SankaraAndMaleChauvinism
Om Namasivaya
Om Sri Durgayai
Namah
Om Sivayanama
Veeraswamy Krishnaraj
Sankaracharya (788-820 CE)
Sankaracharya, the propounder of Monistic theory and devotee of Siva
(Vishnu, and Mother Goddess) was in Kasi. He was ambushed, seized and
buttonholed by Saktas who
argued on the greatness of Mother Goddess and Sakti. Sankara beat them
all to a pulp by his arguments; Saktas were heart-broken because the
arguments were apparently sound and came from the mouth of Sankara
himself, who
was a realized soul and knower of Brahmavidya (Brahman knowledge = God
Realization). This debate over the superiority of Siva over Sakti went
on for days to the delight of Saivites and to the consternation of
Saktas; Sankara won it every time. (In those days, wars [of words]
happened on the debating platforms unlike these days.)
He was once lying with his head towards the south and feet towards the
north in utter physical exhaustion on a narrow path. He saw a girl come
towards him asking him to move his legs, so she could pass him to fetch
water from Ganges.
Sankara said, "O Mother (அம்மா),
go on, jump over my legs if you want. I am not moving. I am too tired to
move my legs." (It is common to address a female of any age as mother;
it is a mark of respect.)
The girl refused to jump over his body or legs and said, " O Brahmana, I
cannot jump over a body of a Brahmana. Please move your legs."
Sankara said, "You, silly ignorant girl. There is no harm in jumping
over me. Ignorance separates people as Brahmana, Ksatriya, Vaisya and
Sudra. Everyone and everything is Brahman (Impersonal or Para Brahman or
Supreme Consciousness). Jump over me and you
will incur no sin or faux pas. I am too tired to move my legs."
The girl said, "I myself will move your tired legs and pass by."
Sankara retorted, " You do what you want, silly girl. Off you go and out
of sight."
The girl lifted his legs, and made enough room to pass by.
The girl came back to Sankara who asked for water to quench his thirst.
The girl said with a smile, " You are so near the water, go and get it
yourself, you adamant Brahmana."
Sankara irritated by the girl, said, "I told you many times, I am too
weak to move or get up."
The girl then rolled her eyes and uttered in a voice that shook the sky,
the earth and his very being: "Sankara, you ignored Sakti. You said
Sakti did not exist, didn't you?" (Sakti is the power of Siva, depicted
as His consort. Siva is Sava (dead) without Sakti. It is like a wallet
without money. It is like saying He is a stuffed shirt.) Om Namasivaya.
Sankara was shaken to the core by the weightiness, gravity, tone and
meaning of the words of a little girl. He shut his eyes and opened them
to find waves of light in her eyes equal to a thousand suns and moons.
He ran to hold her feet in reverence and seek refuge. The Light and the
girl disappeared. Disappearance of the Light shattered him; his
Brahmajnana was shaken to its foundation; his pride was tottering in
tatters. He ran to the temple of Annapurna, crying "Mother." His
conviction about Siva being superior to Sive (Sakti) was shaken. Siva is
Sava (dead) without Sakti (power). In modern parlance: 'Money talks, BS
walks.' Sankara sang hymns in honor of Mother Goddess, Sakti. This was
a sport of Devi, and Sankara was an important participant. If one sees
Sakti in everyone and everything, she is within your reach.
Saundaryalahari
by Sankara
Verse 1. Siva, only when united with Sakti, gains the power to create;
if not, Siva cannot move forward. Who except a punyavan can
pay obeisance, prostrations, worship and praise to you, who is
worshipped by Hari, Hara and Virinci?
punyavan = he who has accumulated good karmic merits. This word
(Punyavan) is not in the verse. Hari = Vishnu; Hara = Siva;
Virinci = Brahma.
| Om Namasivaya |