Prayer

Prayer

Prostrations to the Acaarya – Lakhs and Lakhs of pranaams at the Lotus feet of the Sad Guru – for undertaking and accomplishing this simple work of giving a brief picture about Sri Sankara’s work – Soundarya Lahari. Let the Sad Guru’s blessings be poured on all beings in the world -

Aum amriteswaryai namah;
Aum amriteswaryai namah;
Aum amriteswaryai namah;

Author - Sri Sankaracarya (788-820)
[A note about the author of Soundarya Lahari.]

The most important Acarya who has propogated the Vedanta Vicara and rejuvenated the Bharata Samskara – his contributions are invaluable.

Father – Sivaguru.
Mother – Aaryamba.
Birthplace – Kalady near periyar river in Kerala.

Took bold step to undertake sanyasa at the age of 5 years.
Completed vedic study at the age of 8 years.
With mother’s blessings, completed vedic study.
Made several pilgrimage visits through footpath.

At the banks of sacred river Narmada, achieved the credit of becoming the disciple of Acarya Sri Govinda Bhagavat pada, who was the disciple of Acarya, Goudapada.
As per the advice of the Guru, Undertook the work of propogating the Advaita siddhanta of Acarya Goudapada.
Accordingly, Sankara wrote several vedic granthas.
Mimamsakas opposed this advaita principle of Sankara.
That was the time when headed by the masters Mandanamisra, Kumarilabhatta, mimamsaka group reached their peak state.

Sankara’s principle was –
“Brahma satyam, Jagan mithya, Jivo brahmaiva naapara”.
In reality, only Brahman is available;
the world of names and forms is only illusory;
The Consciousness or Bodha indicated by the words – Aham Brahmaasmi is moksha or liberation from bondage.
For the sake of upasana, [sagunabrahma upasana] names and forms are permitted.
Birth growth, decay, development, disease and death are for body only; not for atman;
Atman or Pure consciousness is at the same time smallest and the greatest – anoraneeyaan mahatomaheeyaan; mumukshus only are eligible for brahmajijnasa; moksha is possible by saadhana catushtayasampatti;

Sankara approves the three states –
Paaramaarthika- Brahman or pure consciousness;
vyaavahaarika - Prapanca ; and
praatibhasika – maaya, avidya, mithya.

Sankara wrote bhashyas on the basic granthas – Brahmasutra, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita; the Upanishads Sankara covered include the ten – Isa, Kena, Prasna, Katha, Mundaka, Mandukya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka and Taitiriya;
Sankara has made it clear from his bhashya of Bhagavad Gita that through the path of karma yoga and bhakti yoga, one can attain the path of jnana yoga.
Sankara wrote several stotragranthas on Gods(Siva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Ganapathy etc);
His works Vivekacoodamani, Upadesasahasri, Bhaja Govindam, Laghuvakyavritti give a very lucid explanation of the Vedanta principle.

Soundarya Lahari covers the capsule part of tantra saastra.
Sankara travelled all over the four directions of Bhaarata and established four maths and appointed four of his disciples for these;
East – Jagannath – Thotakacaarya
West – Dwaraka – Hastamalaka
North – Badrinath – Padmapaada
South – Sringeri – Sureswaracaarya

For vedic study, Sankara established sanyasa math in Trichur;
The vedic centre was identified at Jyotirmath, Jyoshi math –U.P

He established the Pratishta of
Sivalinga in kedarnath kshetra
Pasupatinatha in Nepal
Saradha devi in Sringeri

It is said that at the age of 32, at Kedarnath, undertook Samadhi;