Life History of Shrimad Adi Jagadguru Shankaracharya

            About 1200 years ago, In angamali near to kalady (north side of periyar) Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya born in kaipalli ellam.There was a nampoothiri Vidyadiraja had a son Sivaguru.After gurukula education he liked to be a nun. But his father’s desire that he married. His wife is Aryamba from eranakulam, piravam near pazhur village in melpazhoor ellam.Years passed and they had no children.

          They done pooja for Lord Shiva (Lord Vadakkunathan) and prayed for a son. Lord Shiva appeared before Sivaguru in dream and gave him an option. That is, whether he want intelligent, less lived or long lived, less intelligent son.Sivaguru didn’t take a moment to think about this and he told we want intelligent son even he is less aged. Lord Shiva blessed them a son who is extremely intelligent. But Sivaguru couldn’t get luck to see his son’s growth.Sivaguru died when he was at 3 yrs old. It’s a funny story about the birth of Shankaracharya.

        During his education Shankara happened to go to the house of a very poor lady for alms for his guru. But she had nothing to given to Shankara. She gave the only Amla fruit to Shankara because she could not send a Brahmachari empty handed. Shankar was moved by her selflessness and prayed to Goddess Lakshmi in a sloka.After completion of this stotram, Goddess Lakshmi appeared and showered gold coins on that poor lady's house. That stotram then known to be the Kanaka Dhara Stotram.

                                                                              

       After complete his education, Shankara wanted to become Sanyasi, but mother did not allow him. One day when Shankara was taking bath in poorna river (Periyar), a crocodile caught hold of his leg. Shankara called out to his mother. Aryamba came and she cried for help. Sri Shankara told his mother that allows me to become sanyasi.She gave permission because she hadn’t any option.Shankara realizes that his life was nearing to an end, but if he became a Sanyasi, he could start a new life as a sanyasi. Thus Sri Shankara took Sanyasa when he was only eight years old.

       Sri Shankara went in the search of a Guru to be formally initiated as a Sanyasi. At the banks of the river Narmada he found a yogi named Govinda Padan. At that time he was doing meditation in a cave and a lot of people waiting out him receiving advices. One summer season, he found the river gushing forth into floods. Suddenly he encapsulated the river in a pot and released it in the banks of the river. Sri Govinda Padan taught various Vedas to Sri Shankara. He also taught about Advaita, the principle that everyone in this world is the manifestation of God and that God and Atman are one and the same. He advises Sri Shankara to go out in the world and spread this truth throughout the country.

      When Shri Shankara was 16, a very old Brahmin of ill health started arguments with him about Brahmasutra bashyam which Shri Shankara had written. The arguments continued for days together. He understood that the old man was none other than Vyasa Rishi, who was the creator of Brahmasutra. Vyasa Rishi said "I fully agree with your bashyam and I wanted to establish that yours is correct. I bless that you should live another 16 years and you should spread this Advaita throughout the country."

      One afternoon Shankara going to ganga river with his disciples. His path was blocked by an "untouchable" who was accompanied with 4 dogs. The disciples of Sri Shankara shouted at him to make way, and to keep a distance. The untouchable smiled and said, ""According to your principle of Advaita, all the Jivatma are same as God. How am I different from your Paramacharya? How can I go away from myself?" Sri Shankara understood that it was Lord Shiva himself who had come along with His escort and the four Vedas.

     One day Sri Shankara and his disciples sitting near the ganga for vedanda  one of them, Sanandhanan, was drying the clothes of his Guru and suddenly Sri Shankara called him to the other bank of the river as he needed the clothes urgently. Sananandha realizing that he would drown, starts walking into the river. However, the Grace of his Guru resulted in a lotus materializing wherever he was keeping his foot. When asked as to how he crossed the river, he says that when his Guru calls, he is not to worry about anything. After this incident Sananandha named Padma Pada.

     When Sri Shankara was in Sringeri, he divined by his superior powers that his mother was in her deathbed, and as per his promise while taking Sanyas that he would be by her side while she breathes her last. He reached Kalady and paid his last respects to the old lady. As per the principles Sanyasi does not have the right to do the last rites, but he carried the body of Aryamba and put her in the pyre himself. No one gave fire to destroy that body and he made fire by his hands and do the karmas.

        Sri Shankara learnt that there was a great rich person by the name Mandana Mishra who lived in Mahishmati and who followed the Karma Mimamsa method of devotion. Sri Shankara arrived at his house and found his house was closed and Mandana Mishra was carrying out some rituals inside his house. Sri Shankara entered the house by using his powers. Mandana Mishra became very angry and shouted at Sri Shankara. But Sri Shankara smiled and explained the uselessness of such rituals.

     Sri Shankara went all over the country and taught Advaita. He revived a number of temples and established a number of Yantras in these temples to spread the blessings of Para-Shakti. During his travels, he arrived at a village Sriveli. A poor Brahmin named Prabhakaran came to Sri Shankara with his deaf and dumb son. Sri Shankara asked the boy, "who are you and why you become like this?” .The dumb and deaf child, for the first time, opened his mouth and explained, "The body is not me, it is the Paramatma who is me." Sri Shankara was pleased with his answer and he gave an amla fruit and named this boy as Hastamalakam (Hasta means hand and Amalak means amala). He became one of the principle disciples of Sri Shankara.

         One of the disciples of Sri Shankara named Giri, while listening to the discourses never asked anything. Disciples thought that Giri was a dumb idiot and did not know anything. One day all of his disciples sitting around him and Sri Shankara didn’t start the class. Then Padma Padan asked him why not start the class? He told him to waiting for Giri to arrive. He replied that he couldn’t know the words and he didn’t understand anything. That time Giri washed guru’s dress in river. Ultimately, Giri turned up and burst forth into eight slokas which had never been heard by the disciples earlier. These were the creation of Giri. These slokas are called "Trotaka ashtakam". Giri was named as “Thodakacharyar” by Sri Shankara.

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