Part 2 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

This great Jnani was born on a Baisaki month, Sukla Paksha, Panchami, in Ardra star.
The moon's place was Cancer, Karkataka and the Lagna, the actual time of birth (Lagna) was in Mesha, Aries.Before delivering the child, Aryambika had vision of Siva with his retinue coming down to Kaladi and Narayana smiling with his disc and conchshell.

Siva Guru used to take the little child to the Siva temple nearby everyday. He used to offer milk to Devi, and then take it as prasad and give a portion to Sankara. This is the famous Katyayani Temple,near Kaladi.Once when Sivaguru was away, Sankara who was at the time four years, old, was asked to go and submit milk to Devi.That day, Devi took it and emptied the vessel.The child started weeping and Devi gave him milk from her breasts.Years later Sankara mentions this in Sri Soundarya Lahari.

Before Siva Guru could complete Upakarma (the Sacred Thread Ceremony for the Brahmin boys), Siva Guru had to leave the world.This was before Sankara could complete four years of age.One day, the father called his son and told him the concept of Brahman
and Brahma Jnana.One day Sankara asked his father: "Father,when the life leaves the body, the life is said to go to Devayana,astral path of angels. Is it not the body, which is ofcouse burnt?" Siva Guru replied: "Before the life leaves the body, it merges with Brahman and there is no Devayana for that, there is only Moksha.Such merger of the soul with Brahman is called Atma Anubhuti."

Siva Guru said: There is no concept of time in Jnana.Time is insubstantial. A Jnani does not believe in time, there is no past and future for him. He is always in the Now.Sankara listened to this great upadesa.

Soon,Siva Guru passed away peacefully.His Jiva merged with Sivam.There was a lot of weeping and misery in the family.Soon,the relatives of Aryambika conducted the Upakarma for Sankara.He went to the Vedapatasala nearby.His genius baffled the pandits.He knew everything already.It was only a repeition for him.Sankara completed all the Vedic studies in six months.

One day,Sankara went for alms, bhiksha.He requested for bhiksha from a poor brahmin lady,utterly poor.She had nothing at home due to abject poverty.Her husband was away.She gave Sankara,in great shame,an old,over ripe amla fruit.Sankara became tearful and started praying to Mahalakshmi.This is the famous Kanakadara stotram.In this, he calls Devi,as the consort of Naryana on the vehicle of Garuda, the Vulture, she is also the consort of Siva, Sakambari,the goddess in all plant kingdom, and wife of one with crescent moon on his head; she is also Sarasvati.

In fact, Sankara saw every goddess and god as One Principle.He was a learned man, a Sarasvati-vallabha, he was in practice a Vaishnava, in meditation a Sakta, Devi worshipper, and in form was Saiva, a Siva devotee. He was in short, a Brahman.

The gold coins started raining in that poor lady's house. Even today, that heritage house is called Suvarnathu Illam, a Gold House in Kaladi.

The king Rajasekar knew this miracle and immediatlely rushed to Sankara with bags of gold, silver and grains as offering and prostrated before the little child and asked him to take them as his humble offerings.Sankara said:What use is this for me?
I am a brahmin who cannot keep even more than a day's requirement of food, at home overnight.Please take them and give them to the poor people.The king withdrew hesitatingly.

One day, a short stout Sadhu came to Sankara's house.Aryambika gave him food. He found the little child and identified him immediately.He asked Sankara: Who is a Jnani? Who is a Guru?

Sankara replied: The one who is an authority in Sastras,Sotrium and also a realized soul,Brahma Nishtam,is a true Jnani.The stout short Sadhu was immediately pleased.He said: You cannot stay here.You have to go to your Guru, who is a Sotrium,Brahma Nishtam.He is waiting for you on the banks of Narmada river.The sadhu disappeared.He is Agasthya.

Sankara knew his mission.But how to leave mother and go? He told his class-mate, one Vishnu, to take care of his mother,as he had to leave soon.

Aryambika became weak and tired, more due to miseries and worries.She could not even go to Poorna river and bathe, which was a little far off.Sankara told his mother: Do not worry.He composed a song praying to Poorna river to change its course and come near the house.The river changed its course and started flowing near the house! Aryambika became very happy but at the same time, knew that his son is extraordinary and is going to leave her soon.

Then, the great drama took place.One day, a crocodile caught the legs of Sankara and Aryambika was crying in anguish.Sankara then told his mother: You permit me to take up Sannyasa.Ascetism is a new birth for a brahmin.Then,the crocodile might leave me.The reluctant mother agreed.Soon the crocodile left the boy.Sankara at that time composed the famous: Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram.

One might get delighted if one reads this Sloka.Sankara does not merely ask for the release from crocodile, to save his life.Narasimha is one who comes at any place and at any time, quickly, to help his devotees.Here too, he came and saved Sankara. But what did Sankara really ask from him?

He said as below

Oh Great God Lakshmi Nrsimha,
I have reached this wide unfathomable ocean of day to day life,
And I have been caught by black deadly,
Crocodiles called time which are killing me
And I am also afflicted by waves of passion,
And attachments to pleasures like taste and so,
Please give me the protection of your hands.

Oh Great God Lakshmi Nrsimha,
I have become blind because , the sense of discrimination,
Has been stolen from me by the thieves of ‘senses’,
And I who am blind , have fallen in to the deep well of passion., and so,
Please give me the protection of your hands.

Sankara soon left the home and proceeded to Narmada Valley area, the present Madhya Pradesh.He travelled through the present Karnataka. When he reached Srunga giri, a jungle area,he was fed by a sadhu.He found the place immensely peaceful,where the serpents and peacocks stay near each other without enmity, where the deer and the tiger take water from the same stream, without killing instincts. He asked the sadhu about that place. The sadhu replied: This is where the Sage Risya Srunga had his penance. Sankara, though a Jnani without any sankalpa,determination, thought of a Math here in future.This is the famous Sringeri Math, which was headed by Hasthamalaka.

Before Sankara left for Naramada,he prayed to Krishna in his temple near the Poorna river,to be a eternal support for his mother.This is the famous Sri Krishna Ashtakam.Achuyam, kesavam... This famous temple of Krishna is there even today in Kaladi.

Soon, Sankara reached the Narmada river.

Source: http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.150