[Advaita-l] RE: On the parakAyapraveSa legend about Sankara

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

praNAms
Hare Krishna

Karthik prabhuji

The question is not whether the Madhaviya Sankara Digvijayam (SD) is
historically accurate, but whether its portrayal of Sankara is
harmful to the tradition.

Bhaskar :

As you said above mAdhavIya SD is noway an accurate historical account of
shankara's biography.  Since it has been written after centuries of
shankara's time, author has used all his poetical skills to prove that
shankara is a super human personality with all magical powers!!!  So, there
is no point in holding it as authentic representation of shankara's *true*
biography....Now the question is whether this story teller has done any
harm to the shankara's tradition by depicting shankara like that??!!  I
dont think SD is affecting tradtion in anyway coz. socalled traditionalists
have already accepted the narrated story with folded hands & since
centuries within that socalled saMpradAya nobody dares to question the
trustworthiness of these episodes .  But inconsistencies are  quite
conspicuous & glaringly evident for those who want to objectively analyse
these biographies (like mAdhavIya, chidvilAsIya, AnandagirIya etc.) &
justifications & clarifications provided by shankara in these biographies
go against his stand on vEdAnta siddhAnta as enshrined in his prasthAna
trayi bhAshya....Therefore, instead of linking it to the tradition  it is
better to say SD has done more harm to the shankara's noble stature itself.

Karthik prabhuji :

Therefore, instead of criticising the SD by saying, "This shows
Sankara's actions in poor light", one should view it as, "This shows
Sankara's Mastery of Yoga in good light."

bhaskar :

*Mastery of yOga by shankara* could have been highlighted in a far far
better way by the author of MSD..Dont you know how beautifully yogic powers
have been glorified in books like Autobiography of a Yogi, Living with the
Himalayan Masters etc..The Author of SD could have done his job something
like that instead of holding shankara against his yati dharma....Do you
think by saying shankara enjoyed bramananda by indulging in sexuality, the
author of SD holds shankara's character in a good light??  Kindly think for
yourself for a minute by coming out of your traditional restrictive
vision...

Karthik prabhuji:

I will make this point in my next posting on the Jivanmuktiviveka,
which speaks of the Master-Yogin as capable of "cancelling out" any
Karma through his power of Yoga.

bhaskar :

I also request you to complete your pending mail which you have assured in
jnAnimAtra & jnAni series...

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar