STORY - Bhagwatpad Shankaracharya - Part I

In this discourse revered Sadgurudev Dr. Naryan Dutt Shrimaliji has discussed in detail the relation between a disciple and a Guru through the example of Guru Govindapaadaacharya and his disciple Shankaracharya. He has explained how a disciple can rise spirituality in life. What the life of a true disciple is like can be known by reading these divine words which touch the heart and encourage one to move on the path of spiritual realisation.

Shankaracharya's Guru Govindpadacharya, clearly told him that on the spiritual path one has no father, mother, caste, relatives or social links. The person is alone and he himself tries to instill totality in his life. The Guru then asked Shankar to respectfully disperse the ashes of his mother's body in the river saying that there was no more pure and sacred place for her remains to rest.

And according to the directions of his Guru, Shankar dispersed the ashes in the holy river Narmada. And thus he served the final tie that he had with the society and with family life. Having done this he decided and pledged to discover and unravel the basic truth of life that forms the very essence of human life.

One day Shankar put his wish before master. The Guru said - You wish to get the Brahm Diksha, so that you could understand the play of nature. But for that you shall have to strive hard. You shall have to accomplish tough Sadhanas. You shall have to serve the Guru devotedly and you shall have to obey him every moment. For getting the Diksha it is very important to first have performed control over one's body and mind.

Shankar listened carefully to the words of his Guru and decided that he would go through the toughest tests if necessary and accomplish the most tough Sadhanas so that he could become eligible for the Diksha. Then he chose a natural cave which was on the bank of river Narmada at a place where river flows Northwards and in it he sat down to accomplish Sadhanas. The cave is not man made rather it is natural and it is still there. It is sacred Sadhana seat that overflows with divinity. Just being in it fills one with purity. Entering it one is filled with pure, spiritual thoughts. Once there one starts to enter into deep meditation on one's own. Just being there makes one feel that that the outer world is useless, that all relations with the society are false and that father, mother, brother, sister are all physical relations. One realises that true essence of life lies in viewing this world through eyes of the soul.

When even an ordinary human starts to get such thoughts on entering this cave even today then one can very well imagine how divine and spiritual this place is. It is the same place where young Shankar accomplished amazing Sadhanas and tried to attain to totality in his life.

Shankar's Guru made him realise the Adwait form of the Supreme instead of the Dwait form. According to this thought Brahm (Supreme) and Maya (worldly delusion) are but one. Brahm is the basis of all life and the entire universe. All that exists in the universe shall one day merge in the Brahm or the Supreme. It was due to this teaching of Adwait and its total realisation that Shankar was finally able to declare with cofidence - Aham Brahmaasmi!

i.e. I am the Brahm! It is from Brahm that Maya or the entire universe has originated. And finally everything shall merge into it. It is with this view that the essence of all ancient texts can be grasped and assimilated.

Guru Govindapadacharya subjected Shankar to severe tests. Shankar used to rise in the morning before the Guru rose and serve him with full devotion. He always tried to spend the maximum time in his company and assimilate the essence of the divine words of thee Guru. It was from this very point in his life that he began to realise that Brahm or the Supreme is the Truth. This is the very fact that has been elucidated time and again by the ancient scriptures.

For the whole year the Guru subjected him to the severest of tests and when he finally realised that Shankar has cleared all his tests without failure he granted the Tripur Sundari and Shree Chakra Sadhana to him. Lord Saamb Sadashiv was the family diety of Shankaracharya. That is why he obtained the knowledge of the formless Supreme Element from his Guru and successfully accomplished the Shree Chakra Sadhana.

In the text Soundarya Lahiri, Shankaracharya has cleared stated -

Bhavatah Trayi Varnaa Yaa, Yati Karit Leelaanjan Tayaa,
Vibhaati Tvan Netra, Trityamid Mishaan Dayite,
Punaah Pashatm Devaam, Dwahinn Hari Roodram Paratam,
Raj Satvam Viddhah, Tam Yati Gunnaanaam Trayameevah.

Not just this, while explaining Shree Chakra he has said -

Gate Karnnaabhya Harannam, Guruteiv Pakshamaan Dadhaati
Paraambe Tash Chittah, Prasmad Sa Vitra Vann Phale
Ime Netre Goutraa, Dharapati Kulottam Sakali Te
Tavaa Karannaa Kashtah, Smar Sar Vilaasaa Kalyatah

Through these verses he has eluciadated about the divine form of the Goddes Lalita Tripur Sundari and he has explained how through Mantra chanting one can form a permanent link with the concerned deity. He has clearly revelaed the Mantra of Goddess Lalita Tripuraamba and the he has explained that it is only through Shree Chakra Sadhana that one can imbibe the essence of Vedic Mantras and the Tantra based Mantras which can bestow divine powers.

STORY - Bhagwatpad Shankaracharya - Part II

On reading Soundarya Lahiri one feels that Shankaracharya has merely described beauty of Mother Goddess Parvati. But this is a mistake which many scholars have made. Soundarya Lahiri is not merely the description of the divine beauty of the Goddess, rather it hides in its words the essence of the world of Tantra. Shankaracharya has said that without Tantra life cannot be fully understood and neither can one understand the Shree Yantra and the Shree Chakra Sadhana. One can comprehend the Sadhanas of the world of Yog only by first knowing about various channels of divine energy in the human body namely Ida, Pingala and Sushumna and the six divine centers of energy. When all knowledge related to the human body is gained the body itself becomes a Shree Yantra and then with the help of Mantras one can make the Kundalini Power rise to the Brahm Randhra or Sahastrar. All divine energies are present in the human body in a recurrent form. All one needs is the activation of the Same so that one could become god like.

To understand the gods and the divine powers one need not explore outside. Those who seek only outside are not able to realise the Shree Chakra that is the part of human body. An atom and the universe are basically the same. If one follows the path of Yog one can activate the Kundalini, the mind, the soul, divine resonance within and thus one could gain the knowledge that one can understand this world and gain divine powers. Then one can accomplish even the most impossible looking tasks and lead an extraordinary and unique life.

If one carefully observed one would find that the Kundalini situated in the Mooladhar is the basic energy and it is the Mahamaya which leads one into the world. And when this very energy is purified it helps one gain amazing powers. It is the basic energy through which one could comprehend all Mantras and gain wonderful powers.

Shankaracharya explained that the basis of Yog and Sadhanas is the human body. He also explained that it through the medium of the human body that one can attain to great success in the field of Mantra Sadhanas. Yog and one could gain wonderful powers like Parkaya Pravesh (leaving one's body and entering some other body), Vayugaman (flying in the air), reducing the size of one's body and gaining entrance into Siddhashram. The different Mantras only tend to activate the various centres of the human body by activating the Kundalini that rests in the Mooladhar.

He revealed all this in two verses of the Soundarya Lahiri which are as follows-

Vishaal Kalyaanni Sfutruchirayoddhayaa Kuvalaye
Kripaa Dhaaraa Dhaaraa Kimapi Madhuraa Bhog Vatika
Avanti Drishtite Bahunagar Vistaar Vijaya,
Druvam Tat Tan Naamah Vyavharann Yogyaa Vijayate

And further he explained how one can master different powers like Uchchatan (making one feel indifferent towards someone or something), Aakarshan (captivating someone), Dravikaran (making one feel kind towards someone), Sammohan (hypnotising someone), Vashikarann (controlling others), Tarann and Vidraavann.

Kavin Naam Sandharvhah Satvakamarah Kandeih Karishkam,< Kataakshah Vyaakshepah Bhramarkal Bhoukarnaa Yugalam
Amuchanto Drashtvaa Drashtavaa Tav Navar Saa Swaad Yugalam,
Vashudhaa Sansargaa Dalikanayan Kim Chidurannam

These two verses also explain that the human body is in itself divine and it is real the Shree Chakra. It is by gaining perfect control over this body, by concentrating on the Shree Chakra within, by fusing oneself completely in the form of the Goddess Tripur Sundari that all knowledge, all divinity and all powers of the world can be gained.

But in order to do so one needs the grace and blessings of the Guru. Lord Krishnna had elucidated this very fact in Gita thousand years ago.

Tad Vidhei Praanniyaten Pariprashne Na Sevaya
Upadesh Shanti Deya Gyaanaam Gyaaninnah Tatra Darshinah

i.e Without a Guru one cannot understand life. And till one does not understand life one cannot understand Shree Chakra and Lalitamba Sadhanas. And till one does not understand these two Sadhanas one cannot gain powers like projection of the soul, activation of the Kundalini and reducing one's physicial form to a size smaller than the thumb.

The description of the energy centres or Chakras and the Kundalini that has been given by Bhagwatpad Shankaracharya in the text Soundarya Lahiri is simply unique. This text is not meant to be just read or recited. It is in fact a text based on Tantra and each of its verses tells in detail about the science of Tantra. By diving deep into this text one can make quick progress in the field of Yog, Sadhanas and Tantra.

In this text Shankaracharya says that god is none else than Lord Shiva. The Guru is also Lord Shiva. He says that through the medium if the Guru one can attain to totality in life. At young age of 32, in 820AD, Shankaracharya, having completed this wonderful text left his mortal frame. But he left behind this most revered text that will be remembered for ages to come. To this day the text Soundarya Lahiri is considered a unique work of Tantra by all Yogis and scholars.

When one reads the text for the first time one feels that someone has just made a vivid description of gross beauty. But if one looks deeper one finds in its verses amazing facts related to Tantra. Many great scholars have gleaned from its verses invaluable facts related to Tantra. From it other scholars have realised the principle of Adwait i.e. Brahm and Maya are but one. In the human body there is the Supreme Element as well as Maya or wordly delusion. These two cannot be distinguished.

Some scholars believe its each verse to be imbibed with the power of Tantra. According to them the knowledge contained in these verses is the very essence of Tantra. The most wonderful fact revealed in this text is that the human body itself is a Yantra and by meditating upon it one can attain totality and success in life.

Some other scholars have even found invaluable facts related to Yog in this text. Some even state that verses of text contain facts related to Yantras. If Yantras are prepared as stated in the verses and one worships such Yantras according to the proper procedure then by activation of the Kundalini one could attain oneness with the whole universe and attain to true joy in life. This is the way to the divine land of Siddhashram. These views presented by the scholars are also very authentic.