ADI SHANKARACHARYA

 

Adi Shankaracharya with his four disciples: –

Padmapadacharya, Sureshwaracharya, Hastamalakacharya & Totakacharya

I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Shiva, and I am Shiva.

 Without hate, without infatuation, without craving, without greed;
Neither arrogance, nor conceit, never jealous I am;
Neither dharma, nor artha, neither kama, nor moksha am I;
I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

Without sins, without merits, without elation, without sorrow;
Neither mantra, nor rituals, neither pilgrimage, nor Vedas;
Neither the experiencer, nor experienced, nor the experience am I,
I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

Without fear, without death, without discrimination, without caste;
Neither father, nor mother, never born I am;
Neither kith, nor kin, neither teacher, nor student am I;
I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

Without form, without figure, without resemblance am I;
Vitality of all senses, in everything I am;
Neither attached, nor released am I;

I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Shiva, and I am Shiva.

—Adi Shankara, Nirvana Shatakam, Hymns 3–6

Adi Shankara, also known as Jagatguru Shankaracharya, was an iconic religious leader and philosopher. Adi Shankaracharya consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanata and revived it at a time when Hindu culture was on decline.

            Adi Shankaracharya is considered to be the ideal Sanyasi. Adi Shankara was born in Kalady, Kerala during 788 AD and he disappeared at Kidarnath at the young age of 32 in year 820 AD.   It is commonly accepted that he lived about one thousand two hundred years ago though there are historical sources which indicate that he lived in earlier period. His accomplishments during short life span of 32 years seem a marvel even today, with our modern conveyances and other facilities.         

             At the tender age of eight, burning with the desire for Liberation, he left home in search of his Guru. From the southern state of Kerala, the young Shankara walked about 2000 kilometers— to the banks of the river Narmada, in the central plains of India, to his Guru— Govindapada. He stayed there serving his Guru for four years. Under his teacher’s compassionate guidance, the young Shankaracharya mastered all the Vedic scriptures.

            The word ‘Veda’ is derived from the Sanskrit vid to know. Sayanacarya has defined Veda ‘as a book which reveals the knowledge of supernatural methods for the achievement of the desired object and avoidance of the undesirable’. The term ‘Veda’ is used by the Hindus to denote four collections of sacred books, called respectively, The Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda.        

          At the age of twelve, his Guru deemed that Shankara was ready to write commentaries on major scriptural texts. At his Guru’s command Shankara wrote commentaries elucidating the subtle meanings hidden in the teachings of the scriptures. At the age of sixteen, he dropped his pen having completed writing all the major treatises. From the age of sixteen to thirty-two Shankaracharya went forth, travelling across the length and breadth of ancient India bringing to the hearts of the masses the life-giving message of the Vedas. “Brahman, Pure Consciousness, is the Absolute Reality. The world is unreal. In essence the individual is not different from Brahman.” Thus by the statement “Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya, Jeevo Brahmaiva Na Para”, he condensed the essence of the voluminous scriptures.

            Apart from his immense intellectual and organizational abilities, Shankaracharya was an exquisite poet with a heart brimming with Love of the Divine. He composed 72 devotional and meditative hymns like Soundarya Lahari, Sivananda Lahari, Nirvana Shalkam, Maneesha Panchakam. He also wrote 18 commentaries on the major scriptural texts including the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and 12 major Upanishads. He also authored 23 books on the fundamentals of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy which expound the principles of the non-dual Brahman. These include Viveka Chudamani, Atma Bodha, Vaakya Vritti, Upadesa Sahasri, among others.

           At the age of fifteen, Shankara reached Kashi and started to spread the Advaita philosophy, and started writing the commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads, and Bhagvad Gita. During his stay at Kashi, he wrote Bhaja Govindam. In a very short time, he had established himself as an authority on Vedanta philosophy. Shankara proceeded to tour the vast country of India and to establish his philosophy. This is often referred to as his Dig-Vijaya. His spiritual insights and vast knowledge won him many debates, and subsequently many disciples.

             At this time, he received the tidings of his mother’s grave illness. He rushed to the bedside to his dying mother at Kaladi. He tried to explain to her the majestic philosophy of Advaita, the image of the illusionary world, and Nirgun Brahman. However, this frightened the poor woman who lacked the philosophical acumen of Shankara. Then the Shankara, the king among Janis, resorted to bhakti and composed various hymns in praise of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The chanting of these verses calmed her and she reached Brahmaloka. He performed the cremation rites for her despite opposition from the ritualistic kinsmen. It is said that a visit to Kaladi is unfulfilled unless one visits this place of cremation and the spot where Shankara was granted Sanyas by his loving mother. Shortly after the death of his mother, Shankara had to endure the blow of another death – his guru, Govinda. He paid his last respects to Govinda and established a temple in his honour.

            Shankara travelled across the country to propagate his philosophy through discourses and debates with other thinkers.  Shankara has an unparalleled status in the tradition of Adyaita Vedanta. He travelled all over India to help restore the study of the Vedas. During his travels across the length and breadth of India, he established four maths (ashrams) to unify the scattered and diverse groups of Sanyasis. Four maths were established, about 700 AD, in four different corners of India. He selected four of his senior most disciples to head each of these maths. Each of these maths were assigned the task of maintaining and preserving for posterity, one of the four Vedas and a Maha Vakya. Shankaracharya reorganized all the Sanyasis in India into ten main groups (the Dasanami Sannyasa Tradition) allocated to different maths. Historical and literary evidences also exist which prove that the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt at Kancepuram, in Tamil Nadu, was also founded by Shankaracharya. Establishing four maths in the four quadrants of the country, opening temples, organizing halls of education, this mighty master left nothing undone in maintaining what he achieved. Among the four Maths two of them in the East and West were set up on the sea shore, while the Maths in the North and South were set up in the mountain regions. Shankaracharya had four prominent disciples who carried on his work. These four disciples were Padmapada (Sanandan), Hastamalak, Mandan Mishra, Totak (Totacharya). Sri Sureshwaracharya, who hailed from the North, was placed in charge of the Math in the South, while Totaka from the South was sent to Badri in the North. He made it mandatory that the Nampootiris from Kerala should perform Puja at Badri, while the Brahmins from Karnataka were assigned for Nepal. Likewise He ordained Maharashtra Brahmins to do Pujas at Rameshwaram. This shows what a broadminded he had been when it came to leadership in matters of national interest.

        His next journey was to Kashmir where he again held his philosophical acumen and triumphed in various debates including debates on tantric practices which were prevalent at that time. Dr. Ved Kumari in 'The Nilamata Purana’ writes that according to writer of 'Sankara Digvijaya' -- 'Sankara visited Kashmir after giving a final blow to Buddhism in the rest of India". PN Magazine, a research scholar of repute, writes in 'Shankaracharya Temple and Hill' that Shankaracharya visited Kashmir with the intention of advancing Vedantic knowledge. That time Kashmiris were culturally and spiritually much advanced and believed strongly in the greatness of both Shiva and Shakti. Shankara did not, at that time, when he visited Kashmir, believe in Shakti cult PN Magazine mentions that Shankaracharya with his party camped outside the city of Srinagar, without any boarding and lodging arrangements. Seeing the plight of visitors a virgin was sent to meet Shankara. She found the party uneasy and frustrated because of not being able to cook as no fire was made available to them. The first glimpse of Shakti was exhibited to Shankara by this girl, when Shankara expressed his inability to make a fire, in reply to girl's question that you are so great, cannot you make fire. The girl picked up two thin wooden sticks (samidhas) into her hand, recited some mantras and rubbed the sticks and fire was produced to the surprise of Shankara. PN Magazine further adds that later a Shastrarth (religious discourse) was arranged between Shankara and a Kashmiri woman. This discourse continued for 17 days. Shankaracharya yielded before the lady in discussion and accepted the predominance of Shakti cult (greatness of Devi). According to PN Magazine, after accepting predominance of Shakti cult, Shankara wrote Saundarya Lahari, in praise of Shakti, at the top of the hill, known till then as Gopadari Hill.

          The method of yoga, encouraged in Shankara's teachings notes Comans; includes withdrawal of mind from sense objects as in Patanjali's system, but it is not complete thought suppression, instead it is a “meditative exercise of withdrawal from the particular and identification with the universal, leading to contemplation of oneself as the most universal, namely, Consciousness.”  Describing Shankara's style of yogic practice, Comans writes in Philosophy East & West: “ the type of yoga which Sankara presents here is a method of merging, as it were, the particular (visesa) into the general (samanya). For example, diverse sounds are merged in the sense of hearing, which has greater generality insofar as the sense of hearing is the locus of all sounds. The sense of hearing is merged into the mind, whose nature consists of thinking about things, and the mind is in turn merged into the intellect, which Sankara then says is made into 'mere cognition' (vijnanamatra); that is, all particular cognitions resolve into their universal, which is cognition as such, thought without any particular object. And that in turn is merged into its universal, mere Consciousness (prajnafnaghana), upon which everything previously referred to ultimately depends”.

           The teachings of Shankara can be summed up in half a verse: “Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah— Only the Brahman (the self) is real. He taught that supreme Brahman (self) is Nirguna (without the Gunas), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without attributes) and Akarta (non-agent). Brahman (self) is above all needs and desires. This world is unreal and the Jiva or the individual soul is non-different from Brahman (Self). The soul is identical with Brahman (self).This is the quintessence of his philosophy.

           When Shankaracharya decided to enter ‘samadhi,’ the foremost disciple of Shankara, requested that the essentials of his teaching may be summarized and given to them. Adi Shankara then said the Dasa Shlokas, or ten verses, which elaborated the omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence of Brahman – the core concept of Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma); 

1. The five elements do no express my real nature; I am changeless and persist forever.

2. I am above caste and creed. I am seen when ‘maya’ is removed, and do not need concentration or worship as shown in Yoga Sutras.

3. I have no parents I need no Vedas as proclaimed in the scriptures, no sacrifices, no pilgrimages. I am the eternal witness.

4. All the teachings of various religions and philosophies do not reveal my true nature and are but shallow views of my deep being.

5. I pervade the whole universe and am above, in the middle and below, in all directions.

6. I am colorless, formless, light being my form.

7. I have no teacher, scripture or any disciples, nor do I recognize Thou or I, or even the universe and am changeless and the absolute knowledge.

8. I am neither awake, in deep sleep nor dreaming, but above consciousness with which the three are associated. All these are due to ignorance and I am beyond that.

9. I pervade everything, everywhere and the eternal reality and self-existent. The whole universe depends on me and become nothing without me.

10. I cannot be called one, for that implies two, which is not. I am neither isolated nor non-isolated, neither am I empty or full.

              Adi Shankara, Madhava and Ramanuja, were the three great masters who actively involved in the revival of Hinduism. They formed philosophical doctrines that are still followed by their respective sects. They have been revered as the most important figures in the history of Hindu philosophy.

              There are at least fourteen different known biographies of Adi Shankara's life. Many of these are called the Sankara Vijaya, while some are called Guruvijaya,  Sankarabhyudaya and Shankaracaryacarita. Of these, the Brhat-Sankara-Vijaya by Citsukha is the oldest biography but only available in excerpts, while Sankaradigvijaya by Vidyaranya and  Sankaravijaya by Anandagiri are the most cited. (Mayeda, Sengaku (2006). A thousand teachings: Upadesasahasri of Sankara. Other significant biographies are the Madhaviya Sankara Vijayaṃ (of Madhava, 14th century), the Cidvilsiya Saṅkara Vijayaṃ (of Cidvilasa, between the 15th and 17th centuries), and the Keraļiya Saṅkara Vijayaṃ (of the Kerala region, extant from the 17th century). These, as well as other biographical works on Shankara, were written many centuries to a thousand years after Shankara's death, in Sanskrit and non-Sanskrit languages. The biographies vary in their description of where he went, who he met and debated and many other details of his life. Most mention Shankara studying the Vedas, Upanishads and Brahmasutra with Govindapada, and Shankara authoring several key works in his youth, while he was studying with his teacher.  (Isaeva, Natalia (1993) Shankara and Indian Philosophy)

Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti is celebrated every year by his devotees during the Shukla Paksha Panchami Tithi of Vaishakha or the fifth day of the Full Moon lunar fortnight.

The Legend of Shankaracharya Jayanti:

              Shankara was born to a humble Nambudri Brahmin couple in Kaladi (in the present day Kerala) in 788CE. His parents, Shivaguru and Aryamba, who were a childless couple, had prayed to Lord Shiva to bless them with a child. Soon, they had a baby boy who went on to become a great teacher. A legend associated with Shankaracharya considers him an incarnation of Lord Shiva himself, who had appeared in Aryamba’s dream and promised to take birth as her child. Some believed that Lord Shiva incarnated on earth to restore order at a time when there was absence of harmony and mankind was deprived of spirituality.

             As he grew up, Shankaracharya traveled several places to find a suitable Guru. After observing severe penance, he found the ashram of Govinda Bhagavathpada, better known as Patanjali. He was a learned philosopher of the Vedanta School of Thought. Shankara became the disciple of Govinda, under whose guidance he learnt about the Vedas and the six Vedangas. Govinda also guided Shankara to preach the tenets of Advaita Vedanta. It is said that Lord Vishnu visited Shankara at Badrinath and asked him to make a statue of the deity in Alaknanda River. In the present time, the temple is popular as Badrinarayan Temple.

(Compiled by Chaman Lal Gadoo)