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Adi Shankara contd…

At Kashi, Shankara commenced his next task namely to propagate his tenets as set out in his Prasthanathraya Bhashyas. He taught his disciple Padmapada, the commentaries in depth.
The Pashupatas whose doctrine was that Ishwara and Jiva were distinct (dwaitha) and at the time of Moksha (final emancipation), the qualities of Ishwara percolate into Jiva, challenged the Acharya to disprove their doctrine. He, with the help of scriptural quotations and their proper interpretations and powerful arguments easily won over them. Acharya likewise propagated his advaitha philosophy and was able to convince and convert scholars with other ideologies to his line of thinking through debates and discussions.

Meeting with Bhagavan Vyasa Shankara’s Bhashyas were put to severe test by the sage Vyasa himself who entered into a long debate with him extending over a number of days. After eight days, Sri Vyasa pronounced that Shankara alone has known the real meaning of his sutras. Sri Vyasa then blessed him that with the help of the commentaries on Vedanta Sutras and many allied writings, he would be able to refute all opposing doctrines

He also said “You are destined to live only sixteen years. May you live for another sixteen years by the blessings of God Shiva! Your commentary will shine till the end of time.’ Shankara prostrated before the sage Vyasa who then departed.
Shankara Digvijayam
After Vyasa left, Shankaracharya started on a spiritual conquest of the whole land of Bharat. Starting on his journey, he proceeded to Mahishmati, in present-day Bihar. His job was to debate with Mandana Mishra and convince him that knowledge of Brahman is superior to karma as a way of attaining moksha. This is perhaps one of the most aggressively contested vada-vivadams in Sanathana history.
After a long debate Shankaracharya had an astounding success; Mandana Misra became a sishya of Shankara who imparted to him the Mahavakya ‘Tat tvam asi’ and gave him the name Sureshwaracharya.
Shankara started again on his mission, this time towards the south. He, along with his disciples, passed through Maharashtra, Andhra and Karnataka visiting all the temples on the way. He taught Vedanta whenever requested and also composed hymns in praise of deities. Large gatherings had become routine by now as his fame had spread far and wide. Followers of various sects came in groups to debate with him and went back convinced with the advaitha philosophy.
Sri Shankara at Sringeri
The great sage travelled to Sringeri where the sage had passed through 15 years earlier on his way to meet his Guru. The place was inhabited by a large number of virtuous people who were hospitable and regular in performing Vedic Yagas. There, the Acharya expounded to the learned and receptive scholars his commentaries, the doctrine of unity of the self with Brahman and rid the people of their superstitions.
At Sringeri he had a temple built as graceful as Indraloka, and installed therein an image of the Divine mother and instituted her forms of worship. The Acharya continued his work at Sringeri, asked his principal disciples to write treatises on Vedanta which they did..
Sometime later, Shankara had an intuition that his mother was passing through her last days. So he asked Sureswaracharya to take charge and immediately left for Kaladi with his disciple Chitsukha.
On seeing the worn out condition of his mother, he prostrated before her. Aryamba’s heart leaped with delight as she feasted her eyes on the divine radiant being in front of her. She was a spiritually advanced person and requested him to be her Guru.
Shankara wanted to give her God – realisation and began with granting her a divine vision of her ishta devatha Siva by composing
and singing Sivabhujangam. She remained in bhavasamadhi for a few days, full of ecstasy.
She then wanted Vishnubhava and Shankara spontaneously composed Krishnashtakam invoking the Lord to grant vision. She saw the radiant form of Pure Consciousness within.
Aryamba left her mortal coil with her mind absorbed in the Lord. Although Sruthi denies rituals for a sanyasi, Acharya performed her last rites to fulfil the promise he had given earlier.

Vijaya yatra continues
From Kalady, they went to Guruvayur, Thrissur, Tiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari. At all these temples the Acharya composed hymns and sang them. At Tiruchendur, he composed the now popular Subrahmanya Bhujangam to cure a young man afflicted with leprosy.
At Madurai, he worshipped the deity by composing Meenakshi pancharatnam. There were also daily discourses, devotional music and debates on spiritual topics. The digvijayam continued via Ramanathapuram, reached Rameswaram, Chidambaram and Tiruvidaimarudur. Shankara and his disciples then left for Srirangam and Tiruvannamalai, Kalahasti and then reached Kanchipuram, the town with hundreds of temples.
The misconceptions that people had about Advaitha were removed when they saw the Acharya giving equal importance to the worshipping of all deities, The Acharya appeared as a Shakta to a Shakti worshipper, a Saiva to a Saivite and a Vaishnava to worshippers of Vishnu : “Antassaktho bahissaiva vyavahare tu vaishnava” After he constructed and consecrated the Kamakshi temple, he sang the glorious hymn “ Omkara panchara shuki”.
As in other places, in Kanchi too, a debate took place in a large assembly of scholars from various schools of thought including atheists, Buddhists and Jains. After intense debating and discussions, the Jagadguru was able to convince everyone that Advaitha is the Truth. At the end of the debate, all the scholars and the king invited the Acharya to be seated on a hallowed peetha and worshipped him as Sarvajna – the all-knowing one. The Acharya had conquered all !.

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