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Part 1: The Life and Legacy of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavāne kī jai. Today we have a rich program. We have a talk about Śaṅkarācārya, about his life and his work, but since the evening is short and the talk is long, we will shorten it to about half; the continuation will be next weekend, that is, the next seminar. Then there will be āratī, and then we have Svāmījī’s instructions on the DVD for the practitioners. So, before we begin, Swāmī Swāmī Gajānand has a little message. Yesterday, we shared beautiful experiences that some of us had with Svāmījī. And I am aware that when we have finished, we have actually not finished. Because then people still came to me who said, “I also had something I wanted to share, but it was already too late for that.” And I also received a response by email, which I would like to share with you. Saṅgītā from Hamburg wrote about her own experiences or insights. She continued from what Kṛṣṇānandjī said about how, during that satsaṅga in 1987, he saw the light that was going to the interpreter. Saṅgītā says that she saw the same, identical light two years later. It was in Piešťany in 1989. There were four hundred people there. Svāmījī was seated on the stage. And in the midst of it, when Svāmījī was speaking, suddenly a great light appeared. The sādhvī Indrapurī, who was sitting next to Saṅgītā at that time, also saw that light. But just as the Christian said, not everyone here saw it either. And the light spread more and more, until finally the entire hall was essentially illuminated for them. That is what I wanted to share with you. Last night was wonderful, I am extraordinary. I think we should repeat this, perhaps in the next seminar, in two weeks. I think they could have prepared with experiences and insights, and so today something different. To repeat that thought. To attune ourselves to Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, so that we may sing the bhajana: Cittānanda Rūpa, Śivo’ham, Śivo’ham. This bhajana was composed by Śrī Śaṅkarācārya at the age of eight, when he first met his guru. It is one of the few bhajans we have directly in the Sanskrit language. Hail to Ādi Guru Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya Jī Mahārāja. So let us slowly move so that we can see the pictures, and perhaps sit closer if you need to. We can now slowly turn towards the screen so that you can see the slides. If anyone wishes, you may come closer. Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya is considered the embodiment of Lord Śiva. According to the Purāṇas, Bhagavān incarnates in Kali Yuga when dharma declines, when understanding of the Vedas declines, and when spirituality declines. Then the yogis come, and they help to restore dharma and spirituality once again. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya is the proponent of Advaita Vedānta and a reformer of sannyāsa. He was born during a time of decline in dharma and Hinduism, and despite his short life, he managed to accomplish a tremendous work and once again establish and strengthen dharma. Śaṅkarācārya comes from a highly respected Brahmin family. His father was named Śivaguru; he studied and taught the śāstras. His mother’s name was Āryāmbā. His family belongs to the Nambūdiri Brahmins, Brahmins from the state of Kerala where Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was actually born. These Brahmins perform rituals in temples based on ancient tantric traditions. These traditions are known only in Kerala and in certain temples where these Brahmins serve. They are known for their orthodoxy and, unlike most Brahmins, they are more specialized in tantras than in mantras. They follow the ancient philosophy of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā, while most Brahmins today follow Vedānta. Mīmāṃsā means analysis, examination, understanding, investigation. It provides methods to understand the Vedas and rituals. It is a very ancient philosophical school, one of the six darśanas. It is also called the original inquiry of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā. The most important duty of a person is considered to be living according to dharma. When we familiarize ourselves with the literature, we know these are the saṃhitās—the fundamental collections of the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, and Atharvaveda. The Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, and Upaniṣads of Mīmāṃsā are specifically concerned with those saṃhitās, especially the Yajurveda. It is more engaged in the activity of karma, in the performance of ritual. Vedānta, on the other hand, is the end—the final point of the Vedas. ‘Anta’ means end, ‘veda’ are the Vedas. Vedānta places emphasis on knowledge or understanding. It is also called Uttara Mīmāṃsā, which means the higher, later teaching, the supreme teaching. It focuses on the Upaniṣads, the final portion of the Vedas, and deals with the knowledge of jñāna. So Mīmāṃsā is the spiritual heritage that Śrī Śaṅkarācārya received by birth into this Brahmin family, and these Nambūdiri Brahmins have been engaged in that Mīmāṃsā for many generations. We will return to the parents. It is said that the parents of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya were childless for a long time. In the end, they decided to ask Lord Śiva for a son. They performed worship and austerity with great devotion, eating only the fruits, roots, and leaves of the tree under which they were practicing that austerity. Lord Śiva was pleased with their austerities and appeared to them. He asked them whether they would prefer to have several sons who were less intelligent, or one son who was brilliant but lived a short life. The parents were very humble and devoted, and they said that they did not want to decide about it themselves—they would leave the decision to him. Lord Śiva was very pleased and said that he would be born as their son. That is how Śaṅkarācārya was born. ‘Śaṅkara’ means one who brings goodness, ‘ācārya’ means teacher—the spiritual leader, one who teaches by example, a highly learned person. This title was given to Śrī Śaṅkarācārya at the age of twelve. He was born in the village of Kālaḍī in southern India. The exact date of his birth is not entirely certain. Some scholars indicate the eighth century of our era, which is supported by the majority, while others, mostly Indian scholars, speak of the year 509 BCE. They give a date between June and July, on the fifth day of the bright fortnight after the new moon, a day ruled by the serpent constellation. It is said that when the child was born, the sun stood still in the sky to look upon his face. The birds gathered around the house and sang hymns of praise, and the wind caressed him. Now we have the childhood of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. When he was still very young, his father passed away. At the age of five, he began studying the Vedas. He was endowed with excellent intellect, clear understanding, and precise pronunciation of the text. He immediately remembered everything he heard once. The second image relates to a story that we probably know. I will repeat it here. The boys who studied would go for alms, and the householders felt greatly blessed to be able to give them something. Once Śrī Śaṅkarācārya came to the house of a very poor lady. She wanted to offer alms but had nothing to give him. Finally she found a dried āmalakī fruit and gave it. She then blessed him, saying, “May your self-realization shine like the āmalakī in your palms.” That fruit is traditionally used as a metaphor for direct and unequivocal perception of reality, and she gave him a great and beautiful blessing. Śaṅkarācārya was moved by her poverty and began to sing a hymn of praise to Śrī Mahālakṣmī. Mahālakṣmī appeared there, as we see in the picture. Śaṅkarācārya asked her to grant the lady the means to live, and the goddess caused golden fruits to rain down upon the house. This prayer of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya is called the Prayer for the Golden Rain, in eighteen verses, and it is actually like his first poem, not really a bhajan. Once, a group of learned Brahmins visited the house of Śaṅkarācārya. They were deeply moved when they saw his intelligence and wisdom. They asked for his horoscope and said that he would be a great teacher and a great sannyāsin, but that he would die at the age of eight, or sixteen, or thirty-two. Before completing his eighth year, several sages angrily confronted the family. They were moved by the grace of the mother and the exceptional wisdom and erudition of the boy, and they blessed him that his age be doubled. And actually, it was a study that does not require decades, so two years were enough for him. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya deeply longed to become a sannyāsin, but of course his mother did not want to allow that. There is a story passed down about how he fulfilled his desire. Here we have the third picture. When Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was eight years old, a crocodile caught him by the leg in the river. He told his mother that if she allowed him to become a sannyāsin, it would extend his life—because it actually embraces a new life. Of course, in that horror his mother allowed it. And so Śrī Śaṅkarācārya accepted āpat sannyāsa in this way—that is sannyāsa taken in times of danger or during serious illness. This sannyāsa was actually accepted by her as the mother of the boy. It is such that if a person emerges from the situation, from that illness or danger, it is then assumed that they may legitimately take sannyāsa. And if they do not come out of the given situation alive, they earn merits for the next life. The story is that as soon as his mother agreed, the crocodile released Śrī Śaṅkarācārya’s leg. The crocodile transformed into a Gandharva, a celestial singer, and flew away while singing hymns in praise of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya then entrusted his relatives with the care of his mother, promising that he would come at her final hour—and he fulfilled that promise. He went away to search for his master, Govindapāda, and accepted initiation from him. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya sent a message to Śrī Govinda, knowing that he lived somewhere north of his village and that he had to cross the river Narmadā. He therefore had to walk on foot through the jungle. That was a challenging practice, even for an adult, let alone for an eight-year-old child. So, just in case we ever feel reluctant to practice, we can remember all that he had to endure in order to attain his guru. And now we will let it go for a moment and look at his guru paramparā. It is like a sturdy tree that we lean on and from which we grow. The guru paramparā of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was also this kind of strong tree. His paramaguru—the teacher of his teacher—was Śrī Gauḍapādācārya, who is in that picture. He is considered the first teacher of Vedānta philosophy in Kali Yuga, and he is also the first historical representative of Advaita Vedānta. He is the author of a series of commentaries on the Upaniṣads, including his commentaries on the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, where he describes the hidden meaning of the mantras, presenting the foundation of Vedānta philosophy. These commentaries are explained by the light of Advaita Vedānta. He explains here the concept of Māyā—that the world is actually just an illusion, and reality is Parabrahman, the divine being, the divine essence of all. Part 2: The Life and Legacy of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya: Lineage, Disciples, and Monasteries Śrī Śaṅkarācārya also wrote commentaries on this work. He prostrates before Śrī Gauḍapādācārya as before his parama guru, and also before the guru who revived Advaita Vedānta. Śrī Gauḍapādācārya founded the first maṭha in the monastic community, and the lineage of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya continued in this tradition. It is said that Śrī Gauḍapādācārya renounced the world at a very young age and went to seek spiritual wisdom. His inner guidance led him to the north, where in Bhadrikā Āśrama he received the grace of Lord Nārāyaṇa and the blessings of Maharṣi Veda Vyāsa. In this way, he beautifully received the blessing of the knowledge of Vedānta, and this knowledge was passed on to his disciple Śrī Govinda Bhagavadpādācārya, a great yogī and a great scholar. Once, they set out together on a pilgrimage to Kāśī. On the way, they stopped by the river Narmadā, and there, in the caves on the southern shore, Govinda Bhagavadpādācārya established an Āśrama. Most of the time, he remained there in Samādhi. So after months of walking, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya came to the cave where Govinda was residing. Śrī Govindapāda, from his seat, asked the yogī who was standing there. He introduced himself as Śrī Govindapāda. He asked again, and at that time, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya responded by reciting the bhajana Śivoham. Manobuddhi Ahaṃkāra, Śivakevalam Ahaṃ. Actually, the bhajana we sing is a little different, perhaps more like a variation of the same one. It is slightly different from the way we are singing this bhajana; probably there are different versions. Śrī Govinda was very pleased and accepted Śaṅkarācārya as his disciple. He gave him Guru Dīkṣā and Sannyāsa Dīkṣā. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya stayed with him for three years, and in fact, Śrī Govindapāda passed on the teaching of Advaita to him. After three years, Śrī Govindapāda sent Śrī Śaṅkarācārya to Kāśī, also called Vārāṇasī or Benares, an ancient city and a center of learning. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya lived there for four years. At that time, he wrote commentaries on the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Brahma Sūtras—the Prasthānatrayī. In fact, his guru had blessed him, giving him the boon to engage in learned discourses. At that time, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was between 12 and 16 years old. The commentaries he wrote are highly valued, and to this day everyone refers to them, both scholars and spiritual seekers. In the Czech edition by Mrs. Šát, there are also many references to the commentary of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. We have two pictures that illustrate two stories about what happened there. Once, when Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was going to the Gaṅgā, he encountered what are called the untouchables, without caste. The man was accompanied by his wife and four dogs. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya requested him to step aside, to clear the path. The man smiled and told him, “You teach Advaita, the philosophy of non-dualism, and thus you teach that all souls are identical with God. So how did you come to duality? Are you asking me to step aside? Do you mean this body or this Ātman? Who is to step back?” Śrī Śaṅkarācārya immediately realized the truth hidden behind these words. He sang a hymn in praise of Lord Śiva. It is said that the man transformed into Lord Śiva and blessed him, and those dogs represented the four Vedas. When Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was about sixteen years old, he visited Ṛṣi Vyāsa, who appeared in the form of an old Brāhmaṇa, and who inquired about the commentaries on the Brahma Sūtras that Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was writing. They debated for several days. When Śrī Śaṅkarācārya realized that he was actually debating with Ṛṣi Vyāsa himself, he apologized for having argued with him. Maharṣi Vyāsa told him that he fully agreed with his commentaries and blessed him. He also assured him that he would live for another 16 years and would spread the teaching of Advaita throughout the land. After several years spent in Kāśī, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya began to travel across India. When you see it, there are clear paths he walked, actually from the south to the north. He was accompanied by a group of disciples, and he passed through many pilgrimage sites. It is also said that he visited the abode of Kailāśa, where he received five crystal Liṅgams from Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva also told him how to honor them. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya established them throughout India. One of them, the Yoga Liṅgam, he kept for his own use and also for the benefit of his followers, especially in Kāñcī, where he stayed for some time. Kāñcī is a city situated somewhat to the east, above the world of Kāñcī there. And if anyone here has been to South India with Svāmījī years ago, we also stopped there. It is said that Śaṅkarācārya attained final realization in Kāñcī. There he also devoted himself to the reorganization of the Sannyāsin order. He established Maṭhas, monastic centers, the community of Daśanāmī Sannyāsins, for the protection of Vedic dharma, for the propagation of Advaita philosophy, and for the protection of the Sannyāsins themselves. It is said that he founded those Maṭhas at the behest of his guru. The guru conveyed this wish to him just before his departure from this world. Śaṅkarācārya established four monastic centers, four Maṭhas, one for each cardinal direction, as we have written down and have on the map. Then there was a fifth center which he founded precisely in Kāñcī. Pīṭha is actually, as the name suggests, like a sacred seat. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya became the head here and remained so until the end of his life. Many of these centers actually disappeared due to, for example, economic problems or political reasons, but the Maṭha became the core of the Sannyāsin order. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya had four main disciples to whom he entrusted the care of these Maṭhas, each prepared to rule one of the four directions. Śrī Hastāmalaka Ācārya was deaf and mute. He asked Śrī Śaṅkarācārya who he was. The boy opened his mouth for the first time and said, “This body is not mine; it is Paramātmā who is in my body.” Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was very pleased and gave him the fruit of āmalā. He named the boy Hastāmalaka. Hasta means hand, and Āmalaka refers to that āmalā fruit. Remember, at the beginning I said that āmalā symbolizes acceptance and a clear perception of reality. One version of the story says that he was not actually deaf; he simply had no need to speak, had nothing to say. Then there is Śrī Padmapādācārya. He received two places for the stresses of the Kali Yuga, in the west of India. It is said that Padmapāda was devoted to serving the guru. He did not attend the teaching. Once, he washed the guru’s clothes and dried them on a stone in the middle of the river. Suddenly the river swelled, and he feared that the clothes would be carried away. So he decided to cross the turbulent river to reach them. He knew that the blessing of the guru would save him. He began to walk on the water, and wherever he placed his foot, lotuses appeared and supported him. Thus the lotuses carried him, and he fulfilled his task. Therefore, he was given the name Padmapāda: Padma means lotus, and Pāda means foot. And by the grace of the guru, he is also said to have received all knowledge. Then there is Śrī Sureśvarācārya. He received Śāradā Maṭha, also known as Śṛṅgerī Maṭha, in the south. That is where we actually belong; we belong to that Maṭha. Śrī Sureśvarācārya is considered the most distinguished disciple of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, regarded as the principal disciple and one of the most significant philosophers and great scholars. His birth name was Maṇḍana Miśra. It is said that he debated for several days with Śrī Śaṅkarācārya because he adhered to the Mīmāṃsā school. After many days, he was finally defeated. Before that defeat, he had said that if he were defeated, he would be initiated and accept Śrī Śaṅkarācārya as his teacher. So he became a disciple. He became the most prominent proponent of the teachings of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, and his commentaries on Advaita are among the very best. Sureśvara means “Lord of the Gods,” a name for Lord Śiva, or for Brahmā or Indra. Sureśvarācārya was the right hand of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. He successfully defended the work of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya against the attacks of opponents, and he was able to clearly and succinctly defend and explain his teaching. It is said that Śrī Śaṅkarācārya once asked him to comment on one of his works. The other students did not like it, because they said that Śrī Sureśvarācārya was previously a proponent of Mīmāṃsā. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya then requested Sureśvarācārya to write a separate work on Advaita, and this work is the oldest extant independent treatise on the commentaries of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. Then Śrī Toṭakācārya was entrusted with Jyotir Maṭha at Badrīnātha in the north. Originally, he was named Giri. He listened to the teachings and discussions of the disciples but never spoke. The other disciples thought he was foolish and beneath them. Once the disciples gathered to listen to Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, and Śrī Śaṅkarācārya was waiting for Giri to arrive. Giri came and, instead of the usual silence, began to sing verses he had composed. The disciples were embarrassed and began to praise Giri. These verses are called Toṭakāṣṭakam. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya then gave him the name Toṭakācārya. Toṭaka means meter. It consists of four verses of twelve syllables each, followed by a fifth, most significant verse. The disciple Sarvajñātmācārya (here referred to as Sarvač Vatnama Čarya) received Sannyāsa Dīkṣā from Śrī Śaṅkarācārya when he was a small boy. Śrī Sureśvarācārya stood firm for the leaf-like beings. Śrī Sureśvarācārya was his patron. Vatnamācārya stood for many years at the head of Kāñcī Maṭha in Kāmakoṭi Pīṭha. He wrote commentaries on the Sūtrabhāṣya and many other works. At the time when Śaṅkarācārya was traveling with disciples, he was actually still very young, which is perhaps why he is not counted among the main disciples. We always know that photograph or image where Śrī Śaṅkarācārya is there with four disciples. And perhaps the reason why Śrī Śaṅkarācārya always appears with only four disciples is that Śrī Sarvajñātmācārya was truly a small boy. The head of that Kāmakoṭi Pīṭha, that Maṭha, can only be one who has become a Sannyāsī during the Brahmacarya phase, in that first stage of life. Someone can become the head of the Maṭha only when they have received Sannyāsa Dīkṣā during the first stage of life, Brahmacarya. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya accepted Sannyāsa Dīkṣā during the Brahmacarya period, actually still in childhood, and this tradition is still observed to this day. Śrī Śaṅkarācārya received Sannyāsa Dīkṣā during the time of Brahmacarya, and this tradition has been preserved until today. And to this day, there is essentially an unbroken tradition of Śaṅkarācāryas here, who have never broken their Brahmacarya. Those who stand at the head of those Maṭhas, those main centers, actually become followers of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. This system works to this day, and the masters of these Maṭhas are still called Śaṅkarācāryas today, revered as representatives of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. I will probably leave the rest for next time, as it is already three or four o’clock, and we wouldn’t have time to cover everything. So the continuation will be in fourteen days at the seminar.