Thread by @VarierSangitha

🚩#AdiShankaracharyaJayanti celebrated on the Panchami tithi during Shukla Paksha of Vaishakha month. Born in Kerala, in his short life span of 32 years, his accomplishments seem a marvel even today, with our modern conveyances & other facilities🚩1

🚩 At the tender age of 8, burning with the desire for Liberation, he left home in search of his Guru. 🚩From the southern state of Kerala, young Shankara walked about 2000 kms— to River Narmada banks, in central plains of India, to his Guru— Govindapada🚩2

🚩 He stayed there serving his Guru for 4 years. Under his teacher’s compassionate guidance, the young Shankaracharya mastered all the Vedic scriptures🚩3

🚩At the age of 12, his Guru deemed that Shankara was ready to write commentaries on major scriptural texts. At his Guru’s command, Shankara wrote commentaries elucidating subtle meanings hidden in teachings of scriptures. At 16, he completed writing all the major treatises🚩4

🚩 From the age of 16 -32, Shankaracharya went forth, travelling across the length & breadth of Ancient India bringing to the hearts of the masses the life-giving message of the Vedas.He formulated the 6 sect system of worship which brought to the fore the main godheads 🚩5

🚩Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, Muruka, Ganesha and Surya. He also formulated the rituals & rites to be followed in most of the major temples in India.Apart from his immense intellectual and organisational abilities,he was an exquisite poet, with a heart brimming with Love of Divine🚩6

🚩 He composed 72 devotional meditative hymns like Soundarya Lahari, Sivananda Lahari, Nirvana Shalkam, Maneesha Panchakam.He also wrote 18 commentaries on major scriptural texts incl Brahma Sutras, Bhagavad Gita & 12 major Upanishads🚩7

🚩He authored 23 books on fundamentals of Advaita Vedanta philosophy which include Viveka Chudamani, Atma Bodha, Vaakya Vritti, Upadesa Sahasri etc. He reorganised all the Sannyasis into 10 main groups (the Dasanami Sannyasa Tradition) allocated to different Maths 🚩8

🚩During his travels across length and breadth of India, he established 4 Maths to unify the scattered & diverse groups of Sannyasis in 700 AD, in 4 different corners of India- 1.Sringeri Math, Karnataka, 2.Sharada Math, Dwaraka 3. Jyotir Math, Badrinath 4. Govardhan Math,Puri🚩9

🚩Shower of Gold- Before he was 8, as a young Brahmachari, young Shankara went to a house to beg for his daily food. The hostess very poor & All she could give him was a small amalakigoose-berry fruit.🚩10

🚩 Shankara was deeply touched by the sincerity of this poor lady & he invoked Goddess Lakshmi Singing spontaneously the 22 verse-Kanakadhara Stotra - A miracle happened & Goddess showered golden amalaki fruits into the house🚩11

🚩Changing the course of Purna river-
Shankara’s mother used to go a long way every day to take her bath in the Purna river. One day,young Shankara found her lying unconscious, due to exhaustion. He prayed to Lord & next morning the river started flowing by side of his house🚩12

🚩During the rainy season, the river Narmada was in spate. The floodwaters rose & were about to enter the cave in which his Guru was sitting, deeply immersed in Samadhi. His disciples did not dare to disturb him, though his life was in danger🚩13

🚩 Then Shankaracharya placed his kamandalu (water pot) at the entrance of the cave saying that it would absorb all the waters of the flood. His words came true. The floodwaters could not disturb his Guru’s meditation. Guru Govindapada blessed him🚩14

🚩 Final rites of his mother - When he tried to arrange the cremation of his mother’s body, his relatives refused to help him on the grounds that as a Sannyasi he was not permitted to perform funeral rites🚩15

🚩Cremation involves rituals & requires physical assistance of few people. Shankaracharya made a funeral pyre out of plantain stalks. After placing the body on pyre he took some water & after chanting a few mantras he sprinkled it on pyre. Miraculously the pyre caught fire🚩16

🚩Considered to be an incarnation of Bhagwan Shiva, Bhagavad Pada Guru Sri Adi ShankaracharyaJi lived only a short life span of 32 years.
Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara 🚩17
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