अद्वैत और शंकराचार्य – वाराणसी श्री पट्टाभिराम शास्त्री
Author: Shankarasampradayakosh
Sri Sankara Digvijayam : मध्यार्जुनं (Madhyarjunam – Tiruvidaimarudur, Tanjore District, Tamilnadu)
Sri Sankara Digvijayam : मध्यार्जुनं (Madhyarjunam – Tiruvidaimarudur, Tanjore District, Tamilnadu)
Madhyarjunam, popularly known as Tiruvidaimarudur, stands on the southern bank of the sacred Kaveri, near Kumbhakona kshetra, in Tamilnadu.
The large temple in this place enshrines the Sivalinga called Sri Mahalinga, so called not only because of the size but also because of the situation of this shrine in the midst of several sacred Ksetras around being auxilliaries to it.
It was at this temple that Sri Sankaracharya got an assurance from Lord Siva that the philosophy of Advaita was the real truth. According to the information in the biographical works it was from Madhyarjunam that Sri Bhagavatpada, followed by His numerous disciples, proceeed to Ramesvaram.
The Dindima commentary on Madhaviya Sankaravijaya on verse No.1. of the 15th canto (page 529 of the 1915 edition and page 509 of the 1932 edition- Anandasram Press, Poona) contains the following information :-
” अथानन्तरं पद्मपाद – हस्तामलक – समित्पाणि- चिद्विलास – ज्ञानकन्दविष्णुगुप्त – शुद्धकीर्ति-भानुमरीचि – कृष्णदर्शन – बुद्धिवृद्धि – विरिञ्चिपाद – शुद्धाननन्तगिरिप्रमुखैः सहस्रैः शिष्यवरैर्युतः सुधन्वना राज्ञा चानुयातः सर्वा दिशो विजिगीषुः स एव उदारधीः श्रीशंकराचार्यः प्रथमं सेतुं प्रतस्थे । अत्र प्राचीनानुरोधेन मध्यार्जुनं प्राप्य ततः सर्वाः ककुभो विजिगीषुः प्रथमं सेतुं प्रति प्रतस्थ इति व्याख्येयम् । तथाहि श्रीशंकरचार्यो मध्यार्जुनं नाम शिवविभूतिस्थलविशेषं प्राप ।
” मध्यार्जु नेशानमदृष्टव विद्यादिभिः पूजितपादपद्मम् । बुद्धोपचारैरभजत् परेशं निष्पापतां प्राप फलैकपात्रम् || “
” तत्र किल भगवान् श्रीशंकराचार्यः सदाशिवमेवमब्रवीत् – ‘स्वामिन्, मध्यार्जुनेश ! सर्वोपनिषदर्थोऽसि । तस्मान्निगमादितात्पर्यगोचरो द्वैतमद्वैतं वेति संशयस्य सर्वेषां पश्यतां निवृत्तिं कुरु । ” इति
प्रार्थितो मध्यार्जुनेशो लिङ्गाप्रात्सावयवरूपेण निष्क्रम्य मेघवद्गम्भीरया गिरा दक्षिणहस्तमुद्यम्य, ‘सत्यमद्वैतं, सत्यमद्वैतं सत्यमद्वैतं ‘ – इति त्रिरुक्त्वा लिङ्गान्तेऽन्तर्दधे पश्यतां नराणां महदद्भुतमासीत् । तद्भक्ताच तद्देशस्थिताः श्रीशंकरमेव सद्गुरुं कृत्वोमागणपतीशार्काच्युतार्चपराः प्रातः स्नानादिविशुद्धाः पञ्चयज्ञपरायणाः श्रुतिसंचोदिताचारणाः शुद्धाद्वैतपरायणा बभूवुः एवं तदेशस्थानद्वैतवादिनः कृत्वा प्रमथैः शंकर इव शिष्यसमेतो रामेश्वरं प्रति जगाम ” – इति ।
…
[This portion of the commentary (Dindima) found in Madhaviya Sankaravijaya is only a faithful reproduction of the same passage, found in the body of the text of the Anandagiri’s Sankaravijaya – Prakarana IV. p. (vide page 17, 18. Madras University Publication 1971 and Manuscripts – except for slight alterations of a few words here and there.]
Sankara Digvijayam -Kanyakumari & Suchindram
A NEW LIGHT ON ADI SANKARA … 2
[ S.Padmanabhan, Kanyakumari Historical And Cultural Research Centre, Nagarkovil , Tamilnadu Council Of Historical Research, Govt. of Tamilnadu – The Hindu 23.4.2004-ஆய்வுக் களஞ்சியம், July 2004]
” In Chapter 4 of Anandagiri’s Sankara Vijaya. recognised by Orientalists as the authentic biography of Adi Sankara. there is a reference of Adi Sankara’s visit to Rameswaram, the defeat of Sakthas at nearby place and his trip to Anandasayana worshipping a Siva Kshetra named Rudrapura.
In this case his route should have been Rameswaram, Tiruchendur. Kanyakumari and Suchindram. Rudrapura is only Sivanthiram now known as Suchindram. The word Rudra denotes Siva. Sivanthiram means the places where Indra worshipped Siva. The inscriptions and the old people of the area call Suchindram as Sivanthiram. According to the Sthalapuranam. Indra was purified at this place and hence the name.”
Sankara Digvijayam A NEW LIGHT ON ADI SANKARA
Sankara Digvijayam A NEW LIGHT ON ADI SANKARA By S.Padmanabhan, Nagarkovil (July, 2004)… 1
Kasi Yatra ..6
श्रीकांची कामकोटिपीठाधीश जगद्गुरु
श्रीशङ्करभगवत्पादानां गङ्गादितीर्थविजययात्रा।
Extract from the Pandita Patra Dated 8th October 1935.
Kasi Yatra 5
(5)
श्रीकांची कामकोटिपीठाधीश जगद्गुरु
श्री१००८ शङ्करभगवत्पादानां गङ्गादितीर्थविजययात्रा।
” The 6th of October 1934 –
is a Red Letter Day in the annals of Benares – the ancient and sacred city of the Hindus; when on arrival from Prayag after walking all the distance on foot, His Holiness was accorded a fitting reception by the Hindu Citizens of Benares headed by His Highness the Maharaja Saheb of Benares as Chairman of the Reception Committee.
It is in the same Sacred City several centuries ago, that Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya gave enlightenment to the world through His Bhashya in the presence of Lord Viswanath and also obtained five famous Lingas from Kailash.
The brief stay of His Holiness in Benares for a period of about five months and the celebration of Sarada Navaratra during the winter of 1934 which synchronised with a number of Yagnas and Homas (Havans) will be a memorable event to be cherished by the devout public of this ancient and sacred city.
The crowning success is due to the co-operation of the Hindu Citizens combined with reverential care and interest that was shown by His Highness the Maharaja Saheb of Benares and Pandits of all grades and shades.
The reception committee feels it its duty to publish this booklet so that the future generations may know how the hearts of their fore-fathers lept with joy on the momentous arrival of their Acharya.
Kashi is the nucleus of men of letters. The Holy Representative of Brahma Vidya from the Sacred Kanchi Pitha of Sri Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya coming into contact with, and being heartily received by, the representatives of traditional culture, headed by their Maharaja at the religious Metropolis of Sanatan Dharma, is, needless to say, an epoch in the history of Hindu India, the recording of which has fallen to the lot of our humbleselves, who crave the pardon of the public for any deviation from the sacred duty.
Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Ganganath Jha of Tirtharaj, Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Annadacharan Sharma,
Heads of Mathas and other religious institutions,
Pratapam Seetarama Sastry Nyayacarya of the Sringeri matha, Kashi and along with a gallery of Pandits submitted a public invitation to His Holiness to grace the Sacred City as early as December 1932.
Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Phani Bhushan Tarka Vageesa, Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Anantakrishna Shastri and Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Manavalli Lakshmana Shastri
along with the public citizens of the City headed by His Highness the Maharaja and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya welcomed His Holiness at the out- skirts of the City.
Ex-Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Panchanan Tarkaratna and Ex-Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Bhau Shastri Vajhe
And other eminent Pandits received His Holiness in the Sangaveda Vidyalaya the Dharmic ideal institution, where all the Pandits had also assembled.
It was the previlege of –
Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Pramathanath Tarkabhushan to greet His Holiness on arrival at Shivala and at Benares Hindu University.
Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Giridhar Sharma from Jaipur, Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Durgacharan from Calcutta,
Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Mukundalal Bakshi from Mithila and Mahamahopadhyaya
Pandit Harihara Kripaloo from Patna
(all these fountains of Oriental Culture) took part in the public farewell address presented at the Town Hall on the 16th February, 1935.
The function having been arranged by the Joint efforts of all prominent citizens and eminent scholars at Benares.”
A special publication was also brought out by the members of the Gangadi Tirtha Vijaya Yatra – Varanasi Reception Committee recording the special events during this Vijaya Yatra of His Holiness Jagadguru Pujyasri Sankaracharya Swamiji Maharaj of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitha.
– Publishers’ Note By
Sri Madhav Ram Sanda
Sri Jagannatha Shastri Bhradwaj and
Sri Damodhara Das Khanna (1936)
Kasi Yatra – 4
Kasi Vijaya Yatra of His Holiness Jagadguru Pujyasri Sankaracharya Swamiji of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, 1934 (4)
श्रीकाश्यां यतिमण्डलाय भिक्षाप्रदानदिने पञ्चगौडयतिमण्डलेन साकं श्रीचरणाः ।
KASI YATRA .. 3
(Kasi Vijaya Yatra of His Holiness Jagadguru Pujyasri Sankaracharya Swamiji of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, 1934)
“On the occasion of its annual Convocation, the Banares, Hindu University has after sufficient research by its professors, referred to the Peetha as follows:-
‘ तस्याद्वैतगिरां गुरोर्भगवतः श्रीशङ्करस्योन्नतं
काञ्चीपीठपदं यतीश्वर महन् स्थाने त्वयाधिष्ठितम् ॥”
Sd/_
Pandita Madan Mohan Malavaiyaji
Again on the 19th of March 1935, a monster meeting was held on the grounds of the Benares Town Hall in response to the requisition by about a hundred pandits.
Under the leadership of the Swamiji of the local branch of the Dwaraka Mutt, the traditional Shrimukha of the Peetha along with some verses specially composed for the occasion expressing their considered opinion regarding the status of the Peetha, was read and adopted by the many sanyasins, inclulding the learned austere Karapatriji Dandi Swami, pandits, Mahamahopadhyayas and citizens assembled.
The principal speakers of the day were Ex-Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit Panchanana Tarkaratnaji of Bengal, Giridhar Sharmaji of Jaipur, Pandit Devanayakacharya of the All-India Varnashrama Swarajya Sangha, Pandit Shri-Jeeva Nyayatheertha, M.A. and Sjt. Damodara Dass Khanna of Calcultta.
In the end Mahamahopadhyaya Durgacharan Sankhya Vedantateertha of Calcutta, as a representative of Bengal, invited the Peetha to his province in accordance with the resolutions passed at two successive conferences of pandits at the Bengal Brahmin Sabha and the Shivkumar Bhavan, at Calcutta.
On the next three pages requests by Mandalesvaras, Mahants, scholars and citizens of Varanasi, to His Holiness the Acharya to visit varanasi (1932), can be found”.
KASI YATRA .. 2
(Kasi Vijaya Yatra of His Holiness Jagadguru Pujyasri Sankaracharya Swamiji of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, 1934)
“Similarly the local pandits also who met in the Sanga Veda Vidyalaya in connection with Vinayaka Caturti sessions obtained the old manuscript copy of Anandagiri Shankaravijaya from the Rama Taraka Mutt and a copy of Shivarahasya from the Vidyalaya Adhyaksha’s Library.
The Anandagiri manuscript clearly mentions Kerala as the birth place of Shankaracharya as against Chidambaram mentioned in some editions.
The distribution of the five Sphatika Lingas, the establishment of the Kamakoti Peetha, Śhanmatasthapana, the anointment of Sureshwaracharya on the above Peetha and the final siddhi of the Acharya at Kanchi are also clearly stated in the closing chapters.
As regards the narration of the avatar of Shankara Bhagavatpada in the Shivarahasya, a work unpublished in full till now, all manuscripts, whether in Northern India or in the South, have uniformly the same reading and end with the line.
” स काञ्च्यामथ सिद्धिमाप”
Thus the scholars of Benares felt jubilant over their welcoming a representative of Bhagavan Shri Adi Shankaracharya, to which they gave expression in their first Welcome Address, on the 6th of October 1934, in the following words :-
KASI YATRA – 1934 .. 1
I have recorded in these pages the facts as I observed them, out of a real desire for the search after the truth. I will be highly obliged if my readers communicate to me their kind criticism or correct any errors or send me additional valuable information.
– K. KUPPUSWAMIAH, Retired Deputy Collector.
Upanishad Ashrama, Nungambakkam, Madras.
Kasi Vijaya Yatra of His Holiness Jagadguru Pujyasri Sankaracharya Swamiji of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
” In the last quarter of year 1934, I happened to be at Benares. My stay there synchronised with the historic visit of His Holiness Jagadguru Shri Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha, to the holy city.
His Highness the Maharaja of Benares, who was at the head of the Reception Committee formed to welcome His Holiness, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, all the Mahamahopadhyayas, other eminent scholars and indeed the entire public of that spiritual capital of our country, filled with joy, took every possible step to make the visit of the Acharya, hailing from distant Kanchi on foot, spiritually beneficial and advantageous to the Benares publlic.
Prior to the arrival of the Swamiji at Benares, the Maharaja took the opportunity to consult his court pandits and his palace library where a manuscript of the voluminous Shivarahasya was found, the 16th adhyaya of the 9th amsha of which deals with the Avatara of Shri Shankaracharya, as an amsha of Lord Shiva.
This Arsha Grantha referred to in the well known Smriti, ‘Nirnaya Sindhu’ as pramana, mentions the village ‘Shashala’, as the birthplace of Shri Shankaracharya.
Further it describes the origin and distribution of the five Sphatika Lingas and their pooja; and the Adhyaya ends with the Shloka:-
तद्योगभोगवरमुक्तिसुमोक्षयोगलिङ्गार्चनात्प्राप्तजयः स्वकाश्रमे । तान्वै विजित्य तरसाऽक्षतशास्त्रवादैर्मिश्रान् स काञ्च्यामथ सिद्धिमाप II
denoting Kanchi as to the Acharya’s Ashram and place of siddhi. The Maharaja perused also the past records relating to the institutions of Adi-Shankaracharya.
As a result he prepared a document with his seal and signature, as to what he felt, and placed it with his own hands at the feet of the Acharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha on 1991 Tama Vikrama Samvat Magha Shukla Trayodashi at the annual Convocation of the Sanga Veda Vidyalaya, when all the pandits and leading citizens of Benares had assembled.
A portion of the Abhinandana Patra of the Maharaja is extracted below :-
