Acharya Sankara was the disciple of Sri Govinda Bhagavatpadacarya, who was a disciple of the great Master Gaudapadacarya. Acharya Sankara was known as Sankara in his pre-sannyasa days. He was considered to be a part incarnation of Lord Siva. Regarding his birth as well as his shedding his mortal remains, there is no unanimity among scholars. He went through his first stage of life – childhood stage (Balyavastha) under the protection of his mother and uncle as he lost his father very early. He went through the ritual called upanayana (thread investiture ceremony- or sacred thread ceremony) at the age of 5 with his uncle taking the place of his father. He immediately started the Vedic studies and by 7th year completed his Vedic studies and the study of other ancillary subjects.
He took recourse to ‘apat sannyasa’ (renunciation at the time of distress) at the age of 8 and having taken his mother’s permission mentally embraced Sannyasa. Coming out of the distress or crisis, he followed the traditional practise of formalising the informal Sannyasa. Then he began the efforts to reach his teacher whom he had already decided upon during the course of his Sanskrit studies. He walked all his way to the Northern India travelling through mountains and forests. He had to complete the formalities of renunciation. He reached his teacher and there was no delay in completing the sannyasa formalities –formalities connected with renunciation. The story goes that his teacher was waiting for him and by the age of 15 he assumed complete mastery over Vedanta and set out touring the country as instructed by his Guru. At the age of 16, he wrote the great commentary on the Brahma Sutras.
By the age of 32, he left the physical body, walking his way into the Himalayas. In the 15 or 16 odd years, he changed the face of the cultural, social, religious and spiritual India. He established four teaching centres in India one each in the North, South, East and West and assigned four of his disciples to consolidate upon the work he did. The four centres of learning are actively involved even today in nurturing and nourishing not only the Hindu Community in India but also the entire community of seekers in the world.
Acharya Sankara Bhagavatpada left behind his commentaries on the Upanishads, Bhagavad Geeta, and the Brahma Sutras apart from the various independent compositions that distinctly shines as a wonder, despite the passage of very many years. The sense of adoration keeps growing with the repeated study of his compositions.
May the grace of Acharya Sankara Bhagavatpada be there on all!!!
