Vijaya Samvatsara Shankara Jayanti Celebrations 2013
To celebrate the birth anniversary of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada, Shankara Jayanti was observed all over the country on Vaishakha Shukla Panchami – 15th May 2013.
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji observed the Shankara Jayanti Celebrations at Sri Adi Shankaracharya temple in Sringeri. The Shankara Jayanti Celebrations at Sringeri began on 10th May – the Vaishakha Shukla Pratipat. Shatarudra Abhishekha with Mahanyasa was performed daily at the shrine of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Parayana of the four Vedas, the Prasthanatraya Bhashya, Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya – the biography of Sri Shankara’s life, was performed daily. The Mahaswamiji was present at noon for the Mahamangalarati and engaged in Bhashya Parayana and Upanishad Parayana.
Vedic scholars from all over India took part in the Veda Sammelan conducted on the occasion in the Jagadguru Mahaswamiji’s presence. Examinations were conducted for advanced students of the Vedas by the Peetham’s Veda Poshaka Sabha.
In the evenings, the Jagadguru presided over a Sabha at the Pravachana Mandiram. As part of the Sabha, Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya Parayana by Asthana Vidwan Sri T V Shivakumara Sharma took place. Following this, Asthana Vidwan Sri Vinayaka Udupa gave a summary of the Sargas whose Parayana had just been completed. Upanyasas on the life and teachings by eminent scholars took place. The scholars this year who rendered Upanyasas in the Jagadguru’s presence were Vidwan Ganesha Ishwara Bhat of Sringeri, Vidwan Umakantha Bhat of Melkote, Vidwan Vishwanatha Bhat of Siddapura, Vidwan M L Narasimha Murthy of Tirupati, Dr. Nitilapura Krishnamurthy of Udipi. This was followed by Mangalarati and Ashtavadhana Seva. The Murti of Sri Adi Shankaracharya was taken in a procession along the streets of Sringeri by the Vidyarthis of the Sringeri Pathashala.
On 15th May, Shankara Jayanti day, the Jagadguru Mahaswamiji performed an elaborate Puja to Sri Adi Shankaracharya in the afternoon. The Mahaswamiji concluded the Puja with the grand ‘Kanakabhisheka’ to the Vigraha of Sri Adi Shankaracharya.
Parameshwara Jayanti birth anniversary. Some may wonder how can Bhagavan, who is unborn, take birth. This only refers to the day of incarnation. Bhagavan appeared as Sri Rama on Chaitra Shuddha Navami and as Sri Krishna on Shravana Krishna Ashtami. While we take birth based on our Karmas, that is called Janma. Bhagavan taking birth via Kausalya or Devaki is not driven by Karma but out of His own volition. Bhagavan says in the Gita that He, being Ishwara, though unborn and unchanging, appears out of His own Maya –
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामघिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥
It is this day of Avatara, the day of appearance that we celebrate as Jayanti. We celebrate the Jayanti by remembering the glory of the Avatara, and to attain our own Shreyas. We also express our gratitude on this occasion.
On the occasion of Shankara Jayant, we remember the remarkable personality and achievements of Adi Shankaracharya, the Avatara of Parameshwara, in His short life of 32 years.
Madhusudana Saraswati in His work Siddhanta Bindu (a commentary on Adi Shankaracharya’s Dashashloki) writes at the beginning – “वेदान्तशास्त्रश्रवणालसानां बोधाय कुर्वे कमपि प्रयत्नम्” – I undertake this effort for the benefit of those who are eager to listen to the Vedanta Shastra.
What does the word “Vedanta Shastra” mean here? While commenting on the Siddhanta Bindu in His Nyaya Ratnavali or Bindu Tika, Sri Brahmananda Saraswati explains that Vedanta Shastras refers to the pentad of Veda Vyasa’s Brahma Sutras, Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhashya on the Brahma Sutras, Sri Vachaspati’s commentary called Bhamati on the Shaankara Bhashya, Sri Amalananda’s commentary on Bhamati called Kalpataru and Sri Appayya Dikshita’s commentary on Kalpataru titled Parimala.
The word “Vedanta Shastra” thus refers to the pentad of “Brahma Sutras – Bhashya – Bhamati – Kalpataru – Parimala”. Sri Madhusudana wrote the Siddhanta Bindu for those who cannot study these profound philosophical texts or do not have the opportunity to study them.
Thus Vedanta has its essence in the Bhashya of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Such is the profundity of Sri Adi Shankaracharya’s Bhashya which was completed by the time of Sri Adi Shankaracharya at the age of 16. This was possible only because Sri Adi Shankaracharya was an Avatara of Ishwara.
The Jagadguru then spoke about a new work that had been brought out before Shankara Jayanti. The Jagadguru explained that while it has been the tradition to do the Parayana of the Sri Vidyaranya’s Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya during the Shankara Jayanti Celebrations, there are a number of places where doing the Parayana of this work containing more than 1800 verses remains infeasible. In order that Astikas listen to the life of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, a short work based on the original text of 150 verses, and called Sankshipta Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya had been released prior to Shankara Jayanti. The book that also contains the Kannada translation of the Sanskrit verses was distributed throughout Karnataka to various centres observing Shankara Jayanti under the auspices of the Peetham.
The Jagadguru expressed joy over having offered the Puja to Sri Adi Shankara on the day and pointed out that by the Grace of His Guru, the Panchaloha Vigraha in the Adi Shankara temple at Sringeri resembled the Panchaloha Vigraha in the Adi Shankara temple at Kalady, and it seemed as if that the Puja was being offered at Kalady itself. The Jagadguru then ended the Bhashanam blessing the devotees.
It may be remembered that , after the Prathishta Kumbhabhisheka of the Adi Shankaracharya temple in February 2011, the Jagadguru had directed that the day after the Shankara Jayanti would be celebrated as Adi Shankaracharya Maharathotsava. Consequently, at Pravachana Mandiram on the morning of May 16th (Vaishakha Shukla Shashti), the Utsava Murti of Sri Adi Shankaracharya was placed on the Maharatha at Sringeri. The Mahajanas of Sringeri reverentially extended a formal invitation to the Jagadguru to come and conduct the Adi Shankaracharya Maharathotsava. The grand Rathotsava took place along the main Bharathi Street of Sringeri with the Vedic scholars jubilant Jagadguru chanting Yajur Veda and the Ghanapathis chanting in tandem.
In the evening, the Valedictory function of the Veda Poshaka Sabha was held in the divine presence of the Jagadguru. The first to be felicitated was Vedabrahmasri Swanand Shivaram Dhaygude Ghanapati of Pune who passed the Shadanga exam, in which exams were conducted on the six Vedangas of Shiksha, Vyakaranam, Chandas, Nirkutam, Jyotishama and Kalpa.
Gold rings were then awarded to Vedabrahmasri R. Manikantha Ghanapati of Tiruchi in Rig Veda, Vedabrahmasri Upadhyayula Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Subrahmanya Somayaji Ghanapati of Vijayawada in Krishna Yajur Veda, Vedabrahmasri N K Mahadeva Ghanapati of Kanchipuram in Shukla Yajur Veda and Vedabrahmasri Arunachala Sharma of Chennai in Sama Veda. About 40 advanced students who successfully appeared for the exams in Krishna Yajur Veda, Shukla Yajur Veda and Sama Veda were then felicitated. The event ended with the honouring of the Vedic scholars.