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Premika Bhavanam - Chennai
1st May, 2001 - Tuesday

Sri Swamigal has been rendering ‘Upanyãsam’ (discourses), in Tamizh, in Premika Bhavanam. This is being brought to you here.

There may appear to be variations in the ‘tense’ of the language. This is due to the fact that great effort has been taken to maintain the original style of the ‘Upanyãsam’. Therefore, we request you to keep this in mind while reading the translated ‘words’ of Sri Swamigal.

Sri Swamigal,

" Bhakti is ‘bhãva’. Maha Periyava, Bhagavãn Ramana Maharshi followed the Vedanta mãrga which is ‘ananya bhãva’ (feeling of oneness with the supreme). Jnana is like a pond and Bhakti is like the waterfalls. In Bhakti the person gets soaked in ‘prema’ and it flows like a falls. One who is in bhakti marga has to take hold of something to remain in this world. Only then will they be able to move about in this world. They have been sent down to the earth by Bhagavãn for the accomplishment of some task and if this has to be carried out by them, they have to mix in this world. To mix amongst and move amidst people the Mahans have to hold on to something; otherwise they can never come to the physical plane. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to slip into ‘bhava samadhi’ quite frequently. But just before he slipped into such a state he would be seized with the fear that he may not be able to return to this plane at all. So he would hold on to the thought of smoking a hookah after coming out of samadhi. It is this thought that he takes hold of before he slips into the state of samadhi that helps to bring him back to this plane. Without holding on to such a thought Mahans will never be able to return to this plane and do their work.

Vasudeva Thatha was a great Mahãn. This cannot be refuted. But he could not perform any work in the world, as he could not mix with people. His very presence would help the world is a different thing altogether. None could approach him as he could not tolerate indiscipline and disorder. Thus, the Mahãns cannot perform the work that they have been sent for into this world unless they hold on to something of this world. It was for this very reason that Yogiramsuratkumar smoked cigarettes. He was also in bhakti marga. Unless he held on to this habit of smoking cigarettes he would never have been able to stay and work in this physical plane. This is the reason that they forcefully make a habit of some worldly thing. Sri Sarada Devi showed deep affection to her niece. Unless she held on to this she never would have been able to stay and work in this world. Now, one should not question, “What did Periyava or Ramana hold on to?” because they were Vedantis. Vedantis do not face this situation. It is only to those who go in ‘bhakti mãrga’ that such a situation arises. It is Bhaktãs who face such a situation. So, Bhakti is bhãva. It is like the waterfalls that gushes forth. It is only in Bhakti that ‘rasokti’ kirtans are sung.

So, why should one go to a Guru? One can do tapas, dhyana, japa, etc. on his own.. But unless one takes the dust of the Lotus Feet of the Guru on his head his sadhana will prove futile. ‘Mahat pãda rajobhishekam’.
Ãchãrya (Adi Sankara) says,
“Sariiram, swaroopam tatha vã kalatram
yashaschãru chitram dhanam merutulyam
Manaschenna lagnam Gurorungripadmam
tatah kim? tatah kim? tatah kim? tatah kim?”

(you may)
enjoy the most beautiful and healthy body (sariiram swaroopam)
have the most beautiful wife (tatha vã kalatram)
possess as large a wealth as the Meru Mountain (dhanam merutulyam)
enjoy fame all over the world (yashaschãru chitram)
but,
of what use are all these (tatah kim? tatah kim?) if your mind does not settle at the Lotus Feet of the Guru? (manachena lagnam Guruoungripadmam).

Ãchãrya Himself speaks on the glory of the Guru. Therefore, ‘Prabhãva’ is not unusual. It can be ‘seen to be possessed’ by many today. It is a difficult task indeed to win Bhagavãn’s Maya. It is only with the Grace (‘kripa’) of the Guru that one can win this Maya. So, when we take up Guru Parampara we find that each one has had a Guru. A Guru now has had a Guru; He has had a Guru and this Guru has had a Guru. The line winds back this way. This is called ‘Jnãna paramapara’ (Lineage of Knowledge). This is how Mahãns have come. Even when Bhagavãn took Rama-Krishnãdi-avatãrs we find that they have also had a Guru.

Thus, our Religion is one that envelops everything. It contains various kinds of Smritis, Vedas, Paths, etc. In the Gita, Bhagavãn says that it is He who created all these. To each, according to his taste (‘ruchi’). Taittiriyopanishad says, “If not, follow the path that your family follows.” This should not be a blind following. If your father has not followed a proper way then take the path adopted by one in the family who took to a genuine path. Follow the one who had led a dhãrmic life in your family. If this also does not work then listen to the words of the Guru. Our religion encompasses everything. It contains all that the world speaks of. Our religion has ‘Nyãya matha’, ‘Sankya matha’. To explain the ‘sankya tatva’ in simple words -- “while speaking of two entities i.e. Bhagavãn and those that are apart we say take hold of Bhagavãn so that the rest leave you. But the ‘Sankya tatva’ says ‘shirk off the rest and then Bhagavãn alone remains’. While saying ‘neti’ ‘neti’ (not this; not this) that which cannot be shirked off is ‘Ishwara swaroopa’. This is ‘Sankya tatva’. Jãpãli speaks of lokaya matha. Look at whatever is seen with the eyes. All siddantãs are spoken of - the worldly, atheism etc. in the form of question and answer (‘prasna vãdam’).

What was the condition of our country at the time of Adi Sankara’s birth? Bhagavãn says, “Whenever dharma is threatened I take ‘Avatãr’!” What was the threatening faced by Bhãrat (India) at this time? Various religions had sprouted up without proper base. Each had its philosophy propagated. Some religions preached that just as nothing is left with the lamp burning out nothing remains when life burns out. After long years of tapas they declare that it is only desire that is the cause for all problems. But this has been said in the Vedas and is nothing new to be found after prolonged tapas! And, to shirk desires should not become another desire in itself! Sankara opposed the philosophy that ‘atma’ is ‘kshanika’, i.e. the ‘atma’ keeps changing as time passes until one dies and the ‘atma’ is no more. Sankara pointed out that it cannot be so because one is able to recognize a person whom he had met, say, some ten years back. If it were to be a changing ‘atma’ he would not have been able to recognize him after this interval. So, it goes to show that there is in you something, which is stable.

There were other religions that were not sure about their own philosophy! They were neither able to say a strong ‘yes’ or a strong ‘no’ to the presence of the ‘Atma’. Such religions were opposed to Vedic dharma. Their spiritual practices were very weird. So, at the time that Sankara took birth in Sanatana dharma innumerable such religions had sprouted and taken hold of the country. And at this time it was not the Muslim-Hindu conflict that was the uppermost but Vaishnava-Saiva conflict. They were at loggerheads to prove their Lord (Lord Vishnu, Lord Siva, respectively) as the Supreme. Everyone ignored the Upanishads, which comes in the end of the Vedas. In those days yajnãs were performed using various types of ‘pasu’. But it was pointed out that these yajnãs were performed for selfish ends and for nothing better. They harassed the ‘pasu’ used in such yajnãs. However, there was a sect which used ‘pasu’ made out of rice flour.

At the time of birth of Sankara there were innumerable religions of varied beliefs all at loggerheads with each other. On the one hand were those who declared that nothing really existed while on the other hand there was a sectarian war between the Vaishnavas and Saivites. There were those who were offering animals into the sacrificial fire for their own selfish ends. It was those with belief in the Sanatana dharma who were deeply affected by all these storming controversies. They knew not what and whom to look upto.

It was at this time when people were groping in the dark and deeply yearned for a hold to lead them on that the birth of Adi Sankara took place in Kaladi Kshetra on the banks of the Purna nadhi (river). Sankara was born to the couple Aryamba-Siva Guru. Periyava has said that these people belonged to dakshina kshetra who had migrated to Kaladi because Siva Guru is the name of a deity in Kumbakonam. So Siva Guru must have gone from here. And Arya is the name of Goddess Kamakshi. Mooka has first sung ‘Arya Shatakam’. It is from Dravida desam they must have moved to Kerala, which is Parasurama kshetra. Many have thus migrated to Kerala for, we find that many names found in Tamizh Nadu are also found in Kerala, as also a lot of Tamizh culture and traditions are found in Kerala. Monsoon is very strong and continuous in Kerala so much so that some of them found it difficult to live in such a changed atmosphere. So they returned to Tamizh nadu. But these people still wear ‘poorva sigai’ (tuft on their forehead) as per Kerala tradition.

The couple Siva Guru-Aryamba were childless for a long time. So, they performed ghee abhisheka to Vadakkunatha swami in Trissur as there was a belief that one was blessed with a child with ‘nei (ghee) abhishek’ to this God. They spent that night in the temple precincts and they each had a dream. Lord Siva appeared to both of them in their dream and declared that He Himself would be born to them as their son. They were both filled with joy. In the morning when each eagerly wished to tell the other about the dream, to their surprise they found that both of them had had the same dream. Achãrya (Sankara) has shown his bhakti for his mother in his slokas by including a line with her name ‘Arya mahãsevita’ - One worshipped by Arya.

A son was born to the couple. The child was very lustrous (‘Maha tejasvi’). The Child was named Sankara. Sankara was the name given to Him and it stayed so. After a time the father Siva Guru passed away. ‘Upanayana’ was conducted for the child at the appropriate time and he was given Veda adhyayana. The child was taught ‘Shastra abhyãs. The death of the father brought the realization to the child that life was temporal in nature. He felt that he should attain the purpose of his birth. There was a Krishna temple on the banks of the Purna river. This was their family deity. This is near the old Sringeri Mutt. Everyday Sankara worshipped this Krishna. While he first composed a sloka on Krishna He sang -‘Mama kulapati’. Sankara used to bathe daily in this river Purna. His glory (‘Prabhãva’) comes out when he turned the course of the river and made it flow near his home as his sick mother was unable to walk up to the river! Such was his tapas. The mother was wonder struck.

After the completion of the studies of the Vedas while still in Brahmachari ashram he carried on the practice that pertains to this ashrama. So, he begged for food at doorsteps. A brahmachari should beg for his food. It is not so for a householder who can take ‘unchavridhi’ if he desires to. By the very call, “Bahuti Bhikshãm dehi!” or “Bhikshãm bahuti dehi!” the householder knows who is at the door - a brachmachri (the former call) or a sanyasi (the latter call). This is because a brahmachari can be offered either cooked food or rice and grains whereas a Sanyasi who is forbidden to light fire can be offered only cooked food.

One day Sankara stood at the door of a very poor woman and called out, “Bahuti Bhikshãm dehi!” The hostess saw the ‘Maha Tejasvi’ child. She yearned to offer something to the divinely charming child. But, alas! There was not a grain in the house! The divine child knowing the woman’s plight and with a desire to bless her called out, “Mother! I have obtained rice but I need some dish to go with it. Please offer anything that is available at home”. This brahmachari needs no side dish but it is only to bless the woman such a request was made. She searched the ‘empty’ pots and found a ‘goosebury’ kept aside for ‘dwãdasi’ (12th day after the full/new moon when one consumes food after a day of fast on ‘Ekãdasi’ - 11th day after the full/new moon) ‘pãranai’. With deep embarrassment and tears in her eyes the woman dropped this into the child’s begging (‘bhiksha’) bowl. The pleased child immediately sang, “Angam Harerpulakabhushanam ãsrayanti; Bringãnganeva mukulãbharanam tamãlam” (Kanakdãra stotra) on Goddess Lakshmi and it rained golden gooseburies in the courtyard of the woman’s house! Even today people of this lineage live in Kaladi. Such was the glory of Sankara even in His childhood.

Sankara desired to take ‘sanyãsa’ (ascetic life). But His mother refused to grant the permission, as he was her only hold in life. But, one morning when the child was bathing in the river a crocodile caught the child’s legs. The mother writhed in pain seeing the child being pulled to death. The young Sankara then said to his mother, “Mother! Grant me permission to embrace ‘sanyasa ashrama’ for it is equivalent to giving up this life and taking another birth..” The mother gave her consent immediately with the only thought of saving her child’s life, even if he were to become an ascetic. She felt that she would at least be able to see her son. Sankara at once took the vow of sanyasa after uttering the prescribed mantra. The crocodile left its hold and the child was saved from the clutches of death. Having embraced ‘sanyasa ashrama’ Sankara did not return home. The mother wept seeing her only child and hold in this life leave her. She wondered who would perform her last rites. He consoled the weeping mother, “Mother! Do not grieve. I have been born not just for you but for the whole world. Wherever I am the moment you think of me I will come to your side. I will be with you in your last moment and perform the duties of a son.” And Sankara left home to work for the benefit of the world.

Sankara, in his wanderings in search of a Guru who would bestow on him the formal initiation of sanyasa ashrama reached the banks of the Narmada. Here he met his Guru Govindapada. From his Guru, Sankara learnt the Advaita philosophy and as per His advice went to Varanasi, a great place of learning. It was here that Sankara wrote commenatires on the Upanishads, the Gita, the Brahmasutras. It is in Varanasi that his disciple Sanandana walked across the river Ganges without a second thought as he was beckoned by his Master from the other bank. At each step a lotus was produced and thus he earned the name of Padmapãda (Padma-Lotus; Pãda-Feet).

During his wanderings Sankara met Kumarila Bhatta and later his (Kumarila Bhatta’s) disciple Mandanamisra, a great Vedic scholar like his Guru. Defeated in a debate Mandanamisra became Sankara’s disciple and was named Suresvaracharya.

Sankara traveled the length and breadth of the country. As has already been said it was an age innumerable when evil faiths had sprung up. A religious sect called the Kapalikas who believed in human sacrifice caught hold of Sankara. He readily consented to offer his body (that of a sanyasin) to please their god. However, his disciple Padmapada’s intense prayer to Lord Nrisimha was answered and Sankara was saved. It was then that Sankara composed a hymn of Lord Nrisimha in which he asks Lord Nrisimha, ‘why did you save this body?’

During his travel in Karnataka Sankara was met by a brahmin couple who had a son who was dumb. The parents lamented that he showed no sign of any kind of response to anything around. Sri Sankara asked the boy, “Who are you?” and for the first time the boy spoke showing indications of being a highly spiritually evolved person. Sankara then said to the parents that he would be of no use to them and advised them to send the boy with him. Sankara named him ‘Hastamalaka’.

It was during his time spent in Sringeri that Sankara was met and served by a deeply devoted disciple Giri who later became Totakachãrya, showing to the world what devotion to the Guru can do. Though dull headed, Giri, loved his Guru Sankara very deeply. He served Sankara with deep love. One day Giri was late in returning from washing his Guru’s clothes. Though it was time for the class to begin and all the students had arrived Sankara waited for this lovable disciple of his. When the disciples wondered and questioned about the delay in beginning the class, Sankara said, “Giri has not yet come!” The whole class burst out laughing. The compassionate heart of the Guru melted with deep warmth as the others laughed at his lovable disciple and the Grace sprung forth from him and engulfed Giri who was still on the banks of the river. The class of scholars was wonderstruck when in a few minutes time ‘the dull head’ came into the hall clapping and singing the praises of his Guru in eight stanzas in Totaka metre. No amount of intellect or genius can help as does Guru’s Grace. Guru’s Grace can bestow knowledge on a person in no time. Since that day Giri came to be known as Totakacharaya as the hymn was composed in Totaka metre.

As promised to his mother, Sankara reached Kaladi to be by her side in her last moments. As the Scriptures forbid a sanyasin to perform last rites none cooperated with him in conducting the last rites to his mother. However, Sankara using his yogic power performed the cremation of his mother in the compound of his house, single handedly. Later, Sankara traveled all over the country winning people to the Vedic religion.

In his short span of 32 years of life Sankara wrote slokas on all the deities of all the Holy Places, wrote commentaries on all the Holy Texts, met the heads of innumerable new faiths and won them over to the Vedic religion. Even 2500 to 3000 years after Sankara’s lifetime his teachings of Advaita philosophy still form the base for everything. Such is the glory of this ‘Avatãra Purusha’! Some of slokas composed by Sankara are Guru Ashtakam, Ganesha Pancharatnam, Subrhamanya Bhujangam, Soundarya Lahari, Shatpadi Stotram, Bhaja Govindam, Dakshinamoorthyashtakam. It is interesting to note that the beat of the chanting of Ganesha (elephant god) Pancharatnam is like the swaying of the elephant’s ears! And in the case of Subrahmanya Bhujangam the wriggling movement of a snake is envisioned!

Sri Sankara founded the principle Mutts in four quarters of India for the spread of Advaita philosophy and appointed four of his main disciples to head them each. Thus, Padmapada was the first head of the Mutt in Puri (East), Suresvaracharya of the Mutt in Sringeri (South), Hastamalaka of the Mutt in Dwaraka (West) and Totakacharya of the Mutt in Badri (North). Sankara finally reached Kanchipuram in the South to the ‘sarvjnapeetham’ before quitting the world. "

“GOPIKÃ JIVANASMARANAM!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA!”

NOTE: Any discrepancy/lapse in the translated version of the Upanyasam is the sole responsibility of the person/s who translated the work from Tamizh into English.

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