Śaṅkaram-Loka-Śaṅkaram

Sivaguru waited in the next room. He was calm though expectant. His calmness came from the assurance he had received from Śiva himself in that dream that had set in motion a chain of events leading up to this moment. He waited for that aṃśa of Śiva that had formed and then taken shape inside Āryambha’s womb to arrive onto the world stage.

One of the women, an older woman who was particularly close to the family, walked into the room where Sivaguru was waiting and smiled at him – this was enough for Sivaguru to know that the promise had been redeemed. He had expected a wail or a cry that would announce the arrival of the baby, but the night had remained silent. Perhaps, the standard cliches one takes for granted in the lives of normal people caught in the web of Saṃsāra-Sāgara, did not apply to him who had descended from that exalted space occupied by Dakṣiṇāmūrti – that aspect of Śiva symbolizing supreme serenity, knowledge, and the silence of Pūrṇatva.

The planetary positions and lagnam at that time were all favorable and in exalted positions. Sivaguru entered the room where the exhausted Āryambha slept with the divine child by her side. Sivaguru’s delight at the sight of his son knew no bounds. He quickly hurried to the river to complete his ritual bath and prepare for the post-natal rituals.

After the rites and rituals were completed and the guests had been suitably honored and gifts bestowed on the Brahmanas who had performed the rituals, the learned astrologers who had come there, looked at the child and made the following pronouncement:

“This child will grow to become a scholar extraordinaire. He will be the promulgator of a new philosophy and his fame and name will reach the far corners of the world. He will be recognized as the repository of all knowledge and the master of all learning. His debating skills will be unmatched, and none will be able to defeat him in philosophical debate. His reputation will last as long as this earth exists.”

Later, the truth of the astrologers’ predictions and the brilliance of Śaṅkara’s knowledge, achievements, and impact would be immortalized in the following verse:

श्रुति स्मृति पुराणानाम् आलयम करुणालयम्।

नमामि भगवत्पादम शंकरं लोक शंकरम्॥

śruti smṛti purāṇānām ālayama karuṇālayam.

namāmi bhagavatpādam śaṅkaraṃ loka śaṅkaram

{To that temple treasure house of śrutis smṛtis and purāṇās, to that abode of divine compassion, whose very purpose is the wellbeing of the world and humanity, to that temple of knowledge I bow down, and offer my salutations at the feet of that Śaṅkara…}

The one aspect the astrologers refrained from speaking was about the lifespan of the child. They perhaps did not want to speak of things that would distress the family at a moment such as this. Some things, like they say, are best left unsaid – time and destiny usually take care of things such as this, and perhaps that is how it should be.

The child grew up quickly as all children seem to do. That the child was special and had the mark of the divine on him was becoming clear from the very early years. He picked up languages quickly and started to speak fluently even before the completion of his first year of life. By the age of two, he began to recite verses and stories from the kāvyás and purāṇās. His agile mind picked up any new subject in a matter of minutes and the most difficult of instructions had to be given only once! This was also perhaps because the divine spirit that was animating the boy knew that there wasn’t much time and things needed to be initiated and completed as quickly as possible.

Sivaguru and Āryambha named their son Śaṅkara, to indicate he who is the bestower (Kara) of supreme happiness (Saṁ or Saṅ) and that is what he was to them, born several years after their marriage and blessed by Śiva himself. Śaṅkara also is another name for Śiva and maybe that too was a reason for the elated parents to choose this name, the child being an aṃśa of Mahādeva himself.

Meanwhile, Sivaguru had completely forgotten about his “dark companion” who earlier used to accompany him everywhere and then had one day merged within him – this event had occurred soon after the dream in which Mahādeva had promised that he himself would be born as a son to him and Āryambha. Now, once again, this dark companion became a looming, dark, and constant presence in Sivaguru’s life. Death, they say is the one constant companion to all beings, the shadow that travels with us, till the time to drop the body arrives, and then the present life itself becomes a shadow that slowly recedes into the past.

Sivaguru noticed that this companion who had disappeared for a few years, had once again started to accompany him everywhere – walking with him, sitting, and sleeping by his side. He realized that it was now only a matter of time – not that it is not a matter of time for every single person in the world but just that for those who know that their time has come, for them, the certainty and reality of death becomes a much starker and real living experience.

Sivaguru looked at his son, who was now just over two years old, and decided that he must get his Upanayana ceremony done at the earliest and started preparations for the same – he decided that he would do it when Śaṅkara reached the age of three. However, this was not to be – destiny and fate had conspired to write a different script…

Sivaguru had just completed his morning ablutions and had sat down for the Sandhyavandana, when he suddenly felt a great shadow engulfing him and within a few moments the living, throbbing mass of flesh that had till then been known as Sivaguru was lying on the ground, lifeless and cold, like a discarded garment that could no longer be used. For Āryambha, the shock was as sudden as a bolt of lightning that strikes without warning – she simply sat there not knowing what to do holding the little child Śaṅkara close to her bosom and contemplating the enormity of their loss.

Śaṅkara then was just about three years old and not yet old enough to be able to do the rituals on his own. Neighbors and relatives pitched in, and the rituals associated with the cremation of the dead and the associated ceremonies to direct the departed one to the land of the Pitrus, were completed and the family, now of two, came back to a house that was missing Sivaguru and somehow seemed larger and emptier than before.

Life however, needs to be lived by those who are still alive and therefore, Āryambha now took matters into her own hands and one of the first things she did was to plan for Śaṅkara’s upanayana ceremony that would mark his formal entry into the ways of Brahmacharya and pave his entry into a Gurukula where he would start his formal learning and initiation into Veda-Adhyayana. When he turned five, Āryambha decided to get his upanayana ceremony fixed. She conferred with the Brahmanas who would officiate at the ceremony and the astrologers who would fix the date.

Maṇḍana and Bhāratī enter Gṛhasthāśrama Dharma

Viśvarūpā, his father, and some close relatives reached the little village on the banks of the Sone River two days before the date of the marriage. Hima Mitra, Viśvarūpā’s father, and  Viṣṇu Mitra, Bhārati’s father conferred with each other as did the two families and started making the final arrangements for the marriage.

The marriage was a meeting of the minds, a merging of the two souls, and the coming together of two families. After the ceremonies were completed, Viśvarūpā stayed for four days in Bhārati’s house, tending to the Agni that had been both Sākṣī (the witness) as well as the bestower of grace on this couple and their divine union. He and Bhārati carefully tended to the Agni, keeping it alive, and then carefully transferred a glowing ember from that fire onto an earthen pot that they would carry with them back to their home and there, tend to it – it would become part of their life, an eternal witness of their every action – it would light their hearth and their lamps, and merge with the Agni that Viśvarūpā’s father maintained at their house, and when their sojourn on earth ended it would be this very Agni that would consume them and transport them to the land of their Pitrus in that eternal cycle of life as practiced by the Hindus for thousands of years.

When the time came for Viśvarūpā and Bhārati to take leave and travel to Māhiṣmatī, Bhārati’s parents spoke to Viśvarūpā, asking him to take care of his wife, their daughter Bhārati. They told him:

“Bhārati is still a playful child. She does not really know all the household work and chores of a wife and the responsibility of teaching her the ways of your house rests with your mother. We will not be able to speak to your mother like we are speaking to you. The responsibility of gently telling your mother all this, rests with you, because speaking to you is akin to speaking to her – you are dear to her and she to you and she will heed your words.”
“Many years ago, a learned Brahmana had said that Bhārati is the fount of supreme knowledge, Sarasvatī herself in human form – therefore give her the opportunity to pursue her learning and encourage her thirst for knowledge. The same Brahmana also predicted that at some point in time, she would be the umpire of one of the greatest debates on Dharma and she would excel in that role even amid the greatest scholars of the time. Be gentle and kind to her and do not speak harsh words. They say that before marriage, the parents are the Gods to the daughter and after marriage, the husband becomes both God and Guru – you are her Guru now. Guide her and lead a life of happiness.”

They then turned to their daughter, Bhārati and spoke to her, instructing her on how she should conduct herself:
“Dear one, you are now entering a new phase of life. You have chosen as your partner, the one you have desired but from now, you must see him as your God and Guru. Be one with him in his aspirations and actions and in all respects – it is through this that a woman conquers the world, a feat otherwise difficult to achieve.”
“There is an order of precedence as laid down in the Śāstras – respect this at all times and learn it from the elders in the family. Do not take your meal before your husband has finished his and do not speak to strangers, facing them, even in your husband’s presence. When visitors come to the house while your husband is away, treat them with courtesy and respect, for some of them may be people of great repute and even a single mistake can bring ruin to the entire family. Most importantly, from now on, learn to look upon your parents-in-law as your own parents and treat them with the same respect and love that you confer on us – if you are good to them, they will be good to you as well. If they become annoyed, all happiness in the marriage gets destroyed.”

With these instructions ringing in their ears, the newly married couple started out on their journey to the capital city where they would begin a new life as husband and wife. Bhārati excelled in her new role and earned a great reputation as a scholar par excellence across Bhārata Deśa. She shone like Sarasvatī and commanded great respect in both her parents’ house as well as at her husband’s. Therefore, she came to be known as Ubhaya Bhārati – one who was like Bhārati, i.e., Sarasvatī in both places.

 

Postscript

In chapter-1, the prevailing state of adharma at the time of Śaṅkara-avatāra was discussed and the rationale and need for an avatāra-puruṣa were clarified. In chapter 2 the prelude to Śaṅkara-avatāra and Śaṅkara’s parents were covered and in chapter-3 the promise of the descent was detailed. Chapter-4 was about the victory of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa. Chapter-5 is about Maṇḍana Miśhra and Bhārati’s love for each other and the descent of Śaṅkara. Go to the links below to read the chapters:

Chapter-1

Chapter-2

Chapter-3

Chapter-4

Chapter-5

To be continued…