Shankara Charya Jayanti: 9th May
A Life Full Of Completeness
Ishta visishtamathayopi yaya dhayardhra,
Dhrishtya thravishta papadam sulabham labhanthe,
Hrishtim prahrushta kamlodhara deepthirishtam,
Pushtim krishishta mama pushkravishtaraya.
This incident took place when Shankaracharya was in Varanasi. It was the time when Shankaracharya was preaching “Bhahma Satyam Jagat Mithya” i.e. only Brahma is truth and rest everything in this cosmos is an illusion. One day, early in the morning, when it was all dark, Shankaracharya went to take a bath in the river. After taking the bath while he was coming up the steps, a man touched him on purpose, not accidentally, and told him, “Please forgive me. I am a shudra, I am untouchable. I am sorry, but you will have to take another bath to clean yourself.”
Shankaracharya was enraged on this activity of that man. He said, “It was not accidental, the way you did that; you did it on purpose. You have committed a great sin and so you should be punished in hell. I will have to take a bath again!”
The man said, “When all is illusory, it seems only hell remains real.” That took Shankaracharya aback. The man further continued, “Before you go for your bath, you have to answer my few questions. If you don’t answer me, each time you come up after your bath, I will touch you.” It was lonely and nobody else was there, so Shankaracharya said, “You seem to be a very strange person. What are your questions?”
The person asked, “My first question is: Is my body illusory? Is your body illusory? And if two illusions touch each other, what is the problem? Why are you going to take another bath? You are not practicing what you are preaching. How, in an illusory world, can there be a distinction between the untouchable and the Brahmin? The pure and the impure? When both are illusory, when both are made of the same stuff as dreams are made of? What is the fuss?”
Shankaracharya, who had been conquering great philosophers, could not answer this simple man because any answer was going to be against his philosophy. If he says they are illusory, then there is no point in being angry about it. However, if he says they are real, then at least he accepts the reality of bodies…but then there is a problem. If human bodies are real, then animal bodies, the bodies of the trees, the bodies of the planets, the stars…then everything is real.
And the man said, “I know you cannot answer this – it will finish your whole philosophy. I’ll ask you another question: I am a shudra, untouchable, impure, but where is my impurity – in my body or in my soul? I have heard you declaring that the soul is absolutely and forever pure, and there is no way to make it impure; so how can there be a distinction between souls? Both are pure, absolutely pure, and there are no degrees of impurity – that somebody is more pure and somebody is less pure. So perhaps it is my soul that has made you impure and you have to take another bath?”
That was even more difficult as he had never been in such trouble – actual, practical, in a way scientific. Rather than arguing about words, the shudra had created a situation in which the great Adi Shankaracharya accepted his defeat. And the shudra further said, “Then don’t go take another bath. Anyway there is no river, no me, no you; all is a dream. Just go in the temple – that too is a dream – and pray to God. He too is a dream, because he is a projection of a mind which is illusory, and an illusory mind cannot project anything real. What you say is unreasonable. How can I go away from myself?”
Sri Sankaracharya realized that it was not an ordinary person and understood that it was Lord Shiva himself who had come along with His consort and the four Vedas. He bowed before the Lord and sang five slokas called “Manisha Panchakam“. Lord Shiva presented himself along with Goddess Parvati and blessed Sri Shankaracharya.
From this very incident, it becomes very clear that what all we see around is not all illusion and we are a part of it. We are all here to perform our duty, to do good things in this world. And to do any activity, to do well to others, to do charity, to live a life of completeness, we need the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi. Even Sri Shankaracharya too worshiped Goddess Lakshmi and created many hymns and sadhanas related to Her. And a complete life doesn’t just mean having wealth but it means having health, wealth, prosperity, name, fame and all worldly pleasures. Considering these points in mind, Shankaracharya thus created this sadhana by means of which a person can gain such a status in life by performing just a single sadhana.
One needs Lakshmiyottama Yantra and Kamalgatta rosary for this procedure. This sadhana must be performed after 10 pm at night. One must eat once daily and maintain celibacy. Take a bath and get into fresh red clothes. Sit on a red mat facing south. Take wooden plank and cover it with a fresh piece of red cloth. Place a picture of revered Gurudev and worship Him with vermillion, rice grains, flowers etc. Light a ghee lamp and an incense stick. Then chant one round of Guru Mantra with the Kamalgatta rosary and pray to Gurudev for success in sadhana.
Next take a copper plate and make a symbol of “Lotus” at its center with saffron and then place the yantra over the petals. Worship the yantra with vermillion, unbroken rice grains and flowers. Now chant 11 rounds of the mantra below with Kamalgatta rosary.
Mantra
|| Om Shreem Shreem MahaLakshmayai Shreem Shreem Om Namah||
(ॐ श्रीं श्रीं महालक्ष्मयै श्रीं श्रीं ॐ नमः)
Place the rosary over the yantra after completing the sadhana. Repeat the process for next 2 days. Drop the sadhana articles in a river or pond on the fourth day. This completes the sadhana procedure and soon you will see how your life is gaining completeness from all aspects of the life.
It is mandatory to obtain Guru Diksha from Revered Gurudev before performing any Sadhana or taking any other Diksha. Please contact Kailash Siddhashram, Jodhpur through Email , Whatsapp, Phone or Submit Request to obtain consecrated-energized and mantra-sanctified Sadhana material and further guidance,
