Shankaracharya
India : Reviver of Vedic Culture
Born : AD 788
Died : AD 820
Shankaracharya’s attempts to culturally unite the country in his short life span are unprecedented and unmatched to this day. He undertook the task of reforming and reviving religion at a time when the Indian society was deeply entrenched in many ills, conservative ideas and religious fanaticism. Shankaracharya travelled throughout the country and infused a fresh life in the dying Hindu religion. Wherever he went, he compelled the great scholars of the day to concede defeat by sheer force of his scholastic arguments. To have forced the great Pandit Madan Mishra to bow before him was in itself a great achievement. By this, he tried to make these Pandits accept his philosophy of Vedic religion.
He is called jagatguru because of his contribution towards spreading of vedic culture, and for establishing many centres for the same purpose in all corners of the country. At a very young age, he composed many religious books like Brahmasutra, Manish Panchakam, Geeta Bhashya, Vivek-Chudamani, Prabodh-Sudhakar, Samvedanta-Sidhanta Sangraha. In all these, he has explained the basis of his belief. These later became the tradition.
Shankaracharya was born in a Namboodiri Brahmin family at Kaladi in Kerala. At 18 he had studied and mastered Vedas, Puranas and ?eta. Shankaracharya brought about a new awakening in the Hindu society and has thus immortalised himself.
From birth Shankar exhibited astounding intelligence. By the age of two he studied the Purans and other texts. At the age of five he was given yagnopavit sanskar (janoi), and sent to study at the guru's ashram. By the age of eight he had studied the Vedas and other scriptures. Noting the boy's ascetic inclination, his mother decided to arrange an early marriage. However, Shankar, not the least interested in mundane life, requested her permission to become an ascetic. She refused, saying that there was nobody except him to look after her. Shankar respected her decision, yet yearned to become an ascetic and embark on his mission to save Sanatan Dharma. One morning soon after, when both went to bathe in the nearby Churna river, a crocodile grabbed his leg. He cried out to his mother that if she willingly gave permission for his sannyas, the crocodile would release him. Horrified at the thought of him being killed in such a hideous manner, she reluctantly granted the permission. The crocodile instantly released him.
He then set off in search of a true guru. After meeting many sadhus, he arrived at the cave of Bhagvadpad Govind, disciple of the famous Gaudapad, on the banks of the Narmada. Shankar stood at the entrance of his cave. When Govindpad opened his eyes after returning from samadhi, he asked the child, "Who are you?"
Shankar respectfully replied by composing 10 Sanskrit aphorisms. Their essential import was, "I am not the earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind, nor space. I am chidanandrup Shiv; I am pure consciousness - the atma."
Delighted with the reply, Govindpad initiated him as his disciple. When Shankar requested a diksha mantra, Govindpad imparted four mantras, one from each Veda:
from Rg Veda: Pragnãnam Brahma – knowledge is Brahma,
from Yajur Veda: Aham brahmãsmi – I am Brahma,
from Sam Veda: Tattvamasi – you are that Brahma
and from Atharva Veda: Ayamãtmã Brahma – this atma is Brahma.
India : Reviver of Vedic Culture
Born : AD 788
Died : AD 820
Shankaracharya’s attempts to culturally unite the country in his short life span are unprecedented and unmatched to this day. He undertook the task of reforming and reviving religion at a time when the Indian society was deeply entrenched in many ills, conservative ideas and religious fanaticism. Shankaracharya travelled throughout the country and infused a fresh life in the dying Hindu religion. Wherever he went, he compelled the great scholars of the day to concede defeat by sheer force of his scholastic arguments. To have forced the great Pandit Madan Mishra to bow before him was in itself a great achievement. By this, he tried to make these Pandits accept his philosophy of Vedic religion.
He is called jagatguru because of his contribution towards spreading of vedic culture, and for establishing many centres for the same purpose in all corners of the country. At a very young age, he composed many religious books like Brahmasutra, Manish Panchakam, Geeta Bhashya, Vivek-Chudamani, Prabodh-Sudhakar, Samvedanta-Sidhanta Sangraha. In all these, he has explained the basis of his belief. These later became the tradition.
Shankaracharya was born in a Namboodiri Brahmin family at Kaladi in Kerala. At 18 he had studied and mastered Vedas, Puranas and ?eta. Shankaracharya brought about a new awakening in the Hindu society and has thus immortalised himself.
From birth Shankar exhibited astounding intelligence. By the age of two he studied the Purans and other texts. At the age of five he was given yagnopavit sanskar (janoi), and sent to study at the guru's ashram. By the age of eight he had studied the Vedas and other scriptures. Noting the boy's ascetic inclination, his mother decided to arrange an early marriage. However, Shankar, not the least interested in mundane life, requested her permission to become an ascetic. She refused, saying that there was nobody except him to look after her. Shankar respected her decision, yet yearned to become an ascetic and embark on his mission to save Sanatan Dharma. One morning soon after, when both went to bathe in the nearby Churna river, a crocodile grabbed his leg. He cried out to his mother that if she willingly gave permission for his sannyas, the crocodile would release him. Horrified at the thought of him being killed in such a hideous manner, she reluctantly granted the permission. The crocodile instantly released him.
He then set off in search of a true guru. After meeting many sadhus, he arrived at the cave of Bhagvadpad Govind, disciple of the famous Gaudapad, on the banks of the Narmada. Shankar stood at the entrance of his cave. When Govindpad opened his eyes after returning from samadhi, he asked the child, "Who are you?"
Shankar respectfully replied by composing 10 Sanskrit aphorisms. Their essential import was, "I am not the earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind, nor space. I am chidanandrup Shiv; I am pure consciousness - the atma."
Delighted with the reply, Govindpad initiated him as his disciple. When Shankar requested a diksha mantra, Govindpad imparted four mantras, one from each Veda:
from Rg Veda: Pragnãnam Brahma – knowledge is Brahma,
from Yajur Veda: Aham brahmãsmi – I am Brahma,
from Sam Veda: Tattvamasi – you are that Brahma
and from Atharva Veda: Ayamãtmã Brahma – this atma is Brahma.
आदिशङ्कराचार्यः - Shankaracharya
शङ्कराचार्यः (मलयाळम्: ശങ്കരാചാര്യൻ,शङ्कराचार्यन्) (क्रिस्ताब्दम् ७८८ - क्रिस्ताब्दम् ८२०), यस्यान्ये अभिधाने शङ्करभगवत्पादाचार्यः तथा च आदिशङ्कराचार्यः इति । आदिशङ्कराचार्यः कश्चन भारतीयः दार्शनिकः आसीत्, येन अद्वैतवेदान्तस्य सिद्धान्तः दृढतया प्रोद्बलितः । अद्वैतवेदान्तः वेदान्तस्य उपसंप्रदायः वर्तते । पूर्वमीमांसा इत्यपि एतस्य अपरं नाम । अद्वैतवेदान्तानुसारं जीवब्रह्मणोः अभेदः ब्रह्मणः निर्गुणत्वञ्च उच्यते । शङ्करः समग्रभारतवर्षस्य यात्रां कृत्वा स्वकीयं दर्शनं प्रवचनेभ्यः शास्त्रार्थेभ्यश्च प्रसारितवान् । सः दशनामी इति अद्वैतसंप्रदायस्य संघटनकर्ता मन्यते, तथा च षण्मत इति पूजनपरम्परायाः संस्थापकः मन्यते ।
संस्कृतेन रचिताः तस्य कृतयः, याः सर्वाः अपि अद्यापि प्राप्यमानाः, अद्वैतवेदान्तसिद्धान्तस्थापनविषयकाः सन्ति । सः उपनिषद्ब्रह्मसूत्रसम्मतस्य संन्यासस्य महत्तामपि प्रतिपादितवान्, यस्मिन् काले मीमांसा संप्रदायेन दृढं कर्मकाण्डं स्थापितमासीत् संन्यासश्च निन्दित: आसीत् । शङ्करः ब्रह्मविषये उपनिषदः प्रामाण्यं प्रोक्तवान् । तथा च ब्रह्मसूत्राणाम्, उपनिषदां, भगवद्गीतायाः च भाष्यं लिखितवान् । कर्मवादस्स्य प्रवर्तकेन मण्डनमिश्रेण सह ज्ञानवादं मण्डयित्वा जितवान् ।
चरितम्
केरळेषु पूर्णानद्यास्तीरे विद्यमाने कालटि ग्रामे स जज्ञे । सस्य शैशवे एव पिता शिवगुरुः दिवं प्रपेदे । अतः माता आर्यादेवी रक्षाधुरं वहन्ती शिशुं पोषयामास । असाधारणया मेधाशक्त्या स बालः सर्वान् अत्यवर्तत । पञ्चमे वयसि उपनीतः साङ्गान् वेदान् अधीते स्म । संन्यासाश्रमं प्रवेष्टुम् उत्कटेच्छा समजनि। परन्तु, माता नान्वमोदत ॥एकस्मिन् दिने मात्रा सह पूर्णानदीं प्राप्य स्नानार्थम् अवतीर्णः । एकः ग्राहः तस्य पादं जग्राह । निनाय च नदीमध्यम् । तदवलोक्य तारं क्रन्दन्तीं मातरं स ऊचे । "यदि सन्यासानुज्ञां मे दास्यसि तर्हि नूनं ग्राहो मोक्ष्यति" इति । पुत्रं जीवन्तमिच्छन्ती सा कथञ्चित् अनुमेने । झटिति ग्राहशिशुं तीरोपकण्ठमानीय अमुञ्चत् ।
अथ विलम्बं विनैव स प्रव्रजितुं निरणौषीत् । "यदा मां स्मरिष्यसि, तदा त्वामुपस्थास्यामि" इति प्रतिश्रुत्य मातरं समाश्वासयन् गृहान्निरगाच्च ॥
स देशाद्देशं परिक्रममाणः नर्मदारोधसि स्थितं गौडपादाशिष्यं गोविन्दगुरुं प्रपेदे । परावरज्ञात् तस्मात् सकलाः विद्याः संन्यासञ्च जग्राह । तदनु तस्य गुरोः आज्ञया उपनिषदां ब्रह्मसूत्राणां गीतायाश्च भाष्याणि निर्ममे । अन्यानपि बहून् ग्रन्थान् निबबन्ध । तदनु गुरुणा अनुज्ञातः गौडपादेन चानुमोदितः कैश्चित् कुतार्किकैः कदर्थितं श्रौतं मतं सुप्रतिष्ठां नेतुं प्रायतत । प्रतिदेशं भ्रममाणः विपक्षवादान् तिलशः खण्डयामास । वैदिकमद्वैतमतं सुदृढं समर्थयामास च । तत्र तत्रानेके शिष्याश्च तस्याभूवन् ॥
अनन्तरं स्वेन समर्थितं मतं प्रचारयन् शिष्यैः सह कञ्चन कालं श्रीकाशीमध्युवास । तस्य यशः दिक्षु विदिक्षु च विससार । अस्मिन् अवसरे गयायामासन्नमृत्योः कुमारिलभट्टस्य अनुज्ञानुगुणम् अयमाचार्यः माहिष्मतीमेत्य मीमांसकानामग्रगण्यस्य मण्डनमिश्रस्य सकाशे वादभिक्षामयाचत । याचनामङ्गीकृत्य मिश्रः वादाय सज्जः अभवत् । तेन सह सुदीर्घवादः प्रावर्तत । अन्ते आचार्यः मिश्रं जिगाय । पराजितो मिश्रः सबहुमानं सभक्तिकञ्च आचार्यस्य शिष्यतां वव्रे । स एव सुरेश्वराचार्य इति प्रख्यातः ॥
एवमद्वैतमतं प्रतिष्ठापयन् आचार्यः बदरिकाश्रमं गत्वा नारायणं समाराध्य तत्र कञ्चन मठं स्थापयामास । तथैव पश्चिमतः द्वारकायां, पूर्वतः पुर्यां दक्षिणतः शृङ्गगिरौ तुङ्गायास्तीरे च । तेषु चतुर्षु मठेषु यथाक्रमं स्वशिष्यान् तोटकं, हस्तामलकं, पद्मपादं, सुरेश्वरञ्च पीठाधिपतिरूपेण न्ययोजयत् । उपनिषदां सम्मतस्य अद्वैतमतस्य रक्षणे पोषणे च तानादिदेश च ॥
अत्रान्तरे आतुरया मात्रा स्मृतः योगशक्त्या तस्याः पुरस्तादाविरासीत् । उचिताभिः परिचर्याभिस्तां प्रातोषयत् । प्रत्यासन्नायां तस्याः प्राणानामुत्क्रान्तौ नूतनाभिः नूतिभिः प्रसादितदैवतैस्तामनुगृहीतां सुगतिञ्च वितेने । पारत्रिकाणि कृत्यानि च यथाविधि वितेने ॥
अथ स्वकृत्यं सर्वं कृतं मन्यमानः स काश्मीरदेशं प्रययौ । तत्र महाजनानां मनोरथं मानयन् सर्वज्ञपीठमधिष्ठानं भूषयामास । तदनु हिमालयस्थां दत्तात्रेयगुहां जगाह । ततस्सत्ये शिवे शाश्वते पदे तिरोदधे च ॥
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