Part 8 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

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

Padmapada still had a lingering sankalpa for building a Math.Thus Sringeri Math was formed.Sankara advised him:Please do Upasana with a Sri Chakra yantra.Build small cottages for Sannyasins.Start the teaching of Upasana Marga.For Atma-Vichara, no formal Math is required.However, this will help who are eager in Upasana marga, devotion and worshipping.

Upasna should lead to self enquiry.Make the Upasana without any fanfare.You can do abulations with water on a coconut shell.You can offer milk to Sri Chakra, with milk on a coconut shell.You can bring bilva from jungles.Even flowers, if not available,do not bother about them.Flowers are mere adornments for Devi,who is ever-adorned with all the beauties of this world.Do not preach any fanciful pujas to devotees.What is Upasana?Upanishad is the Bow; Mind is the arrow.Sharpen it in Atma within.And aim it towards the lakshya, goal,self realization."

Padmapada became the first chief of Sringeri Math.

Sankara then proceeded with other disciples.He was on the way to Sri Sailam, and was on the bank of Tungabhadra.He had many new disciples. He was teaching Upanishads etc., on the bank of Tungabhadra.One of them is Giri.He is a softspoken man, not much of sastric-learning or Sanskrit scholarship.He had a pure heart and ardent devotion to Guru Sankara.These two made up for all the deficiencies.

Since Giri was not much learned, other disciples, particularly Padmapada and Sureswara had no regard for him. However,Sankara understood his devotion to the Guru which is more important than erudition and scholarship.One day, as Sankara began teaching Upanishads, Giri was not present. He was still washing the clothes of Guru on the other bank of Tungabhadra. Sankara waited for Giri.

Padmapada said:Master, we can start.

Sankara said:Let us wait for Giri.

Padmapada proudly smiled and told Sankara:Master, even if he comes in time, what good is there for him in the Upanishads, since he hardly understands anything.

Sankara said:Okay.I shall call him and see.He called for Giri with a loud cry.

Giri looked at his guru from the other bank of the river and leaving the clothes, he simply walked over Tungabhadra river, as if it was a sheet of timber!Sankara looked at Giri, with tearful eyes with overflowing Grace.His Presence merged in Giri's heart.Giri became learned and a Jnani instantly.This is called Sakti
Nipadam, the descent of divine power, even if a devotee is not fully ripe.This descent makes all the difference in the disciple.He gets anything, be it learning or self realization, anything.

Giri came to Sankara like a calf to the cow and sang his famous Thotakashtakam.It is an euology on Guru in thotaka meter Vidithakila.... bava sankara desika me saranam.This contains eight verses.

Giri had all the ramifications of the mind, killed.He shone like a bright sun.Both Sankara and Giri went into bhava samadhi state.The other disciples, particularly Padmapada got thunder-struck.Giri then came to be called as Thotakacharya.He is the fourth disciple of Sankara.

From the banks of Tungabhadra, Sankara came with his disciples,including Thotakacharya, to Shrungagri again.From there, he further proceeded towards east to Sri Sailam.Here, he lived in a cave, in constant contemplation, in brahma-bhavana. He remained in that state for a long time, when even his breathing became quite less.This is called Manonmani mudra.No thoughts, no mind, only Peace. There is only ever shining Atma.

Sankara composed his Yoga-dharavali in this cave of Sri Sailam.

Keeping the thoughts and the mind in the Heart is the real nyasam.Sannyasam is samayaka-nysam.In fact this is the only definition of Sannyasam in Upanishads, not merely staying away from conjugal happiness, and begging alms.When the mind causing the thoughts and emotions permanently stay in Heart, without any life, it is Brahma Jnana.When a Brahma Jnani is in that state, he sheds of tears of bliss, which the birds will come to drink!

Sankara continued in the state of no-mind Manonamani mudra for several days.He came to Shrungagiri again in that same state.

Sankara continued his teachings of Upanishadic purport to his four disciples, in Shrungagiri.One day, he found Sureswara had been shining more brilliantly than others.Sureswara had the knowledge of Vedas (karma kanda) and had also been a householder.He told Sankara:Master, I have no desires left in my life.If I have to do anything, please tell me.Sankara then told him:Please write Vartikam, (further elucidation) for my Brahmasutra Bhashyam.Sureswara agreed.

Padmapada, who had the habit of doubting any one's capability,(due to his pride and prejudice), told Sankara:Master!Sureswara is an exponent in karma kanda of Vedas. If he writes a Vartikam,he would bring in karma kanda aspects in the Brahma Sutram which would water down your Bhashyam.Sankara knew Padmapda's mind.He smiled and asked: Are you concluding like that?Padmapada:Yes, master.He then called Sureswara and told him: You don't write Vartikam.Let this be postponed.Do something of your own.

Sureswara agreed readily and wrote the famous Naishkarmya Siddhi, the state of no-action.This is the most appreciated work and considered equivalent to any of Sankara's own works.Sankara then told Padmapada to write Vartikam on Brahma Sutra Bhashyam.Padmapada wrote Vartikam for the first four lines or sutras only.This is called Brahma Dandigam.Sankara found it more pedantic which is not a characteristic of a Vartikam.Padmapada became silent and did not proceed with it.

Padmapada then asked Sankara's permission to go to Rameswaram and also Sri Rangam, his birth place.Sankara told Padmapada: You have got bad time now.Please stay back with me.Padmapada did not agree.He proceeded to south.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.100