#173 Taking refuge in Adi Shankaracharya, the guru of gurus

The blessing of the teachings of Advaita Vedanta are available to us even today because of Jagadguru, the teacher of the world, Adi Shankaracharya or Shankara and the Parampara of guru and shishya. In the tradition we consider him as a manifestation of Bhagavan Shiva himself. Even before Shankara’s time atleast 1200 years ago, the teachings of oneness were ever present. But he assimilated and expressed the teaching tradition of Advaita Vedanta on palm leaves painstakingly. He saw the consistency of the main teaching of oneness across thousands of mantras strewn across the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and Brahmasutras. In one Upanishad it is said that karma will free you from bondage and in another it is said that karma will bind you. He resolved contradictions like these and many more and debated his contemporaries.

If you, my dear listener think that I have any clarity it is all thanks to the teachings and blessings of studying Shankara bhashya taught by my gurus.

If you have any clarity about the Atma as non-dual, it is because you have assimilated the teaching by your guru, thanks to Shankaracharya.

Shankaracharya provided us with the key to unlock the secrets of the Shaastra.

It is likely that a doubt will creep in – Since he was human, he could be wrong. But the thing about knowledge is that once you know you cannot unknow it. Once you start going into the original texts, you cannot help but see. In this podcast episode, we will look at the meaning of 8 verses in praise of Shankaracharya composed by Totakacharya but first, a story about him.

One of his well known disciples was Totaka. His earlier name was Giri. Giri was not as intelligent as other disciples but he was very devoted to Shankara and served him with great devotion. He would wake up early in the morning, keep clothes ready for Shankara for after his bath in the river. Giri was alert and attentive to whatever his guru required. If the Master would say something when he was standing, Giri too would stand up and listen to it. If Shankara would say something while walking he would most respectfully walk behind the Master listening to it.

One day Giri had gone to wash his guru’s clothes. Shankara was ready and waiting to commence his Vedanta class for the disciples. Somehow Giri got delayed and the other disciples started wondering why they should wait for Giri who was anyway incompetent to understand Vedanta. Shankara understood what was going on in the assembled disciples minds. He smiled and wanted to show them the power of seva to the Guru. He mentally blessed Giri saying – May Giri become the master of the shaastra right now. Giri, who was at the river banks washing his Guru’s clothes saw the truth. All the obstacles melted away. With the wet clothes in hand, he approached the ashram reciting wonderful verses joyfully in chaste Sanskrit in praise of Shankara. The other disciples realised the greatness of seva to the Guru. These eight verses were recited extempore in the Totaka metre which has 4 quarter verses containing 12 syllables each. Giri was given sannyasa with the name Totakacharya.      He became the first guru of the peetham, centre of learning at Badrinath. 

We will play the stotram, a song in Sanskrit with verses. It has been set to tune and beautifully sung by Swami Atmatrptananda, a teacher disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati ji. We will play one verse, pause to understand the meaning and proceed to the next verse. Each of the eight verses ends with bhava shankara deshika me sharanam. Deshika means teacher or master – The disciple says, Please be my refuge O master Shankara.

Verse 1

विदिताखिलशास्त्रसुधाजलधे 
महितोपनिषत् कथितार्थनिधे |
हृदये कलये विमलं चरणं 
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||१||
Singing in praise of Shankara, Totakacharya sings विदिताखिलशास्त्र The knower of the nectar-ocean of all the shaastras, which is indeed सुधाजलधे the nectar of the entire ocean of scriptures.

महितोपनिषत् कथितार्थनिधे The teacher of the topics of the great treasure of the Upanishads,

हृदये कलये विमलं चरणं  I meditate in my heart on your lotus feet;

भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम्  please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 2

करुणावरुणालय पालय मां – You who are an ocean, an abode of compassion – karuna, please protect me.
भवसागरदुःखविदूनहृदम् |Protect me from samsara, the cycle of becoming – the cycle of birth and death and the experience of limitation that I struggle against.
रचयाखिलदर्शनतत्त्वविदं Make me the knower of the truths of all the darshanas. 

भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||२||please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 3

भवता जनता सुहिता भविता – Many people found happiness through You. You helped them see that Ananda is indeed their very nature, How come?
निजबोधविचारण चारुमते |You who have the brilliance to enquire into the nature of the self.
कलयेश्वरजीवविवेकविदं  teach me the knowledge of Iśvara and jīva 
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||३|| please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 4

भव एव भवानिति मे नितरां – You are Shiva himself

समजायत चेतसि कौतुकिता | knowing this I am filled with joy.
मम वारय मोहमहाजलधिं  Protect me from the vast ocean of confusion and mistaking things. delusion
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणं ||४|| please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 5

सुकृते  अधिकृते बहुधा भवतो When virtuous deeds have been performed in abundance,
भविता समदर्शनलालसता | only then arises the desire for the samadarśana (vision of sameness, i.e. the knowledge of non-duality).
अतिदीनमिमं परिपालय मां  Protect me who is extremely helpless
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||५|| Please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 6

जगतीमवितुं कलिताकृतयो  विचरन्ति महामहसश्छलतः |
O guru many great mean assume different forms to save the world and wander around in disguise.
अहिमांशुरिवात्र विभासि गुरो Among them, You shine like the Sun;
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||६|| Please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 7

गुरुपुंगव पुंगवकेतन ते O best among teachers, Lord Shiva himself who bears Nandi the bull as his emblem,
समतामयतां नहि कोपि सुधीः |None of the wise are equal to you
शरणागतवत्सल तत्त्वनिधे You who lovingly accept those who seek refuge, who is the ocean of truth
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||७||; Please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

Verse 8

विदिता न मया विशदैककला  I do not clearly understand any branch of knowledge
न च किंचन काञ्चनमस्ति गुरो | nor do I possess any wealth.
द्रुतमेव विधेहि कृपां सहजां Grant me the grace that is natural to You
भव शंकर देशिक मे शरणम् ||८|| Please be my refuge, O master Śaṁkara

We seek refuge in Shankara by opening our hearts to his words.

We seek refuge in Shankara by systematically studying with a guru who stands in the lineage of Advaita Vedanta.

May we all continue to be blessed.

The link to the entire stotram of Totakashtakam is in the description of this episode. For some unpacking on surrender you can also listen to the previous episodes in the links given.