[Chaturamnaya] Teachings on the Vijaya Yatra - Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada is like the Sun

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Around the beginning of the month, a nugget of Wisdom from the Jagadguru may be posted
on the Chaturamnaya list : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/chaturamnaya )
 
 
http://vijayayatra.sringeri.net/vijayayatra/theni-april-15-17-2017/
 
THENI: APRIL 15-17, 2017
Jagadgurus at Theni
 
Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sannidhanam arrived at Theni in the evening of April 15, 2017 to a rapturous welcome by Swami Omkarananda
of Veda Puri (Sri Swami Chidbhavananda Ashram). The Jagadgurus had Darshan of Sri Prajna Dakshinmurti in the Ashram campus. A Dhara Patram
was dedicated to the Shiva Linga (Kashi Vishwanatha) in the Ashram. Dhuli Pada Pooja was then was performed by Swami Omkarananda.
After Veda Ghosha and prayer, Swami Omkarananda read out and submitted the Swagata Patrika in Sanskrit. Vidwan R Krishnamurti Shastri
spoke on the occasion and said that the Jagadgurus are like moving Kalpa-Vrikshas, having undertaken the Vijaya Yatra to bless all devotees.
Tamil Swagata Patrika was then read and submitted. Sri Sannidhanam then released “Arulmozhigal 67”, a book published by the Ashram and
containing 67 succinct Upadeshas of Sri Mahasannidhanam. A book on Tattvabodha and a set of CDs on Ashrama Dharma as explained in
Srimad Bhagavatam were also released.
 
SWAMI OMKARANANDA’S ANUGRAHA BHASHANAM
 
Speaking on the occasion, Swami Omkarananda offered his innumerable prostrations stating नमस्कुर्मो यथाबलं (as stated by Gaudapadacharya). He said
that the reason for such prostrations to naturally come is the greatness of the Shastras and the Guru – अहो शास्त्रं अहो शास्त्रं अहो गुरुः अहो गुरुः!
The Swamiji said that even though He had not directly studied the Shastras at the Lotus Feet of Sri Mahasannidhanam, the life of
Sri Mahasannidhanam and His Upadeshas (given through Anugraha Bhashanams) have been increasing his own Shraddha and Bhakti towards
Sri Mahasannidhanam. The Swamiji added that the Darshan of Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sannidhanam itself confers all welfare –
 
  साधूनां दर्शनं पुण्यं तीर्थभूता हि साधवः ।
  कालेन फलति तीर्थं सद्यः साधुसमागमः ॥
 
(The Darshan of Sadhus constitutes Punya because Sadhus are equivalent to Tirtha Kshetras. While a visit to Tirtha Kshetras provide benefit
over time, the association with Sadhus bring about benefit instantly)
 
The Swamiji added that as part of the Vijaya Yatra of the Sringeri Jagadgurus, an Akhanda Japa of Sri Adi Shankaracharya Ashtottara was being
conducted at the Ashram from April 14 to April 16.
 
SRI MAHASANNIDHANAM’S ANUGRAHA BHASHANAM
 
Sri Mahasannidhanam in His Anugraha Bhashanam said that Lord Dakshinamurti instructed the Tattva to Rishis such as Sanaka through
Mouna Vyakhya (exposition given in silence). The relationship of Guru and Shishya is seen first here. Hence Lord Dakshinamurti is known as
the Adi Guru. Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada is an incarnation of Lord Dakshinamurti; the Puranas state this as – चतुर्भिः सह शिष्यैः शङ्करोऽवतरिष्यति.
Bhagavatpada expounded the tenets of Upanishadic philosophy of Vedanta. It must be remembered that Vedanta and Advaita are non-different.
We must remain ever indebted to Sri Adi Shankaracharya for having shown us the path of supreme welfare. We must tread the path shown by
Bhagavatpada and make our lives purposeful. Sri Mahasannidhanam praised Swami Omkarananda for the Dharmic activities, spreading the tenets
of Vedanta as expounded by Bhagavatpada and leading people along the Dharmic path.
 
Later the Sharada Chandramoulishwara Pooja was performed by Sri Mahasannidhanam.
 
SPECIAL PUJA TO SRI PRAJNA DAKSHINAMURTI & VISITS
 
At 6:30 am the following day, Sri Sannidhanam performed a special Pooja to Sri Prajna Dakshinamurti. At 9 am, Sri Mahasannidhanam and
Sri Sannidhanam laid the foundation for a library building “Bharathi Granthalaya”. The Ubhaya Jagadgurus then graced the
Bharati Tirtha Vidyarthi VilasaH building, built around the 22 year-old banyan tree that had been planted by Sri Mahasannidhanam during
His Vijaya Yatra in 1995. The foundation stone for the Vidyarthi VilasaH itself had been laid by Sri Mahasannidhanam during His 2012
Yatra to Theni. Thereafter, the Jagadgurus arrived at the temple premises where Laksharchana was performed to Sri Prajna Dakshinamurti.
The Jagadgurus gave Darshan to devotees and Sri Sannidhanam blessed all with Tirtha Prasadam.
 
PROCESSION & SPECIAL ANUGRAHA BHASHANAMS
 
At 4:30 pm in the evening, Sri Sannidhanam was taken in a grand procession around the Theni Ashram. In the function organised thereafter,
Swami Omkarananda requested the Ubhaya Jagadgurus to bless the devotees with Anugraha Bhashanams. In His Anugraha Bhashanam, Sri Sannidhanam
said that the happiness of even those in the heavens is temporal. The devatas too are Samsaris for they too will have to take birth again.
Moksha is eternal joy – the Supreme good which is independent of all external factors; and hence is called निःश्रेयसं – निरपेक्षः श्रेयः. To make efforts
in the path of Moksha, one must not wait until old age. While we may feel a 100 human years is a long time, it is truly very short when
we understand the timespan of Yugas, Manvantaras and Kalpas (that run into many millions of years). Hence it is imperative to use the
human birth in pursuit of Dharma, Chitta Shuddhi, and approach the Guru for Jnanopadesha. Sri Sannidhanam pointed out that if death occurs
even as the person is engaged in Vedantic inquiry, he will be reborn with the proper tendencies to continue along the path. We can infer
that this is indeed true by observing youngsters infused with Viveka (ability to distinguish between the real and the unreal) and
Vairagya (dispassion) well beyond their age. Hence the path of Dharma and the Seva of the Guru leading to Vedantic inquiry must not be
postponed, and efforts must be taken along this direction now.
 
Sri Sannidhanam also spoke on the greatness of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada, and quoted the words of the Vartikacharya, Sri Sureshwaracharya,
in praise of His Guru, Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada. Sri Sureshwaracharya offers prostrations with his body, speech and mind to
Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada, who is like the Sun that dispels the darkness (ignorance) of the entire world through the rays that are
His Shishyas –
 
  आशैलादुदयात्तथास्तगिरितो भास्वद्यशोरश्मिभिः
  व्याप्तं विश्वमनन्धकारमभवद्यस्य स्म शिष्यैरिदम् ।
  आराज्ज्ञानगभस्तिभिः प्रतिहतश्चन्द्रायते भास्करः
  तस्मै शङ्करभानवे तनुमनोवाग्भिर्नमस्तात्सदा ॥
 
Sri Mahasannidhanam commenced His Anugraha Bhashanam referring to the Yaksha Prashna incident in the Mahabharata, where Yudhishthira states
that the greatest wonder in the world is that people despite seeing many beings die every day, desire to remain untouched by death –
  अहन्यहनि भूतानि प्रविशन्ति यमालयम् । शेषाः स्थावरमिच्छन्ति किमाश्चर्यमितः परम् ॥
 
We must remember that death spares none, be he a scholar or an ordinary person. Even great personalities are not here with us because of death.
 
Sri Nilakantha Dikshita says:
 
  येनाचान्ताः सलिलनिधयः येन सृष्टा प्रतिद्यौः
  शस्त्राण्यस्त्राण्यपि कबिलतान्येकया यस्य यष्ट्या ।
  कस्तादृक्षः प्रभवतु जनो देवभूदेववर्गे
  कालः कीटानिव कबलयामास तानप्ययत्नम् ॥
 
येनाचान्ताः सलिलनिधयः – refers to Sage Agastya who consumed the entire ocean. येन सृष्टा प्रतिद्यौः – refers to Sage Vishwamitra who created a second heaven
for Trishanku. शस्त्राण्यस्त्राण्यपि कबिलतान्येकया यस्य यष्ट्या – refers to Sage Vasishta who consumed all the Astras and Shastras deployed by Vishwamitra
by merely lifting his Brahma Danda. Who are we in front of such personages whose prowess and ability was immense? Even such great personages
were consumed effortless by Death as though Death was merely devouring small life-forms.
 
Sri Nilakantha Dikshita born into the Bharadwaja Gotra, also spoke in praise of his ancestor, Sage Bharadwaja – “Our ancestor,
Bharadwaja Maharshi, offered hospitality to Sri Rama Himself when He was in exile. It is by accepting the food offered by our ancestor
that Sri Rama relieved Himself of the travails of living in the forest. Such is the greatness of our ancestor.” –
 
  मुनिरस्ति भरद्वाजः ख्यातस्त्रिभुवनेष्वपि ।
  अन्नैर्यस्य जहो रामोऽप्यरण्यभ्रमणश्रमम् ॥
 
Yet as Nilakantha Dikshita himself said in the earlier verse, none of the great Rishis exist today. When giving up the body is natural even
for the exalted Rishis, how can we be exempted?
 
Hence we must remember to put this human birth to good use. We must remember that death already has a grip on us – death is holding us by
our hair and so engage in Dharma today – गृहीत इव केशेषु मृत्युना धर्मम् आचरेत्.
 
We must also remember that all our acquisitions and achievements are temporal. We must remember the Upanishadic statement – अतोऽन्यदार्तम् –
Everything except Brahman is destructible.
 
This fact of the temporal nature of the entire world can be truly assimilated only by the Upadesha received at the Lotus Feet of the Guru –
शश्वन्नश्वरमेव विश्वमखिलं निश्चित्य वाचा गुरोः, engage with total conviction and calmness in Vedantic enquiry on the eternal Brahman – नित्यं ब्रह्म निरन्तरं विमृशता निर्व्याजशान्तात्मना,
remain unperturbed by the results of meritorious and sinful deeds of the past and future – भूतं भावि च दुष्कृतं प्रदहता संविन्मये पावके, live entrusting
the care of the body unto Prarabdha ष्रारब्धाय समर्पितं स्ववपुरित्येषा मनीषा मम. This is the eventual purpose with which all efforts are to be undertaken.
 
Sri Mahasannidhanam said that all these thoughts have been clearly laid out by Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada and that we ought to remain
in reverence of the great Acharya for showing all the path of welfare.   
 
Sri Mahasannidhanam then expressed joy at the efforts of Swami Omkarananda to spread the Vedantic tenets and blessed that many come to
the Ashram and be benefitted. Sri Mahasannidhanam then blessed Swami Omkarananda. Later the Sharada Chandramoulishwara Pooja was performed
by Sri Mahasannidhanam.