iple a o g all these religio s is that Jee a s life does ot get fulfilled merely by the bodily experiences of happiness and sorrow. A religion ---Lokayatha religion--- hi h said, Do hat ou like ithout a o trol o er the se ses as e iste t e e efore “a karar s ti e. This “aar aaka religio as supposed to have been established by Bruhaspathi. Acharyar had shown such people also the good way by explaining to them the glory of Atman, which resides in the body. We cannot say that Acharyar won over other religions merely by His intelligence. That He was a living example of what He preached earned Him the victory and glory, wherever He went. Did He not explain elaborately the qualities of A Jee a Muktha o e who attains Mukthi while living in this world) and unequivocally said that one could attain Mukthi here and now ? Acharyar, shone as a li i g figure of su h a Jee a இல்கண்ு்ு ஓ் இல்கிய் ), as an

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epitome of Love, by seeing Himself as other living beings and seeing Him in other living beings. Having created a countless number of Slokas and Bashyams and other Gra tha s literar orks , He had e er e tio ed a oti g a out Himself in them. That is why we have to solve many contradictions while writing His histor . But, a state e t at the o ludi g part of His “ooththira Bash a , sou ds as if He had said so ethi g a out Hi self. If somebody , while living i this orld ph si all , e perie es the Brah aa u a a e perie i g the Brah a hole heartedl , ho has the a ilit to de that ? Yes, because Sankarar had overwhelmed Himself in that Brahmanubavam, other religions could not oppose or deny His Adhvaitam. That philosophy hoisted its victory flag all over Bharatham. It is ot possi le to ki dle a d sustai the religious feeli gs i peoples i ds only with intelligence; feelings originate from the heart. Therefore, only those religions which can freeze the feeling of Bakthi oozing out of the heart can get a hold on the people. Talking about Bakthi (devotion) , comes in the subject of idol orship. There as o dearth of su h God orship i A har ar s da s. Devotion is not an ordinary feeling . While some develop Devotion out of Love towards God, there are others, who worship God out of fear. There were many Paasupathas a d “akthas ho feared God, a d i dulged i fero ious a ts such as human sacrifice; because of which other devotees did not like them and were afraid of them. Even those who sa the “upre e Bei g as “o a Nara a a , A a dha Natesa a d Lalitha De i a d orshipped perfor i g appropriate Pujas, did not see other devotees with kindness and love. They were always quarrelling among themselves, as to whose God was superior. They ere reati g superior a d i ferior Gods, ithout realizi g the fa t that all su h differe t “ aroopa s are the differe t a ifestatio s of that o e origi al Supreme Being. From those who inflicted tortures on themselves in the name of Bakthi, to those who enjoyed all the pleasures of senses saying they were offering them to The God, many different kinds of people were dissecting and destroying Bakthi.

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Chapter 13 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

A har ar prea hed “i a “akthi Adh aita a d Nara a a Adh aita a d emphasized to people that all Gods are one. He also designed and established the methods for performing Pujas to all Devatas, according to Vedic tenets, and Sastras. He explained in detail how to worship the Devatas in His book Prapa ha “aara . In those days, worship of Eswaran, Devi, Thirumal (Vishnu), Gananathan (Ganesha), Adhithan ( Sun God) and Shanmukan (Karthik) were famous. Acharyar regulated and set right these worships and because of this He got the name “ha atha sthapa a har ar o e ho esta lished the si —religion worship). It is due to Him that Rama Navami, Krishna Jayanthi and Shivarathri became to be celebrated as common festivals for the whole country. As the one who established Adhvaitam, He might have been seen as contradictory to later philosophies such as Visishtadhvaitam, and Saiva Sidhdhaantham. But all of us are i de ted to Hi as He as the o e, as “ha atha “taapakar o e ho established the six—religion worship), who stopped other religions from wiping out Mahadevan and Narayanamurthy worshipped by the latter philosophies. Sankarar also wanted those who fully accepted Adhvaitam to perform Pa haa atha a Puja to the fi e deities Esa , A ikai, Nara a , Vi a aka a d Adhiththan. As Skandan (Karthik) is Ag i “ aroopa for of fire , He said that Vedic Karmas themselves form the worship to Him and did not add Him as a separate Deity. He cleansed Bakthi by wiping out Terror, Disgust and other evils and sensualities from it , and established correct ways of worship of God with Love, and treating others with love. He was the epitome of Love, who purified all the paths here peoples feeli gs a d i tellige e flo ed. For the sole purpose of spreading that Love only, He wandered throughout the country. Books o “a karar s tours a d stories passed through ge eratio s by word of outh, tell us of u erous i teresti g i ide ts that happe ed duri g “a karar s Dig Vija a . Let us look at so e of the . There is o ertai t that the happened in the same order as narrated here.

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Chapter 13 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

One da , i Pra ag, A har ar had go e for Aksha a Vata dharsa a , alo g with His disciples. He saw a person, who was severely afflicted by leprosy, tr i g to o it sui ide ha gi g fro o e of the tree s ra hes. The leper also saw Him. He was so happy that he had dharsan of Sri Dhakshinamurthy Himself with His disciples Sukar and Sanakathi rishis, when he saw Acharyar under the banyan tree with His disciples. He prostrated before Acharyar. A har ar s heart led he He looked at hi . His hite – coloured hand went near that horrible body, and caressed it without any hesitation whatsoever. Is it not the lotus hand of that great Shakthi, Ambikai who created the whole universe, played with them, pouring love and gold and food and fertility wherever her hand touches? The moment His hand touched him, his disease vanished ! His limbs shed their disease and grew normally, the moment he felt the tou h of the Whole . As his distress of stu ted gro th of li s disappeared, he got the a e Udha kar a d e a e the dis iple of A har ar. While Acharyar was touring Gousambi He saw a couple who were crying uncontrollably, on the dead body of their only son. His heart writhed with pain. But a oi e spoke to Hi , What is the use of s pathizi g ith so ethi g for which there is no remedy ? He thought “ path ? who am I to sympathize? Do I have the kindness that will make me feel the pain of these parents and sympathize with them? Is it not the Eswaran who only can take heart and show that much kindness to the ? -----He murmured these thoughts automatically. Wonder of wonders ! The vedic boy, who was lying dead, just got up as if he woke up from sleep ! But was it really a wonder ? Where is the wonder in this ? What kindness Eswaran can generate, can Acharya not do? Eswaran is no different from Acharya! Viewed from another angle, they are different ! Eswaran, would be stern in giving the fruits of Karma. But Acharyar took over such Fruits of Karma (which could not be altered by anybody) from others, and blessed them, was it not? “ai ts ould e er eutralize su h Kar a Pala hi h is God s ill. But et, those Mahans who have burnt down their own Karmas, when they saw the sufferings of people, would take them upon themselves out of pure love and ki d ess, a d release the . Christ s ru ifi atio , Para aha sa ‘a akrish ar getting afflicted with cancer, Ramana Bagavan also with cancer are all because

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of this reason---this is the opinion of devotees. That is why it is said that we should approach Mahans only for obtaining knowledge and not for other worldly benefits. Some portions of histor e tio that A har ar et a Kar a athi by name Prabakaracharyar at a place called Prathishtanapuri, to the east of Prayag, debated with him, and made him an Adhvaiti. In present days we see many people professing as atheists outwardly , but praying to God behind the scene. Such persons existed in the past also. A Jain by name Amarasimhan was one such person. Even though he was a Jain, he had been worshipping Kalaivani (Saraswathi). With Her Grace only He could rite a ooks o Jai is . He as the o e ho rote A arakosa , a dictionary of Samskrit. That he had mentioned about all Gods in that book, without any differences is noteworthy. Amarasimhan insisted that he would sit behind a curtain and debate with Acharyar. He had kept a pot behind the curtain and had invoked Saraswathi in that. Not knowing this, Acharyar agreed to his condition. He started asking Acharyar complicated questions, from behind the curtain and Acharyar gave amazing answers to all of them. Same way, to those intricate questions asked by Acharyar, Amarasimhan was giving apt answers. Sankarar got a doubt. With His third eye, He understood the truth—that the person who had been debating with Him till then was not Amarasimhan, but Goddess Saraswathi Herself on his behalf. Va i! “hould ou test

e like this agai a d agai ? -----He asked.

Immediately the curtain fell down. Whatever questions Acharyar asked after that could not be answered by Amarasimhan. Amarasimhan was humbled. He felt terribly ashamed. He went to the backyard and hid himself. He lit a big fire there, and started throwing his books one after another into the fire. His heart was burning more than the fire itself. Suddenly, a coolness flowed into his hands as if the southern breeze had taken shape and touched him. It took some time for him to realize that Acharyar was holding his hands firmly.

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Chapter 13 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

A arasi ha ! What a foolish thi g ou ha e do e ? Did ou gi e shape to your sharp intelligence, just for feeding them to the fire? Stop this atrocious a t o ! ----said Acharyar with all His kind heart. He could save the only book pal s ript that re ai ed i his ha d a d that as A arakosa . Acharyar reached Sri Sailam in Andhra Pradesh. A lot of Kaapaalikas lived there. They used to perform human sacrifices to appease their God Kapaaleesan. They lived in burial grounds and ate human flesh. Acharyar had been condemning such atrocious acts and had said they were not at all necessary. Because of this, o e parti ular Kaapaalika ho as orshippi g Ugra Baira ar i “ri Sailam, was terribly angry with Acharyar. He decided that he would wipe Him out. One day, when Acharyar was sitting alone in meditation, he approached Him. Acharyar was sitting as a Jyothi merged with the Supreme Being. Kapaalikan changed his plan. He decided not to kill him in that stage. Did he change for the good ? Not that; he only decided not to kill Him without His knowledge. Here is a true “a asi radiati g J othi ! I stead of killi g Hi i the or al way, if I offer Him as a sacrifice to Bairavar, then God would appear before e! A d ill gi e e all the oo s a d ake e ki g ! —so thought the kapaalikan. The human sacrifice will give benefit only if the sacrifice was done with the full knowledge and consent of the person to be sacrificed. That is why he decided not to kill Sankarar without His knowledge. Karunyam (kindness) was flowing from that Divine figure. The kapaalikan believed in that kindness and woke Him up from the meditation. Prostrated before Him. Paramacharyar looked at him with kindness. Without opening His mouth, He asked him to express his wish. The kaapaalikan stumbled and struggled and somehow told Him his wish. Though I gave Ugra Bairavar many sacrifices, I could not get His Dharsan. Swami will appear before me if I offer the head either of an emperor or of a At a G a i…… he dragged o .

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Chapter 13 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

A har ar s iled ge tl . M dear fello ! Do ot tr for a e peror s head. If you try then you will lose your head. If you think I am an Atma Gnani, then I have no objection in you taking my head. There are no crown or ornaments in this head., there is no hair even. You can get boons by sacrificing a simple object. But Kapaalikan had his doubt.---he was not sure if He whole heartedly or out of fear from me, He is talking in His fear. Therefore he told Hi , I ill get oo s o l hole heartedl . Other ise, there is o use e ept that I

is offering His head this manner to hide if ou agree to this ha e killed ou.

“a karar laughed heartil . M dear fello ! I a totally willing to be given as an offering to your God. I am so happy that this body is going to be useful in the service of God. If tree withers then it is used as firewood; the skin of a dead bull is used to stitch footwear. The skins of deer and tiger are useful as seats; the tusks of an elephant have plenty of uses; the nerves of certain animals are used as the strings for musical instruments like veena. Only the human body has no use after death; I thought this has value only as long as there is life in it. But you are now saying that you will make use of it, that too for the purpose of pleasing the Gods. Then why should I hesitate to offer my body ? Please complete your job without further delay. Because some of my disciples may come here now. They will stand against your wish. Therefore, do ot aste ti e thi ki g a out it. Co e o ……. “a karar losed His e es, sat in Yogasana and dissolved His Atma in the Supreme matter. It is quite normal for Him. He has no botheration now about His body. Kaapaalikan pulled out his sword with great joy. He swung his sword with the happy thought that he is going to get rid of his enemy and at the same time, is going to get the eight great boons and the Dharsan of his God. Ahhhhhh…….! A terryfying noise reverberated in the ju gle a d e hoed off the hills That terrif i g shouting !

oise of

Ahhhhhh…!

e hoed repeatedl

or ers.

as if the hills

ere

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Chapter 13 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darsha This painting is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 14 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayan Bala)

Volume 49 October 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

CHAPTER 14 A HUNTER WHO WAS SUPERIOR TO A VEDIC SCHOLAR.

Bagavath Padhar opened His eyes on hearing the shout. Oh ! What a wonderful scene in front of His eyes ! Lord Narasimhar was standing there, fury radiating from His face ! Was it the body of Hiranyan, which was hanging around His neck ? No, No. It was the body of the Kaapaalikan torn into two pieces ! Sankarar wiped His eyes and looked again. He did not see NaraHari ! Instead, Padma Padhar was standing there, his face showing absolute ignorance and the dead body of the Kaapaalikan was lying on the ground. What is the

atter? —asked Sankarar calmly.

I do ot u dersta d a thi g. I as doi g something somewhere. Suddenly I had a i tuitio .. I rea hed here so eho . A d killed this Kaapaalika . --replied Padma Padhar without any clarity of mind. Are ou ot er u h de oted to Narasi ha “ a ? Whe hand was burnt some time ago, you asked me to worship Narasimhar. Have you obtained sidhdhi ith Narasi ha Ma tra ? ---asked Sankarar, who knew the past, present and the future fully well. Padma Padhar as sile t for a i ute; the said i a drea oi e, Yes, a lo g ti e ago…… I did get Narasi ha Ma tra Upadesa ; ut did I get “idhdhi? No, I did not, nay, could not. I could not, then, but now that you are telling me, yes, I think I got it NOW ! Padma Padhar forgot himself in the meditation of Narahari. After coming out of it, he narrated an old story. Sanandanar, a young lad from the fertile land of the Chola kingdom was taught Narasimha Mantram by a Mahan. Sanandanar wanted to chant the mantra continuously and obtain the Darsan of Narasimhar. He wanted to sit in a lonely

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

place and keep chanting the mantra. He left Chola Desam and reached Ahobeelam which is a Narasimha Kshetram. Ahobeelam was a land full of forests and hills; so, he thought that it would be the most suitable place for meditation, sat there and started his meditation. Suddenly, he woke up after heari g a oi e alli g hi “a i, “a i . He as surprised that there was somebody even in that dense jungle to disturb his meditation. A hunter was standing in front of him. “a i ! Did ou see a I did ot see a

deer ru

deer or a

i g this

a i al —answered Sanandanar.

Ho ould ou sa that “a i? It ot see ? I ould ha e see e es losed !

it, had

Meditatio ? What does it

a ? ---asked the hunter.

ust ha e go e this

e es ee ope ! But I

a o l ; ould as i

editatio

ou ith

ea “a i?

Sanandanar thought for some time; How to explain and make him understand. He laughed and said, Meditatio doi g ! , thi ki g a out Narasi ha

ea s sear hi g for a !

a i al like ou are

Oh ! “a i, ou are joki g ! Will so e od sear h for a a i al, sitti g i o e pla e ith losed e es ? It is true dear fellow ! I am searching for a strange animal. That is why I ha e to eha e stra gel ! What is that stra ge a i al “a i ? Tell e hat it looks like ! There is animal in this forest which is not known to me.

o

The hu ter as ot i a ood to gi e up ! “o “a a da ar told hi , That stra ge a i al ill look like a a fro aist elo a d a lio a o e.

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

“a i ! You ha e ee heated ! There is o a i al as ou ha e described in this ju gle ! Ho lo g ou ha e ee here asti g our ti e ? —the hunter said worried. He persuaded him to leave that place. Why should one waste time searching for something which does not exist—was his question. Alas ! this hu ter is goi g to dri e Sanandanar.

e a a

fro

this forest! —thought

Wh are ou trou li g e a ! I ha e o e here k o i g full is here! —Is there a place where IT does not exist ?

ell that it

Sami ! Is there an animal in this forest which I have not seen ? I will not call myself a man and sit here without knowing what that animal is ! Sami ! From now on, it is my responsibility to search and find that animal ! It is no use sitting in one place thinking that you will catch it when it comes here ! You cannot go in search of it in this dense jungle ! You may sit here and look for it ! But I will go and search for it in my own way, and bring it right here. You a do hat ou a t ith it ! ---said the hunter. “a a da ar laughed a d said, You again !

ill e er e a le to at h it ! a d laughed

Ok ! Let us see —challenged the hu ter. If it is true that IT is here I shall ertai l at h IT a d o e a k . IT is ertai l here —asserted Sanandanar, hoping the hunter would leave him alone ! Gi e e ti e till to orro e e i g “a i! If I do not bring IT by then I will gi e up life ---challenged the hunter and left the place after getting a complete description of that strange animal! The hunter focused on the figure with his mind, and wandered through the forest, without any thought whatsoever of food, water and sleep. The day a e to a e d. Though he ould ot lo ate the a i al, the hu ter s resol e did not diminish a bit! Throughout the next day, he went searching for that strange animal, always focusing on the figure with a body of lion above waist and of man below. The

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

heat of the oo su started redu i g slo l , ut the heat i the hu ter s mind started rising ! Slowly, the sun descended in the west. The hope in the hu ter s i d also started di i ishi g ! For o e last ti e he ade a fresh resol e a d started sear hi g for the Narasi ha . Alas ! The last resolve also did not bear fruit ! There ! the evening sun is descending behind that mountain ! Ok ! There is no choice but to kill myself ! He started twisting the vines hanging from a big tree and making a rope. Just he he ade a k ot a d as a out to put his head i to it……. There ! No ! Here, just as ha d a rea h…. Is he drea i g ? He iped his e es a d looked agai ! Co i g fro o here, The Narasi ha as sta di g near him, by itself ! Narasimham ! Yes, Narasimham only ! And exactly as described by the Sami! He ithdre his head fro the k ot. He ut the ei s a d tied the Narasi ha with them tightly ! The foolish animal even though half lion stood calmly and allowed ITSELF to be bound ! Oh ursed a i al, so u h trou le to at h ou ! Co e o ith said the hunter and lead IT towards where Sanandanar was sitting ! IT is a ta e a i al o l ! Ca thought the hunter.

e reared at ho e ! But to

e ! -----

hat use ? ---

Sanandanar was still sitting in meditation there. Oh “a i ! Your tri ks ill ot hold ater ith e ! Look here ! I ha e got our Narasi ha ! Look and confirm that this was what you were searching for ! ----- the hunter exclaimed cheerfully ! Sanandanar opened his eyes; saw the hunter; saw the rope he was holding in his hands; saw the wonder of that rope ending in a void ! The hunter caressed that oid a d said, Is THI“ our Narasi ha ? Pad a Padar s heart hoked. He felt a pai i his heart.

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

His i d shouted, He Narasi ha! You are alled the Wealth of Lo e ! ou did not give Darsan to me, who has been meditating on you, day in and day out, but to this hunter---- ou ha e readil appeared efore hi ! And then, he heard the roar of the lion; immediately, a voice spoke loudly. I did ot gi e ou Darsa o l e ause of our thi ki g h darsa to the hu ter a d ot to e ? Do ou elie e that God ill appear efore somebody only on the basis of his/her caste? You are not aware of the intensity of the single--minded focus with which he was searching for me, although he was but a hunter. I appear and submit myself only before a person who focuses on me intensely. You can see that I have allowed myself to be bound by him and brought here. Only because of this short association you had with this hunter, you can at least hear my voice. This will give you Sidhdhi at the proper ti e. Narasimhan spoke in Ashareeri

ithout appeari g i perso .

Padma Padhar got the fruit of the Sidhdhi only today. What an amazing use it had ! He could save the life of his Guru ! That day in the past he only heard the voice of NaraHari; today he absorbed HIS fury in his body; but still, he could not have HIS darsan ! Focusing of the mind is the fundamental prerequisite for meditation. Ramakrishna Paramahamsar said that, like we remove the small stray pieces of cotton from the end of a thread and sharpen it before inserting it into the eye of the needle, same way, we should remove all the stray thoughts from our mind and focus it on the Almighty. This is alled o e tratio of i d . This o e tratio of i d is a solutel e essar to erge the At a ith the Brahmam, like the arrow hits the target. SreeSailam is a great abode of Lord Siva. Mallikarjunan is the name of the presiding deity. Acharyar, whose mind and heart are fully occupied by the thoughts of the Almighty, whose every action is a prayer, whose every walk is o sidered a Pradhaksi a , rossed through the ju gles and hills by walk, and reached the temple, in order to make the world realize the greatness of true devotion. He saw the Lord of Kailash in the Lord of Sri Sailam and paid

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

His obeisance to Him. Tears welled up in His eyes. Devotion oozed out from His heart like a fountain. And Slokas flowed out from His holy tongue like a flood. This flo of slokas e a e k o as “i a a da Lahari . Viveka Choodamani says that those who forget the sel es i the E perie e of “elf or At a e o e “i aPeru a Hi self. A ha ar, fro e er ato of ho , o erflo s this E perie e of “elf ga e “i a a da Lahari to the world, as waves from the ocean of that Bliss . If e ake these a es flo in our heart, our frozen mind will also melt, and His lotus feet will bloom in that. Those lotus feet are accustomed to the hard stones; does He not dance on the hard floor of Mou t Kailash? M Lord ! Whe there are the ho es of De as, spread with the feathers of swan; when there are the soft lotus—like hearts of the good—hearted men, for you to dance on, why are you dancing on the rocks? Knowing well that I am going to be born with a stone—like heart, are you practicing on the rocks, so that you can dance on my heart also in order to prote t e ? ----asks Acharyar in these slokas. In another sloka, He ries ith e otio , You fell asleep due to sheer exhaustion, by dancing in my stone—like heart; At that time, will I not hold on to your lotus feet tightly? Will I not decorate my head with them ? Will I not caress my eyes with them? Will I not hold them close to my body? Will I not e jo the fragra e of those feet agai a d agai ? He o siders Hi self as the lo est a o g si ers a d si gs, You are Pri e among all Divinity who protect the sinners; If you are related to all those sinners, no need to say how close you are in your relation to me ! Then, as a ark of this relatio , o t ou pardo e for all si s , a d sa e e? He was craving to give something to Umakanthan (Lord Siva) who had blessed Hi so u h. Ais ar a ea s That hi h elo gs to Es ara . He po ders hat is that I , ut a poor pauper, a gi e that Ais ar a a ? . At the e d He announces that He would give His mind itself. Almighty comes even to a ept that ! He, ho is alled Ais ar a a has othi g ith Hi ! He o es and stands with His old Bull, clad in elephant skin, and wearing snakes as

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

garla ds ! A d hat is His food ? Mere poiso ! A d He sa s, our i d; hat is that I a gi e ou?

ou ga e

e

All the things with Him have been already mentioned; nobody would request for any of those items boldly! Therefore Sankarar asked Him to give Him so ethi g else; Gi e e o l o e thi g; a i dset to al a s pra i fro t of our lotus feet . Agai a d agai , De otio comes back to the dancing feet only! There was a kind of devotion which made the devotee put his feet on His fa e, as it ot? “a karar eulogizes that also ! What is that hi h De otio cannot accomplish? Because of that true devotion only, the hunter Kannappan is regarded a je el a o g the de otees, is it ot? There is an inner meaning in His giving Darsan to that hunter ! Yes, He, along with His consort, manifested and appeared as a hunter in front of Arjunan a d ga e hi the Pasupatha . Oh ! That is h ou are goi g here a d there searching for animals, instead of residing in my mind ! But do you not know that my mind is also a jungle, filled with desires? Do you not know that wild animals such as jealousy and lust are wandering here madly? My dear Sir, do not go anywhere else ! Come enter my heart and hunt these animals to your satisfactio a d eat the up, o e! o e!

“a karar had also e plai ed i detail hat is true de otio , i His “i a a da Lahari . It is the rope ith hi h the i d, hi h keeps o a deri g e er here like a monkey, is tied up. It is the chain which binds the heart similar to the wild elephant, to the lotus feet of the Almighty. The needle is attracted towards the magnet; the seeds of Azinjil (அழி்சி் மர்) tree, as soon as they fall to the ground, gather together and go and attach themselves to the tree trunk; a true wife always stands by her husband.---same way, devotion is what makes the devotee get attracted towards the Almighty. He adds further, De otio is othi g ut ergi g ith the Al ight , same way as a river merges with the ocean. The river which merges with the ocean itself becomes the ocean. Likewise, a devotee becomes the Almighty

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Himself, at the end. In other words, like Adhvaitam, where knowledge and devotion are not two different entities, but are one and the same. In another sloka, He declares that the person who worships Eswaran always, who meditates on Him, who listens to Bagavat Gita, and who surrenders to Hi is alled Jee a Muktha o e ho attai s li eratio here a d o , he he is still ali e. . De otio destro s ig ora e; it ri gs the Brah a Vidh a , a d shows the way to Mukthi. He asks the Almighty to give him that kind of devotion, which will make Him realize the Bliss of Adhvaitam. Asking what is that which Devotion cannot accomplish, He describes, what all Devotion can do, through an analogy. He depicts Devotion as analogous to a mother who is the epitome of love. She bathes the devotee (baby) with the bliss of Siva. The child devotee is bristles; she covers the child with a white cloth which is the mind without dirt; Sins are wiped away by that cloth. She, then, keeps the child on her laps. She feeds him with the various leelas of the Almighty with the help of slokas. The child becomes sleepy after the bath and feeding. Which means that the devotee who listens to the leelas of Eswaran wants to get immersed in himself. Fearing that the child may wake up out of fear, She smears the sacred ash on his forehead a d puts the ‘udraksha ala arou d his e k. “he the puts hi i the radle of Es ara ha a ai and makes him sleep----this is another sloka. Sivanandha Lahari tastes sweet wherever you touch, like a hill of sugar candy. Mallikarjunam, Madhyarjunam (Thiru idai maruthoor) and Pudarjunam are great abodes of Siva, with no comparison. The latter two are in Tamil Nadu. From SriSailam, Sankarar, Padhma Padhar and other disciples went to Ahobilam and had the Darsan of Sri Narasimha Murthy. Then they continued their journey towards south. In Karnataka Desam, there is a Vishnu temple. The administrators of the temple refused e tr to these sa red ash---Rudhraksha ala lad A har ar a d His disciples. Sankarar explained to them that the Deity residing inside represents

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

the one and only Brahmam, and there is no difference in it like Vishnu.

Sivan and

He Brah a ! You are saying that there is no difference as Sivan and Vishnu; we will allow you inside the sanctum sanctoram; go and find out for yourself whether the Deity inside is your Sivan (holding deer and axe) or our Vishnu holding the o h a d the heel. ---saying this, those Vaishnavites lead Acharyar into the Sanctum Sanctorum. They saw a wonder there ! In the place where there was the Deity of Perumal, stood HARI HARA MURTHY, the combined figure of Siva and Vishnu ! In Tamil Nadu, in a place called Thrupparkadal near Kaverippakkam, for the sake of a devotee by name Pundareekar, Sivan became Thirumal. In Kutralam, Narayanan became Siva for the sake of Sage Agasthiyar. In Karnataka desam, both Siva and Vishnu became Hari Haran for the sake of Acharyar who advocated Adhvaitam. From that day, that place came to be known as Hariharam. I Mooka i, here Mooka ikai as a ger perso ified , He esta lished a SreeChakram in front of Her and brought out the fury in Her and endowed it i the “reeChakra . Mooka ikai e a e a “ou a Murth . TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 15……………………..

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Chapter 14 of Jaya Jaya “a kara by “ri Naraya a Bala origi al i Ta il by “ri Ra.Ga apathy

Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan This sketch is created by Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 15 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayan Bala)

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Chapter 15 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

CHAPTER 15 MOTHE‘ “ LOVE BECKON“ !

Acharyar was giving Darsan to devotees at a place called SreeVali. He was neutralizing the grievances of the devotees with His look full of love and Anugraham.

How many different kinds of devotees ! Some were those who had come in search of wisdom and devotion; some others had come seeking His blessings to get rid of their grievances. Thousands converged there hoping that their desi es ould get fulfilled Hi , ho the o side ed is a “idhdha Pu usha .

We become strong by eating rice; but the same (cooked) rice can be used as gum too ! But its main use is for consumption as food, is it not? Same way, Mahans (great souls) come to earth to give us wisdom.

They can solve our worldly problems too; but, seeking them only for solving our worldly problems is akin to using rice as a gum, instead of consuming as food.

Many devotees were known to have sought His blessings for this purpose. Jagat Guru would also solve their difficulties expecting that they would become wiser.

One such devotee, a Brahmin brought his deaf and dumb child to Him, and pleaded with Him to make his son speak.

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Chapter 15 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Lo e oozed out of A ha a s hea t. He asked the hild, dea o ?

ho a e ou,

Many orator—pundits would become speechless when they came before Him; but now, some amazing thing happened ! The child answered Sankarar quite fluently ! He did not even stammer; he was heaping slokas after slokas !

It was reminiscent of the young eight—year old Sankarar who answered Govind Padhar on the banks of river Narmada, when the latter asked Him who He was !

I a eithe a hu a , o a De a, o a Yaksha , o a Vedic scholar, nor a warrior, nor a merchant, nor a Velalan,; I am not a Brahmachari, not a Grahasta, not a Vanaprasthan, not an ascetic, but I am the True Being, an e odi e t of isdo !

Thus burst out the child !

Father could not make out what his son was speaking, nor did he care about it. He was glad and proud that his son was speaking after all ! He prostrated before the Achaya, and returned home with his son.

He gathered all the village folks, announced the great news and asked his son to speak. But alas ! His son did not even open his mouth! The father suspected that the “a i a as a fake! He ought his so agai to “a karar. The son spoke only in His Presence and that too, matters which could not be understood by ordinary people like him !

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Chapter 15 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

The o is ot fo

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

ou; it see s he is fo

e ! said A ha a .

The father requested Sanakarar to adopt his son as His disciple. He returned with full satisfaction of having given away his son to the world, when the latter started speaking !

“a ka a , ho a epted all At a G a is ise e i ludi g the u tou ha le , as His Gu u, did ot stop ith taki g the hild as His ee disciple ! He wrote commentary for the slokas spoken by the child in answer to His question !

Normally, a person would write commentary only to books written by one who could be considered as his Guru; But Acharyar, who did not possess even an iota of egoism, wrote commentary for the slokas sung by His disciple!

That child who attained, on his own, the Bliss of Adhvaita, was none other tha Hastha alaka “o e sa that Hasta alaka as the so of Prabakaracharyar, from Pradhishtanapuri, whom Acharyar had defeated in debates.).

The answer given by him to Acharya s uestio , i the fo of slokas as alled Hastha alaka “tot a . This a d the o e ta itte A ha a , form a very important part of Adhvaita Grantas.

On the banks of the peaceful Thungabadra river, Sankarar witnessed a scene which overwhelmed His heart and mind. What a wonder ! A venomous snake was protecting a pregnant frog from the hot sun, by holding his open hood above the frog ! He was wondering if there was a better place than this to

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Chapter 15 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

establish a sanctum sanctoram for preaching Adhvaita, the religion of Love, to the people. He asked for the name of the place, and was informed that the name of the place was Srungagiri, where, the famous Sage, Rshyasrungar, who did not know what was anger and lust, lived.

He also came to know that that was the place, where the two horns (Shrunkam) of the Varaha (the avatar of Sri MahaVishnu) were imprinted when MahaVishnu took the form of Varaha, and brought back the Mother Earth, which was hidden under the ocean by Hiranyakshan.

He established the Sanctum Sanctoram of Saradhai who was none other than Sarasavani whom He had bound with VanaDhurga Manthra, in that place. He also consecrated the idol of Saradhambikai and established Saradha Peetam. He stayed in that fertile place for a long time and worshipped Devi.

Devarajan, in order to render Divine service in Eswara Avatar, let a part of him to be born as a king of Karnataka, by the name Sudhanva. He came to Acharya to fulfill his incomplete service. The king of land offered all comforts to the king of Wisdom.

He gave a lot of wealth, ornaments and royal comforts to the Ascetic who did not need any of them. As it was the duty of an Ascetic not to exhibit desire or disdain, He accepted all these royal treatments. .

When some extremists who were fakes, pretending to be Shiva Bakthas, sent evil spirits on Sankarar to harm Him, Sudhanva prepared himself to fight them. But, Sankarar, who did not wish to preach Adhvaitam with royal help, stopped hi a d eut alized those e il spi its ith the help of His At a Bhala

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(strength of the soul). He also made them adopt Adhvaitam. The number of disciples increased day by day. Acharyar Himself taught all of them.

One day, Sankarar was sitting in silence, without starting the lessons. If He spoke, it was a beauty; but If He was silent, it was a greater beauty ! He would look like Dhakshinamurthy, who teaches the Brahma Thathvam through His silence.

As the sa i g goes, The li it of Wisdo is “ile e , isdo ould e floodi g out of silence . Today also He was sitting in silence oozing out wisdom. One could not make out, what He was seeing with His eyes and what He was not; He drowned Himself in the Bliss of Self, caressing His chin with His fingers.

As time passed, Padhma Padhar wanted to see the beauty of His Guru talking. He told Him obedie tl , e a e eage l aiti g to hea the lesso s .

Let Gi i also o e ! -----saying this, He continued His silence.

Padh a Padha as puzzled. Gi i is a good o . He ashes lothes ell; he renders tit—bit services obediently; True! But what will he understand from these lessons?

Has he at any time marveled and appreciated whenever Acharyar used to explain the various principles in detail, like the other disciples did ? When othe s e e taki g pa t i a ious dis ussio s o Veda ta , did he e e participate in them ?

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Would he have known the greatness of Acharya at all? In matters of knowledge, (sishya)Giri and Shrunkagiri are same! Why delay the lessons e ause of hi ?

While Padhma Padhar was deep in such thoughts, music, as sweet as honey, fell on his ears like a flood from sea. Padhma Padhar, whose ears surrendered to the sweetness of the music, whose heart was lost to the poetic beauty of the music, and whose knowledge bank was refilled with the greatness of its ea i g, as o e hel ed….

Who is this? Is it Gi i ? Yes ! Gi i is o l si gi g a d da i g ! He is singing in nectar—like la guage a d da i g too !

Gu u De a ! You a e as lu ! Is it ot Be ause of You, ho gi es the the experience that Brahmam and Jeevan are one and the same, people join together by Lo e? Hea i g Gi i s sloka Padh a Padha sh u k ithi hi self due to his e o of judgement. But Giri continued to sing, unaware of the surrounding world.

Oh, “a ka a Gu u ! I a fi i i d that You a e o e other than Parameswaran ! Are you merely Parameswaran ? Is it not that ParaBrahmam Himself is wandering here in your shape, and giving away the wealth of love to those who surrender to you? Please grant me also that love which is born ith ou !

Gi i, ho did ot k o a thi g , sa g eight slokas i which could not be understood even by great pundits, the feet of Acharyar. Acharyar, said ithout looki g at is l i g do like a eal ou tai , ithout sti i © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

Thodaka Vi uththa and fell speechless at Padh a Padha , Gi i g like a A hala

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(mountain). But he is not inert like Shrunka Giri; because his inner whole is filled with the Bliss, he has e o e a ou tai of Bliss ; if he sta ts e eali g that B ah a a da ete al liss , the e a e o od ho ill da e like hi .

Padhma Padhar became bashful again.

Giri (Ananda Giri ) who sang the eight slokas i poem) came to be known as Thodakacharyar.

Thodaka Vi uththa

ki d of

There was another day which was like this; Acharyar was sitting in silence without starting the lessons. But this did not seem like the silence borne out of the peace of Bliss. It looked as if many serious thoughts were swirling in His marble—like heart, like the ripples in the waters of Manasa Saras when a stone was thrown in it.

Some unknown fear gripped the disciples. They departed from there, one by one, so as not to disturb the thoughts of their Guru. Although Sankarar did not see them assembled in front of Him,----although He did not speak to them---- He was witnessing another incident which was happening elsewhere; He was speaking with somebody else with His mind.

The scene He witnessed was happening in the same house in Kaladi where He used to play and enjoy as a child. His mother who used to be overwhelmed looking at Him play, was now lying down unconscious with fever.

Oh ! how cruel was that unstable state, slipping from consciousness to unconsciousness, back and forth ! By and by, the conscious state started fading

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away. Her mind wandered in circles somewhere, unmindful of the murmurs of her relatives who had gathered there--- relatives who were anxiously waiting for her end to grab her wealth.

Except that she was seeing a few particles of light flying in front of her, she was not able to recognize if they were her relatives or neighbours surrounding her ; nor was she interested in knowing !

Ears were blocked; she was not able to understand what they were speaking except an interrupted sound----like HO! ; o as she i te ested i understanding any of them.

The particles of light were merging together; She could clearly see her eight year old son Sankaran with his moonlike bright face. The particles of sound joined together and emanated from the lotus like mouth of that beautiful face, like dew drops.

He e afte , this Gopala is our son; if you keep looking at Him, He will also look afte ou.

The golden face of Sankaran disappears; as before, insects are flying before her eyes. Ears are blocked; She was slipping away to a vacuum; She is shuddering, unable to get out of that void.

Gopala ! F o the ti e dea hild left this pla e, I ha e ee t i g to look up to you only, but could not. I was not able to think about you, forgetting that pauper son of mine who went and begged all the women for alms, whom I gave birth to, after performing severe penance, and whom I

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gave away to this world. Are you indifferent towards me because I was not seeing you ?

Look ! I am writhing with the pain of death now-----will you not look at me at least now, with your cool eyes and douse the heat which is burning my od a d i d ?

A a as i Kaladi fell o the ea s of Acharyar in Shrunkagiri. Immediately His mind crossed Kaladi and Shrunkagiri, crossed the whole universe and reached Sri Vaikundam. His mind spoke to Paranthaman (Sri Vishnu), who would shower His love on those who were in deep trouble, and p ote t the , Oh Lo d of the o ld, ea i g Gathai a e , Co h, a d the Chakra, and the spotless Garland hanging down to the knees!

Paramapathanaathaa, whom Devi, the ocean of love, embraces! This world is born from you, rests in you, is protected by you, and merges with you in the end ! The humans, the sages and the Devas attain Mukthi through you only !

Please give your Darsan to my mother also and make her attain Mukthi; but do not appear before her in this present attire with the Panchajanyam, Sudharsanam and Devi Lakshmi, she will not be able to withstand that; appear before her in the guise of the child Balakrishnan, to whom I entrusted her he I as eight ea s old ! This is the gist of “ i K ish ashtaka .

The drops of light dancing in front of Aryambikai, merged together again. But not as the moon like face of Sankaran, but the cloud colored face of Paranthaaman. Like the drops of water falling from the clouds, the sweet

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music of the flute from the lips of Sri Krishnan (Ganashyama Sundaran) filled the ears of Arya. Arya lost herself in the music.

She got back her consciousness again slowly. Her past life ran before her , one year in one second.-----the long grief she underwent without a child; the Bajanam she did in front of SivaPeruman; how He appeared in her dream; ho a j othi light e te ed he o ; the hild s i th; ho she a d he husband celebrated it; all these incidents ran in front of her. She also remembered the time when her husband, the Mahan, left her.

What is this wonder ! He is standing before me ! He is saying something !

A a ! You alled e a Maha u a a ; that is t ue, es I a a espe ta le soul who realized who Sankaran was and experienced it; But you are one who went through a greater experience of sacrifice, is it not? I was worried what harm would come to Sankaran and prayed selfishly that I should leave this world when He is by my side.

I made you a widow; But you ! you gave up that Divine child alive, of your own free will, for the sake of the world. Is there a parallel to that e pe ie e of sa ifi e? -----said he.

That drama of sacrifice immediately came to her mind. How she gave permission to Sankaran to become an Ascetic, how He told her not to think about Him ever, a d ho she dis a ded Hi sa i g Go…..do ot o e a k! —all these incidents came to her mind like waves.

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Mothe ! Please do ot totall put e a a like that ! Do ot ake e a man of deceit, who left a widowed lady at the mercy of her greedy and jealous relatives, and ran away. Mother ! Please think of me when you reach the last moments of your life ; whichever corner of this land I am in, whatever important ritual I am performing, I will leave them all, and come running to you. In your last moments, I shall keep you on my lap, comfort you, and send you to heaven. I will see to it that you get a noble deliverance and attain Moksha. I shall also light the fu e al p e, ei g ou o l so !

“a ka a s body bristled.

of p o ise o

that da , fell o

he ea s

o , lea l ! He

Ae se ses o i g a k agai ? Oh ! Ho sad ! Should my memory come back instead of leaving me completely ? Yes slowly, I am regaining my senses, as it happened in Alaway Puzha, long time ago, after I fainted.

At that ti e, he I ope ed e es, I sa the lotus face of Sankaran, writ large with worry. I was relieved to note that I was lying in His lap. But now ?

A a ope ed he e es ith a g eat effo t. What a face writ with worries, that she was looking at ?

o de ! Was it “a ka a s

A a ikai s od shook. “he ealized, he he od that she was lying on His lap exactly like that day !

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u

ed o “a ka a s,

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Aha! Afte all, it as ot a aste that I as holdi g o to life this far ! Nor it was a waste that I got back my senses now ! I have seen Sankaran with my eyes. I have felt Him with my body ! Over and above all this, OH, I am hearing His nectar like voice !

Mothe ! Mothe ! Do t ou e og ize e ? I a ou “a ka a , I ha e o e ! ---said Acharyar, with a voice filled with Love and sorrow !

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTE‘ 16……………….

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 16 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayan Bala)

Volume 54 December 2015 - Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

CHAPTER 16 RENUNCIATION AND BONDAGE

“houti g and

“a ka a , A a

ika put oth he ha ds a ou d A ha a s

e k

held Him. Next moment the agitation subdued. Her hands loosened their grip and fell off His neck. Her tongue also twisted and blabbered. What a uestio ou asked e “a ka a! Did ou ask e if I e og ized ou ? What else other than you I recognize or have recognized ? Whom else I have been seeing other than you up till now ? What else I have been thinking about other than you ? You told e, Thi k of Ka a al a s; if ou thi k of e he ou e d o es, I shall o e to ou ! . But, I ha e ee al a s thi ki g a out ou only, till now; but when I am dying, I wanted to remember Gopalan; you know why ? If I think of you when my end comes, you will come running to me; because of that your Karmas will be interrupted; that is why, I tried to remove my thoughts about you; Those who went to Kashi and returned, told me how famous you had become. Now and then, I used to hear about your achievements and felt much happier than when I gave birth to you. I tried to remove my thought about you now, so that you do not divert your time (for my sake ) which you are devoting, for the welfare of this world. I tried to think of Lord Krishna. Could I not do it? Did I think about you again? Did I want you to be by my side, in my inner mind ? Why did you come, leaving aside all your duties ? We cannot say that Arya had said all these in so many words. When appropriate words to reveal her emotions did not come in her mind,---when the condition of her body did not allow even those few words that came in,

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to be spoken ----- she poured out all these and much more, through the language of her heart, through the language of love.

Leaning her body on His shoulders, Sankarar felt the palpitations of her body, as well as, those of her mind. His mind also vibrated in resonance.

Mothe ! What did ou thi k of e ? Did you think that there was a more important or better duty for me than to be near you during your last days and serve you ? Did you think that such a service I do is not acceptable ? What else, other than to be with you in your last days and to serve you and to console you, have I done to you or going to do ? When I think of each and every sacrifice you have made for my sake, each and every suffering you have gone th ough, hat othe a I a epa ou ? ---- He said in the same language of love.

Those words that poured forth from Him, out of His love for His mother, a e i the fo of o de ful slokas, k o as MATH‘UKA PANCHAKAM .

OH ! Mothe ! F o the ti e I appea ed i ou o , ho a st uggles you must have endured as pleasant experiences ? How much you would have suffered not being able to eat, or sleep ? Keeping away all those eatables which you liked, you would have been under controlled diet ? You would have slept on your back and struggled with your breathing, so that it would be soothing to me. Even after I was born, you had toiled so much ith ou od .

As if these e e ot e ough, ho u h pai ou ust have withstood in your heart for my sake ? That early morning, you came running to the

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Gurukula Ashram----you had a dream that I had become an Ascetic, and being unable to bear that distress, you came there in search of me and cried uncontrollably. I would not be able to repay you even for that one single i ide t !

He made her bad dream, a reality, compulsively ! He deceived her and left once and for all. Did He deceive her ? No ! But she thought so during all these years. But in the end He had come now !

What a startling difference between that child Sankaran who left her and went away that day, and the Sankaran who has come now!

Clad in the saffron robe, and with a shaven head and age catching up with Hi , I a a le to e og ize Hi e ell ! Is this hat is alled Mothe s Lo e ?

Whe she thought of he so s As eti atti e, A a ikai became agile again. Due to its force, her voice also regained its strength to speak.

“a ka a ! Wh did ou e o e a As eti ? I hea d, though, that the hole o ld is speaki g so high of ou… ut still….. ut still….. Why this shaven head and this attire ?

“a ka a ! This fa il is fa ous fo its ealth ! The hole to alled ou g a d fathe Vidh adhi ‘aja . Clad i a hite silk o e, a ious o a e ts shining on his body, his body smeared with sandal paste, when he stood, d i g up his tuft, do ou k o ho o al he ould look ?

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

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Wh did ou sha e ou head, a d ea this ough loth? Wh a e ou wearing these Rudhrakshas, which hurt your skin ? Why are you looking at e ith so u h pai ? Do t ou like the a I a speaki g ?

Or, are you feeling uncomfortable, leaning my body on your shoulders ? Yes, why should I be on your lap ? Only m g a d hild e should e pla i g the e

Sankarar was overwhelmed with sorrow. However much she had controlled her desires, how many thousands of wishes had sprung up in her mind ! She had buried all those wishes and had been suffering ! How to console her who is pouring out all those wishes, in this state of mental instability ? A ha a thought fo so e ti e a d the spoke, Mothe ! I ha e al ead lived the life that you wanted me to live. You said people used to call g a dfathe ‘aja affe tio atel ; But I li ed the life of a eal ki g fo so e time, Mother ! I had nurtured the abundant hair on my head with scented oils, decorated it and even had worn a crown. I had adorned myself with silk robe and Kashmiri shawl. Many princes had played on my lap, mother ! But, I did not find any happiness in those activities, that I found when I discarded all that. I am not saying this for fun; there is, truly, no joy in the outside (world), such as wealth, and ornaments and having children; it is in ourselves; we are that jo ….

Speaking thus, Acharyar tried to make her understand Adhvaita. He wanted her to experience it and attain Mukthi (liberation). But she did not seem to hear or listen to any of whatever He said. Slowly, her eyes started swirling.

Acharyar stopped speaking on Adhvaita. He started to chant the NAMAs (holy names) of Lord Shiva. He prayed to Kailashnath, to give her Mukthi by

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showering His love, as she could not get liberation by experiencing the concept of Adhvaita.

The principal attendants sent by Easan (Shiva) came to take Aryambikai. A a ika s e es hi h e e slo l losi g thei sights, sa this lea l . He e es sho ed he fea . Oh ! The ghosts ha e o e “a ka a! ---she shouted, and her hands again went round His shoulders; she fainted.

Acharyar started praying to Lord Narayanan immediately. The power of His words, brought all the servants of Bhagavan (Vishnu) there. They were not like those fearful attendants of Lord Shiva.

Attired in silks, wearing crowns and various ornaments and garlands, and holding the conch and the chakra like Vaikunta Nathan (Vishnu), the cloud olou ed ou gste s ea ed A a ikai. A a s i d also started towards Naranan.

The Ocean of Milk flooded in her heart. Its pure white colour purified her thoughts. Its sweet flavour sweetened her mind. The servants of Vishnu relieved her Atman from her body smoothly, like a dry leaf falls from the twig; like the jasmine flower separates from the plant softly; like a fully ripe fruit detaches itself from the stem.

Giving her a divine form, they carried her in a palanquin, and presented her at the Lotus Feet of Lord Vishnu. Was He not the Supreme Being who assured Arjunan that there need be no doubt He would grant Divine status to those who thought of Him in their last moments?

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The lifeless body of Aryambikai slid down from Acharya s shoulde s. Fo a brief moment, the spirit of detachment also left the man of Wisdom. He wiped the tears from His eyes.

He looked around Him. He saw His relatives, who were claimants for a share in His (material) wealth. But, what is to be shared between Him and them? He knew only one matter which could not be partitioned; but they did not think so.

The thought, He had o e just at the ight ti e a a . Is He afte the p ope ties?

he

his

othe passed

Sankarar who was considered as a relative by the whole world and eulogized, was not understood properly by His kith and kin and the folks in His own village.

Yes, He did not come to His village, the way, He went to other places, where He was received with respect and full honours. The whole country welcomed Hi ith the sa e o ds O e a ot attai Mukthi li e atio , th ough wealth and people ut o l th ough sa ifi e -- words which He spoke to His own mother at the time of adopting asceticism.

You a e a li i g e a ple of that sa ifi e; ou a e i e sed i the “a Yoga, and you shine in a Divine fo The hole o ld el o ed Hi these words ( from Upanishads ), but Kalady did not, why?

asa ith

Being a saint to the whole world, was it a punishment that He had to impose upon Himself and come to His mother giving up His sainthood?

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Acharyar considered the motherly love shown to Him during His childhood as nobler than the sainthood.

“a ka a said

Please a a ge fo

e atio .

Immediately, each one of the relatives vied with one another and came forward to perform the last rites. There is nothing that greed for wealth does not make people do.

“a ka a said, No. I a goi g to lit the fu e al p e. I esided i this od for ten months. After coming out also, this body had fed me for another ten months. Therefore, I, myself, am going to present this body to Agnidevadha.

Tea s elled up i His e es. “ eat eads appea ed all o e His fa e. Ho else can I repay the debt? I did not support her like other sons in the world did by giving her food, clothes, and shelter. Let me at least perform the duty of properly disposing of her body when it had become of no use to anybody.

The dou t i the i ds of elati es i eased st e gthe ed What o se se you are talking? Can an ascetic perform the last rites? The world will laugh at you. If you want some , gold or money, you can ask for it. We will give ou so ethi g ithout the k o ledge of a od else. —they said. What a blow for Achariyar?

What was the reply He could give them? There is no right for an ascetic in last rites. But, Achariyar did not forget the promise He gave His mother, when

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He left her. When it goes beyond certain level, Love will wipe out even the customs and controls. He wanted the world to know that customs and rituals are meant for one to become an epitome of Love. Therefore, He did not bother about criticism thrown at Him by the village folks.

Acharyar did not talk about Love in the same way as Buddha and Christ did. Those who think that one should strictly follow customs and rituals, must get their thoughts cleared from this incident. Controls are very necessary for one who practices self realization.

When the mind attains maturity, control would automatically loosen up. One will get Liberation, here, in this world itself. If controls are imposed afterwards, they will not give any pain. That is why, those who attained Mukthi, here (Jeevan Mukthas), practice controls. But, at some very difficult times, it will be necessary to discard such controls also. Sankarar, was in the midst of such a situation.

Nobody would have found fault with Him, if He had left without performing the last ites of His othe , sa i g I ill a ide usto s. But o the otherhand, He submitted Himself to the love for His mother and was ready to discard other customs.

This was the third big sacrifice, Acharyar did to teach the world. The first one was, when He feigned ignorance on Advaita knowledge, when the untouchable approached Him.

Second one was, when He entered the body of King Amarukan and accepted the iti is . This as the thi d o e he He ade “a asa Dha a o to the greatness of heartfelt Love.

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All the elati es ho ealized “a ka a s esol e i pe fo i g the last ites Himself, abandoned Him and left the place. They also prevented Vedic scholars from helping Him perform the Karma.

A ha a

as left like a

o pha

ith His

othe s od .

“o eho , He a aged to lift His othe s od si gle ha dedly. While He pe fo ed i a les ith His Yoga “akthi he He as follo i g “a asa Dha a pe fe tl , o as a o di a a so , He dis a ded that st e gth. The efo e, He ould lift His othe s od o l ith a lot of effo t. Ho fa I should take this od ? I a getti g ti ed.

He laid down the body in the garden behind the house. Who will prepare the funeral pyre? Who will chant manthras? There was no living being around to help Him.

“a ka a said, He Ag ide atha, I did ot adopt the o al o ldl life a d offer You ghee and rice. But, I am offering the holy body of my mother, as an offering, which is more sacred than them. You need not accept her for the sake of my ability to perform miracles. Accept her body purely on the asis of G eat ess of Lo e.

Agnidevatha accepted the body of the Holy Lady, who had the boon of giving birth to Parameswaran Himself.

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Sankarar was attracted towards Sringagiri again. After the last rites of His mother, Acharyar returned to Sringagiri. He gave shape to His long surviving plan.

He created and established a hierarchy of disciples ( for us they are Gurus), in order to ensure that daily Pujas are performed in Saradha Peetam and also the disciples would undertake the task of preaching Advaitha. He nominated Prithvithavar, a noble disciple, as the first Acharyar of Saradha Peetam.

Realizing well that there was no difference between Acharyar and Ambaal, He gave the surname of Bharathi to him. Bharathi means, one who revels in Jyothi ( Light ). All those who came in this hierarchy of Sages and who enjoyed the bliss in the brightness of wisdom would hold this surname. He also appointed Sureswarachariar to guide Prithvithavar.

It looks as if other disciples of Acharyar had no agreement of thoughts with Sureswarachariar. This may be because he might have stayed aloof due to age and also was more learned than others; or, Acharyar Himself might have engaged him in many debates, respecting his knowledge.

Whatever be the reason, the disciples exhibited bitterness towards him. They used the opportunity to express their difference of opinion at the time of nominating the first Acharyar of Saradha Peetam.

They argued that Sureswarar did not surrender to Acharyar of his own free will, having been attracted to Adhvaita, but did so as he lost to Him in the debates. They also pointed out that he lived a worldly life for some time. That is why, it is said, that Sureswarar was not directly appointed as the head of the Peetam, but only in the role of supervising.

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

According to Anandakireeyam, the oldest book among the various complete works on the Life of Sankarar, it is found that the first Acharyar of Saradha Peetam was Padma Padhar.

But, ho does it atte ho the fi st A ha a as? Adh aiata sa s All a e o e ; a lea ed souls ho had astered Adhvaitam had ascended the Peetam and decorated them; Every one knows the services they have rendered, and are now rendering, for the growth of Adhvaitam.

It is believed that river Thunga was a part of Vishnu and river Badra was a part of Siva. Ambal Saradha is residing in the place where these two rivers mingle as river Thungabadra.

Saradha Peetam is the pond containing the nectar of Adhvaitam, established by Bagavath Padar whose heart was full to the brim with the motherly love and purity of Ambikai; who shines like Eswaran through His name, asceticism, sacred ash, and rudhraksham ; who was a Jagat Guru like Sri Narayanan who has taken the responsibility of the protection of humanity.

It is said that the other disciples did not agree when Sureswarar came forward to ite e pla ato otes o A ha a s B ah a “ut a Bash a . Thei objection was that Sureswarar who was Mandana Misrar in His previous birth, and was a staunch follower of Meemamsa, might write the commentary supporting Poorva Meemamsai; they did not believe that he would write it solely based on pure Adhvaita.

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Acharyar, who showed the world the path for living together, was pained to see His own disciples, having such deep differences, and told them that the e as o eed fo a e pla atio to “ut a Bash a .

But still, Padhma Padhar wrote the explanatory notes. It is said that he wrote it in Magatha Desam. He read out the initial part of it to Acharyar. As if He knew what was to come, Acharyar simply smiled and did not answer.

Padhma Padhar lost his peace of mind both due to the disaccords among the dis iples a d A ha a s sile e. He left o a pilg i age to ‘a es a a . O the a , he sta ed i his u le s ho e at Thi u a aikka. He left the palmscripts that he wrote on Sutra Bashyam there and proceeded to Sethu.

Padh a Padha s u le as a stau h follo e of the Path of Ka a. He ead the palm scripts. It infuriated him to find that the script talked very high of The path of Wisdo as o pa ed to The path of Ka a . The fu i g i d showed its fury outside also and he burnt off the palmscripts ! In order to sa e hi self f o Padh a Padha ho ould e tai l la e hi the g eat a u t do the hole house.

Padhma Padhar, returned from Rameswaram and found out what had happened. Consoling himself somehow, he returned to Srunkagiri and informed Acharyar of all that happened.

A ha a said, You had ead out the fi st four parts of the first chapter and the first part of the second chapter. I will tell you all those parts from my e o ; ou a ite the do .

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsar had said that a person who practiced Brahmacharyam (celibate life) for twelve years will remember anything and everything and nothing will go away from his memory. Even at present times, we see a lot of great people recollecting all details about a person whom they might have met a long time ago, and enquiring about their well being. Should we say anything at all, then, about our A ha a s pu it of i d a d od !

These portions which Acharyar remembered and repeated to Padhma Padhar, give explanations to the first five portions of Sutra Bhashyam; hence they a e to e alled Pa ha Pathika . But e ha e got o l o e of the o .

Acharyar started His Dig Vijayam (Yathra) again. As already mentioned, different books on His history give varied details about the chronological order in which He visited various places. But suffice to say that His holy feet treaded all the holy places.

Acharyar visited all the te ples i Ta il Nadu. Whe e sa Te ple , hat comes to our mind immediately is Chidhambaram Natrajar temple. The holy e ses The a a i di ate Thillai Chit a ala the o d Te ple o l . Acharyar reached there.

He o shipped the Ni gu a Pa a ah a “up e e Bei g, e eft of a ualit a d the “agu a possessed of all good ualities “ i Nata aja Mu th the e, hi h ep ese ts ethe a o g the Pa ha Bootha Kshet a .

He wanted to create a symbol, which can be considered, as having a form o fo less, i et ee the Ni gu a B ah a a d the Beautiful fo of “ i Nataraja Murthy.

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Chapter 16 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Immediately in His mind Bagavath Padhar witnessed an amazing scene. He sa the Ni gu a—“agu a fo hi h He a ted to eate, at that ti e through His vision of Wisdom and was thrilled. (TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 17……………….)

Divya Darshan of Sri Maha Periva

Above painting of Periva s rare pose is also by our respected moderator Sri Narayanan Bala, specially shared for December Anusham – 10 Dec 2015

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 17 Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayan Bala)

Volume 57 06 Jan 2016 – Anusham; Sri Periva Aradhana day © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

CHAPTER 17 IN THE HIMALAYAS

“a ka a , i stalled the A a aaka sha a Ya th a Po e that att a ts rice/food) in Chidambaram, to quench the physical hunger of devotees who come there with hunger of devotion. From there He proceeded to Thiru Idai Marudhoor ( aka Madhyarjunam). Every Shiva linga in every place has a specific name –like for instance, Kapaaleeswarar, Paadaleeswarar, Ekambareswarar etc. But here in Madhyarjunam, the name of the Linga is Linga only---MahaLingam. This is because, if we consider the whole of the land of Chozha which is famous for its Shiva temples, as a Shiva temple then the Linga in Madhyarjunam shines as the Sanctum Sanctoram in that.

“a ka a ade “i a a da Laha i i Mallika ju a . But i Madh a ju a , the God Himself opened His mouth. As soon as Sankarar worshipped , the top of Mahalingam opened. Eswaran raised His hand and declared unequivocally Adh aitha o l is “up e e t uth

Jagath Guru, then reached Thiruchirappalli (aka Thrusirapuram). He drew out the wrath from the face of Akilandeswari and embedded the same in two ear rings, one of them representing Siva Chakram and the other Sri Chakram, and decorated Her ears with them. No mother would look at her son with wrath, is it not ? Therefore, Acharyar installed the statue of Vinayakar, just in front of Devi.

Fo Vaish a ites, Te ple i di ates o l “ i ‘a ga atha Te ple. He o shipped Lo d ‘a ga atha the e a d i stalled Ja a AAka sha a Ya t a (Power that attracts people). © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

He also had a soul filling Dharsan of Madurai Meenakshi and sang Meenakshi Pancharathnam. He debated with the scholars of Madurai and established Adhvaitam.

He the o shipped Ga apath i Thu di a d sa g Ga esa Pa ha ath a . When one sings this Stotram, one will visuavalize the elephant shaped God, dancing happily shaking His big body ! He then worshipped Lord Padhmanaba in Thiruvananthapuram and established Adhvaita there, and thence proceeded to Thiruchendil.

He is questioning Lo d Mu uga , Wh a e ou sta i g i the sea sho e? A e you not suggesting indirectly that those who reach your sanctum sanctorum will cross over the ocean of worldly life and also that just like the waves are quelled, the problems of the devotees will also disappear ?

A u uka ! Oh, the si —faced Muruga) You have twelve eyes full of love and sympathy. What is that you will lose if you look at me with just one of those ?

Gu u is p a i g to Guha , You ust al a s e i e es; ea s should always hear the glorious stories about you; I should always be uttering your history; my hands should always be worshipping you; I should always serve you with my mortal body; all my deeds (Karmas) should always merge with ou.

“a ka a is e uesti g i this stot a alled “u a a a Buja ka , Whe the God of death comes to me, you should come on your peacock sa i g Fea ot . He tells Hi the sa e thi g hat Azh a told Lo d Vish u, I do ot © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

know if I will remember you in my last moments; I am chanting your Nama o itself.

The la d of Bha ath is alled Aasethu Hi a hal f o “ethu to Hi a hal Sankarar went to Sethu and worshiped Sri Ramanatha Swamy. He then proceeded to Kanyakumari, the south end of TamilNadu and prayed to Devi. And thence, He reached the northern end of Tamil Nadu, Thirupathi.

Gurumani had Dharsan of Sri Venkateswara Parabrahmam. He not only saw the mere idol but witnessed Sri Narayanan Himself in every part in all His Splendor.

He sa the Vaiku da asi o e ho esides in Vaikundam) along with Adhisesha a d Ga uda . He sa the Pa haja a o h hi h as shi i g in His hand like the moon on the peak of the blue mountain. We often say, the heel of ti e e ol es ; He sa that Sudharsana Chakra. He saw the ai of a o s f o His o “A ka ; He sa the s o d Na dhaki hi h Purushothaman swung while fighting with the Asuras—the sword which shines on His body, like the lightning through the dark cloud. He saw the mace which is none other than Gowmodhaki Devi, whom He held with His hand, as He held that of Thirumakal. He saw that Thirumakal (Sri Lakshmi) also and Bhoodevi along with Her.

He saw the lotus feet of Lo d Padh a a a hi h De i s flo e like ha ds were massaging. He was exulted at seeing His shining rows of finger nails which resembled the dew drops on the petals of the lotus flower.

Even though The Lord was wearing plenty of ornaments, Sankarar was es e ized the ole “ i Vatsa o His hest. He o shipped “ i Laksh i

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

ho esided o His hest ea “ i Vatsa , u tu i g IT as He o which gave Him the Na a “ i—Ni asa . He also sa the Kousthupa appeared in the ocean of milk along with Her, dangling on His chest.

hild hi h

He sa the Lo d s lips, hi h e e like the se o d Kousthupa . Was it Kousthupam or Berry fruits ? Even the beak of the parrot which had come to eat the fruit is seen there. No, No ! It is not the beak, but the reflected light from the nine gems embedded on His ear rings, falling on His pointed nose, and creating a red border.

What to say of the beauty of His eyes which should be seen without batting an eyelid ! They are immersed in the deep meditative sleep. Sankarar o pa es the Lo d s fo ehead to the half oo a d His e es to a pai of lotus flowers and says that the lotus like eyes are closed because of the half moon just as lotus flowers close their petals on seeing it. He says that His two eyebrows are like the beetles which are waiting for the closed eyes to open their lids.

What a breathtaking view in between His two eyebrows! Do we not see the “padika Li ga the e ! E e a ga la d of lue lotus is da gli g o the Li ga ! Oh ! It is ot the a le Li ga; it is the Thilak Pu da a , s ea ed o His forehead; and there is no blue lotus garland either; it is the illusion created by the constant hovering around the Thilak by the dark eyes of Devi.

Even the shape of the crown on Sriman Narayanan is shining like a Lingam only !

Acharyar worshipped Hari, who is inseparable from Haran, not only as Venkatesan, but saw all His ten Avatars; He saw Budhdha, who established

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

the Sakkiya religion, which He won in debates, also as the Avatar of Lord Vishnu. He praised Gouthama Budhdhar, as Ma asija Vija ee , as he o over the God of lust.

In order that the world may also enjoy the Bliss which He felt, Sankarar gave us Vish u Pathaathi Kesa tha “tot a , detaili g all His e pe ie es hile having Dharsan of Thirumal in Thirumalai.

“a ka a esta lished the Dha a Aka sha a Ya th a wealth) in Thirupathi.

Po e

hi h att a ts

F o Thi upathi, A ha a s at a sta ted to a ds No th. He o shipped Lo d Parameswaran in Thryambakapuram on the banks of river Narmada, where He obtained His Dheeksha and in Somanathapuram in Sourashtra. These two are among the twelve famous Shiva kshetrams. In all these twelve temples, He had walked with His holy feet a d eated the stot a D adhasali ga “tot a hi h eulogizes the “hi a Bakthi that u ites the hole of Bha atha.

D a aka is o e of the se e Mukthi “thala s It p ides itself of ha i g ee established by Sri Krishna Himself. After the war (Kurushetra war), Lord moved to this place. Acharyar decided that this would be the best place to establish Adh aita i the est. He esta lished Kalika Peeta he e a d Bad a Kali a d Sidhdheswaran. He made Padhma Padhar as the first Achrya of this Peeta. Some books say that He made Hasthamalakar as the first Acharya. From the books available in Dwaraka Peeta, we understand that Sureswarar also had connections with this Peeta. The heads of Dwaraka Peeta had the heirarchial a e Asi a i .

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

From Dwaraka, Sankarar proceeded to VadaMathura, Brindavanam and other places where Nandakumaran had performed miracles. He sang a lot of beautiful and simple songs in praise of Kannan.

He then went to Kashmir, the northern border of Bharatha to spread Adhvaita. The e as a “a ag a Peeta seat of all—knowing souls) there. The doors of that Peeta would open only when great souls who knew the Supreme truth came there. In thousands of years after the Peeta was established, only three great souls had visited it. The southern door which had never opened till then, opened as soon as Acharyar came there. Bagavath Padhar, ascended the Peeta, to the cheers of learned Pundits. The king of Kashmir, named a hill the e, “a ka a ha agi i , as a e o to the isit of the faultless J othi of isdo . As a s ol of the e e g ee Philosoph of Adh aita, the hill and a temple on it are existent even today.

When Sankarar went to Badarikavanam, famous for its sages, Thirumal (Lord Vishnu) gave Him Dharsan. He worshipped Him with six beautiful slokas called “hatpathi “tot a . With the sta ti g sloka Please e o e the la k of hu ilit i e… , He akes us ealize the utte hu ilit He possesses. You and I are one and the sa e just as the sea a d a e a e o e. But the a e belongs to the sea and not vice - versa. In the same way, I am owned by ou, ou a e ot i e. —He explains the essence of Adhvaita beautifully. The Lord told Sankarar to take out His idol, which was buried under the bed of Alakanandha and install it and disappeared. Sankarar completed that job duly.

I Bada i, He i stalled the thi d Adh aita Peeta , J othi Mata , ear Vishnu Prayag. This is on the northern end of the country. The name of this Peeta is J othish athi Peeta . The p esidi g deit he e is Na a a a ; alo g ith Him, His consort Poornagiri is also installed. Anandhagiri, who got the name Thodaka ha a as he sa g Thodakashtaka , as ade the fi st A ha a of this Peeta. The hei a hial a e of the Peetathipathis he e is Gi i .

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Another important incident happened in Badarinath. Sankarar was pleased to have dharsan of His Guru Govinda Bagavath Padhar and Prama Guru Gowda Padhar in penance. He saw them as the Adhi Guru Dhakshinamurthy Himself and worshipped them with Dhakshinamurthy Sloka and prostrated at the end of every line. These slokas give the essence of Adhvaita. Who else other than Acharyar would know the greatness of Dhakshinamurthy so completely ? What else other than the ocean itself, would know its depth ?

After leaving Badhari, Sankarar reached Kailash, from where He originally started !

Kailash ! Be o d ou des iptio ! But ot e o d A ha a s ! A ha a s des iptio of Kailash i “i apaathaathi kesa tha sthuthi is the peak of poeti beauty.

Kalpaka trees (A type of tree seen only in the heaven, which grants all desires) every where ! Variety of flower plants in between them ! The divine ladies from the heaven are plucking the flowers ,singing the praise of Lord Parameswaran. Sages, Devathas and devotees are walking in lines. The ou tai is filled ith the sou d of Baga a Na a . The oa o e hea s i between is coming from the Bull, which carries Lord Parameswaran, who in turn carries the universe.

The sound of the peacock, playing with Lord Murugan, also mingles with these. The merry trumpeting of Lord Ganesha is rising above all these sounds and filling the caves in the Himalayas and echoing back. Is there a limit to His happy celebration ? The sound of the trotting of a horse is also heard among all these noises. Lord Ayyappan, the son of Eswaran and Mohini ----a manifestation of Lord Vishnu----is hunting on His horse.

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Bagavath Padhar proceeds further, looking at all these happy scenes. Crossing the walls studded with pearls and emaralds, He enters. He passes the beautiful pala es of the Dhik Palaka s a d the eautiful ga de s ai tai ed De i s attendants. Sankarar follo s ehi d Cha dikes a a a d the Bhootha Ga as .

There is a spacious hall in the midst of the mountains all around. Yogis, wise e , sages, De as, Asu as, de otees a d the Asu a Ga as ha e gathe ed there, and the danseuses of the Heaven are dancing there; Music is flowing from the Gandarva ladies, just like honey oozes out of the lotus flowers. Sage Na ada is pla i g o the Yaazh a st i ged i st u e t like ee a ; the melodious sou d of the M idha gas d u s a d the sou d of the Jal a s a e k o ki g at the doo s of the i ds. The Bootha Ga as a e hee i g the danseuses with shouts.

But a e these usi a d da e ea t fo the Bhootha Ga as ? Fo ho the sages and the Devas have gathered together there ? For whom Acharya Sankarar is going further and further, immersed in a flood of devotion, with moist eyes, a smiling face and a bristling body ?

Oh ! There ! The two divine figures sitting on the golden coloured - cushion; cushion surrounded by pillars studded with the blue gems and accessed by crystal steps and sculpted with artistic beauty; all these celebrations are for them only ! Kailash has risen above all its Divine beauty, with the coming together of Parameswaran, the father of this whole universe, Mother Parvathi, the mother of all the universal bodies, and Sanakarar the Jagath Guru. Even for those who have just touched the border line of the empire of devotion, it is the Dha sa of the Th i—Mu th “i a, Pa athi a d “a ka a , hi h fill them with overflowing Bliss !

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Is it possible to put it in mere words ? Or mere spoken words ? Does the mind have the power to visualize this and realize its full import ? Vedas say, Mothe is God; Fathe is God; a d the Tea he Gu u is also God . Whe we worship our mother, father and Guru as Gods, at what level do we worship the Divine Father, Mother and Guru ? We can merely be happy, by visualizing this scene with our small eyes to the extent possible !

Just like one ocean has branched out and is surrounding the land of Bharatha with three different names on three sides; Just like the same river Ganga flows in heaven, earth and the underground; Just like o e A athi plate

a hes out i th ee di e tio s a d glo s;

Just like the one Pranava Mantra resides as the inner matter of three Vedas; Just like one Atman, lives in three different stages of wakefulness, sleep and dream,

The one Supreme Being has manifested here as Eswaran, Jagan Matha and Jagath Guru.

Just as we cannot say which of the three forms water, steam and ice, becomes the other, The one Matter is shining in three different forms.

Just like our mortal body is made up of the five elements, Love, Beauty, Dharma, Wisdom and Power have merged together, and solidified into the Three Divine Forms and shining. It is not the scorching shine of the fire. It is the cool brightness when the rays of the moon fall on the snow clad mountain that cools and soothens the mind.

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

If we find it difficult to separate the Three, then it was difficult for the Acharya to look at Parameswaran and Parvathi as two separate entities. It was also difficult for Him to save Himself from dissolving into the flood of Love. Can the salt bag avoid dissolving into the ocean ? But as Sanakarar had some more duties left unfinished in this world, He somehow controlled Himself. He only can fulfill those left out tasks; Eswaran wanted only Sankarar to do those things and so, after transferring all His Divine qualities to Sankarar, He is relaxing here royally !

The unique quality of Parameswaran is His sacrifice. He has renounced all the worldly pleasures and is living in the burial ground. That same person has now converted that unique quality into Sankarar and is living here with royal surroundings! Now, He is not living in the burial ground. He lives in a palace. He is ot o l ea i g the tige ski , ut has o it o a silk A ga asth a . The snake which is on His chest has a gem on its head; the ornaments on His chest are shining and reflecting the light from it. His unkempt locks are now nicely tied as a tuft and He is wearing a crown on it !

Nandhikeswaran is holding aloft a white umbrella over His head.

Eswaran is now posing as an emperor with all these. He is embracing Matha with His left lower hand. The deer on His upper left hand is twisting and bending to have a look at the beauty of Her eyes; His right upper hand is holding the axe with which He cuts off the sins in us; and His right lower hand, which showers blessings on all those who surrender to Him, is showing the Chi Mudh a .

It was lucky for Acharya to be unable to see Lord and Mother Rajarajeswari as separate entities. Because, the poetic rule is that male Gods must be

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

described from the foot to the head and female Gods from head to foot. Acharyar was not satisfied when He described Parameswaran from foot to head; ut e ause Mothe as o up i g half of Lo d s od , He ould continue by describing Her from head to the foot. Let us taste a few of those Divine verses.

Cha d a oo has le ishes. That too, the pa tiall g o oo is ot st aight ut, u ed ; he e he is ot st aight fo a d ! But Es a a has given him a place of pride on His head. The inference is that ha d a is a example that even bad persons can get salvation if they surrender to God.

When one looks at the curved strands of hair near His crown, it looks as if He has placed river Yamuna also on His head along with river Ganga.

The sacred ash on His forehead resembles silver steps installed for the purpose of attaining Mukthi. On His forehead, shines the third (red ) eye, like gem fixed on crystal; His nose on the lotus like face looks like the pericarp of the golde flo e . Whe the Lo d goes ea De i s fa e, His heeks ill sta t itching, and the edges of His ear rings (Kundalam) will caress the cheeks.

When we talk about marks o tai ed i e a s, e joki gl efe ze o a ks as Ku dala ! “a ka a is adopti g the sa e thought he e. “a ka a s ea i gs a e the Ku dala s that gi e ze o a ks to the fate itte o the de otees heads !

His shining teeth resemble the foam of His nectar-like words, that remove the inner darkness of the devotees. We can only call those words as the sound a es f o the Pa a ah a . His elega t laugh AHAHA.. i je ts liss.

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

His milk—like abdomen resembles the ocean of milk, and the beautiful folds on them, the waves, and the navel ,the vortex. Snake is crawling here also like i the o ea . A ha a lesses the , Ma ou i d e Lord Pu ushotha a ho is esti g i the o ea of ilk

The lotus flo e s that a e Pa athi s feet, losso i spite of the p ese e of the moon that is Her beautiful face; Jagath Guru also sang the praise of the dust that are falling off those feet.

Did He worship only Lord Parameswaran and Devi Parvathi ? No, He offered Pranams to the animals, birds, insects, and the grass and bushes also.

Parameswaran and Parvathi looked at Sankarar who churned the ocean of Vedas, took out the nectar that is Adhvaitam and gifted it to the world, with eyes full of Love. Is there anything dearer than the Atman ?

Pasupathi looked at the Peeta (table) kept near Him. Five shining crystal Lingas were on them. There was also a palm script bundle on that. The crystal lingas are for the purpose of remembering the Lord, and the palm script for remembering Devi. The Lord of Kailashpathi gave them to Acharya. Sivaperuman took each of those crystal lingas with His lithe fingers and placed it on the soft pink palms of Acharyar; it is so thrilling to even visualize this scene ! As a practical example of the Adhvaita principle that all the three entities of action, actor and the acted (each one being complete by itself) are in reality one entity only, Eswaran gave Eswaran to Eswaran ! As we place the world on Brahmam, we can put any Lingam is not a shape with eyes, nose and ears. Nor shapeless. It shows that the shapeless Brahmam can Sankarar lost Himself in the thought that the scene He

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colour on the crystal. can we say that it is assume a shape also. visualized in His mind

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

in Chidhambaram had now become real. Eswaran said that the world would attai elfa e if the Pa ha Li gas fi e li gas e e o shipped.

Parameswaran also gave the pal to Acharyar. It is a set of Slokas of Devi Thripurasundari. Bagavan world. He, then asked Acharya install Peetas in other directions U a ahes a a “tot a i p aise unwillingly.

s ipt u dle o tai i g “ou da a Laha i whch Parameswaran Himself sang in praise asked Acharyar to spread that also in the to stay in the world for some more time, also and merge with Him. Sankarar, sand of U a a d Pa a es a a a d took lea e

The Dwarapalakan (gate keeper ) who saw Sankarar returning with a lot of things in His hands, asked Him how He got all those items. Sankarar who was immersed in the meditation of Shiva, did not notice this. Dwarapalakan jumped on Him and plucked away what was in His hands without caring what they were. The last fifty nine of the one hundred slokas of Soundarya Leheri went into his hands. When he examined what they were, he forgot himself seeing the beauty of it, and did not notice Sanakarar.

Sanakarar returned with the Pancha Lingas and the forty one slokas. He was perturbed to see that the holy book had been dissected. Devi from His heart ordered Sankarar to make good the shortage Himself. That order was our boon.

The first forty one slokas explain the principles of Saktham. From the forty second verse starts the description of Mother from head to foot. These verses are the waves in the pond of the beauty of Devi. Soundarya Lehari is the Nature ( ? ) of Ambal same way as Pancha Lingas are the nature (?) of Eswaran.

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The partial moon that rests on the exquisite crown studded with gems, appears as a rainbow, as the gems refract the light into seven colours. The overflowing fountain of beauty of Her face creates an impression of a flowing canal. The place where the locks are separated on Her forehead, has become reddish th e appli atio of “i dhoo . Lo d s e es a e uzzi g a ou d Mothe s fa e ( like beetles), whose beauty mocks at the lotus flowers.

The e is o l the half oo o De i s head. Where is the remaining half ? It looks as if Her forehead was created by the inverted half moon.

Othe tha the lue e es, the e is a ight ed thi d e e o De i s fo ehead. We know the reason why it looks red. The other two eyes are extending towards the ears on the pretext of blessing the devotees.

But in reality what those beetles - like eyes are doing is that they are rushing there to taste the honey—like words of the poets flowing into Her ears. So, how can the third eye in the centre of the forehead come near the ears ? That is why, it is very angry and hence the fierce red colour ! The two rings o De i s ea s efle t o He cheeks and create an impression that they are the four—wheeled chariot on which Manmadhan (God of Love) came to conquer Siva !

The s i gi g of those ea i gs aki g Ja a Ja a sou d, see s to e appreciating the music from Vani (Saraswathi). Devi will also open Her mouth to sa “a hash ! ell! Well! ; “a as athi, o ealizi g the utte s eet ess of that voice, will feel humbled and stop her music and put the Veena in its bag ! Music is nothing but what emanates from Devi.

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

The e a e th ee dis ipli es i usi , a el , “hadja a , Madh a a a d Ga dha a . A ha a o de s hethe De i is ha i g th ee li es o He throat, in order to prevent these three disciplines from mixing together !

Acharyar goes on describing Mother up to Her feet, in the same style. Those lotus like feet seem to smile with their curved nails. What is the smile for ? The Veda Mathas losed ha ds a e o shippi g De i. Those Veda athas a e f o the De aloka he e the Kalpaka V uksha hi h gi es e e thi g asked for, exists.

The tree will give only to those who had reached under their branch. But, this Devi gives more than requested, with the tips of Her toes, to those who do not even come and hold Her feet. That is why the lotus feet are smiling.

The reddish solution which is smeared on those feet is the gem from the head of Lord Vishnu. And the Ganga from the head of Lord Siva is doing the A hisheka o those feet. Whi h e e tuall ea s that oth “i a a d Vish u are wearing those feet on their heads. Sankarar pleads with Devi to put Her lotus feet on His head also.

A o g A ha a s a ious o ks, “ou da A ha a Ashtoth a e tio s “ou dha Vitha aka a Na a: But Baga ath Padha , this “thuthi , ut a e gi e ou; You o be a greater humility than this ?

a Laha i o upies the fi st pla e. a Laha i Muk a Bahu sthoth a sa s at the e d, I did ot ake l ade this “thuthi . Could the e

(TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 18……………….)

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Chapter 17 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

Divya Darshan of Sri Maha Periva

Above painting of Sri Maha Periva is also done by our respected moderator Sri Narayanan Bala

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E-Book from Kanchi Periva Forum THE ESSENCE OF HINDU TRADITION AND CULTURE Jaya Jaya Sankara – Chapter 18 (Concluding Part) Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara (Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala (Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri Narayan Bala)

Volume 60 03 Feb 2016 – Anusham © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

CHAPTER 18 KAMAKOTI Sankarar started from Kailash. He reached Neelakanta Kshetram in Nepal. Pasupathinathan gave Darsan with five faces, to Sankarar, who brought five Lingas from Parameswaran. Acharyar installed one of the five Lingas ----Varalingam----in Pasupathinathan temple and also Maha Thiripurasundari. In Kedarnath, which is one among the twelve Linga kshetrams, Acharyar worshipped Kedareeswaran and installed the second of the five Lingas, ( Mukthi Lingam) there.

Reaching the Ganga plains, He wiped out other religions, and established Adhvaita. He again went to the holy Kashi, along with His disciples. It was then, seeing an old Pundit memorizing the Samskrit grammer, He sang Bajago i dha so g. He ad ised hi that he the God of death app oa hes him, grammer would not save him but only Karunakaran would. Following His ad ise His dis iples also pou ed out so e slokas. The Bajago i dha that we have today, contains those slokas also.

After establishing Adhvaita in many places in Madhya (central) Bharath firmly, “a ka a ea hed the east oast. Pu i ea s it . But Pu i al a s poi ts to Jagannath Puri. It is the place where Govindhan resides with Balaraman and Shubadhra. Acharyar worshipped Him by singing the Jagannatha Ashtakam. In line with the establishment of Sankar Mutt in Shrunkagiri in South, Dwarka in the west, and Badhari in the North, He established the Mutt in Jagannathpuri in the East. He named it as Govardhana Matam.

He established Vimala Peetam there, and appointed Hasthamalakar as its First Acharya. Some books mention that PadhmaPadhar was the first Acharya there. The Peetathipathis he e e e gi e the a e A a a .

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

After establishing Adhvaita everywhere in Bharatha, Sankarar returned to “h u kagi i o e agai . He i stalled the Boga Li ga the e. The goal of Adhvaita is to get released from the cycle of birth and death; Nectar gives that state of eternity; Chandran (Moon) is the person who allows the nectar to flow. Eswaran wears that Chandran on His head; to convey this idea, “a ka a ga e the a e of Cha d a oulees a a to the Li gas i the t o Adhvaita Mutts.

Acharyar left Shrungagiri and travelled through many holy places in Thondai Mandalam ( the area comprising Chennai, Chengalpattu, Thirvannamalai, Thiruvottiyur and the surroundings). In Thiruvottiyur He installed the Sri Chakram of Ambal, in front of Devi Thripurasundari. It is eveident that Acharyar was welcomed with special regards in Chennai and its surroundings, from the existence of His idols in Thiruvottiyur, Poovirunthavalli, Mankadu and other places.

In order to fulfill the remaining exalted duty of His Avatar, Jagath Guru came to Kanchipuri. The seed of wisdom which dwells in Kailai(Mount Kailash), generated tender shoots in Kaladi, became a bud in Kashi, blossomed as a flower all over the world, spread the knowledge of wisdom, ripened into a fruit and reached Kanchi.

KANCHI ! It is the P ith i Kshet a he e all fo tu ate pe so s ho cultivated the plant of De otio i thei i ds, see Di i e p ese e i e e pa ti le of ea th he e. It is o e of the se e Mukthi “thal pla es of deliverance). The three important manifestations of the Supreme Being—the three gems----Ekamban, Varadharaja Perumal and Kamakshi MahaThripuraSundari reside there. It is regarded as the first among the eightee “hakthi Peetas seats of po e .

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

It got the name Kanchi, because it is the central place in the Universe. If one meditates in Kanchi with a single—minded focus and prays, all the worlds will follow Dharma, same way as a big circle will be balanced when it stands on a needle kept in its centre. That is why Bagavath Padhar reached Kanchi. Ka hi s a othe a e is “ath a V atha Kshet a a pla e hi h follo s T uth steadfastly); therefore He came there to make it the Capital of “ath a Thath a p i iple of t uth .

Sankarar stayed in the Visveswarar temple on the border of Kanchi. King Rajasenan went there and received Him.

Bagavath Padhar asked the king to re-layout Kanchipuram in the form of SriChakram, which was eulogized as the form and seat of Ambal. He also wanted the Kamakshi temple to be the centre point of that circle. The king obeyed and carried out those instructions. AdhiSankarar was instrumental in Ka hi ei g p aised as Naga eshu Ka hi Ka hi is the u e o u o a o g cities). Guru worshipped Varadhan in Vishnu Kanch. When Brahman did the yagna, Perumal came there personally and partook the Ha is ooked i e offe ed to the fire of Homam ) and blessed him; Sankarar praised the Lord.

In Siva Kanchi, He worshipped Ekambaranathan. In the holy (cross breed mango) tree of the temple, only one fruit would ripen. It indicates that the fruit of the penance of wise men is the Supreme Being made up of Sivan and Sakthi.

Kamakshi came here to marry Him (Ekambaranathan).

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

In Kailash, Gowri closed the eyes of Gangadharan playfully; His eyes are the sun and the moon; sun and moon being the eyes, darkness engulfed the whole universe. Eswaran got extremely annoyed with His consort Sakthi. He cursed Mother to be born in the earth as a human. That curse, was a boon for us. Devi was born as the princess in Kaattukkudi in Thondai Mandalam.

Not forgetting Her previous existence, She made Lingam out of the sand of River Palar, and started worshipping Him whole heartedly. The otherwise dry river Palar, was flooded one day. The flood came near Mother and the Linga. She embraced the Linga with Her whole body to make sure that if death came to Her, it should come when She was i p a e . Ga gadha a s lo e fo He rose like a fountain and subdued the flood in The river Palar. He appeared before Mother and accepted Her. He made Her one half of Himself (His left half).

The princess who was bo i Ta il Nadu a d ade a Li ga out of the la d s earth and worshipped was Kamakshi. Her form as She was doing penance meditating on Eswaran, got frozen as an idol and became Kamakshi.

Is it possible to describe HER PENANCE ?! PENANCE, owing to the penance IT did, reached HER! Dhakshinamoorthy, when He is doing meditation (penance , keeps “hakthi ithi Hi self a d shi es as Adh aita a da as a o i ed

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

form of Sivan and Shakthi; same way, Kamakshi also, while meditating, keeps Es a a ithi He self a d shi es as Adh aita “ a oopi i . But i o de that the world may survive, that the humans may enjoy the fruits of their Karmas(deeds), that they may get an opportunity to attain Mukthi (libaration), Ambal and Eswaran should come out of their penance and look at the world, is it not?

For this purpose only, Devi saw Ekamban outside of Herself, and married Him. However, as a holy symbol of Her Penance, She took the form of an idol. Kanchi Kamakshi is an idol form whose beauty cannot be assimilated with our o di a e es, a d the flood of Ka u a a ot e o e by our hearts.

Eswaran accepted Kamakshi whose penance was disturbed. But Kamakshi, who did penance, accepted Eswaran ! Yes, She has Him as Her third eye in Her forehead ! The eye(s) which She covered in a playful mood in Kailash, because of which She got the curse, became a part of Her! Brahma and Vishnu became He othe t o e es. KA i Ta il i di ates B ah a ; the lette s A a d MA indicate Siva and Vishnu. Kamakshi has in Her all these three letters. She is not the consort of Rudran, who among the three Murties, is the God of destruction. She is Kamakshi the thought, which shook the Brahmam, the Self which is not any other, and combined Him with the Maya which is the cause for the appearance of the world. Then, in order to create that world, protect it and destroy it, She created Brahma, Vishnu and Rudran.

She is Kamakshi as She fulfills the desires of the devotees with Her Look.

A ha a ea hed that Ka akshi s te ple. He ea hed the “a tu “a to a of Mother whose temple Situated exactly at the centre of the city, so that the Utsava Murthies of Varadhan and Ekamban can move around (circumambulate) Her. People followed Acharyar fearing the wrath of Kamakshi.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Was it really anger ? People mistook the heat of Penance from the Jyothi of wisdom, for anger. Acharyar on the othe ha d sa He as Ka u a Mu thi and melted.

Acharyar, with His own hand, fixed the Sri Chakram in front of Her idol, and ue hed the Fi e of Wisdo f o He fa e, e do i g it i to the “ i Chakram. Then, She became beautiful, very very gentle, like a lotus flower, delicate, attractive Supreme Being and gave Darsan. Upanishad mentions the name of that True Being, which is ONE WHOLE Matter without a second, as Lalitha. Kamakshi appeared like that Lalithai. She is Lalitha not only because She was so gentle, sweet and beautiful, but She plays with us with Her Motherly love and reforms us to a better path.

She is holding a goad to subdue the anger in us. In order to eliminate all the bonds we have with the world, , She is also holding a string to tie us up with Her . With the help of the Bow made of sugar cane, She aims at our heart and binds us with Her. With the five arrows of flowers, She sets right the fi e se ses i us. We a thi k What is this o ade of suga a e a d the a o ade of flo e s ? A e the e su h ha less eapo s ? But the heart of the One that wears them, is sweeter than sugar cane and softer than a flower !

“he is a Thapas i o e ho pe fo s pe a e . “he has a sti k a d o i Her hand, wears a red cloth around her waist. The devotees were overwhelmed with joy, looking at them between whom they did not find any difference ! Were there more fortunate souls than those devotees who lived in Kanchi then?!

The devotees of Kanchi were truly fortunate souls. They were lucky to witness some more excellent scenes.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Sankarar decided that Adhvaita Philosophy should be established all over Bharatha without any doubt whatsoever, by gathering all those who did not believe in that, and debating with them. For this purpose, He established a “a ag a Peeta a seat fo the all—knowing) in Kanchipuram. We saw earlier that there was one such Peeta in Kashmir and Acharyar ascended it. Like VadaMadurai and ThenMadurai (Mathura in the North and Madurai in the south), Kanchipuram was known as South Kashmir. Sankarar established the “a ag a Peeta the e.

There were Jains and Budhdhists in Kanchipuram. There were some more pundits of other religions in other parts of the country. All these people debated with Acharyar. There was a seven—year old boy among those who came from the banks of river Thamiravaruni. He debated with Acharya for three days without getting tired. Finally Acharyar won. He regarded that child as His o At a a d a ed hi “a ag ath a a d ga e hi “a asa .

In order to announce the greatness of Sankarar, Saraswathi Devi Herself appea ed , de ated ith Hi a d as defeated. “he ga e the title “a as athi to Him and disappeared.

“a ka a as e ded the “a ag a Peeta a d sho e like a lio of isdo . Sankarar, who, till that time, appeared like Mother, kindness showing all over His body----who appeared as the seat of simplicity and service----- was sitting o the “a ag a Peeta like the Hi ala a ou tai , the dignity and honour adiati g f o His od . The people ha ted Ja a Ja a “a ka a ! Ha a Ha a “a ka a ! , the e e e atio ea hi g the sk a d p ost ated efo e Hi . As if hearing that noise, those residing in the Heavens, gathered there and showered flowers. The emperors and kings fell at His feet and worshipped Hi . “a ka a sho e like a ight J othi Light e eali g the g eat ess of wisdom.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

The people of Kanchi were fortunate to witness those scenes.

Sarvagna Peetam was created for the wise men; in order to win over the other people (ordinary, illiterate) with Love and lead them to the Supreme Being, Acharyar established another Peetam. This is the crowning glory of all the good things He had done during His avatar. Kailai Nathan (Supreme Being) reached Kanchi mainly for this purpose only. We call that Peetam, which is the dwelling place for Love and Custo , KAMAKOTI .

The number five has a speciality. God performs the five duties of Creation, Protection, Destruction, Hiding the Supreme Being with the illusory appearance of the world, and removing the veil and revealing the Jeevan as Brahmam. Parameswaran has five faces; Parameswaran gave five Lingas to Acharyar, as an indication of this; Elements are five, viz. Ether (sky), Fire, Air, Water and Earth. The doors of Karma and of Wisdom are five each. Vestures of the body enshrining the soul (Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya and Anandamaya). There are five Pranas. Acharyar specified Puja of five Murthies, Adhityan, Ambikai, Vishnu, Gananathan and Maheswaran to devotees.

One of the many Namas (names) mentioned in Lalitha Sahasranamam for Ambal is Panchami. Ambal is most important for Adhvaitam. She is the One who shows ONE as Many. She is also the Brahma Vidhyai who removes that ignorance and takes us to the status of Adhvaita. Therefore, Sankarar, who was born on Panchami day, established the Kamakoti Peetam, His fifth Peeta as a reflection of Ambal, in Kanchi, which was the best among the Sakthi Peetas ( Seats of Power). He Himself ascended the Peeta, which was like the Sanctum Sanctorum of the other Four Peetas.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Kamakoti ! The place where all desires will be terminated. It is the name of Kamakshi. Kamakoti Peetam shines in Her Divine Presence. Kamakoti Peetam is the fi al e pla atio of the Philosoph hi h sa s, Whe desi es die, the mortal human, becomes immortal. He enjoys the Supreme Being. When the knots of Bond in the mind loosen up and untie themselves, Man becomes Ne ta . This is the o lusio of the Upadesa .

Mothe Ka akshi ho is the o igi of Aksha a lette s/alpha ets is eulogized as Vak De i . Therefore Acharyar named the Peeta established in Ka hi as “a adha Mata . He as e ded the Ka hi Ka akoti Peeta i Saradha Matam as Jagath Guru Sri Paramahamsa Pairvirajakacharya “a ka a ha a I di a “a as athi .

I di a “a as athi is the “a asa Na a of the Ka akoti Peetathipatis. “a s athi ga e He a e to Hi , he e the a e “a as athi . But ho did He get the a e I di a ?

Once in Kanchi, Sureswaracharyar was unwell. Sankarar, at that time, cured hi ith the help of Ash i i De athas . Ash i De athas a e the o al physicians for Indira. Devarajan, overcome with Ego, shot the Vajrayutha on Ashwini Devatha.

Acharyar, with the strength of His Penance, blocked it so that they did not harm the Ashwinis. Accepting that the defeat of Vajrayutha is his own defeat, ga e a a His title I di a to “a ka a a d e t a a .

Upaninishad says that the wise one who sees the whole world in its true fo is Idha Th a a d that is I di a . I a pla es i Vedas, I di a

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

i di ates the “up e e Bei g o l . F o very apt for Paramacharyas.

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

that a gle also, the title I di a

is

“a ka a i stalled the Yoga Cha d a oulees a a Li ga i Ka akoti Peeta . Yoga ea s u iti g . Yogali ga joi s the Jee a ith the “up e e Bei g. A ha a , ho is Yogees a a as o shippi g Yoga ha d a oulees a a , MahaThripurasundari in the form of SriChakram and Kamakshi and was spreading rays of Bliss.

Those ho had pe fo ed Pu a Ka a i thei p e ious i ths, it essed the Pujas performed by Bagavath Padhar and got Mukthi. They witnessed the Parama Guru performing Puja, and meditating. In the remaining time after Puja and Meditation, He talked to the people, and delivered Upanyasams. Ki d ess i His talk; Lo e i His look; Mothe s softness in all His deeds; But still, He is the Adhvaita matter, who does not speak; His look which penetrates through the minds of people, goes beyond their minds, and looks at the Supreme Being which is everywhere. The Pu a u thi has o deed to perform; Although He stays in a mortal body, it is only an appearance which the devotees can behold and rise up. The people of Kanchi who had the Darsan of this Holy Being performing Devi Puja, were really fortunate.

Sankarar shone as the central figure in Kanchi Peetam after establishing Mutts all over the country, appointing true disciples in them, like the huge Banyan tree with its shoots spread all around. Those disciples also visited Him frequently and had Darsan. In the flood of increasing love, the simple differences and disputes between the disciples slowly disappeared. They united together in love. Others realized the greatness of Sureswarar. He revealed his o plete faith i Adh aita iti g a ook titled Naishka a “idhdhi a d ote e pla atio s to so e of A ha a s o e ta ies. He also ote commentary (meaning/explanation) to Dhakshinamurthy stotram.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

A ha a s se i e thus a e to a

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

e d.

The dis iples fulfilled A ha a s de otio al se i e also. Padh a Padha ote e pla atio to A ha a s ook P apa ha “a a hi h e plai s ethods of worship of various Deities. Six disciples spread the methods of six religions of o ship. Gi ija Ku a a did Ga apadh a fo o ship of Ga esha; Vaduka Natha did Kou a a fo o ship of Mu uka ; the e e oth a helo s; Paramathakaalanalar did for Siva worship, and Lakshmanar for Vishnu, Divakar for worship of Sun, and Thripura Kumarar for Saktham. They came to Kanchi and informed Acharya of their success in completing the tasks. One can see the idols of these six disciples under the idol of Acharya in Kamakshi temple.

Thus o luded the A ata a Ka a fi esta lish e t of “a atha a Dha

the pu pose of the A ata a i Bha atha Va sha .

ith the

A ha a s thoughts ope ed out--- The task is o pleted; To o pe sate fo sitti g o ti uousl fo Kalpa Kala , alked da a d ight uisi g the feet, a d sp ead Adh aita all o e the ou t ; To o pe sate fo ei g the “ile t Murthy, have delivered upanyasams, stotras and debates; to compensate for the lo g pe iod of holdi g the ha d i Chi Mud a , ha e itte ple t of books, have offered mountains of flowers to Deities and performed Pujas; What next ?......

We said that those who lived in Kanchi at that time were fortunate souls; we said rays of bliss spread all over Kanchi; But when Acharya completed His 32nd year in this world, a strange sadness engulfed them. When He started reducing His activities in absolute silence, they understood His inner thoughts. In the place where Kamakshi resided with Her red eyes in the (Tamil) year ‘akthakshi , peoples e es e e oiste ed ith tears and became red.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

As if preparing to leave the place, His actions of calling the disciples and k o i g thei a tio s a d deeds, gi i g the upadesa et . aised thei doubts.

He appointed Sureswarar as the Peetathipathi (head of the Peetam) of Kamakoti. Although Sureswarar was liked by all other disciples, He wanted to make sure that the old doubts should not rear their heads. Therefore He appointed Sarvagnathmar to perform Pujas to Chandramouleeswarar and Th ipu asu da i. Pu li s o a d pai i eased he “a ka a stopped performing the Puja.

In the month of Vaikasi (Tamil), on Ekadashi day of Shukla Paksham Acharyar called all the devotees and gave Upadesam. He explained in five slokas called the Upadesa Pa haka , hat e e the i po ta t duties of the people.

Though His mind had always been with the Supreme Being, that day, He could not consider the things outside of Him as other matters but saw them as the Supreme Being only. Though His mouth was speaking, His mind was wandering in Chidambaram only.

If Kanchi was the centre of the Universe, then Chidambaram was its heart. He sent the one remaining Linga (Mukthi Linga) of the five to Chidambaram. That Lingam which unites the Nirguna mystery(state of void) with the Saguna “a apathi, is alled the Bu a ath a a Li ga i Ma ka de a Pu anam. Puja is being done to this Lingam six times a day.

Followed by everyone in silence, Sankarar reached the Sanctum Sanctorum of Mother Kamakshi.

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Guru saw various scenes in the Sanctum Sanctorum, not witnessed so far. The ocean of Nectar pushed its waves there. An island sparkled. Karpaka trees lowered their branches and sent cool breeze. Kadamba flowers sent their fragrance. In the forest, walls with beautiful Gopuras were seen. In the palace inside, Divine Sri Chakram sparkled. On the Sri Chakram was a seat supported by Brahma, Thirumal, Rudran and Sivan on four corners. On that shone Kameswaran in total peace. On His left lap sat Kameswari--Kamakshi and Gave Darsan.

As Sankarar was witnessing all these amazing scenes, honey—like words flo ed out of His th oat. It took shape as Th ipu a “u da i VedaPathasth a stotra. The last line of each slokam in that is a sentence from Vedas. It is said that the crown of Veda returned unable to see the feet of Devi. Acharyar enables us to have Darsan by reciting Vedhapadhasthavam.

Slowly, He saw Kameswaran merging with Kameswari. He eulogized Her as Adh aita ‘oopi i , B ah a Vidh ai a d si gle atte shi i g i the i d that is a a e.

“lo l , He sta ted to dissol e a d e ge i that “i gle Matte . Light a es started radiating out of Sankarar along with sloka. His body started to dissolve i that o ea of light. Let the u io ith “ i Chak a a d De i s At a take place.

This is the fi al f uit of Upadesa ----these words reverberated and the ocean of light became dense and entered the Sanctum Sanctorum. It crossed the Sri Chak a ; It e te ed the hea t of the u i e se; It e te ed the “i a a da J othi i Chit a ala .

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Whe e e the i d goes, ou “ a oopa should sta d the e. Whe e e the head o s, ou lotus feet should e the e, Oh, Mothe ! —these honey— like words reverberated in the Sanctum Sanctorum and echoed. At the same time, Sankara Jyothi merged with the form of Kamakshi.

A ha a Gu u ho p ea hed Adh aita all His life, esta lished “i a—Sakthi Adh aita he He eli uished life. He, ho a e off Dhakshi a u thi who kept Sakthi inside Him, merged with Kamakoti who kept Sivam inside Her.

(Above drawing of Sri Sankarar by Selvi Tejaswini, grand daughter of Sri N V Subramanyam) Where did He disappear ?

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Where did the mortal body of the Great Soul, who was in a state of Mukthi, while He lived in it, disappear ?

Where is the God who established the National unity through Devotion and Knowledge, by traveling the length and breadth of this country ?

Where is that golden body where all the dust of this country had deposited ?

Where is the beautiful body which bathed in all the holy rivers in this land ?

Whe e is that lo el ha d surrendered to Him ?

hi h ga e A ha a

p ote tio

to all those

ho

Where are those lotus like eyes which let out a flood of love and kindness ?

Where is that holy face which soothed the worried minds which came to Him for solace ? No ash is left after the camphor burns off. Same way, Sankarar disappeared from this world after dissolving the body.

Did Sankarar disappear ?

How could He disappear ? Where is the extinction for Nectar ?

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Where is the end to Knowledge ?

Is there a waning for the moon of sacrifice?

Is there death for Love at all ?

Acharya Bagavath Padhar lives in all those places where knowledge united with kindness shines.

Even in Kaliyuga the flood of love and kindness mingled with Knowledge has not dried up.

That Knowledge mingled with love shines in the form of Kanchi Kamakoti Paramacharya.

Adhvaitam is walking amidst us.

Ambikai is speaking.

Adhi Acharya who worshipped Ambikai and preached Adhvaita also is living.

He makes us realize the way to live.

JAYA JAYA SANKARA ! HARA HARA SANKARA !

OM SHANTHI: SHANTHI: SHANTHI:

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Divya Darshan of Sri Maha Periva

Above painting of Sri Maha Periva is also done by Selvi Rutu, grand daughter of our respected moderator Sri Narayanan Bala © Copyrights reserved Kanchi Periva Forum

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

Concluding Notes by the Translator-Illustrator Sri Narayanan Bala

Pranams to MahaPeria a s Lotus feet.

Pranams to all MahaPeriava Devotees.

For the past eighteen months MahaPeriava has been pushing me from behind;

With the Power of His Anugraham, this task has been completed.

He has been the Force behind all this and I had no part to play in this except ei g a i stru e t i His A haya Hastha

.

There are better persons with better command over the languages, who would have done a better job of it; Why He chose me is known to Him only. He said to Ra.Ganapathy anna once----When he told Him that he got tired of writing a d asked Hi ( க்மா

to gi e hi

“a yasa Dheekshai----

கழியு்), therefore keep

Kar a has to

riti g… . May

e re o ed

e this

as o e

opportunity He gave me to wash off my Karma. I take it this way.

When the idea was sown into my mind, I thought of only doing the translation and posting it on the forum; but, the Administrator had different ideas, and came out with the proposal of publishing it as an eBook, on every Anusham Nakshatram; then I decided to do some drawings to go with the texts; then I

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Chapter 18 of Ja a Ja a “a ka a

thought,

hy

“ i Na a a a Bala o igi al i Ta il

ot re reate “ri Ma ia

possessi g the origi al ersio of Kalki

s dra i gs as

ot

“ i ‘a.Ga apath

a y

ould

e

agazi e .

I wanted to share those Divine drawings with all, and that would put me in so e

editatio too. That

as ho

this Yag a started and concluded today.

I thank all those who read these with patience, those who had placed some encouraging comments under every chapter—(special mention to Sri Kahanam, Sri Radha); I thank Smt. Sumathi for converting the texts and the drawings to wonderful and attractive eBooks, and the Administrator for giving me this opportunity.

I also thank two from the younger generation—my grand daughter and my good frie d “ri “u ra a ia

s gra d daughter, who have contributed with

wonderful drawings.

I also thank my neighbor and good friend Sri N.V.Subramanyam, who has been reading my manuscripts and editing them, with improved words and better construction of sentences, without which it would not have been even this good.

I request all of you to kindly condone my mistakes, omissions and commissions.

JAYA JAYA SANKARA ! HARA HARA SANKARA !.

Narayanan Bala

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