Shankracharya Jayanti

Adi Guru Shankaracharya ji, who re-established the foundation of Sanatan Dharma, was born and arrived at a time when religious evil practices were prevalent. Monasteries and temples of Buddhist and sanatan religions had become centers of violation.

The knowledge of ethics and the conduct and polite behavior in accordance with it had started moving away from religious centres. Bad practices like evil habits , animal killing , human sacrificing , ignorance and unfair practices were destroying the religion. The common man, being ignorant of the truth of religion, was entangled in the web of those who create illusions and ostentation and always remained confused. In such a situation, there was a need for a guiding guru. Who can tell the true form of religion.

When there is no correct knowledge of religion, a veil of ignorance falls due to which fraudsters trap even a true person and by creating ostentation, deceive them by confusing them.

Early life

Due to lack of accurate evidence of his birth, there is still disagreement among historians regarding his birth. According to the monasteries established by Shankaracharya, his birth is generally accepted in 507 BC and death in 475 BC. According to modern historians, Adi Guru Shankaracharya was born in 788 AD in Kalti village of Kerala. It has also been said that modern historians were inspired by politicians.

His father's name was Shivguru, and mother's name was Aryamba. His father was a great scholar and religious man. It was only by the grace of Lord Shankar ji that he got a son and only then Adi Guru Shankaracharya ji was born. Shankaracharya was very talented since childhood. At the age of 3, he learned his own language Malayalam, read the Vedas, and started answering difficult questions of religion. When Shankaracharya was 3 years old, his father Shivguru died. At the age of 5, his Upanayana ceremony was performed. After this he was sent to Acharya for education. Other disciples acquired the knowledge of the scriptures in 20 years but Shankaracharya acquired complete knowledge in just 2 years and returned to his mother in Kalti. One day sage Agastya reached the house of child Shankar. His mother bowed to him and sought blessings for her son's long life. Then sage Agastya told that Shankaracharya will alive only 32 years. Knowing this, mother's heart trembled.

Resolve to sannyasa

One day Shankaracharya ji said to his mother – Mother! All living beings in the world take birth and die. There is no happiness in this life, so I want to take sannyasa. Hearing such words of Shankaracharya, mother said – Son! Don't take sannyasa. Become a householder, perform yagya, worship, you have read all the Vedas. Saying this, the mother refused to allow Shankaracharya to take sannyasa.

One day Shankaracharya ji had gone to take a bath in the river, his mother was standing on the bank of the river. Then Shankaracharya started drowning in water. He said, “Mother, save me, someone is pulling me. Then the mother saw that a crocodile had caught hold of one of Shankaracharya's legs. At the same time Shankaracharya ji said to mother - O mother! If you allow me to take sannyasa then this crocodile will leave me otherwise it will kill me. Tell me quickly, mother! There is very little time. The mother thought that his son would take sannyasa, at least he would remain alive. Therefore, he gave permission to take sannyasa. As soon as the mother gave permission to take sannyasa, the crocodile left Shankaracharya's leg. Mother said, my last wish is that when I die, you should perform my last rites. After this, Shankaracharya ji took sannyasa.

Shankaracharya's meeting with Guru Govindpad

After taking Sannyasa, Shankaracharya proceeded from Kalti towards Tungabhadra and then reached Omkareshwar via Sringeri via Gokarna. There he met Guru Govindpada, a spiritual guru famous for his knowledge. Guru Govindpad asked Shankaracharya ji, who are you ? Shankaracharya ji said- Oh Lord! I am not the earth, nor the water , nor the light , nor the air , nor the sky , nor their qualities , nor the senses, that is , I am not what you can see in this pasture. But I am the supreme element beyond all this. Guru Govindpad is very pleased with Shankaracharya's answer. Shankaracharya was 9 years old when he met Guru Govindpada. Guru Govindpada taught renunciation and made him his disciple. After this, Shankaracharya himself composed Vishnusahastra names so that people could understand the one thousand forms of Lord Vishnu. Shankaracharya was such a great scholar that he could defeat even great scholars in debates. At that time Shankaracharya ji was only 12 years old. He composed texts.

Shastrarth of Mandan Mishra and Shankaracharya ji

There is one more incident which is very popular, let us know-

Mandan Mishra lived with his wife Ubhay Bharti in his city of Mahishamati Nagari. Which is currently a town in Mahishi district of Bihar. Mandan Mishra was a great scholar. Shankaracharya ji approached Mandan Mishra for debate.

Shankaracharya ji's topic was that the Upanishads are the proof, this is what gives the knowledge of Brahma, whereas Mandan considered the Vedas and rituals as the proof. Mandan said that freedom from suffering is achieved through actions and not through words. Shankaracharya ji put a condition before Mandan Mishra and all the courtiers that if I am defeated in this debate then I will give up my sannyasa today itself. Whereas Mandan placed a condition that if I am defeated then I will leave the worldly life and become a Sanyasi. The discussion between them went on continuously for 5-6 days, only taking a rest for daily work and eating food and then the discussion started again. At last, Eventually Mandan Mishra started getting worried due to lack of answers.

Shastrarth of Ubhaya Bharati and Shankaracharya ji

At last Mandan Mishra accepted his defeat and Mandan Mishra got ready to become Shankaracharya's disciple, then his wife Ubhay Bharti said - My husband cannot accept sannyasa because he has not been defeated yet. It is said that a wife is her husband's better half. Therefore, now you have won half of his body, to win the whole body, you will have to defeat me by doing debate with me also. If you do not want to debate with me then accept your defeat.

After this debate between Shankaracharya and Ubhaya Bharati for 17 days and in the end when Ubhaya Bharati saw herself defeated, she started asking questions from Kama Shastra . But Shankaracharya ji was a child celibate, hence he could not answer these questions, hence Shankaracharya ji asked for one month's time from Ubhay Bharati to answer these questions.

He went towards the forest . There a King Amaruk had come to that forest for hunting. He dies while hunting. Shankaracharya ji, with the power of his yoga power, abandoned his body and allowed his soul to enter the body of King Amaruk. For a month, Shankaracharya ji stayed with the queen in the body of King Amruk and studied the knowledge of lust. After that Shankaracharya ji came back and debated with Ubhaya Bharati and after defeating her , he made Mandan Mishra his disciple. After accepting his defeat, Mandan Mishra accepted Shankaracharya as his guru and went with him to serve him.

Finally he started a last journey which is called Digvijay Yatra. During this journey Adi Shankaracharya established four monasteries (Math). Established Jyotirmath in Badrikashram in the north , Sharda Math in Dwarka in the west , Shringeri Math in the south and Govardhan Math in Jagannath Puri in the east. It was through these four monasteries and knowledge that Adi guru Shankaracharya ji gained fame and revived the religion.

Shankracharya Jayanti

Shankracharya Jayanti

Early life

Resolve to sannyasa

Shankaracharya's meeting with Guru Govindpad

Shastrarth of Mandan Mishra and Shankaracharya ji

Shastrarth of Ubhaya Bharati and Shankaracharya ji

Related Jayanti topics

About this Article