Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara – Some important chapters from Sri Shakara Charitham by Sri Maha Periyava from Deivathin Kural is posted on occasion of Sri Adi Sankara Jayanthi on May 11. Thanks to Shri ST Ravikumar, our sathsang volunteer for the translation. Ram Ram
சங்கர ‘விஜயம்’
அதை ரொம்பவும் அஸாதுவாக இழுத்துவிட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்த காலத்தைப் பற்றிப் பார்த்துக் கொண்டிருந்தோம். 72 துர்மதங்கள் அப்போது ஜனங்களைக் கலக்கிக் கொண்டிருந்ததாகப் புஸ்தகங்களில் சொல்லியிருப்பதைச் சொன்னேன். எந்தப் புஸ்தகங்கள் என்றால் ஆசார்யாளின் சரித்ரத்தைச் சொல்வதான புஸ்தகங்கள். அவற்றுக்கு ‘சங்கர விஜயம்’ என்று பேர். ‘விஜயம் செய்தார்’ என்று ஒரு பெரிய மநுஷ்யர் ஒரு இடத்துக்கு ‘விஸிட்’ செய்தால் சொல்கிறோம். ‘விஜயம்’ என்றால் ‘விசேஷம் வாய்ந்த ஜயம்’. அதாவது, சிறப்பான வெற்றி. ராஜாக்கள் திசைதோறும் சென்று மற்ற ராஜாக்களை ஜயிப்பது ‘திக்விஜயம்’. இப்படியே ஜனங்களுடைய ஹ்ருதயங்களை ஒருவர் ஒரு இடத்துக்குப் போய் அன்பினால் வெற்றி கொள்கிறார் என்ற அர்த்தத்திலேயே ‘விஸிட்’ செய்வதை விஜயம் என்பது. வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் தங்களுக்குள் தப்பான எண்ணங்கள் என்ற எதிரிகள் தலையெடுக்க முடியாதபடி ‘ஆத்ம ஜயம்’ என்ற பெரிய வெற்றியை ஸாதித்துக் கொண்டு, அதோடு லோக ஜனங்கள்-பண்டித, பாமரர்கள் அனைவர்-மனசுகளையும் அன்பினாலும் அறிவினாலும் வென்ற நம் ஆசார்யாள் போன்ற மஹாத்மாக்களின் சரித்ரம் ‘விஜயம்’ என்று பேர் பெறுகிறது. இப்படிப் பலபேர் பல சங்கர விஜயங்கள் செய்திருக்கிறார்கள்.* அவற்றில் சிலவற்றில் இந்த 72 மதப் பிரஸ்தாவம் வந்திருக்கிறது. ஆசார்யாளின் ‘அஷ்டோத்தர (சத)த்திலும் (அர்ச்சனைக்கான 108 நாமங்களிலும்) த்வி-ஸப்ததி மதோச்சேத்ரே நம: என்று வருகிறது. ‘எழுபத்திரண்டு மதங்களை நிர்மூலம் செய்தவர்’ என்று அர்த்தம்.
Sankara Vijayam
We were discussing about the dark days when decadence was much prevalent. I was mentioning that it is said in those books that 72 profane religions were influencing the people in those times. The books I am referring to are the biographies written on the life of our Acharya. Those books are known as “Sankara Vijayam”. We normally
refer to a visit by a VIP to a place, as “Vijayam” (gracing the place). ‘Vijayam’ means, something special attached to victory, or a Grand victory.
We call the victory obtained by a King waging war against other kings located in different directions, as ‘Dig Vijayam’, a splendid or successful conquest. In the same way, if a person goes to a place and is able to captivate the hearts of people with his love we call it Vijayam (successful conquest). The life history of great people like our Acharya, who have achieved victory within – conquest of their mind (Aathma Jayam), by leading the entire life, never allowing the enemies
of bad thoughts to rear their ugly heads, while winning over the hearts of all the people, educated or uneducated, with their love and intelligence, is what we call as “Jayam”.
Many people have written books about the glory of our Acharya (Sankara Vijayams). In some of these books, you find the mention that 72 profane religions were influencing the people in those times. The Acharya’s Ashtothra Sadha (108 names for performing archana), include a name, த்வி-ஸப்ததி மதோச்சேத்ரே நம: (Twi Sapthadhi Madhochetre namah)
which means he is the one who obliterated the 72 profane beliefs or religions.
Categories: Deivathin Kural
Sai,
What you have said is true.
But also, many a times, small portions will give a misleading picture. This may be kept in mind and please, choose ‘Gems’ which may / will not bring wrong ideas to the readers.
As per Deivathin Kural vol-5, these other ’72 religions’ were derived from wrong interpretations of Sanatana Dharma about 2500 years ago when Sanatana Dharma was at its ebb which necessitated the Avatar of Sankara.
love,
chelvan
From this I learn that the idea of letting every religion be there as valid by the followers of Sanatana Dharma is not true. Going from a lower truth to higher truth, as popularized by Swami Vivekananda and the later “secularists” who profess tolerance for all religions to let them as they are, as a great fact that distinguishes our Hindu religion from the Abrahamic religions is not quite correct it seems. The word Nirmoolam is pretty strong as used in this context.
Ram Ram – It would be hasty of us come to a conclusion after reading a couple of paragraphs from a very vast life history of Sri Sankara. Your statement about going from a lower to higher truth is correct and our Sanatana Dharma is the only Dharma that totally encompasses that principle. However, there comes a time when the very tenet gets totally distorted there needs a Avatar or a Maha Purusha to set things right. That does NOT mean waging wars, blood shed, and massacring tones of innocents like the Semetic religions did but go about in a very fair way. To put our Dharma in the same pedestal along with the other religions from a tolerance perspective is totally unfair; imagine if Christianity/Islam is the majority in our country would they be as tolerant as us?
If you read Sri Sankara Charitham by Sri Maha Periyava you will find how compassionate and broadminded Sri Sankara was to people who lost against him in various defeats. He even tells Amara Simha, a Jain, why he should burn all his philosophical books just because he lost the debate to him and said every philosophy has a place in this universe and one should constantly keep looking to find the ultimate truth. Same thing happens when Sri Kumarila Bhattar loses to him; Not only Sri Sankara, Swami Ramanuja, Swami Madhwacharya, Appar, Thiru Gnana Sambandar and many other great saints propagated their philosophies in a very fair manner unlike other religions. The Advaitha philosophy accepts all other philosophies but clearly states there is a final state beyond all this. Since you bought Swami Vivekananda and his teachings about progressive truth I want to mention what he says about Islam. Bare minimum, I suggest you read the entire Sankara Vijayam, reflect on it, before coming to a conclusion. Ram Ram
https://vijaygkg.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/swamivivekanandaonislam/
Hara Hara Shankara, Jaya Jaya Shankara!