Adaptations and Excerpts from “The Life of Adi Shankaracharya” from Amritapuri.org
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In Sanatana Dharma, Sri Adi Shankaracharya was an Indian Vedic scholar, philosopher and teacher of Advaita Vedanta. His illuminating commentaries are studied very deeply even today. To bring you closer to this great commentator on the Vedic scriptures, we would like to share a few miraculous and legendary stories from the childhood of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Enjoy!
The Young Renunciate: Embracing Sannyasa at Age Eight
When he was five years old, Shankara was initiated into Vedic study. At just eight years old, he was burning with the desire for liberation. Shankara shared with his mother his wish to become a sannyasi. She was reluctant to give him her permission and blessings. However, one day, when he accompanied his mother for a bath in the river, a crocodile caught hold of his leg and started dragging him. His mother could only stand and watch helplessly. Then Adi Shankaracharya called out to his mother, asking her to permit him to become a sannyasi at least during these last moments of his life. She agreed, and miraculously the crocodile let go of Shankara’s leg. To console his mother, he promised her that he would come back to her at the time of her death and perform the last rites.
Soon after that he left home in search of his guru. He walked about 2000 kilometers to the banks of the river Narmada. There he met the sannyasi who was to become his guru, Govinda Bhagavadpada (also known as Govindapada). According to the legend, when Govinda Bhagavadpada asked Shankara for his identity, the child started chanting a spontaneous composition of 10 Sanskrit verses (today referred to as the Dasa Sloki), in which he illustrated the depth of his wisdom and inner experience. He was immediately accepted as a disciple.
Foundational Years: The Path from Eight to Sixteen
He stayed there serving his guru for four years. Under his teacher’s compassionate guidance, the young Shankaracharya mastered all the Vedic scriptures.
At the age of twelve, his guru said that Shankara was ready to write commentaries on major scriptural texts. At his guru’s command, Shankara wrote commentaries explaining the subtle meanings hidden in the teachings of the scriptures. At the age of sixteen, he finished writing, having completed writing all the major treatises.
Sri Adi Shankaracharya went traveling by foot, across ancient India bringing the life-giving message of the Vedas to the hearts of the masses. “Brahman, Pure Consciousness, is the Absolute Reality. The world is unreal. This is the correct understanding of the sastra —the thundering declaration of Vedanta ”
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः।
अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥ (ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला)
Legends of Shankaracharya
Shower of Golden Fruits
Before he was eight, as a young brahmachari (a celibate student, studying under a master’s guidance), the young Shankara went to a house to beg for his daily food. The hostess was a kind but very poor lady. All she could give him was a small amalaki, goose-berry fruit. Shankara was deeply touched by the sincerity of this poor lady and he invoked Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) by singing spontaneously the Kanakadhara Stotra The legend has it that the Goddess showered golden amalaki fruits into the house.
Changing the Course of the Purna River
Shankara’s mother used to go a long way every day to take her bath in the Purna River. One day the young Shankara found her lying unconscious, due to exhaustion. He prayed to the Lord and the next morning the river started flowing by the side of his house.
Guru Govindapada’s Blessings
During the rainy season, the river Narmada was in spate, flowing rapidly and heavier than usual. The floodwaters rose and were about to enter the cave in which his Guru was sitting, deeply immersed in samadhi. His disciples did not dare to disturb him, though his life was in danger. Then Shankaracharya placed his kamandalu (water pot) at the entrance of the cave saying that it would absorb all the waters of the flood. His words came true. The floodwaters could not disturb his Guru’s meditation. Guru Govindapada blessed him saying, “Just as you contained the floodwaters in your kamandalu, you should write commentaries containing the essence of the Vedantic scriptures. By this work, you will gain eternal glory.”
Final Rites of His Mother
Shankaracharya was somewhere in North India when he came to know of his mother’s impending death. By using his yogic powers, he travelled through the air to reach her quickly. At her request, he granted her divine visions.
When he tried to arrange the cremation of his mother’s body, his relatives refused to help him on the grounds that as a sannyasi he was not permitted to perform funeral rites. Normally this would have been a serious setback as a cremation involves rituals, which would require physical assistance by a few people. So Shankaracharya performed a miracle. He made a funeral pyre out of plantain stalks. After placing the body on the pyre he took some water and after chanting a few mantras he sprinkled the water on the pyre. Immediately the pyre caught fire. Thus he was able to complete the funeral rites without help.
Thanks to Tanmayi for collecting these inspiring legends from the Amritapuri website and making them available for Amrita Virtual Academy students.
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Source article: https://www.amritapuri.org/40614/shankaracharya.aum
Source graphics: https://arisebharat.com/2015/05/01/sri-adi-shankara-some-incidents/