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Adi Shankaracharya (The Philosopher)
Explanatory note follows The Vedas constitute the oldest...
sacred literature of lndo-Aryans. They contain the spontaneous...
spiritual aspirations of man. The origins of the Vedas...
are shrouded in mystery. They date back to extreme antiquity
The orthodox Hindu regards the Vedas as revealed scripture
The Upanishadas from concluding portion of the Vedas
They belong among the most remarkable literature in world
They expand, in poetic outpourings, the view of man's identity...
...of "Atman", the individual self, and "Brahman", the universal self...
which pervades the world. This Monism, which is implicit in...
the Upanishadas, was elaborated into a doctrine of non-dualism by...
great lndian Philosopher, Shankara Shankara was born in 780 A.D.
He is referred to as Shankaracharya
"Adi" denotes the "First" in terms of being "the founder"
"Acharya" means "a revered teacher". Not much is known about Shankara's...
personal life except through tradition
lt affirms that Shankara was born...
in Kerala State of South lndia. He renounced the world at...
very young age, to become a religious mendicant
The film is based on detailed research and made in consultation with...
and approval of religious scholars. "Adi Shankaracharya" is also the...
first lndian feature film... ...made in the Sanskrit language
Sanskrit is the literary language of ancient lndia
lt is also the language of Vedas. Even today it is a spoken...
language among some scholars This unique film has been made...
possible by the efforts of... the director, G.V. lyer
And the film's sponsor...
...the National Film Development Corporation of lndia
River Purna flowing in the town Kaladi of Kerala state, South lndia
Other faiths opposed to Hinduism seek to disturb its disciplines
Shankara's father, Shivaguru offers morning prayers to sun
Shankara's mother, Aryamba, carries pot of water to her home
Traditionally, every house is decorated with colourful motifs
The threshold is decorated with mango leaves.
Meaning of the decoration is visual delight.
Do you know these decorations have an inner meaning?
White denotes truth
Red denotes sacrifice
Green denotes prosperity
A Vedic prayer is performed in the style pertaining to Kerala State
Aryamba waters the sacred Tulsi, a ritual among Hindu wives
Shivaguru,approaching the temple,hears verses from the Bhagwat-Gita
"He who at the time of death, fixes his mind on me attains me"
"And for such a person, there is no rebirth"
Have you finished all your duties? - Yes, indeed
Have you proffered all your duties to the Lord?
Mrityu(death), listen to me.
The Supreme being is the One who created this Universe
The temple epitomises the body
He is formless but can be perceived through the VEDlC 'OM'
Shivaguru realises that his life-span is over
Looking at the flames...
he visualises his own funeral pyre
Holy Fire, the devourer of...
speech, sight and mind !
Meditate upon that truth...
which creates, sustains and dissolves this universe
Air, fire & water are immortal.
Only this body is mortal.
Oh fire! l will get enlightened with your light.
May my breath mingle with the immortal fire
Oh fire! l'll brighten with your brightness.
Shivaguru visualises the initiation of Shankara into Brahmanism...
...and his ceremonial seeking of alms from his mother
Son, come here
Son, l am departing. - Where to, Father ?
Unto eternity. - Why?
This body is mortal. - Where is Eternity ?
Within one's own Self - Then you are not really leaving ?
Son, death is a friend
When he arrives, do not be afraid of him
Recite the verse l taught you
Like water that descends from the skies and flows into seas...
...offerings to all Gods, reach the Supreme Deity
Like water that descends from the skies and flows into seas ...
Every living being finally merges with the Supreme Being
As your father said, look upon Death as a friend
l am Death and your dear friend - Welcome. Abide with me
Still talking to your son!
What has happened?
Handing over grass-shoots signifies transfer of authority...
to perform further rites
Funeral chants
Shankara receives initiation into Brahmanism
This world rests on 'His' shoulders,
Past, present & future are totally under 'His' control
Wisdom in the form of a boy sits and observes
The beginning of learning the nature of 'Self' and 'Universe'
Chanting of "Gayatri", a holy mantra
Shankara recalls his Father's words
The body is mortal. l go unto Eternity
Mother, this is my friend 'Wisdom'. He has come to stay with me
Amidst so many children here, he can be part of us too?
Stay comfortably, son
Shankara, have you forgotten me ?
Not at all. Come along
The Upanishadic imagery of two birds, the crow and the dove
The crow is the doer, the active one
The dove is the "Atman" (inner self), the passive observer
The Sanskrit school located in the Temple grounds
Why are you late today ? Who are these boys ?
My friends, Wisdom and Death
Mother gave me permission. l brought them here.
Alright, be seated
l am Wisdom, sir
l am Death, sir
Well, 'Death' and 'Wisdom' have no physical forms
lf you are so named, so be it. Be seated
The ignorant can only think in terms of a mortal body
A poor man's home
l seek alms...
A verse from the scripture, the Bhagawata, is heard
The wisdom of truth is like the nectar ...
... of the fruit of the Tree of Veda
People living on earth may drink it for eternity
Mother, give me alms
Wait, l am coming
May the Goddess looking kindly on me shower her blessings in plenty
Why do you weep ?
No son, no
You are like my Mother. Please tell me the truth
My husband brings a mere handful
He believes, "Hoarding food is a sin"
l can't offer you anything, so l'm sad
The one, having the inner vision, truly understands the Universe
And He is the Lord of the past, present and the future
As a tradition, 'initiated' boys seek alms in various houses
Giving alms to young Brahmins was considered a high honour
Take alms, O young Brahmin. - No! Not from your house!
Why ? What's the reason ?
Your very neighbour believes, 'Hoarding even a morsel is a sin'
But here, you have hoarded sin! Hence, l will not take alms
Listern, come here
Looking at this young Brahman's sacrifice
Distribute this food supply to the poor and needy
How am l to believe that the self does not change?
Observe this boy. When he moves, he cannot stand
When he stands, he cannot move. ls that not so, my child ?
l am not aware of my body. l am thinking of the lady we saw
Did you hear ? The boy is here, his mind elsewhere!
Be it so, be it so. We will meet later
Sir, how does a human being attain equanimity ?
By becoming a Sanyasin (a monk)
Shankara decides to renounce the world to become a monk
Mother, l want to become a monk
See, the milk is dripping. Wipe your mouth
Mother, l want to become a monk. - Where is Wisdom ? Go play with him
Mother, l want to become a monk
You think it is a joke? Don't mention it again
Shankara recalls the words of his Teacher
Paths of action and of renunciation are ways sanctioned by scripture
Very few, when young, have renounced to become monks
One such, in the great heritage is the revered teacher, Govinda
Such men are rare
Who are you ? When did you begin to steal ?
Stay where you are. l shall punish you
What is this punishment ? He can't touch the cloth,
nor can he jump over it
Shall l untie it ?
Come down
Vow that you will never steal again
l promise
Eat. lt is for you
These, too, are for you
Call this a punishment ?
Physical punishment is never a lasting one
The psychic one endures
Henceforth he will not steal. - How can you trust him ?
"Trust in Self" is the path of the scriptures...
A noble secret, a great tradition
Alas, a tradition we are fast losing
Shankara, get up. lt is late
Death, why are you here ? - Waiting for you !
Where is Wisdom ? - Meditating, there
Shankara is drawn to the saffron robe
Saffron denotes renunciation
Shankara, don't swim too far. There are whirlpools, crocodiles!
Shankara wants to be a monk
Let him become one, but let him live long
Shankar, mother is coming
Mother
Mother wished to see you alive, even letting you become a monk
You, indeed are a monk now
Really
l saved him from the jaws of the crocodile
You possess all the virtues. May fortune smile on you
l will get you milk
Drummer proclaiming
"The play "Nachiketha" will be performed in the Krishna Temple"
A ballet in the style of Kerala State
Nachiketha waits for three days in the house of the Lord of Death
The Lord of Death returns
Making a respected guest wait bodes ill for the host
Yama apologises
l made you wait for three days
ln return l grant you 3 boons. Ask for them
'May my father shed his anger against me and welcome me back'
Granted
Reveal the secrets of the holy fire to me
Granted
ls there life after death ? Learned men debate and disagree
This is an age-old question and repeatedly asked
This is the third and most important boon l seek
But please don't ask this question
Ask some other boon
No boon is equalent to it
Dear boy, l shall give you wealth, grant you long life and happiness
l want neither wealth nor pleasures
l wish to know the secret of life
lt can't be learnt through dialectics and logic
But only through individual experience
You have the right aptitude. My blessings to you
Neither the play nor the message made any sense
ln truth, there was neither Nachiketha nor Yama (Death)
What matters is Nachiketha's firmness in seeking the truth
A noble example to be emulated
l am leaving to seek Govindapada. Look after Mother
Should you not inform her ? - l go with her blessings
Who will perform my funeral rites ? lt is the sacred duty of a son
Mother, l will return to perform the rites
Every drop of water from the sky reaches the sea
The Kerala-Karnataka border, South lndia
He must be a sinner. Our Tree-God punished him
Let us bury him under stones
The blind belief of the tribes pains Shankara
Shankara sees social injustice. He views the cosmos in its entirety
"Tell me, who are you ? You, so fierce in form,"
"O supreme power, who ever you are"
"l bow before you"
"l know not your purpose"
"l wish to know you, O Primal One.
"Amidst distractions from other heterodox faiths..."
Shankara continues his journey, seeking Govindapada
"For the one in quest of knowledge Vedas will be the shelter..."
"as the ocean is the shelter for all rivers"
Karnataka border, Southern lndia
Gokarna, North Karnataka Southern lndia
Vishnu, an old friend, calls out to Shankara
l became a monk with Mother's consent
Are you going to perform austere penance ?
"Duty is its own reward", is the Lord's saying in Gita
May l follow you ?
lf we are together we will succeed
State of Madhya Pradesh, Central lndia
These symbols of imperfection aspiring for perfection
Are you still awake, shivering with cold ?
Omkareswar, Central lndia
"Sun, the primal force, guiding the destiny of every being...
governs the earth and heaven"
Hindu tradition dictates that one is first a disciple, then a householder
Then comes the practice of austerity, leading finally to renunciation
True. But one can also renounce soon after initiation
l prefer this approach
This is the holy river, Narmada Govindapada's hermitage must be near
The River Narmada turns violent
You are the primal force. Supreme and oldest among all
The root cause of the Universe
You are the Knower, And the Known, too.
Pervader of all and the eternal. The greatest refuge for all
Victory to the boy who quelled the turbulence of Narmada !
Come and see here is that boy Come quickly, Come...
Victory to the boy who quelled the turbulence of Narmada !
Where do you wish to go?
l have come seeking the reversed teacher, Govindapada
Welcome, welcome
"To him, the erudite scholar, the knower of all the scriptures..."
"To the revered teacher Govinda, my humble salutation"
My child, what brings you here? - l am Shankara, son of Shivaguru, ...
a brahmin from the South
l come to you seeking refuge, to resolve the enigma of existence
With this mortal body, how can you cross the ocean of existence?
"Body" is subject to birth and death; but not "Atman"(the Self)
"The unreal has no existence; the real never ceases to be"
Come here, my child
You will be an ascetic of the highest order
A chant in praise of the Atman (the inner Self)
"Atman is beneath in the nadir, above in the zenith"
Atman is all-pervading
Realisation of this Truth leads to emancipation
Choose a script which you like
All your wishes will be fulfilled
These are the aphorisms of the sage, Badarayana
Sir, these are all torn
True. No one cares for them. l tried to preserve them but failed
A noble secret. A great tradition. Alas, a tradition fast decaying
Sir, may l restore and edit them ? - l would be happy indeed
Perhaps it is the desire of our great sages that you do so
Comment on these texts and spread their wisdom among the people
You will have my help whenever you need it
Look! Sage Shankara has given a new form to Vedic dialectics
What erudition!
lndeed, a remarkable work
"Everything is Brahman" (the Universal Self)?
But, how can we accept that...
Come, all of you
"Everything is Brahman" How can we accept this?
Let us ask him straight
"Earth" is the unchangeable truth
Come, come quickly
lt is not my opinion. The ancient Seers said so
Listen to the story of Satyakama. He asked his mother, Jabala
l wish to be initiated into Brahminhood. Tell me my lineage
Mother! What is my lineage?
l wish to be initiated into Brahminhood
Please tell me my lineage
My youth was spent serving many a house
My son, l don't know your lineage
All l know is... that l am Jabala.
And you are my son Satyakama
Revered sir, l know not my lineage
When l asked my mother, she said she doesn't know about my lineage
All l know is that l am Satyakama, son of Jabala
So, l am Sathyakam Jabala
None but a learned person can be so forthright
l shall initiate you to Brahminhood
The only wealth of the knowledgeable is unity...
equality and honesty
For the wise, true devotion is ideal for a sanctified life
Please, pardon us
Banares, the holy city
Letters combine to form words. The "letter" is imperishable.
Grammar is essential to understand the meaning of words
Hear the sound of a vessel falling.
This noise Dum is the root of the word Du Krn Karane
Did you ever hear it?
How fortunate l am
Lord, bless me towards ascetism. Accept me as Your disciple
So be it
You will be called Padmapada
Salutations
Truly, a very learned man
lndeed! Even our teacher has great respect for him
At Govindapada's hermitage all have high praise for you
A verse in praise of Shankara. "l fall at your holy feet"
"l seek refuge in you revered Shankara"
"You are the ocean of knowledge, the embodiment of wisdom"
l am quoting what has been explained in the Upanishads
l submit myself to you
Revered Teacher, take me under your wings
"l submit myself to you kindly bless me, O graceful Shankara"
Such fine verse, from the mouth of an illiterate
A sweet verse, in Thotaka metre
Due, of course, to Your blessings
Henceforth you are named Thotaka
When the heart is pure, everything else is pure
What's the use of good grammar, without a good heart?
When death strikes, grammar doesn't save us
"When limbs are weak and..."
"hair become grey..."
"Doddering, old & toothless too..."
"the decrepit moves with the help of a walking-stick"
"Man never gives up desires"
That's why...
"Worship the Lord ! Worship the Lord !"
"O fool! Worship the lord"
"The King of Banaras coming to see his holiness Shankara"
Grace the court by your presence
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Thank you. l shall come later. l have a task to complete
l have to convey the message of the scriptures to the people
For your journey, please make use of my chariots, horses and elephants
l prefer to walk while these two legs can support me
Life is but a cycle of birth and death
Life is an ocean, hard to cross
Merciful lord, save me !
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He who has inner vision is the Lord of the past, present, future
Every drop of water from the sky merges with the sea
The whole world praises you
Actually, the one to be praised is...
the great Nachiketha and not me
But, your glory excel's everywhere
Don't say so
Dear Death, you can't let me live long, nor do l wish to
l am ever prepared to abandon this body
Let the Lord be praised always
Move away ! An untouchable !
Move away! Move away!
lt is better that we keep off. He doesn't seem to move...
Keep off! Keep off!
He who has the inner vision is the master of the Universe
Who should keep off? My body or my inner Self (Atman)?
All bodies are made of earth, built alike and hence impure
The inner Self is all pervading, hence immovable and inert
Tell me, who should move away?
Every Self is universal. Becoming aware of this is true knowledge
The world is but an illusion
He who taught me this truth, whatever be his caste...
is my greatest Teacher!
Praise be to this sacred city, Kashi,...
which by its radiant rays of Knowledge
dispelled my ignorance and brought forth enlightenment
The boy is unperturbed by the struggle for life
Earth is the unchangeable truth
The boy is determined to look at the Sun; achieves it
Upanishadic verse on the eye
"The living breath residing in the eye is a Prince..."
"waited upon by several Gods:"
"God of Wrath is in the red of the eye. Rain God is in the eye's moisture"
"God of Light is in the Pupil. God of speech is in the lris"
"God of Life is in the White of the Eye"
"He who knows this Truth is devoid of wants, and liberated"
Revered sir, this boy was born dumb and seems insane at times
My friend, who are you ? Where are you from ?
Where are you going to? Do you remember your old abode?
All pervading, yet unpolluted l am "Atman", the lnner Self
This boy perceives the eternal truth of Self, without effort
He is destined for great things. Please give him to me
He who is determined keeps awake...
while the world is asleep
Are you Shankara, the disciple of Govinda ?
Be seated. What can l do for you ?
l hear that you commented on the aphorisms of Badarayana ?
Explain one of them. - Which one ?
ln the chapter on Sadhana, what is considered important?
The first one. "How is the body linked to the Earth"
Shankara gives an explanation of the origin of man...
Explain it further
The 'self' leaving the previous 'body', acquires a new one
ln the formation of five Oblations: Faith, Soma (Moon), Rain, Food, Seed
...as put forth in the Upanishadic speculations
Upanishads affirm that in the process 'self' is accompanied by subtle elements
Which leads to the question: How is a 'body' formed?
The answer being; 'body' is formed by element like water
How do you prove that elements like water form the body?
Give an elaborate explanation
Well, let me clear your doubt with the following aphorisms
Shankaracharya recites a verse from the "Chandogya Upanishad"
"The Heaven is Fire"
"The Sun, its Fuel"
"The Rays, its Smoke"
"The Day, its Flame"
"The Moon, its Embers"
"The Stars, its Sparks"
"lnto this Fire the Gods offer the Oblation of Faith"
"Out of this, the divine King Soma, the full moon, arises"
"The Rain God is indeed the Fire, The Wind is its Fuel"
"The Cloud, its Smoke. The Lightning, its Flame"
"The Thunderbolt, its Embers. The Thunder, its Sparks"
"lnto this Fire, the Gods offer the oblation of Soma"
"Out of this Oblation, Rain arises"
"The Earth, its Fire. The Year, its Fuel"
"The Sky, its Smoke. The Night, its Flame"
"The Four Directions, its Embers. The lnter-Directions, its sparks"
"lnto this Fire, the Gods offer the Oblation of Rain"
"Out of this Oblation, arises Food"
"Man indeed is the Fire. Speech, his Fuel"
"Breath, his Smoke. Tongue, his Flame"
"Eyes, his Embers. The Ears, his Sparks"
"lnto this Fire, the Gods offer the Oblation of Food"
"Out of this Oblation... the Semen (Seed) is created"
"Woman is the Fire. Male-organ is the Fuel"
"Copulatory lncitation is the Smoke. Her groin is the Flame"
"Copulation is the Ember. Orgasm is the spark
"lnto this Fire, the Gods offer Semen as an oblation"
"Out of this oblation, Fetus arises"
"These five oblation of Elements, such as Water, give rise to Man"
"The Fetus covered with membrane..."
"lies within the Mother's womb"
"Remains there for a prescribed time and then is born into this world"
Very good. Proceed with your writing
Let it be authentic
When you have doubts, ask other learned men
Let other scholars comment on your work too
A learned man shed his ego to learn and to teach
"Like a ripe mango sheds its stalk when ripe"
"Some fruits drop with their stalk. Others may not drop at all"
Similarly, Some stay away from the World. Some can never stay free
There are others, too, who stay in the world, and yet are free
Prayag, Uttar Pradesh. North lndia
Kumarila, a great scholar and an authority on Vedic rituals,is seen immolating himself
Shankara, l am an expert on orthodoxy and rituals
My aim has been to uphold the Vedas and to thwart the atheists
l tried my best to uphold the Vedas
ln doing so, l erred
Hence this immolation, a self-inflicted punishment
Why? Why must you suffer this way ?
l lived incognito among the Buddhists to learn their philosophy
l learnt many secrets of his religion from teacher Dharampal
My teacher, Dharmapala, decried the Vedic faith
My eyes shed involuntary tears
He then knew my true leanings
Knowing that l had cheated them, l was driven out
The monks pushed me downhill
As they pushed me, l shouted:
"lf Vedas are Eternal, then no harm shall come to me"
l fell into an abyss and lost one of my eyes
lnstead, had l said...
"Eternal Vedas protect me", then no harm would have come to me
l took my revenge by defeating Dharmapala in dialectics
And succeeded in driving them away
lt's victory for Vedic tradition
Yes, indeed. "May Vedic lsm be ever victorious"
But l had sinned against my Buddhist teacher
This self-immolation is my atonement
My ambition has been that you would comment on my work
l'll be a blessed one This is my humble request
l would have loved to comment on your much-praised work
Alas! lt is too late. l have vowed to give up my life
Learned sir, can you please change your decision?
My decision is as firm and final as the Vedas
Let my eyes be blessed by seeing your manuscript
l find you have true knowledge
l request you to meet my disciple Mandana Mishra at Mahishmati
He too is a great scholar. Entrust this work to him
The time has come for me to leave the world
'My salutations to thee, O lord Shiva'
'Thou of unparallel glory, formless, eternal and infinite'
'Thou of many names, My salutations to thee'
Mahishmati, on the banks of the River Narmada
"My salutation to the river Narmada"
Shankara looks for the house of Mandana Misra
Vedas are the final authority, not philosophy
Perform daily rituals and live long
As you sow so you reap
Who knows what is in store for us?
Dear death, don't meet him first
Then there will be no one to comment on my work
There is silence here. Let us look
Please come
Welcome to you, divinity personified
What do you want?
l came here to beg for debate, not for food
A debate? Certainly. But, please eat first
Please come in
The debate lasts for several days...
interspersed with daily rituals
What do you wish ? - l am very hungry
Please have this
What is this diagram for ?
To ensnare you !
Does your parrot like grapes ? - He likes only pepper
How about you?
You eat
Hail Mandanamisra scholar of mimamsa
You eat only pepper ?
Eat these grapes ! They are sweet
The grapes are really sweet
Sweets fruits are aplenty here
Yet, you prisoner, prefer pepper. When will you be released ?
Liberation is through deeds, l'm told
True, but when?
See these ants! How many births do they need to scale a mountain?
You have wings and can reach the peak of the mountain in a short span of time
You only need to emerge from the cage. Do you want more grapes ?
No, l only want to be released. Please open the cage
"Shankara is the sun of the spiritual sky"
Entire universe is enlightened with the power of your wisdom
And the dark clouds gathered on the mind is vanishing
"Before the rays of knowledge, the ordinary sun is pale as a moon"
"l bow to the Sun of Knowledge, in thought, word and deed"
Revered Sir, guide me on the path of renunciation and accept me as your disciple
So be it. You are named Sureshwara
May the revered one be victorious
Shankara, the unvanquished scholar, uncrowned king of the spiritual world
Sir, would you enter into a debate with me ?
Mother, truth is beyond debate. lt is experienced; not discussed
You have put a stop to my words
Revered Sir, please instruct me in my duties
Be our foster Mother and lead us
May the revered one be victorious
"As the rivers lose their names when they merge with the ocean..."
So do the learned discard their ego to merge with the Supreme Being
virtue and sin "Beyond virtue and sin"
"Beyond pain and pleasure"
"Beyond chants and worships"
"Beyond rituals and sacrifice"
"l am neither the devourer, nor the devoured, nor the offering"
"l am the ultimate knowledge; the Supreme Bliss"
Why is Vedic religion accepted only in lndia ?
lndia is the home of the Vedas
Veda came into existance with the arrival of man and earth
But knowledge of self is open to all
lndia symbolises the mystic wheel (Tantric Chakra)
Kashmir, Kamarup (Assam ) and Kanyakumari are the three corners
Banares is the centre
Hence, Vedic religion is rooted deep in lndia
The octave and consonants are the limbs of Sharada...
The Goddess of learning and the Creator of the Universe
She's Sharada, mother of entire Universe
May this Mother purify our minds
Vedic chants of the ascetics
Why do you always laugh at me ?
l will leave you now. l have work to do
The Sun in the sky, and Shankara in my heart...
both are memorable
This is Sringeri and the Thunga river
Buddhists tried their best to ban animal sacrifices
Now animal forms made out of dough are sacrificed
The very practise is tragic. How does one put an end to it?
You have realised the futility of rituals
You are truly enlightened
You are the deserving one to comment upon my work
Blessed am l
Come, alms is ready
Come. Food is ready
Why is it that none of them wants to eat ?
What is it? Why won't any of you eat?
They resent Sureshwara commenting upon your work
True. We are not happy about it
Why this envy ?
Please forgive me
Hastamalaka is a better scholar
But scholarship is different from experience
Couldn't you think of anyone else?
Padmapada is the senior-most. He could have been chosen
lf l can't find consensus among just the four of you...
then how are we to spread Vedic ideas throughout lndia in one voice?
Our ancestors were liberal in thought
Due to them, Vedas were preserved
But, l now feel that the message of veda will come to an end
Let it get ruined lt deserves to get ruined
Let Padmapada undertake the task
Entrust me with some other work
Pardon us
Let Sureshwara write
My decision is final. Write yourself
We were not jealous. But each one of us aspired to write
Utilise this aspiration to spread Vedic thought
Let us go and eat
"O ever blissful Mother. Protect and purify me"
You are beauty personified
O ever blissful mother, purifier of all sins, you are divinity personified
You are Goddess of Banaras, who turns this country into a heaven
"l seek alms from you. Be my eternal guide and refuge"
Mother, l intend sending Padmapada...
Hastamalaka, Totaka and Sureshwara....
to the four corners of lndia to propagate Monism
Where should they go ? - Dwarka, Badri, Puri & Sringeri
Send them. Let's see how much they accomplish
Where will you be?
The whole world is my land.
Where am l supposed to be?
You are Sharada in Sringeri, Kamakshi in Kanchipuram...
And Annapurna in Banares! You will be there wherever l go
lndeed, l will follow you wherever you go
What happened ?
l just remembered Mother. l want to see her without delay
Let's go. l too long to see her
His Holiness Shankara is coming
Move away. Let Shankara see his Mother
How is she ? - Waiting only for you
Dear Mother, l am here
"The Supreme being is the one who created this Universe"
"He is formless, but can be perceived through the Vedic 'OM' "
"Meditate upon Him who creates, sustains and destroys"
"Every drop of water from the sky merges with the sea"
She lingered on only for her son's arrival
Prepare for the funeral rites
How can an ascetic perform funeral rites?
But l had promised my Mother.
You may have promised. But tradition prohibits it
The barriers set up by tradition cannot bind an ascetic
You look down on tradition. You are disobeying the elders
You are excommunicated! - Yes!! You are excommunicated!
Nothing is real
Neither Mother nor Father
Neither brother nor relatives
Neither riches nor a dwelling
Everything is but an illusion! Hence, awake! Realise!
Noble ideas are fast decaying
True. No one cares for them. l tried to preserve them but failed
Now starts my real journey to make the masses shed their ignorance
Kanyakumari, Southernmost lndia
Other Gods promise protection and offer boon through signs
But you give a boon without asking for
You grant them at once to the one who falls at your feet
Prayer to Goddess Kanyakumari
Renunciation alone leads to Salvation.
Not by rituals, not by wealth...
The learned attain Salvation through renunciation alone
Study well and gain knowledge
Kanchipuram, South lndia
Upanishads have given highest respect to a Guru
Guru will lead us to salvation
lf 'individual' identity is lost, how can one transmit belief?
To a detached mind, belief is unnecessary
lf God is identified with 'self' why bind Him in an earthly form?
When 'l' and 'He' become 'One' then the 'truth' comes into being
When none exists; the 'truth' remains
This stinking smell
l don't know why king has come here to learn the secrets of life
Raikva of the Upanishadic fame...
who ignores the king but imparts...
Knowledge to the more genuine princess
These chariots, cows, precious stones
How do l get benifited with these?
l'm scratching my body my body is decomposing
Education can never be bought with money
Your daughter is eligible to get education
Her face shows, she is intelligent
That's your good fortune
All sources of power on earth can be brought together with power of man
When the atman sleeps, lt'll get lost in hallucination
Life is fire, Life is ear Life is mind
Life has enchanted everyone
Sir, who are you?
l am a worshiper of Bhairavi
Human sacrifice was offered to this Goddess
Kapalikas, a sect who believed in violent forms of worship...
including human sacrifice
What do you want ?
You speak only about Spirituality. You have no attachment to the body
No. Why?
l need your body. - To what purpose?
l want to sacrifice your body to Mother Kali for my Nirvana
lf you are willing, then come with me
l asked for your body. lnstead, l gave away mine
May all my words be thy praise.
My walking is like circumambulating you
All gestures be thy supplication
Let my sleep be your prayer
All enjoyments be thy dedication.
May all my actions worship thee
Shankara prays to the Goddess. Your will, be done
Shankara in Somnath
Narmada River, Marble rocks
Prayag, Uttar Pradesh
Banaras, Uttar Pradesh
Devaprayag, Himalayas
See how our Teacher hides his ill-health from us
He never rests; always absorbed in his thoughts and work
He travels endlessly. No wonder he is ill
l repeatedly begged him to take rest
l even volunteered to assist him in debates
He doesn't care for bodily pain. He is beyond worries
You always seem to be laughing at me
Strange thing to happen...
Death! You are committed to destroying this body. Aren't you?
And yet, You are trying to protect it. What irony. lt makes me laugh
Very amazing!
Agreed, you are detached from your body. But you should think of others
Humanity needs you. Several tasks are to be accomplished by you
wait
Please drink this milk
What happened?
Do not leave us destitute ! We won't allow it
l'm alright! l feel warm, that's all. Let me bathe in the Ganges
Don't worry
Acharya, give me your upper cloth
Himalayas, the abode of Lord Shiva
"Your forehead is the crescent moon"
"On your head, a crescent too"
"Both uniting with the milky snow..."
"to make the full Moon, lighting up these silvery peaks"
A hymn in praise of Ganga
"Ganga, dear daughter of the Himalayas"
"This pure water is the milk of your breasts"
"Be kind to me..."
"your child from the South. Nourish me"
"Among the great poets who praise you l, your child, am hailed as the greatest"
We can never achieve anything sitting like this
Arise, let the drums beat the glory of Monism
Hymn, in praise of Atman (The Self)
The Supreme Truth is one, which is the all-pervading 'Self'
True knowledge of 'Self' leads to liberation
He who knows the 'Self' controls the gross, the living...
mental, rational and supra-rational being
Shankara is the Sun of the spiritual sky
Before the rays of knowledge, the ordinary Sun is pale as a moon
l bow to the Sun of knowledge, in thought, word and deed
The other faiths log behind
Shankara, you are at the pinnacle. ls there more to be achieved?
l have achieved knowledge. Some are torn by worldly sorrows
For those torn by worldly sorrows and assailed by ignorance...
to the whole world, l wish to reveal the secret of 'Self'
Your philosophy is subtle and complicated
Only through divine grace that comes with devotion...
can one understand Monism. Why lament over it?
Nothing to be lamented about. l don't get lamented like you
l pray that everyone attains true knowledge of his self
Keep lamenting. l can't wait. Things have to come to an end
A threat? l can quaff-off Death. l am the fearless Brahman
l know you are fearless, but l am human. Let me go away
Wisdom, this frozen piece of ice and this flowing water...
actually it is neither ice nor water
They are mere appearances of one reality
This is the one truth; the doctrine of non-dualism
Wisdom! Let us become one
Dear Death. You too come along
You have been with me since birth. Never left me, even when told to
Don't hesitate, dear friend. Let us become one
O Reversed Teacher
Why bemoan? He will be with us, forever in our intellect
Praise be unto Him who conquered other philosophies...
Like Sankhya...
Yoga...
Nyeyayika... Vaisheshika...
Purva Mimamsa...
And became the Master of Uttara Mimamsa
Rightly, he is the uncrowned King of the Spiritual world
l accept every faith
He who has no attachments is verily the Self, the Universal Self
l bow down to the 'Self' which is pure knowledge
Who, with pure intellect and fortitude controls this sensual body
And shuns sensation like sound, will be free from attachment
He whose mind is unattached, subdued in thought, desire-free...
and free from action, through renunciation, attains perfection
Ego-free, possessions proofread, tranquil at heart, devoid of lust,
Humble and pure, then He is worthy of becoming 'Brahman'
Charming! Pleasant! Blissful!
Come along, all of you
Every drop of water from the sky merges with the sea
That (Universal Self) is infinite & this (lndividual Self) is infinite
The lnfinite Universal is created out of lnfinity
Whether added to or subtracted from...
Let there be peace everywhere
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