AN ANSH OF LORD SHIVA

भज गोविन्दं भज गोविन्दं, गोविन्दं भज मूढ़मते।

BHAJAGOVINDA BHAJAGOVINDAM

GOVINDAM BHAJAMUUDHAMATE

Over 2500 years ago, there was a time when the Hindu religion was being misinterpreted and there was a general fall in the faith and beliefs of the people. The Gods and the rishis went to Mount Kailash and pleaded with Lord Shiva to save the world from complete degradation. Lord Shiva agreed and assured the Gods and rishis that his Ansh, (a part of Him) would be born in the world to prevent the complete downfall of our philosophy.

At that time, in Kerala in the small village of Kaladi there lived a learned, pious brahmin, by the name of Sivaguru, and his equally devout wife, Aryamba. This pious and generous couple had spent their entire life in prayer, in giving alms to poor and helping the needy. Unfortunately, they had no children of their own. Their faith was so strong that they were certain that their prayers would one day be answered.

It so happened that Sivaguru and Aryamba decided to travel to Trichur to pray at the famous and very sacred Vadakkunathan temple. It was at this sacred temple that Lord Parsuram had installed the Linga that he had received from Lord Shiva Himself. Sivaguru and Aryamba spent 48 days in Trichur praying and offering pujas to Lord Shiva.

On their return home one night, Lord Shiva appeared to Sivaguru in a dream. The Lord said, “I have heard your prayers and will grant you a child, but you have only 2 options - a knowledgeable child who will live only a short life or a a normal son who will have a long and healthy life. Make your choice.”

In those days’ “knowledge” meant scriptural knowledge - the knowledge of the Vedas and of the Supreme. Naturally Sivaguru being a Vedic scholar and an extremely religious man chose to have a knowledgeable son who unfortunately would not have a long life.

Just as Lord Shiva had promised a child, a boy, was born to the couple. They named him Sankara, which means the one born with Lord Shiva's grace.

Sankara was extraordinarily brilliant. Incredibly, by the age of two he had studied the Puranas in Sanskrit. When he was just four his father passed away. At the age of five, he was sent to a Gurukul to study. The students at the gurukul used to go out door to door once a day requesting for alms and food. One day Sankara happened to go to the house of a very poor lady to ask for alms. The lady was so poor that she did not have a single grain of rice in her house. All she had was one amla fruit (gooseberry) which she had planned to eat later that day. Despite having no other food left for herself she gladly gave the single amla to Sankara as she did not want to send off a Brahmacari empty handed. Sankara was touched by her selflessness. He immediately folded his hands and prayed to Goddess Lakshmi to bless this good woman. On hearing his prayer Goddess Lakshmi appeared in person and showered a rain of golden gooseberries on the lady's house. The beautiful hymns that Sankara recited that day are known as the "Kanaka Dhara Stotram" - verses in praise of Goddess Lakshmi.

It was becoming increasingly apparent to his mother that her son was unlikely to marry and settle down to family life. She had hoped that he would marry someday as she wanted someone with her when she grew old and was dying. Sankara instead asked her permission to become a sadhu, an ascetic. Aryamba refused.

Then one day when both mother and son ventured to the nearby Churna river to bathe, a vicious crocodile grabbed Sankara’s leg. The crocodile began to drag him into the water. Aryamba was terrified and cried for help. But there was nobody else there. Sankara was unafraid and calm. He shut his eyes and began to pray. The crocodile kept pulling. Sankara was neck deep in water. His mother was screaming in fear and weeping woefully. It was then that Sankara shouted “Mother if you give me permission to become a sadhu, the crocodile will let me go.”

Aryamba was at that point willing to accept any conditions to save her son’s life and she immediately agreed to his request. At that very moment the crocodile released Sankara from his vicious grip. Sankara was free and miraculously completely unharmed.

Soon thereafter, with his mother’s, blessings Sankara left home in search of a true guru so that he could be formally initiated as a Sanyasi. When he reached the Narmada river, he found the river in ferocious floods. Sankara, being an Ansh of Lord Shiva had remarkable powers. Using his divine powers, he collected the gushing waters into his Kamandal (a water pot used by sanyasi's) and then released it within the banks of the river. An ascetic, Govinda Bhagavatpada, saw this miraculous occurrence and took Sankara on as his shishya (student). He taught Sankara that all of creation is a manifestation of God. It was here that Sankara, then just sixteen, wrote his commentaries on the Prasthantrayi (the Upaniṣad, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Brahma sutra). Recognizing Sankara’s brilliant intellect his guru encouraged him to leave the ashram and go out to spread the Truth throughout the country.

Accordingly, Adi Sankaracharya left his guru and travelled to Kasi. On his way Sankara met a very old Brahmin who began to debate with him about the Brahma sutra on which Sankara had given talks and written a commentary. Normally Sankara won debates with ease but in this instance Sankara was amazed by the old man’s intelligence. Their discussions continued for days. Sankara began to realize that the more they argued the clearer he became of the concepts of the Brahma sutra. It was then that it dawned on Sankara that this was no ordinary man but none other than the great Vyasa Rishi who has given us the Vedas and the puranas. He immediately fell at the revered rishi’s feet and begged for forgiveness for arguing with him, Vyasa Rishi blessed young Sankara and said, “I agree completely with your discourse and want you to spread this knowledge throughout the country.” Then knowing that Sankara had a short lifespan Vyasa rishi blessed him with 16 more years of life.

Sankaracharya had by now collected a large following of disciples. They loved, respected and trusted Sankaracharya completely. One day one of his disciples Sanandhyaya, was busy drying the clothes of his Guru, when Sankaracharya called him to the other bank of the river. Sanandhyaya, unmindful of the fact that he might drown, entered the waters and started walking across the river. So great was Sankaracharya’s powers that a lotus appeared wherever Sanandhyaya placed his foot and he made the crossing safely. Sanandhyaya’s faith in Sankaracharya was so profound that he did exactly as his Guru had asked without question and with complete trust.

When Sankara, along with his disciples, was passing through the holy city of Benaras he noticed an old pundit scholar memorising Panini’s grammar rules. Going up to the old man, Sankaracharya advised him that grammar would not be of any use to him at the time of his death. It would be wiser he said to chant the holy name of Govinda (God). Following this incident Sankaracharya composed 31 verses dedicated to Govinda known as Mohamudgara which begins with its well-known line, “Bhaj Govindam, bhaj Govindam,....,” These verses urge us to focus on God and to pray.

Once when Sankaracharya was on his way to the Vishwanath Temple a person of a lower caste accompanied by four dogs blocked his path. Sankaracharya’s disciples shouted at him and asked the man to move away from their acharya. The man smiled and reminded them, ‘Sirs according to your beliefs all creation is divine and all existence is nothing but a manifestation of God. Then why do you feel that I am different from you? Why do you ask me to move away? I too like you am God. Are you asking me to move aside or the Shiva who resides in me to do so?”

Hearing these words, Sankaracharya knew immediately that the man was no other than Lord Shiva Himself. He knew that he had been blessed by the presence of Lord Shiva and that the accompanying four dogs were the four Vedas. Instantly Sankaracharya prostrated before the Lord and sang five slokas (hymns) called "Manisha Panchakam”. Thereafter, Adi Sankaracharya received the blessings of Lord Shiva and Devi Visalakshi.

When Sankara was in Sringeri he through his powers got to know that his mother was dying. Knowing that it had been his mother’s desire that he be by her side at the time of her death the devoted son, Sankara, went back to Kaladi. His mother was delighted to see her son. Sankara stayed with her till she passed away. Thereafter he performed all her death rites and rituals before resuming his travels.

Sankaracharya walked the length and breadth of the country spreading the Advaita philosophy of non-duality. Wherever he went he gathered huge crowds and many followers. In open debates he defeated false pandits and priests, who were misinterpreting the shastras. He also triumphed over Buddhist and Jain pandits who had by then nearly wiped out the Sanatana Dharma with their philosophies. With his wisdom, he won back many misguided people and directed them on the path to righteousness.

During his travels Sankaracharya and his disciples came to a forest called Hatakeshwaram. Sankaracharya entered the forest and did penance there for many days. During this time, a wicked man named Kirakashan came to him and said, “I pray to God with human and animal sacrifice. Great Acharya would you give me your body for my next sacrifice to Lord Shiva?”

Sankaracharya readily agreed. Kirakashan was pleased and went off to get his axe to chop off Sankaracharya’s head. When he got back, the acharya was in deep meditation. Kirakashan raised his sharp, heavy axe and was about to bring it down on Sankaracharya’s head when one of the acharya’s disciples suddenly took the form of Lord Narasimha and with unbelievable ferocity pounced on Kirakashan and tore him to bits. All Sankaracharya’s other disciples watched in shocked amazement.

Sankaracharya continued his travels but to ensure that the scriptures were taught in their truest and most authentic form he founded four centres - in the north, south, east and west of India. He placed four of his principal disciples to head each mutta (ashrams of scriptural study).

When Sankaracharya had completed his travels, he went to Badrinath. At Badrimath Lord Vishnu appeared before him and told him that a sculpture of Lord Vishnu lay at the bottom of the Alaknanda river. The Lord asked Sankaracharya to remove the idol from the river bed and have it consecrated at a specially built temple. The temple in which this statue has been placed is the Badrinarayan temple - one of the foremost of religious shrines for Hindus.

As predicted Sankaracharya lived for just 32 years.

Though it has been established that Sankaracharya lived only 32 years there is much mystery surrounding his death. Many believe that he attained samadhi at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. Texts state that he was walking up towards the Himalayas when his disciples, who always had difficulty keeping up with their Acharya’s quick pace, lost all trace of him. Still others assert that Sankaracharya took ascension at Kanchipuram and there are those who believe he disappeared into Shiva in Kerala.

However, what is without doubt is that by the age of 32 Sankaracharya had fulfilled his life’s purpose - he had walked the length and breadth of the country twice over, spreading the knowledge and teaching the scriptures, he had set up Muttas for the perpetuation of Advaitic philosophy and he had guided and brought back to the path of righteousness many millions of followers.

LIFE LESSONS

1. Like Adi Sankaracharya let us always respect our parents.

2. Like Sankaracharya let us follow diligently our goal in life, whatever it maybe.

3. Let us like Sankaracharaya treat everyone with respect.

4. Let us like Sankaracharya be kind to everyone even those who are appear wicked.

5. Let us like Sankaracharya always have faith that God will protect those who are good and righteous.

.