Category: Miscellaneous

The Lost Leaves

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The Lost Leaves – (Inquiry on the Mystery of the Missing Portion of Valliisahaya’s Manuscript on Sri Sankaracharya and Kanchipuram.)

Vallisahaya Kavi of the Vadhula gotra was a contemporary of Sri Abhinava Narasimha Bharati Swami, the 28th Pontiff at Tunga Sringeri matha from 1767 to 1770 C.E. He is the author of the Acarya Digvijya Champu in 7 kolahalas.

In his work, Vallisahaya pays homage to Anandagiri and Vidyasankara, primarily following the Cidvilasa-Anandagiri version. Notably, he explicitly mentions Mandanamisra as the grihastha name of Suresvara and Sarasvani as Mandanamisra’s wife’s name. However, he does not appear to be aware of anyone by the name of Visvarupa.

Unfortunately, the manuscript of Vallisahaya’s work is incomplete, with the narrative abruptly ending after recounting Sri Sankaracharya’s visit to Kanchi. Eminent scholars opine that since the manuscript abruptly ends with Kanchi, it is reasonable to presume that the remaining verses of Sankara’s stay and samadhi, as per Vallisahaya’s account, were intended to be in Kanchi as well.

This missing section could have contained valuable insights into Sankara’s final days, his spiritual attainment, and his connection to Kanchi.

It is possible that individuals who disagreed with this fact might have deliberately removed that portion of the manuscript.

Despite the missing section of the Acarya Digvijya Champu, scholars continue to explore alternative sources to glean insights into Sankara’s final days in Kanchi, the only Mokshapuri in South India.

( Sources: 1. PROBLEMS OF IDENTITY- MANDANA MISRA-SURESVARA By Vidyasagara Vidyavacaspati P P SUBRAHMANYA SASTRI B.A. (OXON), M.A., Professor of Sanskrit, & Comparative Philology, Presidency College, and Curator, Government Oriental Mss Library, Madras.

Sri Sankara gurukulam Journal, Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam.

2. THE PLACE OF SANKARA’S DISAPPEARANCE By W.R.Antarkar, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai Journal.)

Dakshinamurti Matha, Benares

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In the cultural heritage of India two streams viz, Pravirtti and Nivritti based on the Vedas are flowing. For these two streams the original canal is Lord Siva in the form of Uma and Mahesvara. This form indicates the path or Pravirtti. For the path of Nivritti the form of Dakshinamurthy is the original source.

In Northern India, when many temples were razed to the ground, during the Mughal period, the tradition of Dakshinamurthy came to fade. From Bengal to Baluchi and Kashmir to Kerala, the upasana of Dakshinamurthy is observed to this day. Yet the scarcity of temples for external worship of Dakshinamurthy are very few.

His Holiness Satchidanandagiri has constructed a temple of Dakshinamurthy near the old temple of Siddhantha Mani where he himself meditated upon Dakshinamurthy. Probably this is the Matha referred to as Dakshinamurthy Matha, at Kasi.

The Guruparampara of Dakshinamurthy Matha also called Dhruvesvara Matha, Varanasi is as follows :-

1. Managiri

2. Meghagiri

3. Ramagiri

4. Satchidanandagiri

5. Amarendragiri

6. Manishagiri

7. Ramananda Giri

8. Nrisimha Giri

9. Niranjana Giri

10. Krishnananda Giri

(This brief note was prepared from ‘Gandivam’-Chaitra Sukla Prathama, 24-3-1974 By Sri Anandanandendra Swami of Sri Upanishad Brahmendra Matha.)

Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya: Foreword By Justice Prabha Shankar Mishra

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“..This book tells us how Sri Sankaracharya wandered all over India and set up at cardinal points of the country monastic institutions which would protect the spiritual interests of the people. Amongst the five institutions, namely, Badri in the Himalayas, Puri in the East, Dwaraka in the West, Sringeri and Kanchi in the South, the Mutt in Kanchipuram has assumed greater importance for the reason that today, the Mutt has got three figure heads, who are Acharya and Guru in their own right, Sri Paramacharya, a living God, Sri Jagadguru Jayendra Saraswathi, a path finder and a leader of new heights and Balaguru, an emblem of renascence and purity.

Before reading this book, I had heard and believed that Mandan Mishra from Mahishmathi (Mahishi in Bihar) came all the way with Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya to Kanchi and lived to be recognised as one of the foremost disciples of the Jagadguru.”

SANKARA or A Brief Sketch of Sankaracharyar’s History By P.K.Sankara Das, Madurai, (Jan.1897)

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Names of Gurus Lifetime

of Sringeri Mutt Years

1. Sankara Acharyar 32 Years

(The original)

2 . Suresvarar 800 Years

3. Nithya Bhodaganar 20 Years

4. Gnana Ganar 94 Years

5. Gnanothama Sivacharyar 48 Years

6. Gnana Giriar 86 Years

7. Simha Giriar 62 Years

8. Eswara Thirthar 69 Years

9. Nrisimha Thirthar 83 Years

10. Vidhya Sankarar 105 Years

11. Bharathi Krishnar 52 Years

12. Vidhyaranyar 55 Years

13. Chandrasekara Bharathy 41 Years

14. Nrisimha Bharathy 41 Years

15. Purushothamar 42 Years

16.. Sankaranandar 26 Years

17. Chandrasekarar 23 Years

18. Nrisimha Bharathy 24 Years

19. Purushothamar 50 Years

20. Ramachandrar 55 Years

21. Nrisimha Bharathy 36 Years

22. Nrisimha Bharathy 43 Years

23. Nrisimha Bharathy 44 Years

24. Nrisimha Bharathy 40 Years

25. Abhinava Sachidanandar 81 Years

26. Nrisimha Bharathy 40 Years

27. Sachidanandar 40 Years

28. Abhinava Sachidanandar 40 Years

29. Abhinava Nrisimhar 44 Years

30. Sachidananda Bharathy 53 Years

31. Abhinava Sachidanandar 44 Years

32. Nrisimha Bharathy 83 Years

33. Nrisimha Bharathy

(present one, 1897A.D)

SANKARA or A Brief Sketch of Sankaracharyar’s History By P.K.Sankara Das, Madurai, (Jan.1897)

Joint declaration made in Tunga Sringeri on June 27, 1993 by the Sankaracharyas of the five Peethas:

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Extract of the joint declaration made in Tunga Sringeri on June 27, 1993 by the Sankaracharyas of the five Peethas:

“Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpadacharya, incarnation of. Lord Parama shiva; took birth at Kalady to revive the Sanatana dharma–the eternal law–and preached the Advaita philosophy touring in all the directions of our country. He appealed to everyone to restore and foster the ideals of dharma and spirituality of this great land which alone would secure the well-being of humanity.

There are many points with regard to the date and life of Sri Adi Sankara that we are not in agreement: However, we do not want to discuss these issues now. We also direct our devotees not to give room for discussion on these issues in future. We deem it right to have discussion on other subjects where we have unanimity. Keeping in mind the prevailing situation in the country and the need to give a unanimous call and direction to all believers…”

Missing Madhaviya verses

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The manuscripts of the Madhaviya Sankara Vijaya available at the Madras Government Oriental Manuscripts Library and the Adyar and the Tanjore Libraries have two additional slokas in the beginning after the first sloka and these two verses are found missing in the printed editions.

From these slokas, we learn that the teacher of Madhava, the author of Sankshepa Sankarajaya was one Mahesvara who certainly is not known as Vidyaranya’s teacher.

Why are the modern printed editions of the Madhaviya Sankaravijaya missing these verses? Let the adherents of those institutions propagating Madhaviya and Mathamnaya answer.

Images: Temple at Tiruvaikavur – Bilvaranya

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Images: Temple at Tiruvaikavur – Bilvaranya (the Birth-place of Sri Vidyateertha Swami, the 51st Peethadhipati of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetha) near Kumbakonam. After reigning at the Kanchi Sri Kamakoti Peetha for 73 years, this Acharya went to Himalayas to perform tapas. After spending 15 years in tapas Sri Vidyatirtha Swami attained videha mukti there.

படங்கள்: கும்பகோணத்திற்கருகிலுள்ள ஸ்ரீகாஞ்சீ காமகோடி பீடம் 51வது ஆசார்யர் ஸ்ரீவித்யாதீர்த்த ஸ்வாமிகள் அவர்களின் ஜன்ம ஸ்தானமான வில்வாரண்யம் எனப்படும் திருவைகாவூரிலுள்ள கோயில். ஸ்ரீகாஞ்சீ காமகோடி பீடத்தின் ஜகத்குரு ஆசார்யாள் அவர்களாக 73 ஆண்டுகள் அருளாட்சி செய்த இந்த அருளாளர் ஹிமாலயம் சென்று 15ஆண்டுகள் தவம் செய்து நிறைவாக அங்கேயே விதேஹகைவல்யம் அடைந்தனர் என்பது வரலாறு.

Inferable Link of Bhagavatpada Sankaracharya with Kumbhakonam – A.Kuppuswamy Iyer (2/3)

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Migration of Tamilians to Kerala

It is believed that Parasurama after his surrender to Rama, prince of Ayodhya, came down to the South and was instrumental in colonising the Kerala region with Tamilians.

It seems quite probable that another migration of Tamilians to Kerala did take place in the middle of the first millenium before Christ. Even now there are some villages around Tiruchur and Kaladi with names similar to those of certain villages near Sivapuram. Some of these are:- Mathur, Sedinipuram, Chandrasekharapuram, Karukkudy (Marudanallur-called in Kerala ‘Karukkurry’.”). Names of places such as Alathur, Tiruvaloor ( Tiruvarur), Tiruvangad (Tiruvenkadu) are also found in the Chera country. There as is also a place called ‘Kandiyur’ in Kerala. Kandiyur is the name of a village about 20 miles west of Kumbhakonam.

It is evident that the very name ‘Kaladi’ given to Sankara’s birth place is a Tamil name. Perhaps the place got the name ‘Kaladi’ after the advent of Sankara. Sankara is also known by the epithet ‘Bhagavatpada’. ‘Pada’ signifies ‘foot’ and ‘Kaladi’ means ‘footstep’.

Ancient literary works like the ‘Sivarahasya’ indicate that Sankara was born in a village known as ‘Sasalagrama’.

Hence it can be concluded that ‘Kaladi’ is a Tamil name and a later name. Sivaguru, Sankara’s father was a native of Kaladi. Perhaps Sivaguru’s parents gave their only child the name ‘Sivaguru’ after the name of the Lord of Sivapuram (near Kumbhakonam) which might have been the ancestral home of their forebears.

That settlers in new lands generally named their new colonies after their original native places is borne out by history. Protestant emigrants to the coasts of North America from the time of Elizabeth Tudor till the time of George III, named their new settlements in America, after their original homes in England, with a prefix ‘New’ in certain cases. There is a city ‘York’ in England and one ‘New York’ in America, as also a ‘Plymouth’ in England and a ‘New Plymouth’ in America. In both England and America there are towns called Ports mouth, Halifax etc. And one can find names of certain villages with almost identical names in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Alwaye and Alavai

There is a river flowing near Kaladi called ‘Alwaye’ (called ‘Choorna’ or ‘Poorna’ in olden times). On her bank there is a town also ‘Alwaye’. There is a river flowing through the city of Madurai (in Tamil Nadu), known by the name ‘Vaikai’ (pro- bably a later nickname as per Tiruvilayadal Puranam), having its source very near that of the river Alwaye.

It may be mentioned that the city of Madurai is known in Tamil classics as ‘Tiru Alavay” (“Tiru’ being only a prefix denoting sacredness). And we have a Sanskrit name for Madurai in an almost similar sounding- word-“Halasya”.

Similarity of the name of a town in Kerala with the classical name of a town in Tamil Nadu provides another indication of the migration of Tamilians to Kerala.