Place of Samādhi—Another Point of Dispute

Almost all biographical works accepted uniformly that the birth place of Śaṅkara was Kāladi. But the place were he passed away is disputed. Some views about his Samādhi are given below.

Lakṣmaṇa Sūrin says

uparyupari vidyābhivṛddhyarthaṃ sthapitā maṭhāḥ |
aśūnyo madhyamo loko bhavato yaśāsā'dhunā || 101 |
aśūnyaṃ kuru deveśa śrīkailāsamahācalam |
tatheti vṛṣamāruhya kṛtakṛtyo maheśvaraḥ || 102 ||
jayaghoṣeṇa mahatā mukharīkṛtadiṅmukhe |
prekṣamāṇe suragaṇe sahasrārciḥ samadyutiḥ || 103 ||
svabhāsā bhāsayan vidyutpuñjapiñjarayā diśaḥ |
parātparataraṃ divyaṃ kailāsaṃ prāpa śaṃkaraḥ || 104 || ^[1]

According to ‘Bhagavadpādābhyudaya’ Śaṅkara went to Kedāra, that is Badari after ascending the ‘Throne’ of Omniscience close to Kashmir, and then he entered in to Kailāsa, the realm of Śiva transfiguring himself in to Śiva’s form. In that time the celestial rained a heavy shower of Mandāra flowers over the region and sang the glory of God Śiva.

Mādhava also narrated like this:

pārikāṅkṣīśvaro'pyāpaduddhārakaṃ sevāmānātulasvastivistārakam |
pāpadāvānalātāpasaṃhārakaṃ yogavṛndādhipaḥ prāpa kedārakam || 100 ||
tatrātiśītārditaśiṣyasaṅghasaṃrakṣaṇāyatulitaprabhāvaḥ |
taptodakaṃ prārthayate sma candrakalādharāttīrthakarapradhānaḥ |101 ||
karmandivṛndapatinā giriśo'rthitaḥ san saṃtaptavārilaharīṃ svapadāravindāt |
prāvartayataprathayatīṃ yatināthakīrtiṃ yā'dyāpi tatra samudañcatitaptatoyā || 102 ||
iti kṛtasūrakārye netumājagmurenaṃ rajataśikharaśṛṅgaṃ tuṅgamīśāvatāram |
vidhiśataprakhacandropendravāyvāgnipūrvāḥ suranikaravareṇyāḥ sarṣisaṅghāḥ sasiddhāḥ || 103 ||
vidyudvallīniyutasaṃmidārabdhayuddhairvimānaiḥ saṃkhyātītaiḥ sapati gaganābhogamācchādayantaḥ || 104 ||
stutvā devaṃ tripuramathanaṃ yanaṃ te yatīśānaveṣaṃ mandārotthaiḥ kusumanicayairabrūvannarcayantaḥ || 105 || ^[2]

Ācārya went to Kedara, the holy land of Śiva, where the heat of sin in men is dispelled and peace generated in their hearts, where the votaries of the Lord feel uplifted from the dangers and difficulties of life^[3]. There the cold was so great that his disciples were not able to bear it. The Ācārya, therefore, meditated on Lord Śiva or giving them relief, and out from the foot steps of the Lord came a spring of hot water, which flows, as a stream even to this day, declaring the glory of Ācārya Śaṅkara. Now there came a concourse of Ṛṣis and Devas with Brahma at their head, to lead this incarnate aspect of Śiva back to His pristine state in Śivaloka or Śiva’s abode in the heaven of Kailasa^[4]. The assemblage of luminous chariots filled with heavenly paths. The celestial rained a heavy shower of Mandāra flowers over the region and sang the glory of Lord Śiva who had taken that form of a Saṃnyāsin. The Devas addressed Him thus, the Great Lord stirred to the depth of His being, was ready to ascend to his supreme Abode, when there came and stood before Him the divine Bull Nandi, His vehicle, of swan like whiteness. Indra and his retinue raised their voice in a chorus of hymns and began to rain flowers gathered from the heavenly Kalpaka tree. In the midst of these thrilling occurences, the great Saṃnyāsin, mounting the back of the divine Bull with Brahma supporting Him, transformed himself into his real form as the great Lord Śiva with matted locks and the crescent moon peeping from it. And, as the Devās and the Ṛṣis cried ‘Hail unto Him’, He attained to His Divine Abode.

But some of the scholars argued that Kedārnath is not the Samādhisthan or the final resting place of the great Ācārya^[5]. But it is a unique place connected with the life of Ācārya in so much as the great Ādi Śaṅkara disappeared from amidst his followers while at Kedarnath. Traditions recorded in some works dealing with Ādi Śaṅkarācārya point out to to the fact that Śri Śaṅkara went to Kailās from Kedārnath, brought the five sphaṭika Liṅgas (Śivaliṅgas made by crystal) and a portion of “Soundaryalaharīstotra”, returning to the South, attained Siddhi or final end at Kāñci.

According to T.S. Narayana Sastry in his book “The age of Śaṅkara” Śaṅkara attained siddhi or final end at Kanchi. In this book he points out that ‘Brhat Śaṅkaravijaya, Vyāsacāla’s Śaṅkaravijaya and Anandanandagiri’s Śaṅkaravijaya, besides ‘Puṇya śloka manjari, Jagat-guru-Ratnamāla, Jagat-Guru-Kathā saṃgraha emphasised Śaṅkara got attainment of Siddhi at Kāñci. Among them it is noted that Anandānandagiri’s and Vyāsācalā’s work is available for reference and corroboration. T.S. Narayana Sastry’s view is that the first of the texts mentioned is considered by some as the most ancient and authoritative text. But all of the scholars do not accept the claims of these mutilated manuscripts. As far as Vyāsācalā’s work is concerned, it is very clear that it does not support this theory. All that it says, Śaṅkara ascended the ‘Throne of Omniscience’ in Kashmir. Which some think is identical with Kāñci, as Govindanātha interprets it and then went away to some place ‘pleasing’ to him Ruciradesam. The narrative part of this work abrupty ends with this. There is a question arises it is difficult to understand how Kashmir can be Kāñci. Even if Kashmir be Kāñci, it is sure that Śaṅkara left that place according to Vyāsācala. Among the available Śaṅkara Digvijayas, only Anandanandagiri gives clear support to this theory of Śaṅkara attaining siddhi at Kāñci. But whether Śaṅkara is Ādi Śaṅkara or Abhinava Śaṅkara is again a matter of dispute in the light of the textual criticism of different editions of the work.

Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan says in his introduction to the Madras university edition of Anandanandagiri’s text that Śaṅkara during the last moments of his life directed Sureśvara to send the mokṣa-liṅga to Chidambaram. He changed his body through Yogic process to a subtle form. He finally reached the state of omnipresent consciousness that is absolute rapture. In Anandanandagiri’s verse it is said that Śaṅkarācārya who is the liberation of the spiritual aspirants, is present even today as the all pervading consciousness. He finds further proof for these events, in ancient sculptures of Śaṅkarācārya which are listed by him in the introduction to the recently published edition of Anandanandagiri’s Śaṅkaravijaya. The attainment of Śaṅkara’s siddhi at Kāñci is further confirmed by Śivārahasya. Śivarahasya is a text of Śiva cult dealing with all the devotees of Śiva, which is also quoted in the Madras university edition of Anandanandagiri.

T.S. Narayana Sastry points out that there are some points of disagreement on this, in different manuscripts of the text of Śivarahasya. This are some difficulties in accepting Anandanandagiri’s work as a proof of this theory. Madras university recently published a book under the editorship of Dr. Veezhinathan^[6]. It will clear the point. According to him, the great Śiva inorder to bless the world, entered by his spiritual body into the wife of Śivaguru’s son. Thus Śaṅkara was boon at an auspicious movement at Kāladi, in Kerala in agreement with the version given by all literature on Śaṅkara. Moreover the first ever published edition of this work gives an entirely different version. This version published by Baptist Mission Press in 1868 under the editorship of Navadweepa Goswami and Jayanarayana Tarkapanchanana holds that many Brahmanas were inhabiting in Cidambaram. Among them in a family of learned man was born a leading Brahmana named Sarvajña. His wife Kamākṣī, was possessed auspicious qualities. This couple had a famous daughter named Visista who meditated Śiva from her early girlhood. She devoted her life to the knowledge of the Divine. In her eighth year she was married to Viswajitha, she looked upon him as her lord (pati) and performed worship and meditation on Him. Finding this nature, her husband abandoned her and resorted to the forest to perform ansterities as a hermit. The girl Viśiṣṭa pleased the lord of Chidambaram by her worship. The Deity entered into the face of Viśiṣṭa, and she became veritably Ambika (Śiva’s rsort) Herself. Henceforth, she was worshipped by all, including her parents. As months passed the foetus in her womb developed and the great Brahmanas did poojas taking Lord Chidambara as Yajamāna. On the tenth month God Śiva came out of Visista’s womb under the name of Śaṅkarācārya. On that occasion flowers were showered from the heaven and was sounded their musical instrument like Dundubhi.

Some records believed that the last resting place of Śaṅkara is Vṛṣācala-Śiva temple at Trichur. This is the view of Śaṅkaravijaya of Govindanatha^[7]. This work is otherwise known as ‘Ācarya-charita’ . Govindanātha says that this work is based on Vyāsācalā’s Śaṅkaravijaya. It tells that Ācārya Śaṅkara made the throne of omniscience at Kāñci which seems to be identify strangely with Kashmir. He does not allow him to stop there. He takes him further to Trichur (Thri-śiva-perur) from the Śiva, deity of that place called Vṛṣācala he had received embodiment. Śaṅkara is supposed to have founded also a math there. That exist even today as Naduvil madam and spent his last days there until he was absorbed in the divine essence.

According to the opinion of Govindanātha, Śaṅkara realised that his last day had come. He made obeisance to all the Deities in the temple and coming out, sat on a spot and contemplated on the glorious form of Mahāviṣṇu. His mind overflowing with devotion, he composed great hymn to Mahāviṣṇu has ‘Viṣṇu-padadikeśa stotra’. In the midst of this, his spirit left the body and he merged in the Blissful Essence, that is behind the disk of the sun. Today a visitor to the Vṛṣācala or Vadakkunatha temple at Trichur can see a raised platform with emblems of conch and discuss on the stone. In that place Śaṅkara is supposed to have attained siddhi. This theory is criticised by Sri T.S. Narayana Sastry and others. He says that, that is the product of a keralite with too much of local patriotism and is improbable. This is only a matter of opinion. It is as credible or incredible as any other theory based on the Śaṅkaravijayas. The theory only suffers from the fact that there have been no partisans to highlight it. But the critics forget that Govindanātha claims that his work is based on Vyāsācalā’s Śaṅkaravijaya.

In this book Vyāsācala says that in the end Śaṅkara went away ‘Ruciradeśam’. That place is very dear to him. It is believed that this was Śiva temple is at Vṛṣacāla. It may also be Kāñci, Dattatreya-Guha or Śivaloka.

evaṃ niruttarapadāṃ sa vidhāya devī |
sarvajñapīṭhamiruhya nananda sabhyaḥ ||
mātrā girāmapi tathā puruṣaiśca sabhyai |
ssaṃbhāvito rūciradeśamayaṃ jagāma || ^[8]

Another tradition is that Śaṅkara spent his last days in Dattatreya Guhā or the cave of the sage Dattatreya. According to Cidvilāsa’s Śaṅkara-vijaya this cave is in Badarinārāyan. According to this book this was to Badari that Śaṅkara originally went straight away from his home Kāladi. There he met his guru Govindapāda and wrote his bhasyas and stayed until he started on his tour of philosophical debates and controversies. After all his life work Cidvilāsa brings him back to Badari where he lives until he grows very old and decrepit. After Dattatreya leads him into his abroad in a cave there, from where he goes to Śiva’s region. According to Guruvaṃśa kāvya it was in Marathawada, at a place called Mahuripuri^[9]. There Śaṅkara entered into communion with Dattatreya. This place is today known as Mahur or Mahuragud. In this way there was a lot of confusion prevailing about the place of Śaṅkara’s demise.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Lakṣmaṇa Sūrin, Bhagavatpādābhyudaya, IX-101-104.

[2]:

Mādhava Vidhyāraṇya, Śrimad Śaṅkaradigvijaya, XVI.100-105.

[3]:

Mādhava Vidhyāraṇya, Śrimad Śaṅkaradigvijaya, Tr., Swami Tapasyananda, p.190.

[4]:

Ibid

[5]:

Vide Mādhava Vidhyāraṇya, Śrimad Śaṅkaradigvijaya, Tr., Swami Tapasyananda, p. xxxiii.

[6]:

Vide Mādhava Vidhyāraṇya, Śrimad Śaṅkaradigvijaya, Tr., Swami Tapasyananda, p. xxix.

[7]:

Ibid, p. XXII

[8]:

Vyāsācala, Śaṅkaravijaya, Ed., T Chandrasekharan, XII. 82.

[9]:

Vide Mādhava Vidhyāraṇya, Śrimad Śaṅkaradigvijaya, Tr., Swami Tapasyananda, p. xxxiv