Sri Sankara Charitham - Chapter 4

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Jaya Jaya Sankara

Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara

( Based on the series in Tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala

(Original Drawings by Sri Maniyam, recreated by Sri

Narayanan Bala)

Volume 33

January 2015 - Anusham

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Chapter 4 of “Jaya Jaya Sankara” by Sri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy)

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Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Saranam

Introduction

Hari Om!

Namaskaram from the Kanchi Periva Forum community. We are pleased to bring you our Thirty Third

edition ebook, which is a continuation of the special Anusham series – “Jaya Jaya Sankara”, a wonderful

treasure originally authored by Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna, and translated by our moderator Sri Narayanan Bala

(“anusham163” in our forum).

Sri Narayanan Bala is a very well-known moderator to our Forum members (by the Forum name

anusham163) and he has already made his presence strongly felt through many drawings/sketches of

Periva and by his phenomenal translation works on Periva and on materials related to Periva.

An ardent devotee of Sri Maha Periva, Sri Narayanan is a born artist. While he did not get a formal coaching

from anyone, his “manaseeka gurus” were Shri Maniyam, Shri Gopulu and Shri Silpi. We would like to

express our sincere thanks to him for coming forward to translate and bring out this beautiful series, which

will help to cement this wonderful treasure in the minds of the present and future generations.

On behalf of this Forum and our respected members, I would also like to specially thank our moderator Smt

Sumi, who has put in a lot of effort in putting this title together and for getting it published well in time.

If you are not already a member of our Forum and received this ebook from any of your friends, please also

register on the forum http://www.periva.proboards.com to stay updated on devotees’ experiences and to

receive our regular free publications.

We humbly submit this e-book edition at the lotus feet of Shri Maha Periva. Though this book is for

restricted circulation among like - minded members of the society, this is a free publication like all our

other publications, which can be downloaded from http://www.periva.proboards.com/ . Any feedback or

queries may be sent to us at [email protected]

Administrator

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Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!

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Note from the Translator

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah! Sri Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Charanam.This

narrative titled ‘Jaya Jaya Sankara’ on the life of Sri Adhi Sankara

Bhagavat Paadhal was written by Sri Ra .Ganapathy as a serial in the

‘KALKI’ weekly in 1962, with wonderful and lively drawings by Sri

Maniyam.

I have undertaken the ambitious task of translating the same into English. I bow my head to and

submit my ‘Ananhthakoti Namaskarams’ at the Lotus feet of the AdhiGuru and Sri MahaPeriava, to

guide me through this task.

I am greatly indebted to my very good neighbour and a very good friend of over forty years Sri

N.V.Subramaniam, who has taken it on him the task of reading my manuscript word by word,

comparing with the original and suggesting a lot of improvements in the selection of words and

reconstruction of sentences. A million thanks and Namaskarams to him for this great help.

I welcome your feedback on this compilation. I can be reached on [email protected]

Narayanan Bala

About the Author of the original series – Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna

Sri Ra.Ganapathy Anna belongs to a rare breed of writers, who could bring

through his pen and with his authentic personal experience, the

quintessence of religion expounded by great sages.

A naishtika brhmachari, he has a distinct style in Tamil that is enjoyable

to read and teases you sometimes with complex structure of

sentences. Sanskritised in certain narrations, he still does no violence to

the purity of language but captures beautifully the native Indian spirit in his works.

Read more about him & download his ebooks here: http://divyavidyatrust.org/

http://www.periva.proboards.com/http://www.periva.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://divyavidyatrust.org/http://divyavidyatrust.org/http://divyavidyatrust.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.periva.org/http://www.periva.proboards.com/


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CHAPTER 4

The Time Has Come

Ayasakan’s wife felt relieved only after seeing Sankaran at the door. Will

Parameswaran, who begged the rishis of Thaarukaa Vanam (forest of

Thaarukaa) stubbornly for their arrogance, leave and go without getting the

‘Biksha’ given here with love ?

The lady dropped the Amla fruit into the ‘Biksha Pathram’ (ப

படம). She did it with a feeling of utter humiliation. In that one moment,the cruelty of her poverty struck her forcefully.

One can manage oneself without having anything at all; but what if there is

nothing to offer to those who come for alms ? The peace which she enjoyed

a moment ago by seeing Sankaran at the door was blown away.

She ran inside the house with a heart - breaking sob.

Sankaran looked at the Amla fruit. He saw the lady’s mind as clear as an

amla fruit in the palm. He noticed a pure heart in that fruit. Wealthy persons

donate their wealth only, but this poor lady ? Had she not given away her

whole heart?

The tender heart of Sankaran melted with compassion at seeing that Brahmin

lady’s uncontrollable grief at not being able to show her overflowing love

with a material object. That compassion flowed out of His mouth as words

in the immortal language.

Yes, the milk of wisdom given by Devi has started bearing fruit ! The tender,

tiny mouth started praying to Sri Lakshmi Devi ! He prayed to Her to turn Her

loving glance towards these poor people.

Her glance is always towards Lord Jagannath who has the whole universe as

His body. Hari’s heart will get thrilled, when Her look falls on Him; as an

external indication of that, His whole body would get goose pimples.

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That will beautify His body more than the other ornaments. Sankaran prayed,

“Would you not turn your eyes with which you decorate your dear husband

thus, towards these poor people for my sake ?”

Sankaran has seen many times, how a beetle touches the water—lily, how

the flower will shake, and how the beetle will get scared and move away

from the flower, only to come back and sit again.

Same way, when Her look falls on His dark blue body, it will vibrate;

immediately, Her look which went to Him with affection and love, would turn

away from there with a blush. ‘Why not you turn that wonderful glance

towards these poor people ?”--- prayed Sankaran.

‘Saathakam (சதக பச), is a kind of cuckoo often mentioned by poets. It is

said that it has a hole in its throat. It cannot drink the water from the

ground surface, as normal birds do. When it flies with thirst in search of

water, the rain water drops will enter its throat and quench its thirst.

“In the same way, why not you yourself shower the rain of wealth from your

loving glance on these poor people who suffer from the thirst of poverty ?They might have committed some sins in their previous births; but you have

that cool breeze of compassion which can quell that fire and push that

loving glance of love towards these poor folks”-----The child boy (Sankaran)

sang thus impressively.

Indhirai (Sri Lakshmi) appeared before Sankaran.

“Sire ! You are asking me to wipe off the sins with compassion ! But if such

compassion is shown towards those who commit sins, then no one will desist

from committing sins in the world. Is it not relevant to block the flood of

compassion with justice ? “— She asked Umapathi, whom Her consort married

manifesting as Mohini.

Sankaran whose lotus feet are capable of changing the fate, replied, “There

are times when compassion will wipe out the divine doctrine of justice; it is

when the love shown by sinners that wipes out the fruits of their Karma.



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The feeling of love that overflowed that lady’s heart when she gave me this

amla fruit, would destroy the sins of all her previous births.”

That is all ! MahaLakshmi, immediately showered Her compassion and Love , in

the form of golden amla fruits, In the courtyard of the poor Brahmin lady

who offered Him just a decayed amla fruit !

Su—Varnam ( — வணம) has two meanings; one, glittering gold with pure

colour; and two, a beautiful alphabet (அழகய அசரம). First a rain of

beautiful words showered from Sankaran’s mouth, and consequently, a rain of

pure gold also came down.

The Avatar of Sankaran took place solely for establishing Dharma by Wisdom;but still, Acharyar happened to perform a few miracles bound by the power

of love. Those miracles are not important to us; what is important is the

Love, which happened to be the origin of such miracles.

They would fade away from the memory of the characters in the drama as

fast as they happened.

That prayer on Sri Lakshmi which emanated from the tender heart ofSankaran is the KANAKADHARASTHAVAM (கனகதரஸதவம). Is not

compassion (love), the birth place of poetry ?

Did not the feeling of sorrow felt by Sri Valmiki Rishi on seeing the injured

KROUNCHA bird (கரஞச பச) which was hit by the hunter, become a

Sloka and create the First Epic Ramayana ? Adhi Sankarar’s first Grantham

also was born out of compassion.

Before the age of eight, Sankaran mastered all the Vedas, Sastras, and Epics.

The ‘stay’ in the home of Guru (லவசம) concluded. Now, He has to

return home.

One very early morning, there came a sound of somebody crying, disturbing

the atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Aryambikai, the head of the

wealthiest family in Kaladi, for the first time after losing her husband, came



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out of her home, and entered the GuruKulam crying aloud. Pasupathi ran

towards His mother as a calf would, to its mother cow.

Aryambikai’s whole body shivered when she embraced Him. She told those

noble Brahmins who pacified her, “ The Almighty is frightening me in the

dreams also as if the grief I am undergoing when awake, is not enough.

This early morning I had a dream where my dearest child is wearing saffron

robe and is going away with a Dhandam, like a mendicant. “ Her body was

shaking violently while saying this.

She folded her hands up towards the sky, and said, “My Lord ! For the

pleasure of seeing my son again now, I am prepared to have thousand suchbad dreams, but please do not make this dream come true !” Sankaran’s

heart also was overwhelmed with emotion.

Arya returned home with her son, and got back her peace of mind which she

had lost for a very long time. She felt much happier now than when she gave

birth to Him seeing her son as a treasure of wisdom and a noble being,

But the well-being was restricted to her mind only; her health wasdeteriorating.

One day, when Arya went to Alaway Puzhai for bath, she swooned and fell

down on the river bank. The son who went in search of His mother was

shocked to see her in that condition.

He lifted her head and placed it on His lap. Arya regained conscience when

something very chill struck her face. Somebody is spraying water from a wet

lotus bud; Oh ! It is not ‘somebody’ !

In front of her, and near the lotus bud, she saw another lotus flower-----

Sankaran’s face ! She could see tear drops in the corners of His lotus—like

eyes also. The mother read thousands of stories of joy in that face !

Next day, the son did not allow his mother to go to the river for bath. When

there were many servants waiting to do the chores, He Himself went to

fetch water, with the noble thought that He should do service to His mother.



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He started for the river with two pots in His hands. Alaway Puzhai was proud

that the Supreme Being who punished and contained (river) Ganga in His

head, was Himself coming to her. But the river which was flowing in a noble

land, changed her course and started flowing near Sankaran’s house !

Sankaran told His mother, “I do not know what is this miracle, Amma, but

the river is flowing near our house only !”----as if He does not know how !

The Devas were worried that the task of Eswara Avatar has not started yet

and more over Parameswaran had told them that He would discard the

human life in a short period. They wanted to remind the Supreme Being of

this.

The Bagavan also was acting as if He forgot all about it, in order to check

whether they (Devas) were doing their duty properly. He had actually scared

them by saying that He would return within a short period, in order to

prevent them from getting arrogant after getting their boon they asked of

Him.

Agasthya Rishi, Naradha Rishi and other ascetics sent by Devas disguisedthemselves as aged Brahmins to hide their identities, and came down to

Kaladi. They treaded that holy place sanctified as it was by Him, with

hesitation, and came to Sankaran’s house. They reminded Him that the time

had come for fulfilling the goal of His Avatar.

Arya heard only the words ‘Time has come”, and understood them in a

different way. Did not Virushasalesan bless them with a child with a short

life? She thought that these Brahmins were saying that her son’s life was

nearing its end and was agitated.

“I lost my dear husband; now should I continue living after my son also

leaves me ?”

Sankaran asked His mother why she was crying ? How could she mention it to

Him in so many words ? Somehow, she struggled and stammered and told

Him the matter, and started crying uncontrollably.



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Though the time to depart from the earth had not come yet, He had to now

leave His mother and go away. Therefore Sankaran decided to prepare her

mind to accept His separation from her.

Now that He got the opportunity for that, He started talking to her seriously.

“Mother ! Are you worried that I would leave you ? Why this worry ? If God

Himself had said that I would die young, what is the use, then, of you

worrying about it ? We can change what humans do; but where is the

alternative for God’s will? Therefore, brace yourself and accept it.”

He continued further, “ You had so many children in your previous births. Tell

me what is the relationship between them and you now? The attachmentswe develop in this worldly life are not permanent , Mother!

Don’t you know this? The attachment we create with something that is ever

permanent, is the only relationship that is permanent, is it not? “

What Sankaran spoke in the cool voice, froze Aryambikai’s mind. She just sat

there speechless and breathless.

Sankaran heaved a sigh and continued to speak steadily, clearly, word by

word, like a musical sound.

“In a big flood of water, there appear many many air bubbles on the surface.

Among them, some air bubbles attach themselves to each other; after some

time, neither this bubble nor the other one exists. They dissolve into the

water.

We are all like those bubbles, in the ‘flood of time’, created by ‘Maya’

(illusion) which shakes the still reservoir of supreme bliss. Does it not follow

then that all of us should sink into that bliss ?”

Arya was listening to her son, open—mouthed. But even she who is a

matured intellectual, could not understand what Sankaran was saying. Like the

ordinary illiterate folks, she blurted out, “Is this what you speak to a mother?

Are you saying, ‘you have sent my father away from this world; you may

send me also away and live in this world’?



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Sankara! Think in your mind that I should go away, say it aloud in so many

words ! Then it will come true ! I will also join your father ! Even if I do not

have the joy of performing your marriage………”. Her voice choked and she

could not speak further.

Sankaran’s heart sobbed when He realized His mother’s wish; but immediately

afterwards, He smiled.

What a strange thing ! Marriage for Him ? Which object He will marry ? His

form is ‘Kalyanam’; His qualities are ‘Kalyanam’ (virtuous); Is there any other

object of virtue, except Him, or outside of Him, which He should search and

marry ?

He remembered a sloka, ‘When the Supreme Being, which is the form of

total virtue, takes an Avatar in a human form to bless those who surrender

to Him, people want to perform marriage for Him also !’

But there is nothing strange in this; even Brahman who recites the four

Vedas, searched for Kalyani, outside of Him; why not, then, Aryambikai speak

about marriage for Sankaran?

Aryambikai talked about marriage; but Sankaran, on the other hand, had been

thinking about renunciation for some time. He had decided to leave His home

to teach Dharma to the world as promised to Devas; to sacrifice a personal

life with wife, children, wealth etc, and to start living for the welfare of

others.

He did not want to adopt sainthood without His mother’s permission. But

how to make her agree to it ?---He started to think of a way.

“Mother! Come, let us go and have bath !”------Sankaran called His mother

one day. Both of them went to the river, which was running very near to

their house, to have bath leisurely.

Sankaran got into the water. Next moment, a loud cry “Ahhhhhhh!”, rose

above the noise made by the river flow.



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“Sankara ! What happened !”----Aryambal shouted in a louder voice.

“My leg…..leg…..”------cried Sankaran.

When she looked at His leg-----Oh ! a crocodile had caught hold of His leg

between its ferocious jaws ! Its sharp teeth were digging into the silky flesh

of Sankaran’s leg !

Aryambikai was shaken beyond control. She was throbbing and palpitating, not

knowing what to do. “Oh ! I am going to lose my gem after all, that too in

this horrible fashion “.

But Sankaran was shouting helplessly, asking her to rescue Him. But who willrescue Him and how ? Is it humanly possible to relieve Him from the

crocodile’s firm grip ? If that were possible, the objective of the ‘Avatar’

would not have been fulfilled, is it not ?

The villagers who gathered near the river bank could not be aware of all this.

They tried their best to drive away the crocodile. But there were some

persons among them who did not make any attempt, not knowing it was

impossible.

They were the relatives of Sankaran (who might have inherited the family

property, were He not born !) who had, by His late arrival to the family, had

dashed their hopes !

Therefore, externally they acted as if they were uneasy about not being able

to save Him, though, in their heart of hearts, they were gleeful. As if her

son’s pain was not enough, the attitude of the relatives broke Arya’s heart.

She started running madly.

“Mother ! Mother ! please do not leave me !”-----shouted Sankaran.

“Sankara ! What is that I can do for you now ? Should I stand here and

watch you slowly being…………”------sobbed Arya.



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“You do not know what to do ? If only you put your mind to it, you can

save me !”---said the child. He said this casually as if He was not feeling the

pain suffered from the crocodile’s hard grip.

‘Me ? To save Him ? what would she not do, if that were possible ? She was

even ready to sacrifice her life if only that would save her son. That being

the case, why He is saying that ‘if you put your mind to it, you can save

me’?

“What are you saying my dear child? How could I , a helpless lady, save

you?”—said Aryai.

“Please give me permission to have a re-birth ! I will, then be saved !”----saidSankaran. The ONE who GIVES the boon of ‘no rebirth’, is ASKING a boon

from His mother to have Rebirth ! Arya was confused.

She did not need to permit Him to have rebirth---because, that ferocious

crocodile is going to swallow Him now anyway ! His present ‘Janma’ is going

to end now and consequently, next birth will follow.

Aha ! Did He not speak about previous birth and future birth very recently ?Should all that come true so quickly and in so horrible a fashion?

“Sankara ! You never speak anything without substance ! Only I cannot

understand what you are talking about, my dear child ! I am already a fool,

now I have become senseless due to my suffering.

Please tell me once again clearly so that I can understand. How does it

matter whether I give you permission or not, for you to have your rebirth ?---

--asked Aryambikai.

Sankaran started to speak. The moment He had been waiting for, has now

arrived!

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 5……………………………..



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Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan

These sketches are all created by Sri Narayanan Bala

Sri Sankara Charitham - Chapter 4

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Transcript of Sri Sankara Charitham - Chapter 4