Śaṅkara sets off on his own towards Kāśi, at the behest of his Guru who tells him to spread the knowledge of the Vedas in Kāśi, because Kāśi is the epicenter of Dharma, the place where Śiva, dwells in every stone, tree, building, air, water, and soil.
Chapter 13 of Śaṅkara Charitam takes us through Śaṅkara’s experience with his Guru, Govinda Bhagavatpāda, the completion of his education, and Guru's blessings and final teachings for Śaṅkara to take with him in the world and tackle the thick forest of ignorance enveloping the minds of the people.
Gauḍapāda as Brahmarākṣasa finds Govinda Bhagavatpāda acceptable as a disciple, and the teaching starts atop the pipal tree in which the Brahmarākṣasa resides..........
Chapter 12 of Śaṅkara Charitam takes us through Śaṅkara’s meeting with his Guru, and the Guru's acceptance of Śaṅkara as his disciple.
Govinda Bhagavatpāda asks the boy standing at the foot of the cave, inside which he meditated for centuries, to introduce himself and Śaṅkara calls himself - "Śivaḥ kevalo’ham".
The life of Gauḍapāda as a Brahmarākṣasa and his meeting with Govinda Bhagavatpāda is also mentioned in this chapter.
The boy Śaṅkara continues on his path, in search of his Guru. Meanwhile, Patañjali Mahaṛṣi, who is Śānta-svarūpa of the ugra-rūpa of Ādiśeṣa, aims to teach a thousand students at once; and places two conditions in front of his students. Both conditions are violated by his students, and the aftermath and its ramifications on the journey of Śaṅkara are discussed.
In the 6th Chapter of Śaṅkara Charitam, Shri Ramesh Venkatraman brings to us the story of Śaṅkara's birth and the ensuing events; along with taking forward the story of Maṇḍana Miśhra and Ubhaya Bhārati and how they became householders.
In the form of Maṇḍana Miśhra and Ubhayabhāratī; Brahma and Saraswati descend to join in Śaṅkara's cause.
The time for the descent of Siva as Śaṅkara has arrived.
Darkness and light; When the lion roars, even the elephants retreat.
Skanda comes as Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, Sivaguru and Āryambha are given a vision of the divine descent and are asked to make a choice.
Mahadeva is petitioned, and Sivaguru and Aryambha become the vehicles of divine descent.
Shri Ramesh Venkatraman delves into detail about the life and the times of Jagadguru Shri Adi Śaṅkaracharya, and his impact on Sanātana Dharma, on the basis of his study of two authoritative texts on Śaṅkara: The Mādhaviya-Śaṅkara-Digvijayam of Jagadaguru Śri Vidyaranya Mahaswami, 12th ācārya of Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Sharada Peetam; and Śaṅkara Charitam, a collection of talks given by the Paramācārya of Kānchi, Jagadaguru Śri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, the 68th Jagadguru of the Kānchi Kāmakoti Peetha.
In the first chapter of the series of essays that will be published every Thursday (Guruvāsaram), we learn about the circumstances that necessitated the emergence of an avatāra-puruṣa in Kaliyugā.