Canto VIII—Depicting of Digvijaya

Śaṅkara passed through the Maharashtra country. He reached the great place of pilgrimage called Śrīśaila.^[1] That wooded place was so dear to Śiva. It was pleasant with the breeze blowing through the thick growth of trees and bearing the fragrance of jasmine flowers. It was also full of huge lions who battled with elephants and smashed their foreheads. Near Śrīśaila there was a holy river whose bossom was always tossed into high waves. Śaṅkara went to that river and took his bath in its holy waters. Śrīśaila had high peaks that kissed the skies. Birds were flying aloft about its breast while the holy river was washing its feet. Śaṅkara ascended this mountain and so the great Śivaliṃga installed on it. He worshipped the image of Śiva called Mallikārjuna liṅga along with that of Bhramarambika His divine consort.

Encounter with Fierce Bhairava

One day Kāpālika, the embodiment of all the cruelties came to meet Śaṅkara, who had conquered all the passions and was taking rest at that time. He was not without an evil interior to kill Śaṅkara. Kāpālika started praising Śaṅkara by telling about his great qualities. He was in the guise of an ascetic. According to him Śaṅkara was omniscient, merciful, a good debator and even able to remove the sufferings and anxiety of good men by his look. All world respected him and he was the ocean of all virtues. Kāpālika told Śaṅkara that he wanted to reach Kailāsa with his physical body and enjoy the heavenly happiness.^[2] For this purpose he had been performing austerities two hundred years and Śiva gave him a boon that he had to offer the head of either a King or an all knowing person. Kāpālika was fortunate enough to see a person like Śaṅkara who lived only for the good of others. He was hopeful about his request because Śaṅkara already knew that the body was perishable and only soul mattered, Śaṅkara lived only for the good of others. Moreover he was desireless. On the other hand, Kāpālika was selfish and he needed the head of Śaṅkara to offer the sacrifice. After presenting his needs thus, he prostrated before Śaṅkara.

Śaṅkara gladly accepted his request and he made him to know his consent on the matters but on one condition. Kāpālika could take his head when Śaṅkara was at a solitary spot in the state of Samādhi. He could not do it publically because his disciples would obstruct it if they got any inkling of that arrangement.

Padmapāda Destroys Kāpālika’s Plan

Śaṅkara and Kāpālika fixed a date on a secret meeting place to execute the mission of chopping Śaṅkara’s head. Kāpālika arrived at that secret place with all the arrangements. He appeared highly stressed with red eyes rolling under the effect of liquor. His garlands were of bones and he stood in readiness to chope Śaṅkara’s head. Śaṅkara withdrew his self from all his senses and stood uttering the holy word ‘Om’ at that solitary spot. Sanandana and other disciples were unaware of that event which was going to take place. He sat there in the state of Nirvikalpa Samādhi like the sage Sanatsujāta. As Śaṅkara was withdrawn into pure consciousness he was oblivious of the physical environment. With uplifted sword Kāpālika approached Śaṅkara to cut off his head. Suddenly the whole plot flashed on the divine mind of the disciple Padmapāda (Sanandana). The picture burnt the disciple’s all personality. He became a burning man of fire due to devotion towards his Guru. Padmapāda who had attained Siddhi in the maṇṭra of Nṛsiṃha became the Nṛsiṃha himself. He became the embodiment of fierceness and wildness. He leapt in to the sky roaring and frightened everything including Gods. The whole nature was agitated and Padmapāda caught hold of Kāpālika and tore open his chest with his nails. He lifted up with his ‘Daṃṣṭra’ the body of Kāpālika and roared spreading terror in the neighbourhood. All the other disciples hurried back to Āśrama and saw Ācārya in Samādhi and the corpse of Kāpālika lying nearby.

Padmapāda’s Story about Nṛsiṃha

The disciples wanted to know how Lord Nṛsiṃha happened to be gracious to Sanandana and how did he do that great deed through him. Sanandana replied that he had performed several austerities on the top of the mountain Bala inorder to propitiate Lord Nṛsiṃha. Lord Nṛsiṃha responded to his whole hearted devotion. He had performed the pūjas for a very long time and one day a hunter asked him why he was staying in that cave for so long. He replied that he had been in search of a wonderful being who had a human body and a lion’s face. Hearing this he went into the forest and returned with Nṛsiṃha tied with creepers. Sanandana was astonished to see it and asked how could a hunter please a divine Being like Nṛsiṃha. The hunter could whole heartedly concentrate on him where even sages failed. Accroding to Nṛsiṃha even Sanandana too failed to concentrate that much. So saying Nṛsiṃha blessed Sanandana and disappeared.

Once again Nṛsiṃha roared defining the quarters. Śaṅkara woke up from his Samādhi and saw Nṛsiṃha standing before him, his manes were white like moon. His eyes were flowing like the sun. His body was showing brightly like numerous suns appeared together. His fore head resembled the sun. On his body blood stains were seen which was gushed out from the body of Kāpālika. His body was soon opened by Nṛsiṃha. Śrī Vāsta mark was visible on his chest and on his neck the Kaustubha. Fire issued out of his tongue licking the skies. From the pores of his skin sparks of fire were flying out everywhere. His face, with teeth grimly pressed, evoked awe even in the minds of Brahma and Śiva. They appealed to him to be pacified.

Ācārya’s Hymn to Nṛsiṃha

The great Ācārya saw before him the fearsome form of Nṛsiṃha. Its lolling tongue produced lightning in different directions. Śaṅkara praised him with overflowing devotion and said Him to abandon his ferocious anger. The enemy had already died. He made him to know about the need to be pacified. He pleaded him by telling that he was of sātvika nature and the one who thinks of him at death would be liberated from all the sins. He also point out to the incident of Prahlāda and his father Hiranyakāśipu and how He validated the words of Prahlāda. He always blessed the world. The evil spirits are terrified at the mention of His name. He was the source of all the noble qualities. By telling these words Śaṅkara added that his terrific roars could destroy the miseries of all and His terrific voice surpassed the sound of Hara’s Damaru and the churning of milk ocean. That voice would defeat the granting of the cosmic boar, which even encelled the sound of thunders. The devotees of Nṛsiṃha could fulfil all dreams if they studied that great event with purity, faith and devotion.

The Coming of some Disciples

One day the Ācārya was travelling with his disciples on pilgrimage. They reached Gokarṇa on the sea-shore. The Ācārya worshipped Śiva who was adored by Brahma and all other gods. The Ācārya composed a song to praise Śiva that he meditated on Śiva, who was the destroyer of cupid and whole right side was illuminated by, his own, radiants of sky like whiteness and his left side was bright with the presence of his consort Pārvatī. One hand of the Śiva half is shivering as the deer leaned to nibble at the grass like beams of Devi half. The left arm of Devi half also shivered as the parrot in his hand struggled to the peck upto the corns of brilliance coming from Śiva’s half. In that divine brightness the darkness of the poison mark on Śiva’s neck was invisible by the light of Māṅgalyasūtra on Devi’s neck. Ācārya was then submerged in non dual consciousness. For three or four days Śaṅkara stayed at the holy spot of Gokarna on the seashore.

Coming of the Disciple Hastāmalaka

Śaṅkara stayed several days there receiving the homage of many spiritual aspirants. During his stay, he took the food obtained by begging or Bhikṣā.^[3] One of those days he visited with disciples a village of Brahmana named Śrībāli. There every house emitted the holy smell of the smoke of Agnihotra sacrifice. There lived about two thousand Brahmanas who had abandoned all prohibited actions and spent all their time in the study of the Veda, in the performance of Swadharma and Yajñās. There was a temple that installed by Lord Śiva and his consort incombination. It looked like an ornament of gold studded with gems, or the sky with the disk of the moon. Among the inhabitants of that village was one named Prabhakara, an expert in learning, holiness and beneficiance. He had plenty of cattles, wealth and relatives. But he was not happy because his only son was dumb and behaved like an idiot. The boy was handsome in appearance and very gentle and patient in demeanour. His behaviour in other respects was like that of an idiot-hearing nothing, talking nothing and sitting in some corner alone in reverie. That Brahmana Prabhakara was spending anxious days and awaiting an opportunity to approach some wise man to know the cause of his son’s strange behaviour. It is considered it was due to possession, the result of past actions, or merely his nature. That person heard that a great personage accompanied by many disciple and moving with a big library of books, had come to the village, and he decided to approach him with his son. Following the injuction that one should not visit with empty hand a diety, a King or a spiritual teacher he approached Śaṅkara with a load of fruits and prostrated before him. The boy idiotic in behaviour, continued to be in the prostrate position and refused to get up.^[4] The sage lifted him up in his infinite merely, and the boy was standing there, with face looking down. His father asked Śaṅkara to enlighten him on the cause of the strange behaviour of his son. He said that he is now seven years old, and his mind seem to be undeveloped. He was not even learnt the alphabets, not to speak of the Vedas. The early period of his life was thus gone in vain. Boys of his age come and call him for play, but he does not join them. When he is sitting silent, boys beat him. But he will not show any sign of annoyance. He does not need any instruction. I never try to rectify him by punishment, but have left it to his fate to direct his future. When Brahmana finished his submission, Śaṅkara addressed the boy thus “Who are you? why are you behaving like an inert being? “Hearing Śaṅkara’s question the boy replied that he is not a inert thing. Even an inert thing becomes conscious in association with me. I am one with individual bliss, free from six states of grief. Like infatuation, hunger, thirst, old age and death and also from the six conditions beginning, continuance, growth, change, decay and destruction. This consciousness of the Ātman is common to all liberated once. In this manner, in twelve verses, he expounded the doctrine of the spiritual Self. As the knowledge of the self was natural to him like an Āmalaka fruit in one’s hand, then he became famous under the name of Hastāmalaka. The Ācārya was surprised to see that this boy had the knowledge of the Ātman even with out the instruction of a teacher. And after he blessed him placing his hands on his head. And then the Ācārya said to the boy’s father. It is not befitting this boy should stay with you. And this behaviour is like that of idiot, what good can you derive by his stay with you? This apparently dumb son of yours knows the truth of the Ātman by virtue of his practices in his past life. Then he added he must be having inborn intuitive knowledge. He has not the least attachment to house and prosperity. Nor has the any sense of Iness with regard to the body. How can one who knows all these objects, including the body, as external and unconnected with our self have any identification with them? Then Ācārya took that boy also in to his party and started towards his next destination. The boy’s father also followed him for some distance and then returned to his place.

Śaṅkara at Śṛṅga–Giri and the coming of Toṭaka

After Śaṅkara and his disciple including Padmapāda travelled to the place called Śṛṅgagiri or Śrīṅgeri. In that place the sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga had for a long time meditated on the Supreme Self. Nearby flows the Tuṅgabhadra which brings good to all who bath in its waters. That place was inhabited by a large number of virtuous people who were noted for their hospitality and the performance of Vedic Yajñās. The Ācārya expounded to learned and receptive scholars his commentaries. That is so profound that even by hearing them one advances in the path of salvation. There at Śrīṃgagiri, he had a temple, a graceful as those of Indraloka, built and installed there in an image of the Divine mother and instituted Her forms of worship. At the end of Maṇḍana Miśra’s episode, he had received the promise from the Divine mother (as Ubhayabharati) that she would reside wherevere he would invoke her in future. So Śaṅkara installed Her there at Śṛṅgagiri under the name of mother Sārada. She resides even to this day, granding devotees their prayers. At that place a new desiciple named Giri joined the Ācārya. He was noted for his obedience and industry. His devotion to the service of the teacher was very high. Thus he would take his bath very early before his teacher and make all arrangements for his personal needs like cleaning the teeth, ablutions, sitting, sleeping in etc. He always walked behind the teacher, stopped when he stopped, listened attentively to whatever he said, and did everything for him even without being told. One day, this disiciple had gone to wash his teacher’s clothes and late in returing. So the teacher, out of love for the disciple, delayed his discourse for a time, awaiting his arrival. Some of the other disciples started chanting at the beginning of the class, but the teacher stopped and asked them to wait for a while until the disciple Giri returned. Then Padmapāda says that whom we to wait? What qualification has that fellow, so dull as that wall for the study of the Sastra? Inorder to dispel the pride of this disciple and out of his love for the one they traduced, the Ācārya awakened in him, by an act of will, the knowledge of fourteen subjects. With the Grace of Guru, the disciple Giri arrived there uttering a great hymn in the metre known as Toṭaka. For this reason he is later known as Toṭaka. He is the supporting tree of the Ācārya who grows the creeper of devotion. He takes its root at his own and watered by his grace. On that creeper, on the stalk called ‘Toṭaka’, has grown this fruit of a wonderful poem which will for all time will be realised by the superb parrots, ‘the men of wisdom’. The devotion to the Guru is an aid like a ladder that helps man in ascending to that high, sky–transcending state of spiritual absorption, from which all the three worlds look very small. The grace of the Ācārya enabled the fool of this fellow to compose the great poem in Totaka metre that embodied all the highest teaching of the Veda. He has come to known as Toṭakācārya among wisemen. Equal to Padmapāda himself in learning and intelligence, he came to be known as one of the chief disciples of Śaṅkara. On seeing these four main disciples of the Ācārya Hastāmalaka, Padmapāda, Sureśvara and Toṭaka people became wondered whether they were the four Vedas themselves embodied, or the four Puruṣartas, the four values of Dharma, Aṛha, Kāma and Mokṣa. Śaṅkara shone with his fame spreading everywere whitening the quarters, as if it were the spray that splashed from the milk ocean on being churned with Maṇḍāra mountain. He shone amidst the luminaries constituted of his disciples, who were competent to put down by their very look the pride of schools representing the various spurious and dubious doctrines.

Preaching of Brahma Vidyā

One day his disciple Sureśvara, desireous of writing some exegesis on his master’s great commentary on the ‘Śārīrakabhāṣya’, approached him and said “great teacher, you please tell me how I could help you in your mission. My only ambition is the service of my teacher”. Hearing this words Śaṅkara became very happy. He said that you may write for my commentary a Vārtikam (an exegesis giving a critical exposition). Sureśvara said that he was not equipped enough to have a comprehensive understanding of your great commentary and added that if I have your grace, I shall try to do as you have ordered.^[5] After that incident some of his disciples approached Śaṅkara and began to warn him and said that this effort of Sureśvara, in place of helping the propogation of your message, may have a contrary effect. He was till the other day, a great upholder of the philosophy of ritualistic Karma. Maṇḍana had been preaching that ritualistic Karma that giving the fruit of heaven is the message of the Veda. It said there is no God other than Karma. All Purāṇas speak of the creation and destruction of the worlds as a real process. Vyāsa was the author of all these Purāṇās. The founder of ritualistic philosophy is Jaimini. He was the disciple of Vyāsa. Both Vyāsa and Jaimini said that the world and its process are real. For, there is no difference between the disciple and his teacher. There can be no difference in view and even if there is, the teacher’s is the Siddhanta or the thesis, on the doctrine and the disciple but a modification of it. Such were the views he held while he was Maṇḍana. From his birth he has been following and preaching the ritualistic code. That holds that all doctrines differing from the view that the attainment of the heavenly felicities through the performance of Vedic rituals is the highest end of life. That is worthless. An exegesis that a person with such views writes on your works is bound to be a perversion of your commentaries. That is like applying the axe at one’s own roots. Getting defeated in debate, he took Saṃnyāsa in a weak moment, and not because he has real faith in it. He can not be relied upon. We are firmly of the opinion that he should not be entrusted with the duty of writing this exegesis.

According to his view, no one who has competence to do Vedic rituals should abandon it. Saṃnyāsa is meant for those who are idiots, lame, blind or in otherways disabled and are in capable of the strenuous life of a ritualistic house holder. This is the view that the followers Kumārila Bhaṭṭa have been propogting and Sureśvara till now known as Mandana, belongs to that school of thought. He should never be trusted. So please permit us to draw your attention to the most competent person. You might remember that some time back when all of us disciples were standing on the opposite side of the Gaṅgā, you called us to come to you quickly, as a test of our devotion to the teacher. In that time Sanandana walked straight over the swiftly flowing waters of the Gaṅgā. Seeing his uncommon devotion o the teacher, mother Gaṅgā supported each step he took with a lotus. All are pleased to see him to cross the Gaṅga walking over lotuses, you are pleased to give him the name of Padmapāda. He is born with knowledge and who by your grace has completely got over the sense of duality. No doubt among us, he is the most competent person to write an exegesis on your profound commentaries. If an alternative person is required, there is Totaka who, by virtue of his great austerities and your grace, has aquired the blessing of the goddess of learning. The Viswarupa alias Maṇḍana, alias Sureśvara has been a fanatical believer in the philosophy of Vedic ritualism. O great teacher, please don’t have much confidence in him? Let the work of producing the exegesis be given to Padmapāda.

Antecedents of Hastāmalaka

Padmapāda went near the Ācārya and began to say that here is Hastāmalaka who is competent to write the exegesis. His mastery of the śāstrās is like a gooseberry fruit on one’s palm, and hence you have given him, the name Hastāmalaka. Hearing these words, Śaṅkara said he is very clever person but he is always absorbed in the spirit and has very little external awareness. He did not study the Vedas under an instructor. He had no interest in food or play, nor did he ever speak a word. Hearing that he was possessed by some ghost they brought this boy to me. When he saw the Ācārya he prostrated before me again and again. He stood before me with palms folded in salutation. All of them were astonished to see the sudden change in boy’s behaviour. After that I asked him about his name, the name of his father etc. And then he began to speak the beautiful verses conveying the spirit of Vedanta philosophy. Hearing his son’s wonderful power of expression for the first time, his father was astounded and said that his son had wonderful power. His body was considered dumb and idiotic till now. Then he added that the boy is now know the truth of the Atman in a way that even highly intelligent scholars cannot do. He must have been born as a liberated soul. So please let him now follow you as a disciple. Ever since his father left him, he has been with me. But one like him, whose mind is immersed in Brahman from infancy will not be able to concern himself such scholarly undertakings like writing an exegesis on the commentaries.

Hearing these Ācārya’s words, his disciples asked that how did he gain this knowledge of the Ātman without receiving instruction in scriptures and other spiritual practices? Śaṅkara replied that once there lived on the banks of the Yamuna a highly involved saint who had overcome the bondage of Saṃsāra. A Brahmana woman had come for bath in the Yamuna. Her child fell in to the river. Picking up the dead body of the child, the woman came near the hermitage of ascetic and began to cry aloud in great distress. Taking pity on child’s mother, the Yogi by his psychic powers, entered into the body of the inert child, who is now known as Hastāmalaka.^[6] For this reason, he had a spontaneous knowledge of all scriptures without the aid of any instruction. He is a knower of the Self and there is nothing that he does not know. Yet a person so indrawn like him is not suited to write scholarly work which require a good deal of externalisation of consciousness. Under this situation Maṇḍana who combines in himself all learning and the knowledge of the self, is more competent to do this work, is he not? He is a man of great reputation and knower of all Śāstrās, and one who has struggled hard in the Pursuit of Dharma. In that reason, he is not suited for the work. Then Śaṅkra added that if most of you are opposed to the idea, I do not want to persist in it. But I am afraid the whole scheme my fail. If you command this Sanandana or Padmapāda would it not materialise? He adopted Saṃnyāsa directly from the Bhrahmacarya, without passing through the house holder’s life. He was well instructed and well qualified. Śaṅkara emphasised that Sanandana is certainly well qualified. So let him write an independent exegesis. The he says that Sureśvara, our new disciple also carry out the work that he has already undertaken. After Śaṅkara called Sureśvara and said Don’t proceed with your exegesis. The other disciples do not seem to have sufficient confidence in your competence to do the work. They say that, Maṇḍana had held the view that monasticism (Saṃnyāsāśrama) is foreign to the Vedas, and that you have instructed your gate keepers never to allow any Saṃnyāsin to enter the precincts of your home. For these reason, the other disciples have no confidence in you. So you better write an independent work and show me. In this manner the difficulty created by the suspicious of the other disciples can be overcome. The Ācārya settled the question thus, but he had in his mind the fear that the exegesis might not come off at all.

Sureśvara and his Exegesis

On Śaṅkarācārya’s fresh instruction in view of the objections of the other disciples, Sureśvara made his work called the “Naiṣkarmya Siddhi” . This work establishes the unmodified nature of the Ātman. It is famous for the beauty of its style and the soundness of its reasoning. Ācārya became very happy and showed it to the disciples. They felt pleased with it, and felt convinced that Sureśara was unrivalled in the correct understanding of the meaning of the scriptures. Ācārya’s disciples highly praised this work. Then Surevśara declared that “I started on the work of writing an exegisis on the commentaries of our Ācārya at his command, others have obstructed it. Who ever may produce such a work hereafter, may not gain currency in the world of scholars. Sureśvara says that he dedicated his new work to the Ācārya and prayed thus it was not any thought of fame for gain or patronage that indused me to produce this work. It was his return in obedience to the teachers. If there is not such obedience, where is relation between Guru and disciple. Today I have not the least trait of a house holder, just as a youth would not have the traits of a child, and an old man, of a youth. Nothing remains in me as a Gṛhastha or house holder just because I was that once. Mind is the cause of bondage and liberation. If a man is pure in mind, it is immaterial if he is a Saṃnyāsin or a house holder. According to Sureśvara that no Āśrama like Saṃnyāsa was sanctioned by the Veda. He added that I have entered in to debate with you the wager that the defeated party should adopt the Āśrama of the winner. The custom followed by me in my home life was to deny entry and Bhikṣā to Saṃnyāsin in my place. I became a saṃnyāsin not merely because I was defeated in argument, but because through your instruction. I was able to grasp the truth of the Ātman and feel the urge for renunciation of the world and all its attachments. After all, the purpose of a debate is to arrive at the truth. In my days as a house holder, I wrote scholarly books to combat the views of the followers of the Nyāya school of philosophy. After I renounced the world, I desire for nothing except the service of your feet. By luck indeed is the man, and liberated is he from all debts, who is able to serve you in your efforts to combat and extinguish the flames of pride and jealousy burning in the minds of various sophistical controversialists who are working for discrediting the doctrine of Advaita in the eyes of wise men.

After Maṇḍana finished his submission, Śaṅkara demanded him to write an exegesis on the commentary on the Vedanta Sūtras. Śaṅkara now thought of entrusting him with the work of writing exegesis on two of his commantaries, those on the ‘Bṛhadāraṇyaka and the Taittirīya Upaniṣad’. The commentaries are very meaningful, melodious and forceful, words based on sound reasoning. They are full of arguments in support of the Vedantic thesis and in refutation of opposite views. Then Ācārya said to Sureśvara, what you have said is the truth I appreciate your modesty. I have written a commentary on the ‘Taittirīya Upaniṣad’. That commentary is dear to my heart. Please write an exegesis on that commentary. There is also another commentary of mine on the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad. You can produce another exegesis on that also. Your sorrow will be completely assuaged by this. Don’t fear that, as before, anyone can make me withdraw this permission. I give you my word. In obedience to Ācārya’s words, Viśvarūpa soon produced the works on the two commentaries of the Ācārya and presented them to him. Some time after, Sanandana too as directed by the teacher, wrote a treatise on the Ācāryas commentary on the Vedanta Sūtras. The first part of it is the famous as “Pañcapā dikā ” and the remaining portion is called the Vṛtti. Padmapāda proved in these works, with the force of reasoning and great scholarship, that the Ācārya’s arrangements and interpretations of the Sūtras of Vyāsa are on the correct line. He offered this as his Guru Dakṣinā. Śaṅkara then told Sureśvara in privacy in pañcapā dikā, only five chapters especially those portions dealing with the first four Sūtras, will receive the attention of posterity. Owing to your Prārabdha you will have another birth as Vachaspati, when you will write an extensive exposition of the commantaries on the Sūtras. That work will be the guide for men to understand the meaning of the commentary for all time. After telling these words to Sureśvara, he asked Ānandagiri (the same as Totaka) and other disciples to write works on Advaita, and all of them produced works full of spiritual favour according to their capacity.

Padmapāda’s Pilgrimage

Śaṅkara travelled through several places, refuting the docrines of hostile philosophies and then he reached Vaikuṇṭa awaiting the arrival of Padmapāda. During that time he visited many holy places in the Northern part of the country and reached the Southern region. Then he arrived the temple of Kālahasti where the deity installed is an emblem of Śiva, who is overflowing with mercy, who is embraced by Umā, who is hymned and praised by Indra and other celestial beings, and who wears the crescent moon in his hair and the snake round his shoulder. He bathed the river called Suvarnamukhi, worshiped Lord Śiva with flowers of affection, mentally Hymned on his glory and took leave of him. Then he went to the holy temple of Kāñcī. There he worshiped Śiva and His Śakti, Kamākṣī, who was taken Her aboard in the sacred precincts to wait on His needs. Next he went to worship the temple of Kallalesa, who is Mahāviṣṇu. He is regarded as the eternal Being and the Lord of Mahālakṣmī. Then he went to Pundarikapura, where is located the temple of Ādi-Śakti as Pārvatī witnessing with admiration the dance of Sadāśiva. There situated the holy sages observing, with their mental eye, the inspiring and attractive Tāṇḍava dance of Śiva. Padmapāda asked Śiva about the name and origin of a holy river Gaṅgā. He answered to the prayer of some devotees, that Lord Śiva commanded to divine river Gaṅgā to spring up there. For that reason the holy river came to be known as Śiva Gaṅgā. People who bathe in it will get purified and can see the Tandava dance of Śiva. Next, he started on his journey to Rameswaram with great enthusiasm. On the way he reached the bank of the great river Kāveri. After worshipping Viṣṇu he washed in the pure waters of Kāveri, who is regarded the daughter of the Sahya mountains and then he went to Rāmeśvaram.

The Ācārya at Mūkāmbika

Śaṅkara was travelling to Mūkāmbika. On the way he came across a Brahmana woman weeping bitterly with the dead body of her only son on her lap. Her husband was standing by her side. Ācārya was deeply affected by the sight. At that time he heard a disembodied voice from the skies telling “There is no use of grieving in situations that are beyond one’s power to relieve. Pity here will result only in mental agony to one so pitying”. On hearing this, the enlightened one said “What I have heared from the Supreme Being is correct. It is only the grace of that Being who creates, preserves and destroys, that can achieve what is impossible for limited beings to do”. At these words of the Ācārya the child awoked as from a sleep, and all were astonished to the wonderful play of the Lord.

After the Ācārya reached the temple of Mūkāmbika of great spiritual power that was surrounded by a dense and attractive growth of trees and plants like mango trees, jack trees, palms, pomegranates, sugarcane and the like. There Śaṅkara acquired of the spirit of universal benevolence, recited a hymn in praise of the Divine mother. After Śaṅkara worshipped “Śrī Cakra” in front of the Kāmākṣī.

Padmapāda at his Uncle’s House

Travelling in the way Southwards, Padmapāda reached his uncle’s home.^[7] After so many years, on seeing his nephew uncle was very happy. He was himself a scholar. On hearing that their dear Sanandana (the old name of Padmapāda) had arrived at his uncle’s house, a number of his relatives came running to meet him with tears. Some of them wept, others laughed out of joy, some others began to narrate incidents of his past life at home. Some people stood dumb in utter amazement. While a few expressed their feeling by prostrating themselves at his feet. All are very anxious about his life. Sanandana says that it is the Lord’s power that bring together and separate things even upto the minutest atoms. Man must be preferred to see this process with equanimity whether he likes it or not. The Brahmacarin is equipped with the emblems of deer skin and staff, devoting his day for purifiactory ablutions and Vedic study. The householder is like a Kalpataru which provides all the needs of the people. I will tell you more about these truths. All are welcome to come to a home in a distressed state. Service done to them leads to your spiritual uplift. After conversing in this way Sanandana had his Bhikṣā in his uncle’s house. When he was taking food, his uncle saw with him a book of parchment leaves and asked him what it was about. Sanandana replied that it was a gloss on Śaṅkara’s great commentary on Vedanta Sūtras. The uncle wanted to have a look into it. On reading it, he was delighted with the extra-ordinary scholarship and intelligence displayed by his nephew in it. But scholarly delight had turned in to hostility by certain apprehensions. The way in which he refuted the doctrines of other schools with powerful and unanswerable arguments caused concern in uncle’s mind. He thought that the teachings of Prabhākara, of which he was a follower, were specially refuted in his nephew’s work. He was overcome with sectarian jealousy at these scathing criticism of his own school of thought, but he made great appreciation for the work exernaly. Padmapāda said o him that “I am now going upto the Setu. Let this book be in your safe keeping till I return. This book is my life. Just as you love your homes and wealth, so do I cherish this book”. With these words Sanandana started towards Sethu with his follwers. But he immediately began to see various evil omens. At that time the uncle of Padmapāda began to reflect “When this book becomes public, the teachings of my Ācārya Prabhākara will be adversely affected. For, the arguments raised in this are irrefutable. So the destruction of this book is necessary in the interests of our doctrines. It is better that one’s house is burnt than one’s faith is destroyed. So I shall set fire to this house where this book is kept”. Reflecting this the uncle set fire to his own house, and gave out that a fire accident had taken place.

Padmapāda’s Disappointment

Padmapāda stayed for a few days in Setu and returned from there. After passing through many villages, he reached his uncle’s house. At that time his uncle said that his house had caught fire, along with the house the book also has been burnt. Hearing this, Padmapāda was at first very much sad, but soon recovered from the effect of it. Then uncle said “How unfortunate! In full trust, you kept the book here for safe custody. It has been destroyed by fire. I do not mind my house being burnt, but it is a tragedy that such a precious book has been lost.” Hearing this Padmapāda replied “Let the book go. My intelligence, however is still intact, and I can produce it again. Padmapāda began to write that gloss a new. Observing the intelligence and memory power of his nephew, the uncle got afraid that he would be able to reproduce it without difficulty. Inorder to prevent this, his uncle added to his food some drug that had the effect of making the intellect dull, Padmapāda found it is to impossible to produce a book of high standard like the one lost.

Śaṅkara’s Tremendous Memory

Hearing this news Ācārya Śaṅkara began to comfort his distressed disciples with highly enlightening and sweet words ‘it is pity that none can overcome the effects of karma, even like the effect of a poison that has been consumed. I had forseen these happenings and I had spoken about them to Sureśvara. While we were staying at Śrīṅgagiri you read out me five chapers (Pañcapādika) of your work.^[8] The meaning of what I then heard has not been erased from my mind get. I shall dictate it, and you may take it down’. Ācārya Śaṅkara repeated out of his memory the five chapters of that work ‘Pañcapādika’ in proper order. So this incomplete work of Padmapāda came to be known as “Pañcapādika”. Then Padmapāda took down the whole book with weeping and danced in ecstatic joy. Meanwhile in the base of the doctrine of Vedanta and Upaniṣad Śaṅkara emphasized the great truth of Advaita.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vide Lakṣmaṇa Sūrin, Bhaghavatpādābhyudaya, p.96, The summary of the Section is based on chapter VIII.

[2]:

Ibid.,

[3]:

Ibid., p.102

[4]:

Ibid., p.103

[5]:

Ibid.,

[6]:

Ibid., p.111

[7]:

Ibid.,

[8]:

Ibid., p.112