Digvijaya Yatra (Adi Sankaracharya)

An early 8th-century Indian Sage, Philosopher, Social reformer, Society unifier, and thinker Adi Shankaracharya renounced worldly pleasures at a very young age and consolidated the ancient Advaita Vendata ideologies. He was the proponent of Advaita Vedanta and has written commentaries on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Geeta and the Brahmasutras. Sri Adi Sankaracharya, during his travels across the length and breadth of India, founded four mathas on the extreme limits of India create a concentration of energy in India to save Santana Dharma.

Adi Shankaracharya was born to the Nambudri Brahmin couple, Shivaguru and Aryamba, in a little village, called Kaladi, in Kerala. The couple had remained childless for a long time and prayed for children. Shiva is said to have appeared to the couple in a dream and promised them a choice of one son who would be short-lived, but the most brilliant philosopher of his day, or many sons who would be mediocre at best. The couple opted for a brilliant, but short-lived son, and thereby Shankara was born.

SriShankara traveled and searched for a worthy Guru who would initiate him and take his vow of Sanyasam (monk). He found the Ashram of Govinda Bhagavathpada who he recalled was Patanjali in a previous birth. Govinda was also the disciple of Goudapada (one of the early and most reputed philosophers of the Vedanta school of thought).

SriShankara was accepted as a disciple by Govinda, who initiated him into the highest kind of renunciation. He taught various Vedas to Shankara as well as advaita, the principle that everyone in this world is the manifestation of God and that God and Atma are one and the same. He advised Sri Shankara to go out into the world and spread this truth throughout the country, which he did.

At Badrinath, Lord Vishnu appeared in dream state before Shankara and told him that his sculpture in the Alakananda River should be taken out and a temple should be built for it. This temple is called Badrinarayan Temple and is one of the important religious places for devotees.

When he was 16 years old, Shankara wrote his most profound commentary on the Vedanta Sutras of Vyasa. He wrote commentaries on the Gita, Upanishads and Brahma Sutras, which are the authorities on the Vedanta Shastras. The commentaries of Shankara are monumental works covering the meaning of Vedic teachings with clear reasoning and understandable language. The system of Vedanta is what is known as Advaita or Non-dualism.

Shankara's commentaries were put to severe test not only by the teachers of various schools of thought, but also by the sage Vyasa himself. Vyasa encouraged Shankara to continue to debate and defeat hostile schools of thought and granted him a boon that significantly extended his life.

Adi Shankara traversed the entire length and breadth of India from Kalady (Adi Shankaracharya's place of birth in Kerala) to Kedarnath (his samadhi sthal in Uttarakhand). Through his travel and debates across India, he united a fragmented civilisation, a land of irreconcilable philosophies that was destroyed by centuries of brutal invasions. He also advocated the oldest concept followed by Hinduism explaining the union of soul or atman with the Supreme Soul (Nirguna Brahman). He travelled across Bharat Desh, through sacred pilgrimage centres, while participating in discussions and debates, defeating scholars of various faiths and philosophies. Many of them whom he defeated were eminent scholars in their respective fields.

Among the many disciples of Sri Sri Shankara, the four most prominent were Hastamalaka, Padmapada, Totaka, Sureshwara. They were the first pontiff of the four mutts established by the great Acharya.

Sri Hastamalaka was the Acharya of the Dwaraka Mutt. This Mutt is earmarked to study of Sama Veda and to meditate on the Maha Vakya “Tat Tvam Asi”.

Sri Padmapada was made the first Guru for Govardhana Mutt at Jagannath Puri. This Mutt is attributed to study of Rig Veda and to meditate on the Maha Vakya, “Prajnanam Brahma”.

Sri Totakacharya was the first Spiritual Guide for Joshimutt at Badari. This Mutt is distinct for study of Atarva Veda and meditate upon the Maha Vakya “Ayam Atma Brahma”.

Sri Sureshwaracharya was the first Sadguru of Sharada Peetha at Sringeri. This Mutt is featured to study of Yajur Veda and to meditate on the Maha Vakya “Aham Brahmasmi”

The Importance of the Char Dham in the four directions

Adi Shankaracharya started the tradition of the char dham yatra. The true char dham yatra consists of a pilgrimage to Badrinath in the north, Rameshwaram in the south, Dwarka in the west and Jagannath Puri in the east. Each of these maths was assigned the task of maintaining and preserving for posterity, one of the four Vedas (the main scriptures of Hinduism). They are: (1). Sharada Math - Sama Veda ; (2). Shringeri Math - Yajur Veda ; (3). Jyotir Math - Atharva Veda ; (4). Govardhan Math (Puri) - Rig Veda. All the Four Dhamas located at cardinal points of the Indian sub-continent are believed to have been liked by Lord Vishnu intimately. It is said and believed that He takes His bath at Rameswaram, meditates at Badrinath, dines at Jagannath Puri and retires at Dwarika.

Geographically speaking the char dham (the four temples) made a perfect square or cross with Badrinath in the North and Rameswaram in the South falling on same longitude and Dwarka(old) in the West and Jagannath Puri in the East on same latitude ( at that time, before coastlines changed). Ancient temples with a hidden yantra (mystical diagram) based on sacred geometry were scientifically designed to be powerful energy centers.

The 84 Sadhus Sampradayas of Hindu Culture

There is a rigorous discipline in the Sadhu Samaj, which may not be apparent to the casual observer. Adi Shankaracharya propagated the Advaita Vedanta philosophy. During the course of his life, he established the Dashnami Sannyasa tradition in order to unify the various diverse groups of sannyasins, bringing them under the banner of Sanatana dharma.

Adi Shankaracharya classified the Adwaitvadi Sannyasins into ten groups : Giri, Puri, Bharti, Tirtha, Wan, Aranya, Parwat, Ashram, Sagar and Saraswati. This organisation is known as Dashnami Sangh. Dashnami Sannyasins still continue to convey his eternal message of the synthesis of all beliefs culminating in Advaita, the monastic vision of reality in which all things are understood, ultimately, to be one.

The four ashrama or stages in life are defined as Brahmachari ashrama, the life of a student, the Grihastha ashrama as a householder, intended to fulfill aspirations and desires, Vanaprastha ashrama or social retirement and Sannyasa, to discover the nature of the self, experience wholeness and strive for enlightenment. This was in order to achieve the four goals of Artha, Kaam, Dharma and Moksha. Everyone went through this transition. Later, because many people got involved in Artha and Kaam and lost the clarity to transit to later phases within the life cycle, some people renounced the world in order to focus on Dharma and Moksha and be able to develop techniques for balanced living for society.

A sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ , 'spiritual lineage' or a ‘religious system’. It relates to a succession of masters and disciples, which serves as a spiritual channel, and provides a delicate network of relationships that lends stability to a religious identity. Sampradaya is a body of practice, views and attitudes, which are transmitted, redefined and reviewed by each successive generation of followers. Participation in sampradaya forces continuity with the past, or tradition, but at the same time provides a platform for change from within the community of practitioners of this particular traditional group. A particular guru lineage in guru-shishya tradition is called parampara, and may have its own akharas and gurukulas. By receiving diksha (initiation) into the parampara of a living guru, one belongs to its proper sampradaya. One cannot become a member by birth, as is the case with gotra, a seminal, or hereditary, dynasty.

Adi Sankaracharya is our 10th karvoorar seedar as per his order he made sankara Matt and preached advaita and gave some mantra knowledge from tamil to sanskrit to reach basic level of consciousness and to become a good human being unless you become a good human being you can't become Gods aval or servant but helped people to get mantras in sanskrit that's why no mantra meaning are in sanskrit all meaning lies in so they say to chant as it is the vibration is important not the meaning.

"Bhaja Govindam" by Adi Shankara is a very insightful and even funny - with dry sense of humor -verse. It urges: " Dear idiot/ fool, get God conscious. At time of death, your rules of grammar will not save you" ( Samprapte sannihite kale, nahi nahi rakshati dukrin-karane ). Man can't handle power. But purity of intent/ good heart is key, not outside appearances. He wrote several hymns dedicated to Bhagwan Shiva, Bhagwan Vishnu and other Gods and Goddesses, It was believed that He Himself was the manifestation of Bhagwan Shiva.

यथा सुवर्णं पटुपाकशोधितं त्यक्त्वा मलं स्वात्मगुणं समृच्छति ।

तथा मनः सत्त्वरजस्तमोमलं ध्यानेन संत्यज्य सन्ति तत्त्वम् ।।

“As the gold is cleansed by fire and acid when it forsakes all of the impurities that was with it; similarly by meditating the Supreme Brahman one forsakes all the satwaik-rajasik-tamasik impurities that was there in the mind, hence he achieves the Brahman.”

श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: |

ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति || (Geeta ).

Those whose faith is deep and who have practiced controlling their mind and senses attain divine knowledge. Through such transcendental knowledge, they quickly attain everlasting supreme peace. The man with Faith obtains Wisdom. Perhaps no other spiritual Term has been so badly mauled by the priest class and so profitably polluted by the laity in Religion. In the name of Sraddha, a perverted set of priests start trading upon the highly credulous but extremely ignorant community, shamelessly, but successfully. Sraddha is not blind-faith, as it is generally understood. It is a healthy attempt at a clear intellectual appreciation of the secret depths of the significance underlying the words of the scriptures and the Teacher.

Atma-Bodha, Vivek Chudamani

The Supreme Self, different from the Prakriti and its modifications, of the essence of Pure Knowledge, and Absolute, directly manifests this entire gross and subtle universe, in the waking and other states, as the substratum of the persistent sense of egoism, and manifests Itself as the Witness of the Buddhi, the determinative faculty. By means of a regulated mind and the purified intellect (Buddhi), realise directly thy own Self in the body so as to identify thyself with It, cross the boundless ocean of Samsara whose waves are birth and death, and firmly established in Brahman as thy own essence, be blessed. Let there be peace among all beings of the universe.

1. I bow down to Him (Reality), to Sri Hari, the destroyer of ignorance, the Supreme bliss, the first Teacher, Ishwara, the all-pervading One and the cause of all the universes.

2. Herein is expounded the means of attaining Self-realization (Aparokshanubhuti) for the acquisition of final liberation. Only the pure in heart should constantly and with all effort meditate upon the truth herein taught.

3. The four preliminary qualifications necessary for attaining true knowledge, such as dispassion and the like, are acquired by men by propitiating the Lord, through austerities and the performance of duties pertaining to their social order and stage in life.

4. The indifference with which one treats the excreta of a crow; such an indifference to all objects of enjoyment from the realm of the creator (Brahma) to this world, in view of their perishable nature, is verily called pure dispassion.

5. The seer (Self) in itself is alone permanent, the seen is opposed to it, transient; such a settled conviction is truly known as discrimination.

6. Abandonment of desires at all times is called sama and restraint of the external functions of the organs is called dama.

7. Turning away completely from all sense-objects is the height of uparati, and patient endurance of all sorrow or pain is known as titiksha, which is conducive to happiness.

8. Implicit faith in the words of the Vedas and the teachers who interpret them is known as shraddha, and concentration of the mind on the one Reality [Brahman] is regarded as samadhana.

9. When and how shall I, O Lord, be free from the bonds of this world (birth and death); such a burning desire is called mumukshuta.

10. Only that person who is in possession of the said qualifications as means to true knowledge should constantly reflect with a view to attaining knowledge, desiring his own good.

11. Knowledge is not brought about by any other means than inquiry (vichara), just as an object is nowhere perceived without the help of light.

12. Who am I? How is this world created? Who is its creator? Of what material is this world made? This is the way of that inquiry.

13. I am neither the body, a combination of the five elements of matter, nor am I an aggregate of the senses; I am something different from these. This is the way of that inquiry.

14. Everything is produced by ignorance and dissolves in the wake of true knowledge. The various thoughts must be produced by the creator. Such is this inquiry.

15. The material cause of ignorance and thought is the One without a second, subtle [not apprehended by the senses] and unchanging Existence (Sat), just as the earth is the material cause of the pot and the like. This is the way of that inquiry.

16. As I am also the One, the Subtle, the Knower, the Witness, the Ever-Existent, and the Unchanging, so there is no doubt that I am That. Such is this inquiry.

17. The Atman does not shine in everything although He is All-pervading. He is manifest only in the inner equipment, the intellect (Buddhi): just as the reflection in a clean mirror.

18. One should understand that the Atman is always like the King, distinct from the body, senses, mind and intellect, all of which constitute the matter (Prakriti); and is the witness of their functions.

19. The moon appears to be running when the clouds move in the sky. Likewise to the non-discriminating person the Atman appears to be active when It is observed through the functions of the sense-organs.

20. Depending upon the energy of vitality of Consciousness (Atma Chaitanya) the body, senses, mind and intellect engage themselves in their respective activities, just as men work depending upon the light of the Sun.

21. Fools, because they lack in their powers of discrimination superimpose on the Atman, the Absolute-Existence-Knowledge (Sat-Chit), all the varied functions of the body and the senses, just as they attribute blue colour and the like to the sky.

22. The tremblings that belong to the waters are attributed through ignorance to the reflected moon dancing on it: likewise agency of action, of enjoyment and of other limitations (which really belong to the mind) are delusively understood as the nature of the Self (Atman).

23. Attachment, desire, pleasure, pain, etc., are perceived to exist so long as Buddhi or mind functions. They are not perceived in deep sleep when the mind ceases to exist. Therefore they belong to the mind alone and not to the Atman.

24. Just as luminosity is the nature of the Sun, coolness of water and heat of fire, so too the nature of the Atman is Eternity, Purity, Reality, Consciousness and Bliss.

25. By the indiscriminate blending of the two, the Existence-Knowledge-aspect of the Self and the thought-wave of the intellect, there arises the notion of “I know”.

26. Atman never does anything and the intellect of its own accord has no capacity to experience ‘I know’. But the individuality in us delusorily thinks he is himself the seer and the knower.

27. Just as the person who regards a rope as a snake is overcome by fear, so also one considering oneself as the ego (Jiva) is overcome by fear. The ego-centric individuality in us regains fearlessness by realizing that It is not a Jiva but is Itself the Supreme Soul.

28. Just as a lamp illumines a jar or a pot, so also the Atman illumines the mind and the sense organs, etc. These material objects by themselves cannot illumine themselves because they are inert.

29. A lighted-lamp does not need another lamp to illumine its light. So too, Atman which is Knowledge itself needs no other knowledge to know it.

30. By a process of negation of the conditioning (Upadhis) through the help of the scriptural statement ‘It is not this, It is not this’, the oneness of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, as indicated by the great Mahavakyas, has to be realised.

31. The body, etc., up to the “Causal Body” Ignorance, which are objects perceived, are as perishable as bubbles. Realise through discrimination that I am the ‘Pure Brahman’ ever completely separate from all these.

32. I am other than the body and so I am free from changes such as birth, wrinkling, senility, death, etc. I have nothing to do with the sense objects such as sound and taste, for I am without the sense-organs.

33. I am other than the mind and hence, I am free from sorrow, attachment, malice and fear, for “HE is without breath and without mind, Pure, etc.”, is the Commandment of the great scripture, the Upanishads.

34. I am without attributes and actions; Eternal (Nitya) without any desire and thought (Nirvikalpa), without any dirt (Niranjana), without any change (Nirvikara), without form (Nirakara), ever-liberated (Nitya Mukta) ever-pure (Nirmala).

35. Like the space I fill all things within and without. Changeless and the same in all, at all times I am pure, unattached, stainless and motionless.

36. I am verily that Supreme Brahman alone which is Eternal, Pure and Free, One, indivisible and non-dual and of the nature of Changeless-Knowledge-Infinite.

37. The impression “I am Brahman” thus created by constant practice destroys ignorance and the agitation caused by it, just as medicine or Rasayana destroys disease.

38. Sitting in a solitary place, freeing the mind from desires and controlling the senses, meditate with unswerving attention on the Atman which is One-without-a-second.

39. The wise one should intelligently merge the entire world of objects in the Atman alone and constantly think of the Self never as contaminated by anything, as the sky.

40. He who has realised the Supreme, discards all his identification with the objects of names and forms. (Thereafter) he dwells as an embodiment of the Infinite Consciousness and Bliss. He becomes the Self.

41. There are no distinctions such as “Knower”, the “Knowledge” and the “Object of Knowledge” in the Supreme Self. On account of Its being of the nature of endless Bliss, It does not admit of such distinctions within Itself. It alone shines by Itself.

42. When this the lower and the higher aspects of the Self are well churned together, the fire of knowledge is born from it, which in its mighty conflagration shall burn down all the fuel of ignorance in us.

43. The Lord of the early dawn (Aruna) himself has already looted away the thick darkness, when soon the sun rises. The Divine Consciousness of the Self rises when the right knowledge has already killed the darkness in the bosom.

44. Atman is an ever-present Reality. Yet, because of ignorance it is not realised. On the destruction of ignorance Atman is realised. It is like the missing ornament of one’s neck.

45. Brahman appears to be a ‘Jiva’ because of ignorance, just as a post appears to be a ghost. The ego-centric-individuality is destroyed when the real nature of the ‘Jiva’ is realised as the Self.

46. The ignorance characterised by the notions ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ is destroyed by the knowledge produced by the realisation of the true nature of the Self, just as right information removes the wrong notion about the directions.

47. The Yogi of perfect realisation and enlightenment sees through his “eye of wisdom” (Gyana Chakshush) the entire universe in his own Self and regards everything else as his own Self and nothing else.

48. Nothing whatever exists other than the Atman: the tangible universe is verily Atman. As pots and jars are verily made of clay and cannot be said to be anything but clay, so too, to the enlightened soul and that is perceived is the Self.

49. A liberated one, endowed with Self-knowledge, gives up the traits of his previously explained equipments (Upadhis) and because of his nature of Sat-chit-ananda, he verily becomes Brahman like (the worm that grows to be) a wasp.

50. After crossing the ocean of delusion and killing the monsters of likes and dislikes, the Yogi who is united with peace dwells in the glory of his own realised Self; as an Atmaram.

51. The self-abiding Jivan Mukta, relinquishing all his attachments to the illusory external happiness and satisfied with the bliss derived from the Atman, shines inwardly like a lamp placed inside a jar.

52. Though he lives in the conditionings (Upadhis), he, the contemplative one, remains ever unconcerned with anything or he may move about like the wind, perfectly unattached.

53. On the destruction of the Upadhis, the contemplative one is totally absorbed in ‘Vishnu’, the All-pervading Spirit, like water into water, space into space and light into light.

54. Realise That to be Brahman, the attainment of which leaves nothing more to be attained, the blessedness of which leaves no other blessing to be desired and the knowledge of which leaves nothing more to be known.

55. Realise that to be Brahman which, when seen, leaves nothing more to be seen, which having become one is not born again in this world and which, when knowing leaves nothing else to be known.

56. Realise that to be Brahman which is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute, which is Non-dual, Infinite, Eternal and One and which fills all the quarters – above and below and all that exists between.

57. Realise that to be Brahman which is Non-dual, Indivisible, One and Blissful and which is indicated in Vedanta as the Immutable Substratum, realised after the negation of all tangible objects.

58. Deities like Brahma and others taste only a particle, of the unlimited Bliss of Brahman and enjoy in proportion their share of that particle.

59. All objects are pervaded by Brahman. All actions are possible because of Brahman: therefore Brahman permeates everything as butter permeates milk.

60. Realise that to be Brahman which is neither subtle nor gross: neither short nor long: without birth or change: without form, qualities, colour and name.

61. That by the light of which the luminous, orbs like the Sun and the Moon are illuminated, but which is not illumined by their light, realise that to be Brahman.

62. Pervading the entire universe outwardly and inwardly the Supreme Brahman shines of Itself like the fire that permeates a red-hot iron-ball and glows by itself.

63. Brahman is other than this, the universe, yet there exists nothing that is not Brahman. If any object other than Brahman appears to exist, it is unreal like the mirage.

64. All that is perceived, or heard, is Brahman and nothing else. Attaining the knowledge of the Reality, one sees the Universe as the non-dual Brahman, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss-Absolute.

65. Though Atman is Pure Consciousness and ever present everywhere, yet It is perceived by the eye-of-wisdom alone: but one whose vision is obscured by ignorance he does not see It; as the blind do not see the resplendent Sun.

66. The ‘Jiva’ free from impurities, being heated in the fire of knowledge kindled by hearing and so on, shines of itself like gold.

67. The Atman, the Sun of Knowledge that rises in the sky of the heart, destroys the darkness of the ignorance, pervades and sustains all and shines and makes everything to shine.

68. He who renouncing all activities, who is free of all the limitations of time, space and direction, worships his own Atman which is present everywhere, which is the destroyer of heat and cold, which is Bliss-Eternal and stainless, becomes All-knowing and All-pervading and attains thereafter Immortality.

Nirvana Shatkam is based on the concept of Advaitha (non-dualism). It means that Jeevathma (Personal soul) and Paramathma (Divine soul) are not two different aspects but one and the same. The aim of Jeevathma is to attain the level of Paramathma. This is the manifestation of self realization. This explained how he came to have such an all-comprehensive knowledge without any apparent instruction.

If Culture, tradition and Heritage were Currency, we would be the Richest Country in the World. Our culture is what defines us; it is an integral part of our lives, the way we live, the mores, traditions. Either we make them or break them. You go anywhere, live in any country, do anything, you cannot escape the pride that you feel when someone mentions the Word Bharat. Ancient India was able to become the most attractive culture in the world, and people used to travel a long way to India to learn about all the tremendous things that had been discovered and invented here. India has possibly had the most creative civilisation that ever existed. Creativity is one of the greatest gifts for an individual or a nation.

Let’s have some space for Spiritual Travel within our range of vacations and travels. We all need to shoulder this primary responsibility of sustaining and safeguarding our culture, our roots. Thanks to heavily distorted history and civilization penned by the-so called distorians, most of us are already painfully ignorant of our true history and rich and profound to esoteric ancestral wisdom - and we are gaining grip on the lost through Indic literature or the new breed of Indic writers.

When your neurons are more active you can understand other problem and you can solve them too and you ask to love all there is no caste in front of god all can access God to become God its a cosmological journey who ever traveled inter-dimensional who process more divine powers or cosmological powers can sit as god and rule this dimension all gods knows everything more divine more capabilities to solve the problem.

Becoming divine is becoming more neuron active less active you can't understand higher dimension you will be in 3rd dimension and fight with your own ideology once you activate your inner part of brain by mantras your neurons become active to understand 4th dimension and more powerful you can understand more dimension unless you know Tamil you can't understand any idols explanation why it has multiple hands, gods name and mantra meanings to access tamil mantras you need to be a incarnation.

Nirvana Shatkam is based on the concept of Advaitha (non-dualism). It means that Jeevathma (Personal soul) and Paramathma (Divine soul) are not two different aspects but one and the same. The aim of Jeevathma is to attain the level of Paramathma. This is the manifestation of self realization.

न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जातिभेदः पिता नैव मे नैव माता च जन्म।

न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्य- श्चिदानानंदरूपः शिवोSहं शिवोSहम् ।।५।।

I am not bound by Death or the Fear of death nor influenced by the rules of Caste and its Distinctions. I have no Father or Mother, nor do I have Birth. I do not have special Relations nor Friends, a Spiritual Teacher or Disciple, I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva, The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness. Adi Shankaracharya

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