Category: Bhagavatpada

नानाभाष्यादृता सा सगुणफलगतिर्वैधविद्याविशेषै:
तत्तद्देशाप्तिरम्या सरिदिव सकला यत्रयात्यंशभूयम् ।
तस्मिन्नानन्दसिन्धावतिमहति फले भावविश्रान्तिमुद्रा
शास्त्रस्योद्घाटिता यैः प्रणमत हृदि तान्नित्यमाचार्यपादान् ॥

(श्रीमदप्पय्यदीक्षितानां न्यायरक्षामणौ)

“The rivers or the courses of devotion towards the diverse aspects of the Personal God attain their final calm only when they become one with the ocean of bliss (Ananda Sindhu) that unfolds itself at the moment of Ultimate Realization.”

” The extraordinary composure of mind exhibited by his writings forms a striking contrast to those of the other reformers and philosophic writers, and would induce any reader to think that he had nothing to do with Buddhist or any other persecutions as Mr. A. Barth represents when he says that the disciples of Sri Sankaráchárya “Organized into military bands and constituted themselves the rabid (!) defenders of orthodoxy.”

With the exception perhaps of this single writer, every one else firmly believes that he was too philosophical to have hand in those persecutions.

Lastly, towards the end of his life he came to the south, but had to leave his body and this world in Conjeveram, at the early age of thirty-two. We think Conjeveram was the most probable place (of his Nirvana, for at present there is an image of him in the temple of the famous goddess Kámákshi, and judging from the style of architecture and the local traditions to the effect that his body lies buried underneath the image, which is now worshipped.

For Sri Sankaráchárya and his works we have a very high reverence. The loftines calmness, and firmness of his mind, the impartiality with which he deals with the various questions, his clearness of expression – all of these make us revere the philosopher, more and more:.”

– Pandit N.Bhashyacharya,

Adyar Oriental Library

10th October, 1889

25th March 44 B.C : The Birth Date of Sri Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya

Shri B.V.Raman in his book “Notable Horoscopes” has given a categorical statement that the 25th March 44 B.C was the Date of Birth Sri Sankara Bhagavadpadacharya . This according to him was on the basis of the reliable old records (Guruparampara patti) preserved in the Sankarite institution of Karnataka.

In the foot notes to his article on the subject, he says, “A learned Indian scholar who has written a book entitled Life and Teachings of Sankaracharya says that “in all this confusion of evidence it is safe to assume that Sankara flourished some time between the middle of the seventh and the first quarter of the ninth centuries”.

On what grounds he has come to this conclusion has not been made clear. There is no doubt confusion prevails regarding the year of Sankara’s birth but much of it could have been avoided if some of these scholars had taken the trouble to carefully examine all the relevant literature bearing on Sankara’s life and times, free from any prepossessions which are a concomitant of Western education.

A careful study of such authorities as Sankaravijayas of Madhavacharya, Anandagiri and Chidvilasa, Punya-sloka Manjari and the Guru Parampara list preserved in Sringeri Mutt reveals that Sankara was born definitely before Christ and not in the 7th or 8th century A.D. as oriental scholars-Indian and European-have made out.

It looks as though these scholars have confused Adi Sankara with his name-sake Abhinava Sankara who was the Guru of Kamakoti- peetha and the 36th in succession to Adi Sankara.

This Abhinava Sankara, a very learned and pious man, was born in 788 A.D. in the cyclic year Vibhava, solar month Vrishabha, on the 10th day of the bright half. It is said that like Adi Sankara this Abhinava Sankara also toured all over India, held discussions with learned men and conquered them intellec-tually. He died in A.D. 839.

Almost all authorities are unanimous that Adi Sankara was born on Vaisakha Suddha Panchami, at midday.

Suklapaksheshu panchamyam tithyam bhaskaravasave:

Madhyanhechobhijinnama muhurta subha veekshate.

As regards the year, Sukhacharya’s Brihat Sankara Vijaya and Chid- vilasa’s Sankara Vijaya make it clear that Sankara’s birth took place in Kaliyuga 2593, Sunday, Vaisakha Sukla Panchami, in Punarvasu nakshatra, at midday, when the Sun was in Aries, the Moon in Punarvasu last quarter and when Jupiter, Saturn and Mars were in kendras, exalted or in own house, Venus was exalted and Mercury was with the Sun. This date corresponds to 3rd April 509 B.C., the weekday being Monday. Un- fortunately except in regard to the Sun and Mercury, the positions of other planets (the Sun 20°; the Moon 71° 42′; Mars 252° 18′; Mercury 7° 6′ ; Jupiter 225° 30′; Venus 37° 18′; Saturn 338° 12′; and Rahu 41° 18′) do not tally with those suggested in the authorities.

As Prof. B. Suryanarain Rao says: “According to the records of Sringeri Mutt (Guru Parampara Patti) which are well preserved and reliable”, Sankara was born on the 5th day of the bright half of the lunar month of Vaisakha of the cyclic year Eswara in Vikrama 14. This corresponds to 25th March 44 B.C.

I am inclined to give greater weight to the reliability of this date as it is given in the lists preserved by the Gurus of Sringeri, and consequently, there was no chance of their having been tampered with.

Sankara’s Guru was Govindapada, who is said to have begotten by his Kshatriya wife, the great Vikramaditya. Sankara must therefore have lived about the time of Vikramaditya.”