Among the various Mahatmas who have tread our holy land, Sri Adi Shankaracharya reigns supreme. Had not Sri Adi Shankaracharya resuscitated Sanatana Dharma 12 centuries ago, would we even have temples to visit today?
One only needs to look at the achievements in His short life of 32 years to realize that Sri Adi Shankaracharya was an incarnation of the Lord. Rather than taking up weapons and annihilating the personifications of evil, Sri Shankaracharya used the weapon of intellectual inquiry to bring about a transformation in the minds of the masses. All his activities stemmed out of compassion and the desire for well-being of all humanity. His works and travels across the length and breadth of India bring forth the purpose of His mission and how He fulfilled it. One realizes the extent of His foresight when one notes that He established four Peethams along the four directions of the country to carry forward the task of sustaining and propagating Sanatana Dharma.
It is said “ईश्वरानुग्रहादेव पुंसाम् अद्वैतवासना” - The Lord’s Grace is required even for the longing of Advaita to develop in a man. The great Acharya has explained the tenets of the abstruse Upanishadic philosophy of Advaita in His commentaries, Prakaranas (small works) and even Stotras (hymns), and thus made them available for all sincere seekers.
Should we not remain grateful to Him and remember Him always? Gratitude is an essential quality to be developed by all. When one needs to remember even a small help rendered by an ordinary human, what must be said of the gratitude we must have towards an incarnation like Sri Adi Shankaracharya.
As we usher in the Nandana Samvatsara on this Ugadi day, may everyone remember the great Acharya, observe Shankara Jayanti (falling on April 26 this year), express gratitude, direct one’s life as per His teachings and attain Shreyas.
श्रीमते शङ्करार्याय धीमतेऽद्भुतसशक्तये ।
नमोऽस्तु अद्वैतसिद्धान्तस्थापनोपात्तमूर्तये ॥
नमोऽस्तु अद्वैतसिद्धान्तस्थापनोपात्तमूर्तये ॥
Salutations to Sri Adi Shankaracharya, endowed with great intellect and amazing powers, and the establisher of the Upanishadic philosophy of Advaita.Source: Sringeri
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