Adi Shankara's life

A few short notes on Adisankara’s life:

Kaladi Adisankara was in Kasi when Santhanam from Karur came to join him as disciple. This Santhanam hails from Siddhar Kaakkaiyar Velaalar family of Tamilnadu.

Wrong picture of Adisankara Adisankara accepted Santhanam as his foremost disciple seeing his Tamil Scholarship and extensive knowledge in Indhuism lliterature. Adisankara also changed his name as Sanandha (Sunandha) according to Sanskrit language. Once Adisankara was on the bank of the river Ganges. Sanantha was on the other side of the river. When Adisankara called out for Sanandha suddenly, he started walking on the river water. Due to his divine practice, divine lotus flowers appeared to help Sanandha walk on water. On seeing this divine act, Adisankara called Sanantha as ‘Arut Thamarai Paadhar". It was translated in Sanskrit as ’Padmapaadhar".

While writing the Sivanandha Lahari, Adisankara was staying at Sailam Temple in Kurnool, Andhra. This temple is known as Srisailam today. Adisankara was in deep meditation to write this book. At that time, one UkkiraBairavan sought permission from Adisankara himself to sacrifice Adisankara and proceeded to kill Adisankara with his sword. But Santhanam or Sanandha, the foremost disciple of Adisankara fought with this UkkiraBairavan and killed him to save Adisankara.

Adisankara handed over the Puri Govarthana Mutt and Vimala Peedam to his senior disciple Sanandha. Sanandha was very helpful to Adisankara in translating the True Indhuistic philosophical works from Tamil to Sanskrit. Since this Puri mutt was given to Sanandha from Tamilnadu, the functioning of that mutt services followed Tamil traditions only. Even today one can see this directly in the activities of Puri Mutt. This Puri mutt alone remains as True Indhuistic Mutt.

Adisankara wrote two books namely Soundarya Lahari and Sivanandha Lahari. Both these books speak nothing but the essence of True Indhuism of Pathinensiddhars. Soundaryam means Beauty. Lahari means material that can give lightness to body and mind. Lightening of mind or burdenless state or worriy-free mental state is the meaning of this word. Its root word is in Tamil and it is ‘ilagu’. So, name given by Adisankara to his book Soundarya Lahari is a pure Tamil word.

There are two different notes on the debate between Mandana Misura having Kashmir lineage and Adisankara. One says that this Acharya Mandana Misura and his wife Sarasavani argued with another Sankaracharya only and not this Kaladi Adisankaracharya. Another note mentions that Kaladi Adisankara only argued with Mandana Misura and his wife Sarasavani.

During argument with Sarasavani Adisankara could not answer to the questions on Family life and the four distinct states of sexual relationship. These four states are namely Mogam, Eagam, Thaagam and Bogam. Since Adisankara lead a life of renunciation, he never had such experience to give answers to her. In order to learn that Adisankara went to Kasi, left his body and entered into the dead body of Kasi King Amarugan. He lived in that body for more than 48 days and experienced sexual life with the queen and other women there in the Kasi Palace. Adisankara thus learnt by experience the four states of sexual relationship. When the King’s ministers realised the change and went to destroy Adisankara’s body using fire, Adisankara in King’s body realized his mistake. He quickly left King’s body to enter back into his own body. By the time, Adisankara’s body got fire burns. After that, Adisankara used Tamil Manthras to make his body recover from the burn wounds. And then he left for Himalayas to sit in meditation till end.

The four mutts namely Sringeri, Puri, Dwaraka and Padrinath were not started by Kaladi Adisankaracharya. They were already in place. He only rejuvenated them. Ulaga guru, Sakada guru (Loga guru, Jagat Guru) are all Tamil words only. Adisankara knew the actual meanings of these words. People who actually experienced sexual pleasure can alone function as Ulaga Guru and Sakada Guru. Those who have fully renounced family life cannot become Ulaga Guru and Sakada Guru. But today’s Madaathipathis of these Mutts call themselves Loga Guru and Jagat Guru making themselves a laughing stock in the divine world.

Adisankara obtained the titles ‘Saraswathi’ and ‘Sarvayagnar’ only after experiencing sexual pleasures and answered the questions asked by Sarasavani in the debate. Without realizing this, the today’s sankaracharyars keep these titles for them. It is utterly meaningless and by doing this they make themselves a laughing stock. The sankara mutt people should understand this. Thaayumanava Sami who lived in Ramnadapuram district got fire burns when mischievous people put fire on him when he was in deep meditation. That fire burnt his leg. Later Thaayumanava Sami used Tamil Manthra to cure himself of these burn injuries. In a similar manner, Adisankarar got fire burns when his body was burnt at Kasi. At that time Adisankara left his physical body to live in the King’s body to experience sexual pleasures. Adisankara waited till his upper part of the body got burnt. Then only he re-entered into his body and used Tamil Manthras to cure his burn injuries. After proving to the world that Tamil Manthras alone could cure the body, he went to Himalayas for final meditation.

Adi Shankara's life

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