Thread by @AdiShloka

IISri Adi Śaṅkarācārya-श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्यII
Sōpānaṁ 47 : Again towards Kāśī

Walking eastwards from Prayāg, they reached Kāśī.
Acharya was returning to Kasi after a gap of 13 Years.

It was after receiving the Kāśī~Viśvanātha’s command at Kāśī

#Thread
#Sopanams

that he had commenced his Journey. They had now returned to the presence of the same Baba Vishwanath.
Acharya remembered all the past incidents.
The people of the city welcomes Acharya with great Joy & Devotion. Acharya directly went to the Mandira of Sri Vishwanatha & worshipped

the Bhagavan with flowers & Slokas of Praise :

(वेदसारशिवस्तोत्रम्)
परात्मानमेकं जगद्वीजमाद्यं
निरीहं निराकारमोङ्कारवेद्यम्।
यतो जायते पाल्यते येन विश्वं
तमीशं भजे लीयते यत्र विश्वम्॥

अजं शाश्वतं कारणं कारणानां
शिवं केवलं भासकं भासकानाम् ।
तुरीयं तमःपारमाद्यन्तहीनं

प्रपद्ये परं पावनं द्वैतहीनम् ॥

नमस्ते नमस्ते विभो विश्वमूर्ते
नमस्ते नमस्ते चिदानन्दमूर्ते।
नमस्ते नमस्ते तपोयोगगम्य
नमस्ते नमस्ते श्रुतिज्ञानगम्य॥

Shiva Bhujangam-32 :
शिवायेति शब्दो नमःपूर्व एष
स्मरन्मुक्तिकृन्मृत्युहा तत्त्ववाची।
महेशान मा गान्मनस्तो वचस्तः

सदा मह्यमेतत्प्रदानं प्रयच्छ॥

As before, Acharya stayed near the Manikarnika Ghat. Earlier acharya had come to Kāśī from the presence of Guru Govinda Bhagavadapada, with a group of 6 elderly ascetics.
Four among them were still there to welcome him back.
They shed tears of Joy

on seeing Acharya. The disciples took up residence at different places on the banks of the Ganga.
Kāśī shone brighter on the arrival of the great Acharya. Large crowds came to meet him.
Here too, people came for debates.
Here Acharya roamed on the banks of Ganga wearing only a

loin-cloth, immersed in the bliss of the Self. He took rest in Kasi for 3 months.
Sureswara,
Padmapada,
Chitsukha
&
Totaka conducted lessons separately on Bhashyas after the usual morning rituals.
Acharya used to guide earnest seekers in matters relating to Upasana as well as on

the path of Self-enquiry.
The # of people who attended the talks on Vedanta was much more in Kāśīthan in other places.
Still, acharya, enjoying absolute freedom, spent time leisurely walking on the banks of the Ganga, & often worshipping her with delightful Slokas.

Thus Acharya was completely relaxed in Kāśī.
Departure from Kāśī :
{Kasi-Avanti (Ujjain) - Sourashtra - Somnath (Prabhasa) - Dwaraka}

One day, Siladitya the king of Sourashtra, belonging to Maitra dynasty invited acharya to his kingdom. Accepting this invitation, the group

started from Kāśī.
The journey was through Malava or Avanti.
They reached Ujjain, the capital of Avanti.
After a holy dip in the river Kshipra they had the darn of Mahakeshwara.
From there they went to Omkareshwara, & worshipped with Slokas.
Acharya showed his disciples,

the cave where years ago, as an 8 year old boy, he had met Guru Govinda Bhagavadapada.
From there they walked towards Sourashtra & then to Somnath, & had d darshan of Jyotirlinga.

In Prabhasa, they visited all the places reminiscent of the divine sport of Bhagavan Sri Krishna &

very very happy.
Acharya stayed there & taught Gita Bhashya.

From Prabhasa, He reached Dwaraka.
The king of Dwaraka welcomed Acharya with great devotion.
Acharya worshipped Dvārakādeesha with a glorious Sloka :
तवतसर्व सत्यमीवभाति यादेतघवत्सस्मित्यात्मामणि यो ग्यो न्हि हश्तः।

हशते यास्मिनसर्वमस्त्य भवतिदा तम संसारवंतविनाशम हरिमिदे।।

During that period,D Pancharatras were dominant group there.
They met acharya, & spoke to him about their sect.

Pa : We approve of 5 types of differences - that between Jiva & Isvara,
internal differences among Jivas,

differences in inert matter,
differences between inert matter & the Bhagavan,
& finally
the differences between the matter & the living.

A : There is no question of approval here.
These differences are known directly by the senses.
Are the Vedas required to point to a Tree

& say, “This is a Tree? This is an example that d Vedas themselves cite.
After asking, “What is a Forest?” The answer given is ‘Brahman is d Forest, Brahman is the Tree’.
Sruti wishes only to say ‘सर्वं खालविदं ब्रह्म।’.
D Mountain, River, Forest, Jivas - all these different

entities are recognised as such by the natural ignorance itself.
The Duality spoken by Veda in many places is only in acceptance of our Ignorance.
Even if the Vedas speak of Dvaita in many places but proclaim Advaita just once,
Advaita alone must be taken as the Truth.

But Sruti, the greatest Well-Wisher, proclaims over & over again that,
‘There is not being even a trace of multiplicity here’ - नेहा नानस्ति किंचना।’
& that ‘there is no duality here, there is only one’ - ‘एकमेव अद्वितियम।’.
What more Authentication is Required?

The Upanishad declares : ‘those who see multiplicity will go from death to death’.
Vedamata says, ’Those who do not perceive anything other than the Self will never have
envy,
hatred,
competition,
ego
or
rejection.

Pa : can’t we follow any path for the sake of Upasana?

A : it is not possible to attain Purity & Single-Pointedness of the Mind without Upasana.
But any form of Worship done without the understanding that Self-Knowledge is the ultimate goal, will Not bear Fruit.
They were thus awakened by Acharya’s teachings. Acharya & the group

prepared themselves for their journey ahead.
{From Dwaraka [Dwaraka-Gurjara-Pushkara-The West coast (the land of Sindhu) - Purushapura - Bahikadesha - Kamboja - Daradadesa} :

They went eastwards from Dwaraka.
Then turning northwards & passing through d land of Kankanas,

they entered the land of Gurjaras.
Walking a little further they reached the spot where the shores of the River Sindhu merged with the Ocean.
On the way,
at several places, they saw the confluence of the divine rivers mentioned in the Vedas, such as
Sutudri,
Parushni,
Asikni,

Vitasta - with the Sindhu.
Walking along the banks of Sindhu, they crossed several lands.
From there they went towards Gandhara.
From there He went towards Purushapura ( now Peshawar ) that was under the rule of the Karkotaka dynasty.
From Purushapura they walked North-wastwards

& reached Bahilka (now Baluchisthan).
Leaving the land of Bahilkas, Acharya reached Kamboja.
Trivishtapapura (Tibet) was nearby.
Trivishtapa means Heaven. From there Acharya went to the land of Daradas.

Thus ends the Forty-seventh Sōpānaṁ.

I ओम् तत् सत् I
I Om Tat Sat I

Spell Correction :
*North-wastwards = North-westwards