Sri Shankara Charitham by Maha Periyava – Petitioning and Bestowing of Grace

Petitioning and the Bestowing of Grace

Dakshinamurthy, was sitting under the Banyan tree, full of compassion.  He was waiting, thinking thus: ‘Human beings are not able to reach here.  It does not even occur to them that they should come here.  But they are only children.  We only have to go over and provide them good counsel.  However, Devas are not ignorant like human beings.  For their (humans) sake, they (Devas) should come and report.  That is the proper way.  Owing to the reduction in discharging the prescribed duties [कर्मानुष्ठान] by the people, Devas are losing the offerings [आहुति] of holy sacrifices.  Therefore, Devas should only come and report. I should incarnate only after that’.

Devas also commit mistakes.  A time will come when they have to suffer for that.  When the suffering becomes unbearable, humility and humbleness will prevail and they will pray to Eswara.  Eswara will also provide them relief from the miseries, either by incarnating or in some other manner.

It happened that way now also. Devas went to Kailash and prayed to Shambhu Murthy, who was sitting at the base of the banyan tree.

Witnessing the confusion in the religious traditional observances and in the doctrines of Sastras throughout the world, it was Narada who first felt agitated. He expressed his grievance to Brahma, his father.  It is said in a ‘Sankara Vijayam’ that, later, Brahma went to Kailash along with all the Devas*.

It is mentioned in that (text) that Devas complained to Parameswara that the Vedic ways [श्रुत्याचारः – srutyaachaara] is getting reduced in the world and improper conduct [मिथ्याचारः-mityaachaara] has increased a lot.

srutyaachaaram parityajya mityaachaaram samasrithaa: [श्रुत्याचारं परित्यज्य मिथ्याचारं समाश्रिताः]

Srutyaachaaram means Vedic ways.  Mityaachaaram means improper practices.  That is, although appearing to be proper conduct, in reality, they were practices which degraded good conduct.

“On one side, non-Vedic religious heads like Buddha, are vilifying the Vedas, condemning karmanushtaanam and also ruining the caste order [वर्णाश्रम].   They have done so much damage that the people of this Bharata Varsha, which is the land of holy sacrifices, close their ears on hearing the very word ‘Yaga’.  On the other side, even people like Saivas and Vaishnavas who worship Vedic Gods, are giving up the Vedic ways of worship and are getting seals of Chakra, Linga, etc. imprinted [on their body].  Going a step further, people like Kaapalikas [कापालिकाः] follow barbaric ways, offering even their own heads in sacrifice.  Therefore,

“tat–bhavaan-loka rakshaartham utsadhya nikhilaankhalaan

vartma sthapayatu srowtam jagat yena sukham vrajet”.

तत्- भवान् लोक रक्षार्थम् उत्साद्य निखिलान्खलान्

वर्त्म स्थापयतु श्रौतं जगत् येन सुखं व्रजेत्

What does this mean?

They prayed to Him, “You only have to completely destroy all the people going the wrong way and protect the world.  The Vedic way should be re-established.  If the world has to get true happiness, is not the pursuit of the Vedas [Sruti] the only way?  You have to establish that”.

Maadhaveeya Sankara Vijayam, after stating* this, goes on to also mention about Parameswara showering his immense grace on them.  Having already decided on his own to take incarnation to protect the world, was He not waiting anxiously for them to just come to Him and give the petition?

Immediately, Shambhumurthy conferred His grace rapidly in the form of boons, saying “I will fulfil your wishes.  I will myself take birth as a human being, destroy the evil practices and re-establish Dharma.  Importantly, I will write the Bhashyam [भाष्यम्] for Brahma Sutra [ब्रह्मसूत्र] and through that establish the intent of the Vedas and re-establish righteousness”.

“The origin for all the misinterpretations and ignorance is forgetting the truth that everything is the same Brahmam [ब्रह्मम्] and treating the lives differently, separately from Brahmam.  The living beings are overpowered by the attraction of Maya and have drowned in this darkness of duality [द्वैतम् – Dvaitam].  I will incarnate as an ascetic [यतीन्द्र] in this world, with the name Sankara and dispel the darkness with the lustre of ‘knowledge of the Self”’.

“I will accomplish this task along with four disciples. Just as the four arms of Mahavishnu – who has taken incarnations so far – form a part of Him, these four disciples will be, for me”.

“ityuktvoparataan devaan uvaacha girijapriya:” [इतयुक्त्वोपरतान् देवान् उवाच गिरिजाप्रियः]

This bestowing of blessings begins with “girija-priya started talking to them, immediately after the Devas finished what they wanted to tell Him”.  Since Siva is referred to as “girija priya”- as “one who is dear to Ambal”, the blessings have been bestowed only because of Her grace or because of Her – who is grace personified – prodding Him.  Although as Dakshninamurthy, He was on his own [एकाङ्की], she continued to be present within Him even then. Both of them together took the incarnation as Acharya’.  It turns out that it [the word girija – priya] has been uttered with so many inner meanings!

Swami’s statement:

“manoratham poorayishyae maanusham-avalambya va: I

dushtaachaara vinaashaaya dharma-samsthaapanaaya cha II

bhashyam kurvan brahmasutra-taatparyartha-vinirnayam I

mohana-prakruti-dvaita-dhvaantam-adhyatma-bhanubhi: II

chathurbhi: sahita: sishyai: chaturair-harivad-bhujai: I

yateendra: sankaro namnaa bhavishyami maheetalae II”

मनोरथं पूरयिष्ये मानुषम्-अवलम्ब्य वः।

दुष्टाचार विनाशाय धर्म-संस्थापनाय च।।

भाष्यं कुर्वन् ब्रह्मसूत्र-तात्पर्यार्थ-विनिर्णयम्।

मोहन-प्रकृति-द्वैत-ध्वान्तम्-अध्यात्म-भानुभिः।।

चतुर्भिः सहितः शिष्यैः चतुरैर्-हरिवद्-भुजैः।

यतीन्द्रःशङ्करो नाम्ना भविष्यामि महीतले।।

It is clear that Swamy had already planned all the details of his incarnation even before the Devas approached Him!  It was also Swamy’s decision to have the name ‘Sankara’. This was another (opportunity) to enhance the greatness of that name!  “Yateendra” denotes that He himself had decided that it should be an incarnation of an ascetic.  “Yateendra” means, ‘Yatisreshta’ [यतिश्रेष्ठः].  Yati [यति] means Sanyasi.

‘Yama’ [यम] and ‘Yata’ [यत] are two words originating from the same verb.  Both mean ‘to keep under control’.  The name ‘Yama’ has come, because he captures, takes away and punishes the living being who is indulging in arrogant behaviour.  The reasons for the living being to be indulging in such behaviour are the senses and the mind.  A Sanyasi is one who has controlled them.  Therefore, he is also a Yama!  Since ‘yama’ is a person who is externally different but temporarily brings under control in a crude way, a person who controls himself in a gentle manner on a permanent basis with the help of his experience of jnana [ज्ञान], should not be called by the same name; so, a prefix ‘sam’ [सं] is added to soften the word and Sanyasis are conventionally called ‘Samyami’ [संयमि].  Or they are referred to by the word ‘yati’, meaning subjugation of sensory and mental desires.

Upon deciding to incarnate as Sankara, as a yateendra – the best among yatis – He had also decided to write a Magnum Opus – the commentary for the Sutras – as the foremost task of His incarnation!  This is what is mentioned as “bhashyam kurvan brahmasutra”.

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*This is the second ‘prakaranam’ of Sankara Vijayam, also known by the name ‘Anandagireeyam’ , composed by Sri Anantaanandagiri.

*I.39. Eswara’s blessings in verses I.40-43