2019-08-26 23:23

世界导师商羯罗—湿婆神之化身︱The World Preceptor Sankara, incarnation of Siva

2500多年前，一场异教和非吠陀教派的崩塌，伴随着可怕的宗教修持威胁着古老的吠陀正法。在《薄伽梵歌》中，主克里希那告诉阿周那，每当正法受到危险时，他（克里希那）将化身降生在这个世界上，攘除非法，重建正法。主言出必行，他在现今卡利时代已经部分化身，该化身也即湿婆神之化身——商羯罗·薄伽梵帕达，大约在25个世纪前，天神向湿婆神祈祷从非吠陀异教徒的魔爪下救赎婆罗多·德萨（Bharata-desa），于是商羯罗降生。一些可靠信息来源得出如此结论：室利·阿迪·商羯罗出生在卡利时代循环年Nandana的Vaisaka月，明亮两周的第五天，卡利时代循环年Nandana 2593对应于公元前509年。

室利·阿迪·商羯罗·薄伽梵帕达阿查雅（Sri Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya）是世界最伟大的哲学家和灵性学家之一，他是富有洞察力的辩证法家、完美的评论家和著名诗人。他在32年的短暂生命中所取得的奇迹般成就，显示出他异于常人的一面。他的光芒照耀着其后数个世纪，圣人和学者们把他视作神之化身。许多不同时代的思想家和学者都被商羯罗有效传播的一元论哲学所吸引，甚至现代思想家和学者也对商羯罗的天才给予赞颂。

商羯罗的诞生

在喀拉拉邦的卡拉迪村（Kaladi），住着一对虔诚的婆罗门夫妇——希瓦古鲁（sivaguru）和阿雅巴（Aryamba），他们在结婚多年后仍然没有孩子。于是，他们去到Tiruchivaperur（喀拉拉邦现在的Trichur），在那里住了一些日子，崇拜那里寺庙的主神Vrshachalesvara，祈祷得到一个男孩。商羯罗传记叙述希瓦古鲁和他的妻子在Tiruchivaperur最后一天的晚上做了相同的梦：主问他们是想有一个良好品质、智慧和智力的儿子呢？还是具有邪恶和愚蠢天性的儿子？这对夫妇把选择权留给了主自己。

希瓦古鲁和阿雅巴回到卡拉迪几个月后，在循环年（Nandana公元前509年）的Vaisaka月明亮的两周的第五天，阿雅巴生下了一个男孩。虽然许多日期被指定为商羯罗的出生日期，但这个日期可以说是由研究学者根据文学、建筑和占星信息来源的基础上很好确立的。父母给孩子取名商羯罗（Sankara）。商羯罗的生活故事在许多纯传记作品中都有讲述，在其他题材的作品中也有伟大阿查雅的短篇小品。但是，由于所有讲述商羯罗历史的作品都是在他死后几百年才创作出来的，因此，研究商羯罗的历史学家不得不依赖于围绕着商羯罗的名望所收集的大量传统信息。

商羯罗的少年

五岁时，商羯罗得到了他的圣线（upanayanam），被送到当地的学堂（patasala）学习吠陀。一天上午，轮到商羯罗去收布施（biksha），他碰巧在一户穷人家门前停了下来，像往常一样喊着要布施“Bhavatibikkshamdehi”。女主人走了出来，看见了光芒四射的小梵行者（brahmachari）。她走进房里，想找些东西布施那个孩子。但房子里什么也没有，她捡起一个干瘪的余甘子果，放进商羯罗的乞食碗里。男孩看着那个妇女，注意到她脸上明显流露出贫穷和悲伤的表情。他开始用优美的梵文诗句歌颂财富女神室利·马哈拉克希米(Sri Mahalakshmi)。瞧！马哈拉什米在房子上空显灵了！商羯罗请求女神为那所房子里的人提供谋生的手段，女神在那座房子洒下了金币雨（amalakas）。商羯罗向拉克希米祈祷的18节经文的名字是Kanakadhara Stotram，这首商羯罗的第一首诗充满了他对贫困者的同情和关心。

八岁时，商羯罗完成了《吠陀经》的学习，成为一个苦行僧的想法在他的脑海中反复出现。一天早上，他在家旁边的河里沐浴时，一条鳄鱼咬住了他的一只脚，开始把他拖到深水里。商羯罗大声呼救，他妈妈跑到河边，商羯罗对哭泣的母亲说道：“根据我前世的行为，我必须死，但如果我成为一个苦行僧，我可能会继续活下去，因为修持（asrama）的改变会带来新生。因此，请快快允许我成为弃绝者（sanyasi）”。阿雅巴不情愿地答应了，因为她希望她的儿子至少可以作为苦行僧活着。商羯罗通过念诵相关的咒语而成为危机弃绝者（apat-sanyasa在危险时候成为一名苦行僧）。突然，鳄鱼松开了商羯罗的脚，变成了善良的灵魂（gandharva），在赞扬商羯罗之后飞了起来。

阿雅巴让商羯罗回家，商羯罗告诉她，从那天起，广阔的世界就是他的家，给他施舍的人就是他的母亲。阿雅巴问他，如果她在他不在的时候去世，谁来为她举行葬礼？商羯罗安慰哭泣的母亲说，只要她愿意想起他，他就会回到她身边，他会为她的死举行应有的仪式。

开启为正式弃绝者

商羯罗把年迈的母亲托付给近亲照料，离开了卡拉迪，开始向北旅行，寻找一位导师把自己开启为正式弃绝者。几个月后，他到达了纳尔马达（Narmada）河岸，他从住在附近的人那里得知，一个伟大的瑜伽士住在河岸附近的一个山洞里，他大部分时间都在苦修。不久商羯罗走近那个山洞，站在洞口，唱着对联歌。瑜吉室利·戈文达·博伽瓦帕达（Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada）从室利·戈达帕达(SriGaudapada)口中接过对联（Mahabhashya），在洞穴里问道“谁站在那儿？”。商羯罗的回答是10首圣歌（slokas），以副歌Sivahkevaloham结尾，这10首圣歌构成了阿查雅著名的Dasasloki。戈文达牟尼非常高兴，从洞里走出来。商羯罗被戈文达·博伽瓦帕达的神圣人格所打动，跪倒在他的脚下。经过一番交谈，戈文达·博伽瓦帕达接受了商羯罗为他的弟子，并以所有伟大圣言（Mahavakyas）开启他。一些传记说商羯罗与他的古鲁生活了大约3年，并在戈文达·博伽瓦帕达的指导下学习了灵性真理和戒律。在掌握了所有必须从古鲁那里学到的东西后，商羯罗被允许离开，古鲁告诉他，商羯罗应该宣讲一元论梵经（Advaita Vidya），并就《大梵经》写一篇权威的注疏。他指示商羯罗去贝拿拉斯（Benaras今天的瓦纳拉西）——印度的灵性中心，去做这项工作。因此，经过几个月的长途跋涉，翻越文迪亚山脉（Vindhya Mountains），商羯罗终于来到瓦纳拉西。

商羯罗在瓦纳拉西

商羯罗向他的导师告辞后，离开了纳尔玛达河岸，按照他的导师的要求，经过一段时间，他到达了位于神圣恒河岸边的卡西（今天的瓦拉纳西），商羯罗在卡西呆了大约四年。在这期间，许多门徒聚集在他身边学习一元论吠檀多（Advaita Vedanta），其中最著名的一个是萨纳达纳（Sanadana），一个土生土长的乔拉人（Chola）。正是在这些年中，商羯罗写下了关于毗耶娑的《大梵经》著名的注疏，《奥义书》和《薄伽梵歌》的原则。

有一天，当商羯罗坐在卡西的马尼卡尼卡码头（Manikarnika Ghat）时，圣人毗耶娑乔装成一个老婆罗门来到这里。他看到一个年轻的苦行僧坐在众多门徒中间，看起来就像湿婆和他的侍从，就像因陀罗在天神中间，就像梵天被圣人包围。毗耶娑问门徒这少年苦行僧是谁？他们回答说：“哦！老人家！这是商羯罗，沉浸在极乐之中的导师。他解散了许多地方的异端邪说，著述了一篇注疏，对《大梵经》做出了清晰而果断的注疏，并向有洞察力的学生传授了一元论哲学，他就像恒河岸边的楼陀罗一样闪耀着光芒。”于是毗耶娑挨近那群门徒，坐在商羯罗面前，两人就毗耶娑《大梵经》的一些主旨展开了长期而激烈的辩论。在某个特定阶段，商羯罗从他的弟子帕德玛达（Padmapada）的暗示中得知，这位老人是乔装成圣人的毗耶娑，商羯罗在他面前鞠躬。毗耶娑非常满意商羯罗对《大梵经》的阐述，他祝福了商羯罗，与去那里给商羯罗延长寿命的梵天一起离开了。

在卡西的漫长停留期间，一天早晨，商羯罗和他的门徒从维斯瓦拉神庙（Visvesvara）回来，一个贱民牵着四条狗站在路上，商羯罗让他闪开，但是这个贱民并没有走开，而是问商羯罗道：“你想要哪个部分走到哪里？你想要这个躯体（同样是由食物构成的）走吗？还是你想要鲜活的意识离开躯体？你说呢？哦！饱学的婆罗门！你想区分哪个？这个物质躯体或是鲜活的意识？（Chaitanya）”

商羯罗听了哑口无言，因为他一切教导的主旨——即自我是唯一实相，已经被旃陀罗（Chandala）用一句话总结出来了。从旃陀罗的提问，商羯罗立刻领悟吠檀多的要旨，并推测主本人以旃陀罗化身来测试商羯罗是否领悟他所教导的真理。然后他吟唱作答，这些不朽的圣歌即Manishapanchaka，它代表着商羯罗的高水准的教导，不屈不挠的辩证法家商羯罗宣称，他已经证悟梵的一元性，他直觉证悟该教义的真理，适用于商羯罗的导师、甚至旃陀罗，或高种姓婆罗门出生。就在他要结束这首小诗的时候，那个贱民和他的狗消失了，人们看见主维斯瓦纳塔站在上空，为阿查雅祝福。当商羯罗离开卡西之王时，学者和人民向他鞠躬告别。

传记叙述了商羯罗的全部故事，广泛讲述了商羯罗到全国各地的长途旅行。这些广泛旅行可以说是从商羯罗离开圣城卡西时开始的。商羯罗的传记讲述了商羯罗对普拉亚格（Prayag）、巴德林纳特（Badrinath）、克什米尔；以及对南部一些地方，比如奇丹姆巴拉姆（Chidambaram）、马德亚君那穆（Madhyarjunam）、贾穆布克斯瓦拉穆（Jambukesvaram）、室利兰伽姆（Srirangam）、罗摩斯瓦兰穆（Rameswaram）、提鲁帕提（Tirupati）；以及其他许多圣地的访问，比如西海岸的德瓦拉卡（Dwaraka）和东海岸的普里贾伽纳特（Puri Jagannath）。

商羯罗凯拉什朝圣

商羯罗朝圣凯拉什（今冈仁波齐山）——湿婆神圣所，是阿查雅史上最著名的事件之一。当商羯罗阿查雅在喜马拉雅地区游历过程中，他希望得到居于凯拉什的室利·帕拉玛希瓦拉（Sri Paramesvara至上湿婆神）的达显。商羯罗借助自己的瑜伽力量很快就到达了凯拉什，他获得了湿婆神和帕尔瓦蒂女神的达显。根据传统，商羯罗通过唱诵两首赞美诗来崇拜湿婆神，这两首赞美诗被称为Sivapadadi-kesanta stotram和Sivakesadi-padantastotram。湿婆神对商羯罗的祈祷非常满意，他祝福了商羯罗，赐予他五尊水晶灵伽（Sphatika lingas），并指示他为了宇宙的福祉而安排对林伽的崇拜，这也指明了崇拜的方式。湿婆神赐予商羯罗的桑迪亚·拉哈里（ Soundarya Lahari）棕榈叶经文——被视作湿婆赞美帕拉萨克蒂（Parasakti至上萨克蒂）的赞美诗。

从凯拉什到坎奇

我们从现有传记资料中了解到，商羯罗在凯拉什（冈仁波齐）将五尊水晶林伽中的一尊——穆克提林伽（Mukti Linga）安置在克达那特的神庙（Kedarnath）；他在尼泊尔尼拉坎塔克谢特拉（Neelakanta Kshetra）圣化了瓦拉林伽（Vara Linga）；其余三个林伽，他带回了南印度。他把布伽林伽（Bhoga Linga ）安置在卡纳塔克邦（Karnataka）的萨拉达圣座（Sarada Peetha）里供世人崇拜；他将莫克夏林伽（Moksha Linga）安置在奇丹巴兰姆（Chidambaram）的舞王神庙（Sri Nataraja）圣殿供世人崇拜；他将瑜伽林伽（Yoga Linga）安置在坎奇（Kanchi）供自己和他的继任者崇拜。

在Anantanandagiri的传记和Markandeya Samhita中，都提到了五尊水晶灵伽（sphatika lingas）为供世人崇拜而建立的地方。西瓦拉哈西雅（Sivarahasya）指出商羯罗带着林伽匆匆返回，并在坎奇他自己的修持中崇拜它们。坎奇人在拉贾瑟那（Rajasena）国王的领导下，在坎奇市郊隆重欢迎商羯罗，据说阿查雅在萨瓦特塔穆（Sarvateertham）岸边的韦斯瓦斯瓦拉（Visvesvara）寺庙的Mukti Mandapa住了一段时间。

薄伽梵帕达·商羯罗重建甘吉城，并在甘吉蒂统治者拉贾斯坦纳（Rajasena）的帮助下，重建了甘吉城的三座主要寺庙——室利·埃坎巴雷斯瓦尔（SriEkamranatha）、卡玛克希女神庙（Devi Kamakshi）和室利·瓦那达拉贾神庙（Sri Varadaraja）。商羯罗在重建卡玛克希女神庙前将室利妙见轮（Srichakra）圣化，从而使信徒从女神的达显中获得其宏达恩典。

坎奇——商羯罗的最后居所

商羯罗·薄伽梵·帕达阿查雅在他的世俗生涯即将结束时回到了南部的解脱圣城（Mokshapuri）——坎奇，在这座圣城摆脱了他的道德束缚，许多著作阐述了这些事实。

Sivarahasya梵文著作16章46节的第九部分(在打印Canareese版No.32,迈索尔宫殿的Jayachamarajendra系列)，提到商羯罗阿查雅为了成功战胜其他信仰的学者，达到悉达（siddhi永恒极乐），在坎奇他自己的修道院崇拜瑜伽、布伽、瓦拉、穆克提和莫克夏林伽（Yoga,Bhoga, Vara, Mukti and Moksha lingas）。

Anantanandagiri在《商羯罗的传记》（所有版本印刷和手稿，包括马德拉斯大学版）说道“世界导师（商羯罗）渴望出离自己的身体，他在解脱圣城坎奇（Moskhapuri of Kanchi），内缩他的粗糙身为精微身，收至拇指大小，获得了永恒极乐，保留在该遍在的“意识”（ Cit）至今。”。Brhad Sankara Vijaya和Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra的Gurunatramala表明，阿查雅商羯罗在坎奇——南部的解脱圣城获得了永恒极乐。Rajacudamani Deeksita的Sankarabhyudaya的结语提到商羯罗每天崇拜Kamesvari （Kamakshi），并获得无上喜乐。Ramabhadra Diksita的Patanjali Vijayam (孟买Nirnaya Sagar Press, Kavyamala Series No.51)末尾有一节说，商羯罗在著作了注疏，并征服了方向（digvijaya）之后，永久地住在坎奇。

More than 2500 years ago, an avalanche of heretic andnon-Vedic sects, with horrible religious practices threatened to wipe away the ancient Veda-Dharma. In the Bhagavad Geeta, Lord Krishna has told Arjuna that,whenever there arises danger to Dharma, He (Krishna) will incarnate in this world to eradicate adharma and re-establish Dharma. In consonance with His words, the Lord has made partial incarnations during the course of the present Kali Age. And such an incarnation is the partial incarnation of Siva as Sankara Bhagavatpada, which happened some twenty-five centuries ago, on the prayer of celestials to Lord Siva to redeem Bharata-desa from the clutches of non-Vedicand heretic sects.

Sri Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya was one of the greatest philosophers and spiritualists of, the world. He was a discerning dialectician,a consummate commentator and a celebrated poet. His miraculous achievements,within a short span of life of thirty-two years, speak of his super-human aspect. Sages and scholars, who have shone through the centuries after his time,have regarded him as an incarnation of the Divine. Many a thinker and many ascholar of different climes and times has been attracted by the philosophic discipline of Advaita (Monism), effectively propagated by Sankara. Even modern thinkers and scholars of repute have paid eulogistic tributes to Sankara'sgenius.

The birth

There lived a pious Brahmin couple -Sivaguru and Aryamba -in the village of Kaladi in Kerala. Even after years after their marriage they had no issue. So they went to Tiruchivaperur (modern Trichur in Kerala) and stayed there for a number of days and worshipped Vrshachalesvara, the presiding deity of the temple there, praying for a male offspring. Sankara biographies narrate that both Sivaguru and his wife had identical dreams, at night of the last day of their stay in Tiruchivaperur, in which the Lord asked them if they desired to have a single son endowed with good qualities, wisdom and intelligence or sons wicked and idiotic by nature and that the couple left the decision of the choice to the Lord Himself.

Months after Sivaguru and Aryambal had returned to Kaladi, a male child was born to Aryambal, on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the Vaisaka month of the cyclic year Nandana (509 B.C.). Though many dates are assigned for the birth of Sankara, this date may be said to be fairly well established by research scholars on the basis of literary, architectural and astrological sources of information. The parents gave the name"Sankara" to the child. The life story of Sankara is told in many purely biographical works and also short sketches of the Great Acharya are had in works devoted to other topics. But since all works, which narrate the history of Sankara, have been produced, many centuries after his lifetime, the historian of Sankara has to depend on the lot of traditional information that has gathered round Sankara's name and fame.

Childhood

Having had his upanayanam at the age of five, Sankara was sent to a local patasala for studying the Veda. One forenoon, during his rounds for collecting biksha (alms), Sankara happened to stop in front of a poor man's house and uttered the usual word of request for biksha -"Bhavati bikkshamdehi". The lady of the house came out and saw the lustrous little brahmachari. She went in and searched for something for offering to the boy.But there was nothing in the house to offer. She picked up a dry amla fruit and dropped it in Sankara's bowl. The boy looked at the woman and noticed the lines of poverty and sorrow writ large on her face. He began singing the praise of Sri Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, in fine Sanskrit verses. And lo! Mahalakshmi stood above the house. Sankara requested the Goddess to provide the means for the livelihood of the inmates of that house. The Devi caused a shower of gold amalakas on that house. The eighteen verses of Sankara's prayer to Lakshmi go by the name "Kanakadhara Stotram". This very first poem of Sankara breathes with his compassion and concern for the poor and the needy.

At the age of eight Sankara finished the study of the Veda.The idea of becoming an ascetic was revolving in his mind. One morning when he was bathing in the river flowing by the side of his house, a crocodile caught one of his feet and began to drag him into the deep. Sankara shouted for help.His mother came running to the bank of the river. Sankara told his weeping mother, "In accordance with my doings during past births I have to die.But I may continue to live if I become an ascetic, since change of asrama causes a new birth. Hence grant me permission to become a sanyasi quickly". Aryamba reluctantly agreed, as she desired to have her son alive at least as anascetic. Sankara took to apat-sanyasa (becoming an ascetic in time of danger)by uttering the pertinent mantras. Suddenly the crocodile left Sankara's foot,turned into a gand harva (good spirit) and flew up after praising Sankara.

Aryamba asked Sankara to come home. Sankara told her that from that day, the wide world was his home and whoever offered him alms was his mother. Aryamba asked him as to who would perform her funeral rites if she died in his absence. Sankara consoled his sobbing mother saying that he would be by her side whenever she chose to think of him and that he would perform the duerites on her death.

Initiation into regular Sanyasa

Leaving his old mother in the care of near relatives, Sankara left Kaladi and began to travel towards the north, in search of a preceptor to get himself initiated into regular sanyasa. Months later he reached the bank of the Narmada. He learnt from the people living nearby that a great yogi lived in a cave near the river bank and that he was spending most of his time in penance.Soon Sankara went near that cave and stood before the entrance to the cave singing about the yogin in some couplets. The yogi, Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada,recipient of the Mahabhashya from the lips of Sri Gaudapada, asked from within the cave, who was standing near the cave. The reply of Sankara was in the form of 10 slokas ending with the refrain "Sivahkevaloham", These ten slokas constitute the famous Dasasloki of the Acharya. Immensely pleased,Govindamuni came out of the cave. Sankara who was struck by the divine personality of Govinda Bhagavatpada fell at his feet. After some conversation,Govinda Bhagavatpada accepted Sankara as his disciple and initiated him in allthe Mahavakyas, Some of the biographies say that Sankara lived on with his'guru' for about 3 years and learnt the spiritual truths and the disciplines under Govinda Bhagavatpada. After mastering all that had to be learnt from the'guru', Sankara was granted permission to leave, and the guru told him, that Sankara should preach Advaita Vidya, and also write an authoritative commentaryon the Brahma Sutras. He instructed Sankara to go to Benaras, which was the spiritual centre of gravity of India, to do this work. Accordingly in course of time, Sankara returned to Kasi, crossing the Vindhya Mountains, after aprolonged journey of months.

Sankara at Kasi

Taking leave of his preceptor, Sankara left the Narmada bank and in course of time reached Kasi, also known as Varanasi, situated on the bank of the sacred Ganga, as desired by his preceptor. Sankara's stay at Kasiwas for about four years. During this period, a number of disciples gathered around him to learn the Advaita Vedanta. A prominent one of them was Sanadana,a native of the Chola country. It was during these years that Sankara wrote the famous commentaries on Vyasa's Brahmasutras, the principle Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Geeta..

One day, when Sankara was seated at the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanaasi, Sage Vyasa came here, disguised as an old Brahmin. He saw a young ascetic sitting amidst numerous disciples and looking like Siva with his attendants, as Indra in the middle of celestials and as Brahma surrounded by sages. Vyasa asked the disciples who the boy ascetic was. They replied"Oh! Old man! This is Sankara, the preceptor steeped in bliss. Having dissolved heretic sects in many places, having produced a commentary, with clear and decisive interpretations on the Brahmasutras, and having taught Advaita philosophy to discerning students, he shines as Rudra on the bank of the Ganga." Then Vyasa got near the group of disciples and sat before Sankara. A long and heated debate ensued between the two on the purport of some of Vyasa's Brahmasutras. At a particular stage, Sankara learnt from a hint of his disciple, Padmapada, that the old man was Sage Vyasa in disguise and bowed before him. Immensely satisfied with Sankara's exposition of the Brahmasturas,Vyasa blessed Sankara and departed along with Brahma who had gone over there to grant an extension of life to Sankara.

During the long stay at Kasi, one morning Sankara was returning with his disciples from the temple of Visvesvara. An outcaste,leading four dogs, stood on the way. Sankara asked him to clear away from the path. But the outcaste did not move and asked Sankara, "From which, do you want and, what, to go where? Do you want this body, which has been similarly built out of food? Do you want one living consciousness to go away from another? What do you say, Oh! Learned Brahmin? Which do you want to differentiate; this body of matter or the living Chaitanya?"

Sankara was struck dumb at this, as the very purpose of all his teachings, that the Self alone is the sole Reality, had been summarised by the Chandala in a single verse. Sankara immediately understood the Vedantic purport of the Chandala's question and also conjectured that the Lord Himself had come in the form of a Chandala to test if Sankara had realised the truth that he had been teaching. He then uttered in reply, those immortal slokas which go by the name of "Manishapanchaka". These represent the highwater mark of Sankara's teaching, where the consistency of a remorseless dialectician, Sankara declares, that he, who has realised the oneness of the Brahman, and he who has intuited the Truth of this doctrine, is fit to be even Sankara's master, even though he, be a Chandala or a high caste Brahmin by birth.Even as he was about to conclude the small poem, the outcaste and his dogs disappeared and Lord Visvanatha was seen above the place, blessing the Acharya.When Sankara left Kasi, the King of Kasi, scholars and people bowed before him and bid him farewell.

Biographies narrating in full the story of Sankara speak extensively regarding the long tours of Sankara to many parts of the country.These digvijaya travels may be said to have begun from the time of Sankara'sleaving the sacred city of Kasi. Biographies of Sankara tell about Sankara's visit to Prayag, Badrinath, Kashmir and to a number of places in the south such as Chidambaram, Madhyarjunam, Jambukesvaram, Srirangam, Rameswaram, Tirupati and to many other sacred spots lIke like Dwaraka in the west coast and Puri Jagannath on the eastern coast.

Sankaras' Kailasa Yatra

Sankara's yatra to Kajlasa, the abode of Lord Siva, is one ofthe most notable events in the history of the Acharya. During the course of his peregrination in the Himalayan region, Shankaracharya desired to have darshan of Sri Paramesvara having his abode in Kailas. Sankara managed to reach Kailas quickly because of his yogic power. He had darshan of Lord Paramesvara and Devi Parvati. According to tradition, Sankara adored Paramesvara by singing two hymns, known as "Sivapadadi-kesanta stotram" and"Sivakesadipadanta stotram", Immensely pleased with Sankara's prayers, Paramesvara blessed Sankara, presented him with five sphatika(crystal) lingas and instructed him to arrange for the worship of the If ngasIingas for the sake of the welfare of the universe, indicating also the mode of worship. Paramesvara also handed over to Sankara the palm-leaf manuscript of Soundarya Lahari, which is noted as Siva's own hymn in praise of the Parasakti.

Kailas to Kanchi

From available biographical information, it is learnt that Shankaracharya placed one of the five sphatika lingas got at Kailas, the Mukti Linga in the temple at Kedarnath, and that he consecrated the Vara Linga at Neelakanta Kshetra in Nepal. With the other three, he returned to the south. He placed the Bhoga Linga for being worshipped at the Sarada Peetha in Karnataka and he sent the Moksha Linga to Chidambaram for being worshipped In the temple of Sri Nataraja in that sacred place, He kept the Yoga Linga for his own personal worship and for his successors at Kanchi.

References to the places where the five-sphatika lingas were established for worship are found in Anantanandagiri's biography and in Markandeya Samhita. The Sivarahasya points to Sankara's hastening to the earth with the lingas and worshipping them in his own asrama at Kanchi. The people of Kanchi, under the leadership of King Rajasena, offered a grand welcome to Sankara at the outskirts of Kanchi City, It is said that the Acharya stayed atthe Mukti Mandapa in the small Visvesvara temple, on the bank of the Sarvateertham tank for some time.

Bhagavatpada Sankara got Kanchi city remodeled and also caused the reconstruction of the three principle temples of Kanchi viz., the temples of Sri Ekamranatha, Devi Kamakshi and Sri Varadaraja with the assistance of Rajasena, ruler of Kanchi. Sankara consecrated the Srichakra before Devi Kamakshi and there by secured Her bounteous grace on devotees having Her darshan.

Kanchi -Shankaracharya's Last Resort

Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya returned to Kanchi, the Southern Mokshapuri, towards the end of his earthly career and shook off his moral coilsin that sacred city. A number of works state these facts.

Verse 46 of the sixteenth chapter of the ninth section of the voluminous Sanskrit work "Sivarahasya" (in the printed Canareese edition No.32, Jayachamarajendra Series of the Mysore Palace, refers to Shankaracharya's worship of the Yoga, Bhoga, Vara, Mukti and Moksha lingas, to his success over scholars of other faiths and to his attaining siddhi (eternalbliss) at his own ashrama in Kanchi.

Anantanandagiri's biography of Sankara (all versions printedand manuscripts, including the Madras University edition) says "The World Preceptor (Sankara) desiring to leave for his own abode, sitting once in the Moskhapuri of Kanchi, absorbed his gross body into the subtle one and getting reduced into the size of a thumb, attained eternal bliss and remains at the all-pervading "Cit" to this day". The Brhad Sankara Vijaya, and Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra's Gurunatramala indicate that Acharya Sankara attained eternal bliss at Kanchi -the Southern Mokshapuri. The concluding verse of Rajacudamani Deeksita's "Sankarabhyudaya" refers to Sankara worshipping Kamesvari (Kamakshi) every day and attaining supreme bliss. Patanjali Vijayam by Ramabhadra Diksita (Kavyamala Series No.51 , Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay), has a verse at the end, stating that Sankara, after having produced the Bhasyas and conquered the directions (digvijaya) stayed permanently at Kanchi.

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