INTRODUCTION
सच्चित्सुखात्मकं शान्तं जगतामेककारणम् ।
मामव्यान्मामकं ज्योतिरान्तरं सर्वदेहिनाम् ॥
शाङ्करो विजयोऽनेकैः कविभिः समुदीरितः ।
व्यासाचलेरितस्तत्र प्राकाश्यं नीयतेऽधुना ॥
The life history of Sri Sankarācārya is well known and it will be presumptuous on my part to narrate the same. However it will not be out of place if a brief summary of the chief incidents in the life of the great philosopher is given here.
Si Sankara, was the incarnation of the Lord Siva himself. He was born to Sivaguru and Aryāmba at Kaladi in the West Coast. After the Upanayanam in his fifth year, he studied all the Vedas with the accessories and the various systems of philosophy. He became an ascetic very early in life and resorted to Govinda Bhagavatpāda who accepted him as his pupil. He wrote elabotate commentaries on the Brahmasutras, Upanisads, Bhagavadgita, Visnu Sahasranāma, etc., and also a number of independent works bearing on philosophy and devotion. He easily vanquished all his opponents and was held in great esteem by Krsnadvaipayana, Kumarila, and others. Though he was destined to live only for 16 years, by the grace of Sri Veda Vyasa, he lived up to his 32nd year. He undertook an extensive travel and acquired a good number of pupils like Padmapāda, Suresvara, Hastāmalaka and Totaka. He defeated Mandanamisra, the famous Mimāmsaka and got him converted to his fold. He completely annihilated the various followers of the sectarian schools like Saiva, Bhakta, Bhagavata, Vaisnava, Visnu, Hiranyagarbha, Agnivādin, Saura, Mahāganapati, Ganapatya, Ekadesin, Ucchistaganapati, Sakti, Kāpālika, Carvāka, Saugata, Jaina, Bauddha, Mallāri, Visvaksena, Manmatha, Kubera, Indra, Yama, Varuna, Vayu, Bhumi, Udaka, Sunya, Varāha, Loka, Guna, Sankhya, Yoga, Pilu, Karma, Candra, Bhauma, Ksapanaka, Pitr, Sesa, Garuda, Siddha, Gandharva, Bhuta, Vetala, Pasanda, etc. He undertook pilgrimage to the sacred places like Madhyarjuna, Ramesvara, Anantasayana, Gunapura, Bhavānipura, Kuvalayapura, Ujjayini, Anumalla, Varudhapuri, Arthapura, Indraprastha, Dharmaprastha, Prayaga, Varanasi, Kedara, Bhadari,
Sankara, A - 1
