[Chaturamnaya] Jagadguru Speaks: Sankara Digvijaya

[S Jayanarayanan via Chaturamnaya]

http://svbf.org/journal/vol6no3-4/0_jagadguru.pdf


Sankara Digvijaya


Adi Sankara, an incarnation of Lord
Paramasiva, did immense good to the people.
He lived for 32 years. His accomplishments
during this short period are incredible.

You can know about his life and works from
Sankara Digvijaya, authored by Sri Madhava
Vidyaranya. Although there are many books
on Sankara’s life history, the authenticity of
Madhava’s Sankara Digvijaya is unequalled.
Adi Sankara was born to the blessed couple of
Sivaguru and Aryambal. When he was just
three years old, his father Sivaguru died. His
sacred thread ceremony was performed at the
age of five. He had by then mastered Vedas
and other Sastras.

Taking sannyas according to the sampradaya of
Govinda Bhagavatpada on the banks of
Narmada river, Sankara went to Kasi at the
guru’s bidding and had darshan of Lord
Visveswara. He next went to Badri where he
wrote the Bhashyas. On return to Kasi, he had
the darshan of Vedavyasa and received his
blessings. He then traveled to all parts of India,
spreading the gospel of Advaita siddhanta.

He appointed his prime disciples-Suresvara,
Padmapada, Hastamalaka and Totaka- as heads
of the four Mathas established by him in
Sringeri, Dwaraka, Puri, and Badri. He
adorned the Sarvajna Peetha in Kashmir and
went to Kedar. This is the true History of Adi
Sankara. This has been extensively narrated in
Madhava’s Sankara Digvijaya.

It is most desirable that all people should read
Madhava’s Sankara Digvijaya every year at the
time of Sankara Jayanti. They should also
understand well Sankara’s mission and derive
benefits and blessings by asking for his grace.