Kanchi Periva Forum - eBook 35 - Jaya Jaya Sankara - Chapter 5

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Jaya Jaya Sankara Chapter 5

Special Series on the Life of Sri Adhi Sankara

(Based on the series in tamil by Sri Ra. Ganapathy Anna)

Translated by Sri Narayanan Bala

Volume 35

13 February 2015 - Anusham

Chapter 5 of Jaya Jaya Sankara by Sri Narayanan Bala (original in Tamil by Sri Ra.Ganapathy anna)

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Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Saranam

Introduction

Hari Om! Namaskaram from the Kanchi Periva Forum community. We are pleased to bring you our Thirty

Fifth edition ebook, which is a continuation of the special Anusham series Jaya Jaya Sankara, a

wonderful treasure originally authored by Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna, and translated by our moderator Sri

Narayanan Bala (anusham163 in our forum).

It may not be a mere coincidence that this exact Chapter of Sri Adi Sankara taking Sannyaasa Ashrama is

getting released on this Anusham day 13 Feb 2015 which by English Calendar, also happens to be the

date (13 Feb) when Sri Maha Periva took Sannyaasa Ashrama in the year 1907. Looking at it from the

Tamil month, it was the second day of Maasi month that Periva took Sannyaasa and this book is now

getting released on the first day of that month yes, today is Maasi masa pirappu. One more of His

countless miracles and blessings for us to feel His presence with us!

An ardent devotee of Sri Maha Periva, Sri Narayanan is a born artist. While he did not get a formal coaching

from anyone, his maanaseeka gurus were Shri Maniyam, Shri Gopulu and Shri Silpi. We would like to

express our sincere thanks to him for coming forward to translate and bring out this beautiful series, which

will help to cement this wonderful treasure in the minds of the present and future generations.

On behalf of this Forum and our respected members, I would also like to specially thank our moderator Smt

Sumi, who has put in a lot of effort in putting this title together and for getting it published well in time.

If you are not already a member of our Forum and received this ebook from any of your friends, please also

register on the forum http://www.periva.proboards.com to stay updated on devotees experiences and to

receive our regular free publications.

We humbly submit this e-book edition at the lotus feet of Sri Maha Periva. Though this book is for

restricted circulation among like - minded members of the society, this is a free publication like all our

other publications, which can be downloaded from http://www.periva.proboards.com/ Any feedback or

queries may be sent to us at [email protected]

Administrator - KanchiPeriva Forum

Jaya Jaya Sankara, Hara Hara Sankara!



Note from the Translator

Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah! Sri Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Charanam.This

narrative titled Jaya Jaya Sankara on the life of Sri Adhi Sankara

Bhagavat Paadhal was written by Sri Ra .Ganapathy as a serial in the

KALKI weekly in 1962, with wonderful and lively drawings by Sri

Maniyam.

I have undertaken the ambitious task of translating the same into English. I bow my head to and

submit my Ananhthakoti Namaskarams at the Lotus feet of the AdhiGuru and Sri MahaPeriava, to

guide me through this task.

I am greatly indebted to my very good neighbour and a very good friend of over forty years Sri

N.V.Subramaniam, who has taken it on him the task of reading my manuscript word by word,

comparing with the original and suggesting a lot of improvements in the selection of words and

reconstruction of sentences. A million thanks and Namaskarams to him for this great help.

I welcome your feedback on this compilation. I can be reached on [email protected]

Narayanan Bala

About the Author of the original series Sri Ra Ganapathy Anna

Sri Ra.Ganapathy Anna belongs to a rare breed of writers, who could bring

through his pen and with his authentic personal experience, the

quintessence of religion expounded by great sages.

A naishtika brhmachari, he has a distinct style in Tamil that is enjoyable

to read and teases you sometimes with complex structure of

sentences. Sanskritised in certain narrations, he still does no violence to

the purity of language but captures beautifully the native Indian spirit in his works.

Read more about him & download his ebooks here: http://divyavidyatrust.org/



CHAPTER 5

A Child for the World

Sankaran, who was caught in the jaws of the crocodile, spoke to His mother

who was looking at Him with sympathy, Mother ! It is not necessary that

this body should be destroyed for taking a rebirth. Changing the life pattern

completely is also equivalent to rebirth. Therefore, I .. --Sankaran stopped

speaking, not wanting to hurt His mother.

Even if it is acceptable to ask for her life, how could He ask her to give up

her son ? No mother would be able to do that sacrifice. Sankaran was not

even able to look at His mother who was standing there as a statue.

Only when He lowered His eyes He realized that the crocodile had caught His

leg. He pretended that the pain was unbearable, and continued with a

feeling of shyness, I am not able to bear this pain, mother ! That is why I

am telling you. What I am trying to tell you is that if I change my life style

completely and accept sainthood..it is equal to rebirth. Then the fruits of

this birth and its fate also may change. Thereby my imminent death in this

birth may also be prevented.

Only if you permit me to renounce life, I will change my life to one of

Dharma. Then I will get an opportunity to escape from the jaws of this

crocodile; Why not we test it, mother ? Even if the test fails, it is alright,

because, if I do not accept sainthood now, is it not absolutely certain that I

will be swallowed by this crocodile ?

The crocodile moved its jaws up and was nearing His thigh. Aryambikai could

not bring herself to watch that horrible sight.

At this difficult juncture, what else could she do ? She had a good dream and

got a child, and now, it looks certain that another dream is going to come

true and she is going to lose her child. Could she bear it ? But is this the

time to think of that and hesitate ? Oh, the wretched crocodile..

With pain gripping her heart, Arya opened her mouth. How she managed to

open her mouth and utter these words is difficult to understand, but she said



in a choking voice, tears rolling down her cheeks, It is alright if you live in

some corner of this world, as a saint or a mendicant, my dear child ! . When

she uttered each and every word, a horrible deathly experience surrounded

her thickly , as if her heart was broken into pieces and flew away.

Sankaran hardened His mind.

As His mother was the temple where He dwelled, He did not want to

renounce the world without her permission, and so He created those

circumstances and achieved His objective; now that He got her permission, He

vowed to discard all worldly relations, chanted the Mantra for Sainthood,

and dipped in the Soorna river.

With that all the inner bonds attached to Him also drowned in the water.

The Supreme Being who saves those who surrender to Him from the sea of

worldly life, dissolved the bonds of His birth here, in Alaway Puzhai and

emerged as a Saint.

From now on, He does not belong to any individual family. He became one

who did not have a life of His own, but belonged to one and all. He who

owned the whole universe, became an entity owned BY the world. He

chanted the Mantra I should reach a state where no living being shall be

afraid of me and became a saint, is it not?

Saint ? Did He become a saint ? What did He renounce ? Other saints would

renounce the world and proceed to forests or caves, but our Saint, instead of

renouncing the world, was going in search of it !

Arya had read in the Puranas, that the deceased took a dip in the holy river

and emerged from it as a healthy and strong person. But, now she witnessed

a much stranger sight.

As soon as Sankarar dipped into the water , a celestial figure raised from the

river , and stood in the sky, with folded hands. No, No, there ! Sankarar also

got out from the river.

But, where did the crocodile go ? Who is this Celestial being ? He is saying

something to Sankaran !



Swami ! When I was enjoying music, immersed in the pleasure of women

and (intoxicating) drinks, Rishi Dhurvasa came that way and I did not pay

obeisance to him. He became very angry and cursed me to be born as a

crocodile. Then He gave me a way of deliverance , asking me to go and lie

down in Kaladi Puzhai, and wait for the Supreme Being who would come

there as a child and get the deliverance by holding on to His feet.

Today, I got my release due to your Anugraha ! Because I caught hold of your

holy feet, surrendering at which people get released from the family bonds,

you yourself got released from your family bond. How lucky I am !said the

celestial being, prostrated before Sankaran and went off to the heavenly

abode.

Come ! Let us go home !-----Arya called Sankarar, typical of a loving mother.

Home ?----Sankarar asked, opening His young mouth. Should not The I

which always pokes itself in the front go ? Which home should He go ?!

Yes my dear boy ! I am saying let us go to our house. All the dangers which

afflicted you are now gone ! From now, you will live hundred years.

Virushasalesan who gave the boon eight years ago has now fulfilled it .

Come, let us go ! We have to perform certain remedial rituals which will

bring Shanthi. ------said Aryambikai.

Rituals to bring Shanthi ? But Absolute Shanthi has already occupied

Sankarars mind and heart.

He asked her in a soft voice, Mother ! What did you say a little while ago ,

and what are you saying now ? When the crocodile caught hold of my leg,

did you not allow me to renounce the world and become a saint ? Where is

the home for a saint ?

Aryambikai stood stunned on hearing this. I had some bad dream, but the

bad effect would end with the dream itself and would not continue---this

was what she thought; The full meaning of the permission she gave at the

time of the danger, struck her only now when Sankaran explained it once



again. A veil of vacuum engulfed her again, frightening her. Aryambikai who

felt that her senses are leaving her, could only hear some words.

Sankarar kept talking, there is no home for a saint; the world is his home;

there is no mother for him; all the women who give alms to him are his

mothers; all those who teach him are fathers; his disciples are his children;

entertainment is nothing but enjoying within himself. Mother, you are

repeatedly talking about marriage. I, who is a saint have already married

Shanthi (silence, peace). For me there is no marriage, as understood by the

people. I have to spread the love which has filled my heart.

Mother, with marriage, children etc. life will end with the problems of

home; if everyone follows this path, who will then worry about the world ?

Dont you know, mother, how this world is getting deteriorated ? Can you not

sacrifice your son to correct this to the best of his ability ? Will you not

share your right of motherhood with all the women in the world ?

Sankaran pleaded with her. Arya, as she slowly recovered from the shock,

thought, He says all those who give alms are His mothers ?! And I should

give them that right, He says

Sankara ! I prayed and observed penance for a child, and I carried you for

ten months in my womb and gave birth to you ! How can I renounce you

now ? Her throat ached as if it would burst.

The eyelids of Sankarar clouded His wide eyes, and grief stuck His throat in

small bursts. He controlled His emotions and continued to speak to His

mother.

You are certainly my mother. If all ladies are mothers, then, you, who gave

birth to me are very special. That is why I expect you to love me more than

they do and also to fulfill my desire to renounce the world, just like a

mother who would give anything which her child would insist on having.

You are, no doubt, my mother ; you do not have other children on whom

you could shower your motherly love; you are also a widowed mother who

does not have anybody else to support you than me; but still, my dear



mother ! As I have my duties towards you, so also I have many duties

towards this universe. You may ask me

What is the hurry for them ? you can fulfill them after my time ?

Let me tell you what I have in my mind. Right now, not only I am asking

you to allow me to become a saint, but I am asking you also to renounce

the bonds; if you renounce me only, the bonds will leave you.

Mother ! Are the struggles you have undergone in this birth not enough

for you ? In spite of possessing immense wealth, you were not happy as you

did not have a child to enjoy that wealth; you got a child; but immediately

after that you lost your husband; and you were constantly worried when you

would lose your son also. Dont you want to attain peace of mind without all

such worries ?

Mother ! Have you not heard of this saying from the Vedas that one cannot

achieve a state of immortal peace without worries, by possessing a child or

wealth; it can be got only through sacrifice ? May you attain fame by

performing such a sacrifice ! May you be eulogized that Here was a mother

who sacrificed her child, whom she got through severe penance and prayer,

for the sake of the world !------Sankarar prayed with utmost humility and

obedience.

Aryambikai was one who lived a more detached life than Sivaguru. God

tested her severely by kindling her emotions, in order to rid her of all her

sins from the previous births and make her merge with the true Supreme

Being. Now, the earlier state of equanimity, was rekindled slowly.

Like the dancing shadows in a dim light, she said in an inaudible voice,

Sankara ! Are you asking for my permission to go and come ? Yes, I grant

you that now.no.no.I cannot give you permission for COMING, yes, I will

grant you permission ONLY to goyes, please do not come back to this

unlucky poor lady.

You do not have to think about me ever. Sankara, I will never be in the way

of your duties. Therefore, go without any thought about me..



She ended with words which broke her heart into smithereens, Please go

and .. do not come back !

Sankarars heart withered. He is a Mother better than a mother . But still,

only when He, who showers blessings as a mother, got a mother for Himself,

He understood a mothers heart ! He just could not bear that mother

discarding Him. He spoke with emotion.

Mother ! Please do not totally put me away like that ! Do not make me a

man of deceit, who left a widowed lady at the mercy of her greedy and

jealous relatives, and ran away.

Mother ! Please think of me when you reach the last moments of your life ;

whichever corner of this land I am in, whatever important ritual I am

performing, I will leave them all, and come running to you. In your last

moments, I shall keep you on my lap, comfort you, and send you to heaven.

I will see to it that you get a noble deliverance and attain Moksha. I shall

also light the funeral pyre, being your only son!----an emotional Sankarar

spoke with a trembling voice.

Aryas heart which had been hardening so far, suddenly started to melt again.

She made a final attempt to retain Sankarar with her, by holding on to His

own words.

Sankara! All that is fine ! Born as you were, as the only son, should you not

perform the relevant rituals for your father and ancestors, as you do for me ?

Is it not against Sastras to stop the family hierarchy without producing a

heir, to discontinue the performance of the traditional Puja ? Is it not your

duty to ensure that our family is protecting the Vedas ?

My dear child ! you talk about renunciation, sainthood etc. But Your father

has told me that the sacrifice and renunciation made by a married person is

the highest of all-----

The family person has been ordained with the duty of sacrificing all his

wealth, body and life for the sake of Devas, ancestors and the society and all

living beings. Sankara ! Do not deceive me, thinking that I know nothing !



Sankarar replied, making His voice nice and smooth, Mother ! Sastras also

mention that one can perform the rituals to his ancestors, without leading a

married life. If one leads a noble life of a Saint without bypassing any rule,

then his ancestors for twenty one generations will attain Moksha.

Our Sastras , knowing fully well that humans cannot live without marriage,

made it into a proper system; but I cannot accept that it is the system

meant for everyone. Great Souls have said that Family life is a vortex which

pulls one down and is a stumbling block to attaining liberation. Are these

mere words and not to be practiced ?

Do not be afraid that a branch of Veda will get cut because of me. I am

saying this without any selfesteem; my duty is to make Dharma grow in

this land. Same way, I am giving up the Puja in our home, in order to

nurture Devotion and the system of sixreligion worship all around this

country.

Please bless me so that I shall be a true Sanyasi and perform all these

duties well.Saying these words, Sankarar prostrated at the feet of

Aryambikai. A saint must necessarily prostrate before his mother----says the

Sastras.

The confused mind of Aryambikai cleared up on seeing the firm stand taken

by Sankarar. Her hands which went forward eagerly to take her child and

embrace Him, closed their palms involuntarily and paid obeisance. Tears

welled up in her eyes when she saw the small figure (of Sankarar) who was

ready to discard all the wealth and prosperity He possessed, and start on a

mission of saving the country all alone, and with no support; she saw in front

of her the figure of Sacrifice personified in His form.

There was heavy flood in Alaway Puzhai. The water level kept increasing.

Water entered the temple of Lord Krishna which was near the bank. Sankarar

entered the Sanctum Sanctorum which was sinking in the water. He took the

idol of Lord Paranthaman in His own hands and came out. He re-installed It

in another place.



Mother, from now on, This Gopalan is your son. He will not leave you and

go anywhere else. You do not have to worry about Him. If you look after

Him, He will look after you. Afterwards, the one who looks, the one who is

looked at and the look will all become one single entity.

May I go (and come )----- ( ) ?

Aryambikais eyes welled up with tears---Is this going to be the last time

that I will hear those nectarlike voice?

Why these foolish eyes are secreting tears and blinding me ? Should I not

keep seeing my son, as He walks in pain with His tiny legs, step by step, till

my eyes start paining ? Four years ago, when the Little Sankaran stretched

and showed His plump legs, she massaged them; that was the last. Later,

when He went to each and every house, asking for alms, His legs became

thin, like the tender trunks of a banana tree.

Now, where all those legs will go and get tired ? He said that all the ladies are

His mothers; will anyone among them, go after those twisting legs and

massage them ? If those legs, which push the wet clothes and walk, suffer

from excruciating pain, will anyone among them give them a warm massage ?

My dear dear child is leaving me and going away without any of these

worries. The eight-year old child which should be playing with toys at home,

is going away tirelessly, with a firm mind and with the single mission of

saving this world; going away to fulfill some extraordinary duties. There !

He has gone away from my sight. Therefore, let the eyes now secrete plenty

of tears. From the beginning of this world, to this day, who would have

sacrificed an object rarer than this son of mine ? His sacrificing me, who is

but a foolish lady is nothing big;

What is really big is the boon, I got, of sacrificing my son for the sake of the

world. What better job these eyes have than pouring out a flood of tears of

joy on account of this? Aryambikai found her peace in the joy of this sacrifice.

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 6.



Sri Maha Periva Divya Darshan

This drawing is the creation of Sri Narayanan Bala

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Kanchi Periva Forum - eBook 35 - Jaya Jaya Sankara - Chapter 5