"Adi Shankaracharya (The Philosopher)" "Explanatory note follows The Vedas constitute the oldest... sacred literature of lndo-Aryans." "They contain the spontaneous... spiritual aspirations of man." "The origins of the Vedas... are shrouded in mystery." "They date back to extreme antiquity" "The orthodox Hindu regards the Vedas as revealed scripture" "The Upanishadas from concluding portion of the Vedas" "They belong among the most remarkable literature in world" "They expand, in poetic outpourings, the view of man's identity of "Atman", the individual self, and "Brahman", the universal self... which pervades the world." "This Monism, which is implicit in... the Upanishadas, was elaborated into a doctrine of non-dualism by... great Indian Philosopher, Shankara Shankara was born in 780 A.D." "He is referred to as Shankaracharya" ""Adi" denotes the "First" in terms of being "the founder"" ""Acharya" means "a revered teacher"." "Not much is known about Shankara's... personal life except through tradition lt affirms that Shankara was born... in Kerala State of South India." "He renounced the world at... very young age, to become a religious mendicant" "The film is based on detailed research and made in consultation with... and approval of religious scholars." ""Adi Shankaracharya" is also the... first Indian feature film..." "...made in the Sanskrit language" "Sanskrit is the literary language of ancient India lt is also the language of Vedas." "Even today it is a spoken... language among some scholars This unique film has been made... possible by the efforts of..." "the director, G.V. Iyer" "And the film's sponsor the National Film Development Corporation of India" "River Purna flowing in the town Kaladi of Kerala state, South India" "Other faiths opposed to Hinduism seek to disturb its disciplines" "Shankara's father, Shivaguru offers morning prayers to sun" "Shankara's mother, Aryamba, carries pot of water to her home" "Traditionally, every house is decorated with colourful motifs" "The threshold is decorated with mango leaves." "Meaning of the decoration is visual delight." "Do you know these decorations have an inner meaning?" "White denotes truth" "Red denotes sacrifice" "Green denotes prosperity" "A Vedic prayer is performed in the style pertaining to Kerala State" "Aryamba waters the sacred Tulsi, a ritual among Hindu wives" "Shivaguru,approaching the temple,hears verses from the Bhagwat-Gita" ""He who at the time of death, fixes his mind on me attains me"" ""And for such a person, there is no rebirth"" "Have you finished all your duties?" " Yes, indeed" "Have you proffered all your duties to the Lord?" "Mrityu(death), listen to me." "The Supreme being is the One who created this Universe" "The temple epitomises the body" "He is formless but can be perceived through the vedic 'OM'" "Shivaguru realises that his life-span is over" "Looking at the flames... he visualises his own funeral pyre" "Holy Fire, the devourer of... speech, sight and mind !" "Meditate upon that truth... which creates, sustains and dissolves this universe" "Air, fire  water are immortal." "Only this body is mortal." "Oh fire!" "I will get enlightened with your light." "May my breath mingle with the immortal fire" "Oh fire!" "I'll brighten with your brightness." "Shivaguru visualises the initiation of Shankara into Brahmanism and his ceremonial seeking of alms from his mother" "Son, come here" "Son, I am departing." " Where to, Father ?" "Unto eternity." " Why?" "This body is mortal." " Where is Eternity ?" "Within one's own Self" " Then you are not really leaving ?" "Son, death is a friend" "When he arrives, do not be afraid of him" "Recite the verse I taught you" "Like water that descends from the skies and flows into seas offerings to all Gods, reach the Supreme Deity" "Like water that descends from the skies and flows into seas ..." "Every living being finally merges with the Supreme Being" "As your father said, look upon Death as a friend I am Death and your dear friend" " Welcome." "Abide with me" "Still talking to your son!" "What has happened?" "Handing over grass-shoots signifies transfer of authority... to perform further rites" "Funeral chants" "Shankara receives initiation into Brahmanism" "This world rests on 'His' shoulders," "Past, present  future are totally under 'His' control" "Wisdom in the form of a boy sits and observes" "The beginning of learning the nature of 'Self' and 'Universe'" "Chanting of "Gayatri", a holy mantra" "Shankara recalls his Father's words" "The body is mortal." "I go unto Eternity" "Mother, this is my friend 'Wisdom'." "He has come to stay with me" "Amidst so many children here, he can be part of us too?" "Stay comfortably, son" "Shankara, have you forgotten me ?" "Not at all." "Come along" "The Upanishadic imagery of two birds, the crow and the dove" "The crow is the doer, the active one" "The dove is the "Atman" (inner self), the passive observer" "The Sanskrit school located in the Temple grounds" "Why are you late today ?" "Who are these boys ?" "My friends, Wisdom and Death" "Mother gave me permission." "I brought them here." "Alright, be seated" "I am Wisdom, sir i am Death, sir" "Well, 'Death' and 'Wisdom' have no physical forms lf you are so named, so be it." "Be seated" "The ignorant can only think in terms of a mortal body" "A poor man's home l seek alms..." "A verse from the scripture, the Bhagawata, is heard" "The wisdom of truth is like the nectar   of the fruit of the Tree of Veda" "People living on earth may drink it for eternity" "Mother, give me alms" "Mother, give me alms" "Wait, I am coming" "May the Goddess looking kindly on me shower her blessings in plenty" "Why do you weep ?" "No son, no" "You are like my Mother." "Please tell me the truth" "My husband brings a mere handful" "He believes, "Hoarding food is a sin"" "I can't offer you anything, so I'm sad" "The one, having the inner vision, truly understands the Universe" "And He is the Lord of the past, present and the future" "As a tradition, 'initiated' boys seek alms in various houses" "Giving alms to young Brahmins was considered a high honour" "Take alms, O young Brahmin." " No!" "Not from your house!" "Why ?" "What's the reason ?" "Your very neighbour believes, 'Hoarding even a morsel is a sin'" "But here, you have hoarded sin!" "Hence, I will not take alms" "Listern, come here" "Looking at this young Brahman's sacrifice" "Distribute this food supply to the poor and needy" "How am I to believe that the self does not change?" "Observe this boy." "When he moves, he cannot stand" "When he stands, he cannot move." "is that not so, my child ?" "I am not aware of my body." "I am thinking of the lady we saw" "Did you hear ?" "The boy is here, his mind elsewhere!" "Be it so, be it so." "We will meet later" "Sir, how does a human being attain equanimity ?" "By becoming a Sanyasin (a monk)" "Shankara decides to renounce the world to become a monk" "Mother, I want to become a monk" "See, the milk is dripping." "Wipe your mouth" "Mother, I want to become a monk." " Where is Wisdom ?" "Go play with him" "Mother, I want to become a monk" "You think it is a joke?" "Don't mention it again" "Shankara recalls the words of his Teacher" "Paths of action and of renunciation are ways sanctioned by scripture" "Very few, when young, have renounced to become monks" "One such, in the great heritage is the revered teacher, Govinda" "Such men are rare" "Who are you ?" "When did you begin to steal ?" "Stay where you are." "I shall punish you" "What is this punishment ?" "He can't touch the cloth, nor can he jump over it" "Shall I untie it ?" "Come down" "Vow that you will never steal again I promise" "Eat. it is for you" "These, too, are for you" "Call this a punishment ?" "Physical punishment is never a lasting one" "The psychic one endures" "Henceforth he will not steal." " How can you trust him ?" ""Trust in Self" is the path of the scriptures..." "A noble secret, a great tradition" "Alas, a tradition we are fast losing" "Shankara, get up. lt is late" "Death, why are you here ?" " Waiting for you !" "Where is Wisdom ?" " Meditating, there" "Shankara is drawn to the saffron robe" "Saffron denotes renunciation" "Shankara, don't swim too far." "There are whirlpools, crocodiles!" "Shankara wants to be a monk" "Let him become one, but let him live long" "Shankar, mother is coming" "Mother" "Mother wished to see you alive, even letting you become a monk" "You, indeed are a monk now" "Really I saved him from the jaws of the crocodile" "You possess all the virtues." "May fortune smile on you" "I will get you milk" "Drummer proclaiming" ""The play "Nachiketha" will be performed in the Krishna Temple"" "A ballet in the style of Kerala State" "Nachiketha waits for three days in the house of the Lord of Death" "The Lord of Death returns" "Making a respected guest wait bodes ill for the host" "Yama apologises I made you wait for three days" "In return l grant you 3 boons." "Ask for them" "'May my father shed his anger against me and welcome me back'" "Granted" "Reveal the secrets of the holy fire to me" "Granted ls there life after death ?" "Learned men debate and disagree" "This is an age-old question and repeatedly asked" "This is the third and most important boon I seek" "But please don't ask this question" "Ask some other boon" "No boon is equalent to it" "Dear boy, I shall give you wealth, grant you long life and happiness" "I want neither wealth nor pleasures I wish to know the secret of life" "It can't be learnt through dialectics and logic" "But only through individual experience" "You have the right aptitude." "My blessings to you" "Neither the play nor the message made any sense" "In truth, there was neither Nachiketha nor Yama (Death)" "What matters is Nachiketha's firmness in seeking the truth" "A noble example to be emulated" "I am leaving to seek Govindapada." "Look after Mother" "Should you not inform her ?" " l go with her blessings" "Who will perform my funeral rites ?" "It is the sacred duty of a son" "Mother, I will return to perform the rites" "Every drop of water from the sky reaches the sea" "The Kerala-Karnataka border, South India" "He must be a sinner." "Our Tree-God punished him" "Let us bury him under stones" "The blind belief of the tribes pains Shankara" "Shankara sees social injustice." "He views the cosmos in its entirety" ""Tell me, who are you ?" "You, so fierce in form,"" ""O supreme power, who ever you are"" ""l bow before you"" ""l know not your purpose"" ""l wish to know you, O Primal One." ""Amidst distractions from other heterodox faiths..."" "Shankara continues his journey, seeking Govindapada" ""For the one in quest of knowledge Vedas will be the shelter..."" ""as the ocean is the shelter for all rivers"" "Karnataka border, Southern India" "Gokarna, North Karnataka Southern India" "Vishnu, an old friend, calls out to Shankara" "I became a monk with Mother's consent" "Are you going to perform austere penance ?" ""Duty is its own reward", is the Lord's saying in Gita" "May I follow you ?" "If we are together we will succeed" "State of Madhya Pradesh, Central India" "These symbols of imperfection aspiring for perfection" "Are you still awake, shivering with cold ?" "Omkareswar, Central India" ""Sun, the primal force, guiding the destiny of every being... governs the earth and heaven"" "Hindu tradition dictates that one is first a disciple, then a householder" "Then comes the practice of austerity, leading finally to renunciation" "True." "But one can also renounce soon after initiation I prefer this approach" "This is the holy river, Narmada Govindapada's hermitage must be near" "The River Narmada turns violent" "You are the primal force." "Supreme and oldest among all" "The root cause of the Universe" "You are the Knower, And the Known, too." "Pervader of all and the eternal." "The greatest refuge for all" "Victory to the boy who quelled the turbulence of Narmada !" "Come and see here is that boy Come quickly, Come..." "Victory to the boy who quelled the turbulence of Narmada !" "Where do you wish to go?" "I have come seeking the reversed teacher, Govindapada" "Welcome, welcome" ""To him, the erudite scholar, the knower of all the scriptures..."" ""To the revered teacher Govinda, my humble salutation"" "My child, what brings you here?" " l am Shankara, son of Shivaguru, ... a brahmin from the South I come to you seeking refuge, to resolve the enigma of existence" "With this mortal body, how can you cross the ocean of existence?" ""Body" is subject to birth and death; but not "Atman"(the Self)" ""The unreal has no existence;" "the real never ceases to be"" "Come here, my child" "You will be an ascetic of the highest order" "A chant in praise of the Atman (the inner Self)" ""Atman is beneath in the nadir, above in the zenith"" "Atman is all-pervading" "Realisation of this Truth leads to emancipation" "Choose a script which you like" "All your wishes will be fulfilled" "These are the aphorisms of the sage, Badarayana" "Sir, these are all torn" "True." "No one cares for them." "I tried to preserve them but failed" "A noble secret." "A great tradition." "Alas, a tradition fast decaying" "Sir, may I restore and edit them ?" " l would be happy indeed" "Perhaps it is the desire of our great sages that you do so" "Comment on these texts and spread their wisdom among the people" "You will have my help whenever you need it" "Look!" "Sage Shankara has given a new form to Vedic dialectics" "What erudition!" "Indeed, a remarkable work" ""Everything is Brahman" (the Universal Self)?" "But, how can we accept that..." "Come, all of you" ""Everything is Brahman" How can we accept this?" "Let us ask him straight" ""Earth" is the unchangeable truth" "Come, come quickly" "It is not my opinion." "The ancient Seers said so" "Listen to the story of Satyakama." "He asked his mother, Jabala I wish to be initiated into Brahminhood." "Tell me my lineage" "Mother!" "What is my lineage?" "I wish to be initiated into Brahminhood" "Please tell me my lineage" "My youth was spent serving many a house" "My son, I don't know your lineage" "All I know is..." "that I am Jabala." "And you are my son Satyakama" "Revered sir, I know not my lineage" "When I asked my mother, she said she doesn't know about my lineage" "All I know is that I am Satyakama, son of Jabala" "So, I am Sathyakam Jabala" "None but a learned person can be so forthright I shall initiate you to Brahminhood" "The only wealth of the knowledgeable is unity... equality and honesty" "For the wise, true devotion is ideal for a sanctified life" "Please, pardon us" "Banares, the holy city" "Letters combine to form words." "The "letter" is imperishable." "Grammar is essential to understand the meaning of words" "Hear the sound of a vessel falling." "This noise Dum is the root of the word Du Krn Karane" "Did you ever hear it?" "How fortunate I am" "Lord, bless me towards ascetism." "Accept me as Your disciple" "So be it" "You will be called Padmapada" "Salutations" "Truly, a very learned man indeed!" "Even our teacher has great respect for him" "At Govindapada's hermitage all have high praise for you" "A verse in praise of Shankara." ""l fall at your holy feet"" ""l seek refuge in you revered Shankara"" ""You are the ocean of knowledge, the embodiment of wisdom"" "I am quoting what has been explained in the Upanishads I submit myself to you" "Revered Teacher, take me under your wings" ""l submit myself to you kindly bless me, O graceful Shankara"" "Such fine verse, from the mouth of an illiterate" "A sweet verse, in Thotaka metre" "Due, of course, to Your blessings" "Henceforth you are named Thotaka" "When the heart is pure, everything else is pure" "What's the use of good grammar, without a good heart?" "When death strikes, grammar doesn't save us" ""When limbs are weak and..."" ""hair become grey..."" ""Doddering, old  toothless too..."" ""the decrepit moves with the help of a walking-stick"" ""Man never gives up desires"" "That's why..." ""Worship the Lord !" "Worship the Lord !"" ""O fool!" "Worship the lord"" ""The King of Banaras coming to see his holiness Shankara"" "Grace the court by your presence" "Thank you. I shall come later." "I have a task to complete I have to convey the message of the scriptures to the people" "For your journey, please make use of my chariots, horses and elephants I prefer to walk while these two legs can support me" "Life is but a cycle of birth and death" "Life is an ocean, hard to cross" "Merciful lord, save me !" "He who has inner vision is the Lord of the past, present, future" "Every drop of water from the sky merges with the sea" "The whole world praises you" "Actually, the one to be praised is... the great Nachiketha and not me" "But, your glory excel's everywhere" "Don't say so" "Dear Death, you can't let me live long, nor do I wish to I am ever prepared to abandon this body" "Let the Lord be praised always" "Move away !" "An untouchable !" "Move away!" "Move away!" "It is better that we keep off." "He doesn't seem to move..." "Keep off!" "Keep off!" "He who has the inner vision is the master of the Universe" "Who should keep off?" "My body or my inner Self (Atman)?" "All bodies are made of earth, built alike and hence impure" "The inner Self is all pervading, hence immovable and inert" "Tell me, who should move away?" "Every Self is universal." "Becoming aware of this is true knowledge" "The world is but an illusion" "He who taught me this truth, whatever be his caste... is my greatest Teacher!" "Praise be to this sacred city, Kashi,... which by its radiant rays of Knowledge" "dispelled my ignorance and brought forth enlightenment" "The boy is unperturbed by the struggle for life" "Earth is the unchangeable truth" "The boy is determined to look at the Sun; achieves it" "Upanishadic verse on the eye" ""The living breath residing in the eye is a Prince..."" ""waited upon by several Gods:"" ""God of Wrath is in the red of the eye." "Rain God is in the eye's moisture"" ""God of Light is in the Pupil." "God of speech is in the iris"" ""God of Life is in the White of the Eye"" ""He who knows this Truth is devoid of wants, and liberated"" "Revered sir, this boy was born dumb and seems insane at times" "My friend, who are you ?" "Where are you from ?" "Where are you going to?" "Do you remember your old abode?" "All pervading, yet unpolluted I am "Atman", the inner Self" "This boy perceives the eternal truth of Self, without effort" "He is destined for great things." "Please give him to me" "He who is determined keeps awake... while the world is asleep" "Are you Shankara, the disciple of Govinda ?" "Be seated." "What can I do for you ?" "I hear that you commented on the aphorisms of Badarayana ?" "Explain one of them." " Which one ?" "In the chapter on Sadhana, what is considered important?" "The first one." ""How is the body linked to the Earth"" "Shankara gives an explanation of the origin of man..." "Explain it further" "The 'self' leaving the previous 'body', acquires a new one ln the formation of five Oblations:" "Faith, Soma (Moon), Rain, Food, Seed ...as put forth in the Upanishadic speculations" "Upanishads affirm that in the process 'self' is accompanied by subtle elements" "Which leads to the question:" "How is a 'body' formed?" "The answer being; 'body' is formed by element like water" "How do you prove that elements like water form the body?" "Give an elaborate explanation" "Well, let me clear your doubt with the following aphorisms" "Shankaracharya recites a verse from the "Chandogya Upanishad"" ""The Heaven is Fire"" ""The Sun, its Fuel"" ""The Rays, its Smoke"" ""The Day, its Flame"" ""The Moon, its Embers"" ""The Stars, its Sparks"" ""into this Fire the Gods offer the Oblation of Faith"" ""Out of this, the divine King Soma, the full moon, arises"" ""The Rain God is indeed the Fire, The Wind is its Fuel"" ""The Cloud, its Smoke." "The Lightning, its Flame"" ""The Thunderbolt, its Embers." "The Thunder, its Sparks"" ""into this Fire, the Gods offer the oblation of Soma"" ""Out of this Oblation, Rain arises"" ""The Earth, its Fire." "The Year, its Fuel"" ""The Sky, its Smoke." "The Night, its Flame"" ""The Four Directions, its Embers." "The lnter-Directions, its sparks"" ""into this Fire, the Gods offer the Oblation of Rain"" ""Out of this Oblation, arises Food"" ""Man indeed is the Fire." "Speech, his Fuel"" ""Breath, his Smoke." "Tongue, his Flame"" ""Eyes, his Embers." "The Ears, his Sparks"" ""into this Fire, the Gods offer the Oblation of Food"" ""Out of this Oblation..." "the Semen (Seed) is created"" ""Woman is the Fire." "Male-organ is the Fuel"" ""Copulatory lncitation is the Smoke." "Her groin is the Flame"" ""Copulation is the Ember." "Orgasm is the spark" ""into this Fire, the Gods offer Semen as an oblation"" ""Out of this oblation, Fetus arises"" ""These five oblation of Elements, such as Water, give rise to Man"" ""The Fetus covered with membrane..."" ""lies within the Mother's womb"" ""Remains there for a prescribed time and then is born into this world"" "Very good." "Proceed with your writing" "Let it be authentic" "When you have doubts, ask other learned men" "Let other scholars comment on your work too" "A learned man shed his ego to learn and to teach" ""Like a ripe mango sheds its stalk when ripe"" ""Some fruits drop with their stalk." "Others may not drop at all"" "Similarly, Some stay away from the World." "Some can never stay free" "There are others, too, who stay in the world, and yet are free" "Prayag, Uttar Pradesh." "North India" "Kumarila, a great scholar and an authority on Vedic rituals,is seen immolating himself" "Shankara, I am an expert on orthodoxy and rituals" "My aim has been to uphold the Vedas and to thwart the atheists I tried my best to uphold the Vedas ln doing so, I erred" "Hence this immolation, a self-inflicted punishment" "Why?" "Why must you suffer this way ?" "I lived incognito among the Buddhists to learn their philosophy" "I learnt many secrets of his religion from teacher Dharampal" "My teacher, Dharmapala, decried the Vedic faith" "My eyes shed involuntary tears" "He then knew my true leanings" "Knowing that I had cheated them, I was driven out" "The monks pushed me downhill" "As they pushed me, I shouted:" ""lf Vedas are Eternal, then no harm shall come to me"" "I fell into an abyss and lost one of my eyes instead, had I said..." ""Eternal Vedas protect me", then no harm would have come to me I took my revenge by defeating Dharmapala in dialectics" "And succeeded in driving them away lt's victory for Vedic tradition" "Yes, indeed." ""May Vedic lsm be ever victorious"" "But I had sinned against my Buddhist teacher" "This self-immolation is my atonement" "My ambition has been that you would comment on my work I'll be a blessed one This is my humble request" "I would have loved to comment on your much-praised work" "Alas!" "It is too late." "I have vowed to give up my life" "Learned sir, can you please change your decision?" "My decision is as firm and final as the Vedas" "Let my eyes be blessed by seeing your manuscript" "I find you have true knowledge I request you to meet my disciple Mandana Mishra at Mahishmati" "He too is a great scholar." "Entrust this work to him" "The time has come for me to leave the world" "'My salutations to thee, O lord Shiva'" "'Thou of unparallel glory, formless, eternal and infinite'" "'Thou of many names, My salutations to thee'" "Mahishmati, on the banks of the River Narmada" ""My salutation to the river Narmada"" "Shankara looks for the house of Mandana Misra" "Vedas are the final authority, not philosophy" "Perform daily rituals and live long" "As you sow so you reap" "Who knows what is in store for us?" "Dear death, don't meet him first" "Then there will be no one to comment on my work" "There is silence here." "Let us look" "Please come" "Welcome to you, divinity personified" "What do you want?" "I came here to beg for debate, not for food" "A debate?" "Certainly." "But, please eat first" "Please come in" "The debate lasts for several days... interspersed with daily rituals" "What do you wish ?" " l am very hungry" "Please have this" "What is this diagram for ?" "To ensnare you !" "Does your parrot like grapes ?" " He likes only pepper" "How about you?" "You eat" "Hail Mandanamisra scholar of mimamsa" "You eat only pepper ?" "Eat these grapes !" "They are sweet" "The grapes are really sweet" "Sweets fruits are aplenty here" "Yet, you prisoner, prefer pepper." "When will you be released ?" "Liberation is through deeds, I'm told" "True, but when?" "See these ants!" "How many births do they need to scale a mountain?" "You have wings and can reach the peak of the mountain in a short span of time" "You only need to emerge from the cage." "Do you want more grapes ?" "No, I only want to be released." "Please open the cage" ""Shankara is the sun of the spiritual sky"" "Entire universe is enlightened with the power of your wisdom" "And the dark clouds gathered on the mind is vanishing" ""Before the rays of knowledge, the ordinary sun is pale as a moon"" ""l bow to the Sun of Knowledge, in thought, word and deed"" "Revered Sir, guide me on the path of renunciation and accept me as your disciple" "So be it." "You are named Sureshwara" "May the revered one be victorious" "Shankara, the unvanquished scholar, uncrowned king of the spiritual world" "Sir, would you enter into a debate with me ?" "Mother, truth is beyond debate." "It is experienced; not discussed" "You have put a stop to my words" "Revered Sir, please instruct me in my duties" "Be our foster Mother and lead us" "May the revered one be victorious" ""As the rivers lose their names when they merge with the ocean..."" "So do the learned discard their ego to merge with the Supreme Being" "virtue and sin "Beyond virtue and sin"" ""Beyond pain and pleasure"" ""Beyond chants and worships"" ""Beyond rituals and sacrifice"" ""l am neither the devourer, nor the devoured, nor the offering"" ""l am the ultimate knowledge;" "the Supreme Bliss"" "Why is Vedic religion accepted only in India ?" "India is the home of the Vedas" "Veda came into existance with the arrival of man and earth" "But knowledge of self is open to all India symbolises the mystic wheel (Tantric Chakra)" "Kashmir, Kamarup (Assam ) and Kanyakumari are the three corners" "Banares is the centre" "Hence, Vedic religion is rooted deep in India" "The octave and consonants are the limbs of Sharada..." "The Goddess of learning and the Creator of the Universe" "She's Sharada, mother of entire Universe" "May this Mother purify our minds" "Vedic chants of the ascetics" "Why do you always laugh at me ?" "I will leave you now." "I have work to do" "The Sun in the sky, and Shankara in my heart... both are memorable" "This is Sringeri and the Thunga river" "Buddhists tried their best to ban animal sacrifices" "Now animal forms made out of dough are sacrificed" "The very practise is tragic." "How does one put an end to it?" "You have realised the futility of rituals" "You are truly enlightened" "You are the deserving one to comment upon my work" "Blessed am I" "Come, alms is ready" "Come." "Food is ready" "Why is it that none of them wants to eat ?" "What is it?" "Why won't any of you eat?" "They resent Sureshwara commenting upon your work" "True." "We are not happy about it" "Why this envy ?" "Please forgive me" "Hastamalaka is a better scholar" "But scholarship is different from experience" "Couldn't you think of anyone else?" "Padmapada is the senior-most." "He could have been chosen" "If I can't find consensus among just the four of you... then how are we to spread Vedic ideas throughout India in one voice?" "Our ancestors were liberal in thought" "Due to them, Vedas were preserved" "But, I now feel that the message of veda will come to an end" "Let it get ruined lt deserves to get ruined" "Let Padmapada undertake the task" "Entrust me with some other work" "Pardon us" "Let Sureshwara write" "My decision is final." "Write yourself" "We were not jealous." "But each one of us aspired to write" "Utilise this aspiration to spread Vedic thought" "Let us go and eat" ""O ever blissful Mother." "Protect and purify me"" "You are beauty personified" "O ever blissful mother, purifier of all sins, you are divinity personified" "You are Goddess of Banaras, who turns this country into a heaven" ""l seek alms from you." "Be my eternal guide and refuge"" "Mother, I intend sending Padmapada..." "Hastamalaka, Totaka and Sureshwara.... to the four corners of India to propagate Monism" "Where should they go ?" " Dwarka, Badri, Puri  Sringeri" "Send them." "Let's see how much they accomplish" "Where will you be?" "The whole world is my land." "Where am I supposed to be?" "You are Sharada in Sringeri, Kamakshi in Kanchipuram..." "And Annapurna in Banares!" "You will be there wherever I go indeed, I will follow you wherever you go" "What happened ?" "I just remembered Mother." "I want to see her without delay" "Let's go. I too long to see her" "His Holiness Shankara is coming" "Move away." "Let Shankara see his Mother" "How is she ?" " Waiting only for you" "Dear Mother, I am here" ""The Supreme being is the one who created this Universe"" ""He is formless, but can be perceived through the Vedic 'OM' "" ""Meditate upon Him who creates, sustains and destroys"" ""Every drop of water from the sky merges with the sea"" "She lingered on only for her son's arrival" "Prepare for the funeral rites" "How can an ascetic perform funeral rites?" "But I had promised my Mother." "You may have promised." "But tradition prohibits it" "The barriers set up by tradition cannot bind an ascetic" "You look down on tradition." "You are disobeying the elders" "You are excommunicated!" " Yes!" "You are excommunicated!" "Nothing is real" "Neither Mother nor Father" "Neither brother nor relatives" "Neither riches nor a dwelling" "Everything is but an illusion!" "Hence, awake!" "Realise!" "Noble ideas are fast decaying" "True." "No one cares for them." "I tried to preserve them but failed" "Now starts my real journey to make the masses shed their ignorance" "Kanyakumari, Southernmost India" "Other Gods promise protection and offer boon through signs" "But you give a boon without asking for" "You grant them at once to the one who falls at your feet" "Prayer to Goddess Kanyakumari" "Renunciation alone leads to Salvation." "Not by rituals, not by wealth..." "The learned attain Salvation through renunciation alone" "Study well and gain knowledge" "Kanchipuram, South India" "Upanishads have given highest respect to a Guru" "Guru will lead us to salvation" "If 'individual' identity is lost, how can one transmit belief?" "To a detached mind, belief is unnecessary lf God is identified with 'self' why bind Him in an earthly form?" "When 'l' and 'He' become 'One' then the 'truth' comes into being" "When none exists;" "the 'truth' remains" "This stinking smell I don't know why king has come here to learn the secrets of life" "Raikva of the Upanishadic fame... who ignores the king but imparts..." "Knowledge to the more genuine princess" "These chariots, cows, precious stones" "How do I get benifited with these?" "I'm scratching my body my body is decomposing" "Education can never be bought with money" "Your daughter is eligible to get education" "Her face shows, she is intelligent" "That's your good fortune" "All sources of power on earth can be brought together with power of man" "When the atman sleeps, lt'll get lost in hallucination" "Life is fire, Life is ear Life is mind" "Life has enchanted everyone" "Sir, who are you?" "I am a worshiper of Bhairavi" "Human sacrifice was offered to this Goddess" "Kapalikas, a sect who believed in violent forms of worship... including human sacrifice" "What do you want ?" "You speak only about Spirituality." "You have no attachment to the body" "No." "Why?" "I need your body." " To what purpose?" "I want to sacrifice your body to Mother Kali for my Nirvana lf you are willing, then come with me" "I asked for your body." "Instead, I gave away mine" "May all my words be thy praise." "My walking is like circumambulating you" "All gestures be thy supplication" "Let my sleep be your prayer" "All enjoyments be thy dedication." "May all my actions worship thee" "Shankara prays to the Goddess." "Your will, be done" "Shankara in Somnath" "Narmada River, Marble rocks" "Prayag, Uttar Pradesh" "Banaras, Uttar Pradesh" "Devaprayag, Himalayas" "See how our Teacher hides his ill-health from us" "He never rests; always absorbed in his thoughts and work" "He travels endlessly." "No wonder he is ill" "I repeatedly begged him to take rest I even volunteered to assist him in debates" "He doesn't care for bodily pain." "He is beyond worries" "You always seem to be laughing at me" "Strange thing to happen..." "Death!" "You are committed to destroying this body." "Aren't you?" "And yet, You are trying to protect it." "What irony. lt makes me laugh" "Very amazing!" "Agreed, you are detached from your body." "But you should think of others" "Humanity needs you." "Several tasks are to be accomplished by you wait" "Please drink this milk" "What happened?" "Do not leave us destitute !" "We won't allow it" "I'm alright!" "I feel warm, that's all." "Let me bathe in the Ganges" "Don't worry" "Acharya, give me your upper cloth" "Himalayas, the abode of Lord Shiva" ""Your forehead is the crescent moon"" ""On your head, a crescent too"" ""Both uniting with the milky snow..."" ""to make the full Moon, lighting up these silvery peaks"" "A hymn in praise of Ganga" ""Ganga, dear daughter of the Himalayas"" ""This pure water is the milk of your breasts"" ""Be kind to me..."" ""your child from the South." "Nourish me"" ""Among the great poets who praise you I, your child, am hailed as the greatest"" "We can never achieve anything sitting like this" "Arise, let the drums beat the glory of Monism" "Hymn, in praise of Atman (The Self)" "The Supreme Truth is one, which is the all-pervading 'Self'" "True knowledge of 'Self' leads to liberation" "He who knows the 'Self' controls the gross, the living... mental, rational and supra-rational being" "Shankara is the Sun of the spiritual sky" "Before the rays of knowledge, the ordinary Sun is pale as a moon" "I bow to the Sun of knowledge, in thought, word and deed" "The other faiths log behind" "Shankara, you are at the pinnacle." "is there more to be achieved?" "I have achieved knowledge." "Some are torn by worldly sorrows" "For those torn by worldly sorrows and assailed by ignorance... to the whole world, I wish to reveal the secret of 'Self'" "Your philosophy is subtle and complicated" "Only through divine grace that comes with devotion... can one understand Monism." "Why lament over it?" "Nothing to be lamented about." "I don't get lamented like you I pray that everyone attains true knowledge of his self" "Keep lamenting. I can't wait." "Things have to come to an end" "A threat?" "I can quaff-off Death." "I am the fearless Brahman I know you are fearless, but I am human." "Let me go away" "Wisdom, this frozen piece of ice and this flowing water... actually it is neither ice nor water" "They are mere appearances of one reality" "This is the one truth;" "the doctrine of non-dualism" "Wisdom!" "Let us become one" "Dear Death." "You too come along" "You have been with me since birth." "Never left me, even when told to" "Don't hesitate, dear friend." "Let us become one" "O Reversed Teacher" "Why bemoan?" "He will be with us, forever in our intellect" "Praise be unto Him who conquered other philosophies..." "Like Sankhya..." "Yoga..." "Nyeyayika..." "Vaisheshika..." "Purva Mimamsa..." "And became the Master of Uttara Mimamsa" "Rightly, he is the uncrowned King of the Spiritual world I accept every faith" "He who has no attachments is verily the Self, the Universal Self I bow down to the 'Self' which is pure knowledge" "Who, with pure intellect and fortitude controls this sensual body" "And shuns sensation like sound, will be free from attachment" "He whose mind is unattached, subdued in thought, desire-free... and free from action, through renunciation, attains perfection" "Ego-free, possessions proofread, tranquil at heart, devoid of lust," "Humble and pure, then He is worthy of becoming 'Brahman'" "Charming!" "Pleasant!" "Blissful!" "Come along, all of you" "Every drop of water from the sky merges with the sea" "That (Universal Self) is infinite this( lndividualSelf)is infinite" "The Infinite Universal is created out of lnfinity" "Whether added to or subtracted from..." "Let there be peace everywhere"