KALADY
THE BIRTH PLACE OF SAMKARA
In the legendary line of succession from Lord Siva to Samkara, the tradition of discipleship descends from Vyasa to Suka, Gowdapada, Govinda Bhagavathpada and Samkara. Samkara was born of Sivaguru and Aryamba at Kalady in North Travancore. Controversy continues about his date of birth, but the major consensus is in favour of A.D. 788-820 or A.D. 805-837. Even as Ayodhya is surrounded with the halo of Rama’s birth and Mathura of Krishna’s, Kalady (Kalati) is full of the halo of Samkara’s birth. The holy river that flows by Kalady Purna-significant of the Purnatva of the avatar of Samkara. The old Tamil Poems significantly described it as the Periyar, “the great rived”, great because of the learning and culture that the agraharas on its mouths. One such prosperous agrahara was Kalady, noble and charming (Madhaviya Samkara Vijayam II-3). The head of the Kaipilli Illom in this agrahara was Sivaguru, son of Vidyadhiraja. His wife Aryamba belonged to the Melpalur Illom which was situated about twenty miles from Ernakulam. In answer to the earnest prayers and vows that the couple observed in the Vrishabhachaleswara ' temple at Tirusivaperur (Trichur), a son was born to them and they named him Samkara. Samkara lost his father in his third year. He had his upanayanam in his fifth year within a few years completed his Vedic studies and attained proficiency in the Sastras. A time came when Aryamba had grown feeble and could not walk to the Periyar river for her ablutions. Samkara prayed and the mighty river cut its way by the side of the illom much to the joy of the venerable lady. Samkara was eight years old when one morning, on getting into the river, he found his leg caught within the jaws of an alligator. He begged his mother to grant him permission to embrace the holy order Sanyasa. The distraught mother granted the permission and the alligator loosened its grip of Samkara’s leg. Samkara committed his mother to the care of his kinsfolk and wended his way to meet his Guru, Govinda Bhagavadpada on the Narmada and met the Guru and became his disciple. He then went to Banaras and had darsan of Viswesvara. Then he proceeded to Bhadri and composed his commentaries on the Brahmasutras, the major Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
Years passed, Samkara had established the spiritual empire of Advaita and was riding on the crest of polemical triumph when he felt an inward longing to see his mother. He hastened to the home of his childhood, consoled his dying mother and sped her soul to the realms of light from which there is no return. The pharisical Nambudris would not allow him to perform the obsequies, Samkara being a Sanyasi.There were ten Illoms, eight of which kept strictly aloof. The Nambudris of the two remaining illoms came to him to offer consolation. One stood near the head of the corpse and the other near the legs. The former’s illom came to be known as Talayattupilli illom and the latter’s Kappilli illom. With his mantric powers, Samkara produced fire and lit the sacred pyre. In Bhagavan Samkara, foremost among Paramahamsas, we see the sublimation of filial love, as it is commonly known, into the rapture of divine love for the Mother of the Universe. The evocation of this love Supreme is in Samkara’s song (Adore Saradamba, my mother eternal). The history of this agrahara later to these incidents in Samkara’s early life, is shrouded in mystery and according to tradition the mystery was overshadowed by a curse that Samkara laid on it.
Four amongst his numerous disciples were chosen by him to hand down his teachings in institutional succession, for which purpose he established four mathas respectively at Bhadrinath, Dwaraka, Puri and Sringeri.
The Sringeri matha has had a succession of spiritually eminent Pontiffs beginning from Sankaracharya. According to Hindu tradition, direct homage has to be rendered to the present and his immediate two preceding preceptors. Sri Satchidananda SivaAbhinava Narasimha Bharati, the 33rd Pontiff, will ever be remembered as the great guru who identified the location of Kalady, the birth place of Samkara, where he built shrines to Sri Sarada Devi and Sri Samkara, and personally performed the Kumbhabishekam in 1910. The 34th Pontiff, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati, who attained Videha Mukti on the 26th of September 1954, will always remain in human memory as one who attained liberation while yet alive.
There are persons living who have seen both Siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharati and Sri Chandrasekhra Bharati. Their erudition, great as it was, paled before their spiritual attainments. To them the “Mahavakyas” of the Veda were no more than the expressions of their own experience. Sri Narasimha Bharati’s devotion to Goddess Sarada was unique. He saw Her and lived in Her presence. His Bhakti Sudha Tarangini was the outpouring of a realized soul. Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati’s commentary on the Vivekachudamani is sufficient to ensure for him a great place in the galaxy of Sringeri Acharyas.
The 35th Acharya in line of succession was His Holiness Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamin, and under his inspiration and guidance, several improvements have been made in the recent past in Kalady.
The Re-discovery of Kalady
The birth place of Samkara became a dim memory. Although on the authority of accepted tradition and the available texts like the Madhaviya Samkara Vijayam,
Samkara’s birth at Kalady has all been accepted as a historical fact, the undying credit for having rediscovered the exact location of to place, as already mentioned, goes to Sri Satchidadanda Siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharati, the 33rd Pontiff of Sringeri. On his initiative, the distinguished Diwan of Mysore, Sri K. Seshadri Ayyar identified the exact spot. The small patch of land was soon cleared and in obedience to the Jagadguru’s commands, Adukkaveri Srinivasa Sastri visited the place for some years in succession to celebrate a five-day festival in honoured Samkara's birthday. In 1905, A. Ramachandra Aiyer, a former Chief Justice of the High Court of Travancore and later a judge of the High Court of Mysore,
and N. Sastri, the energetic agent of the Matha, went to Trivandrum where they received the unstinted support of the Maharaja, Sri Rama Varma Mulam Tirunal, and his Dewan V.P. Madhava Rao. The Maharaja's government introduced in the state the provisions of the India Act of 1904 for the preservation of Ancient Monuments and in pursuance thereof “acquired Kundakara puraiyadam Iekkam No.115”, registered in the name of Kaipalli Nambudiri, and “in the possession of Tekkematam Swamiyar and other lands in Kalladikara Manjappra Proverthy, Kuttanad Taluk, which are associated with Sri Sankaracharya, containing sites which are known as his birth place, the site where his house stood and the site on which the remains of his mother were cremated”. The Government Order dated January 27, 1906 says: “as another step towards the introduction of this scheme, Government considers that measures should be adopted for the preservation of the birth place of Srisamkarachaya, the great religious teacher and reformer, whose name is held in veneration throughout India. It is situated in the village of Kalady, Manjappra Proverthy, Kuttanad Taluk on the banks of the Alwaye. The locality is treated as Sanketham or place of sanctity. There is a walled enclosure in a compound close to the river which, according to the tradition, is the site which was used by the great reformer for cremating the remains of his mother. The ghat in the river closely is also held sacred as having been used by samkara in performing the obsequies of his mother. Close by stands the temple of Sri Krishna, dear to the heart of the Master’s Mother. The Maharaja placed the site thus acquired at the disposal of the Jagadguru together with an offering of ten thousand rupees, to improve the site for the shrine to be built on it.
Two pictures que temples were built overlooking the ghat which was provided with a magnificent flight of steps. Untiring in their devotion, A. Ramachandra Aiyar and his Engineering associate E.R. Subbaraya Aiyar, succeeded in rehabilitating the place and recapturing its spiritual atmosphere. Then the Jagadguru, who had left Sringeri in February 1907 on a tour of the southern districts, reached Kalady a few days before the date fixed for the consecration of the temples. All along the route of his triumphal tour, his grateful disciples offered the contributions to this great cause, which in terms of money, amounted to two lakhs of rupees. The Maharaja of Travancore augmented this fund by another donation of Rs.10,000/-.
The Shrines
The two shrines, facing south, are stellates, the spire rising as a terraced cone. The Vimana of the Sarada temple is of the ashtapadma (eight angled) form, representing perhaps the eight petals of the Hridaya Kamala, while that of the Samkara temple is of the Sodasakonam (sixteen angled) corresponding to the sixteen Kalas of Divinity. Round the Vimana of the Sarada temple are niches in the angles for the Matrika Devis. Samkara is Dakshinamurthi rupa and Sarada Dakshinamurthi rupini -both exhibiting mudras appropriate to the Janana and Ananda concepts of the Supreme. The two sanctums had each a small mandapa on a raised plinth and in front a gabled hall or shed. These have since been terraced into bigger halls and connected and now form a central courtyard with covered halls on all the four sides.
To the north-west of the Samkara shrine is the temple of Sri Krishna, a typical Kerala structure in wood, with gabled roofs. Here did Aryamba conduct her daily worship. In front of the Vimana of Sarada is a small shrine for sakthi Ganapati; and to its left the sacred brindvana, an altar with tulasi plants to mark the place where Aryamba was cremated. The jagad guru adored in moving and inspiring hymns Sri Krishna and Sasta and consecrated for protection of the colony Hanuman in anasvaqa tree and Kartavityarjuna in an asoka tree, worship for both of whom is offered on Saturdays and Thursdays respectively. To the north-east of the Sarada temple is the principal matha building intended for the residence of the Jagadguru when he visits the place. The principal ghat leading down to the river is a fine structure with thirty-two steps.
His Holiness Sri Satchidananda Siva Abhinava
Narasimha Bharati left Sringeri on his pontifical tour in February 1907. His ultimate objective was to reach Kalady for the consecration of the Samkara and Sarada temples, but he visited several places on the way in response to the wishes of disciples and reached Perumbavur, five miles from Kalady early in 1910. Here he went into Samadhi (mystic trance) and had a vision of Arymba, mother of Samkara, “as if welcoming him with a winning and benevolent smile.” That set the seal of divine approval of this enterprise.
4. The Consecration
The Kumbhabhishekam or consecration of the two shrines took place on the 21st February 1910 (Saumya, Magha Su 12). On the occasion, the great Acharya composed verses in honour of Kalady, Samkara and Sarada. (Bhakti Sudha Tarangini, p.435).
5. Visit of Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati, the then Pontiff of Sringeri visited Kalady in 1927 and celebrated Samkara Jayanthi there. He made arrangements for the annual celebrations of Samsara Jayanthi and other important festivals, laid out in agrahara which provided residential quarters for the staff of the temple and mutt, and initiated special classes in Vedanta in the Veda Patasala. He again visited Kalady in 1939 and made a long stay. At the entrance to the agrahara is an inscription recording that the agrahara was resuscitated in Kalady by Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati.
6. Visit of Sri Abhinava Vidya Tirtha
His Holiness sri Abhinava vidya Thirtha Mahaswami’s mind always thought of Kalady and whenever he got a chance he visited Kalady. On the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Samkara Memorial Hall in 1964, H.H. recalled to the audience the sanctity of Kalady, the birth place of Samkara who, during his short span of life, destroyed heretic faith and restored the Vedic traditions in India and consecrated several temples. He added: “these temples may not be accessible to all and therefore a temple of a different kind in the shape of the proposed hall is necessaries attract all people interested in cultural and spiritual endeavour. Scholars may meet here to do research in Samkara's philosophy and in all fields of spiritual and metaphysical studies. The hall will house a library, an auditorium, a gallery of Murals and sculptures and other cultural accessories. It will also include a publication section. His Holiness finally observed that like the Town Hall in a city, the Hall will become the cherished possession of all votaries of learning Indians and foreigners
7. Three Gurus Meet at Kalady
The meeting of the three great jagadgurus of Sringeri, Puri and Dwaraka Maths on the 6th of May 1965 at Kalady was the culmination of a Movement initiated by Satchidananda siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharati', developed by his successor and finally brought to a glorious fruition by Sri Abhinava vidya Thirdha Mahaswamin of the Sringeri Mutt. The three Acharyas worshipped at the shrines of Samkara and Saradamba. In the evening, a special reception was accorded to them by the Akhila
Bharata Samkara Seva Samiti.
The Secretary in his address described the advent of the three jagadgurus as that of the Trimurtis glowing like the three Sacrificial Fires, and said that their presence at Kalady heralded steps for the preservation and fostering of the Vedic teachings. He dwelt among other things upon the imperative need for Vaidiks (clergy) and Laukiks (laity) putting forth a joint effort in dharmic work, endeavouring to harness the time honoured culture of the land with the needs of modern times and enlarging the scope and work of the Akhila Bharata Samkara Seva Samiti and is publications. A joint message of benediction was given by the three Acharyas in which they pointed out that Lord Parameswara incarnated himself as samkara Bhagavathpada at Kalady, the holiest of places, the preeminent centre for inspiration, adorning the world on the banks of the Purna river, which purifies every man in thought, word and deed, a visit to which place increases tranquility, self-restraint and other eminent virtues in those engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. The three Acharyas further proceeded to say, “for the effective protection of the Vedic path pro- pounded by him, Adi Samkara established four Mutts in the four directions at Sringeri, Dwaraka, Badrinath and Puri, which he handed over to his four disciples. Among the four, we three Jagadgurus of Sringeri, Dwaraka and Puri have with great respect assembled at this Kalady Kshetram for this year’s sri Samkaradayanti Mahotsavam. It is our desire that efforts should be taken by every shishya, every citizen, everyone engaged in the administration of the Government of this country, and everyone of the legislators entrusted with the sacred duty of framing the laws of the land and the administration of justice to protections ancient, sacred and time-honoured Sanatana Dharma for all time”
What is the message of renascent Kalady?
It has been expressed by Jagadguru Sri Satchidananda Siva Abhinava Bharati Mahaswamigal himself in the hymns he addressed to Saradamba and Samkara on the occasion of the consecration (Bhakti SudhaTarangini).He appeals to them to restore and foster the ideals of Dharma and spiritualities of this great land which alone would secure the well-being of humanity
Belief in God and in Vedas has got submerged in the ocean of Kaliyuga. It has to be recovered by multitude of good actions. May Lord Samkara, kindly bring back Astikyam to save the world! Lend me the support of your holy feet!
Completely devoid of good thoughts, not observing the enjoined duties like morning and evening ablutions, filling the stomach day in and day out, the human beings are stricken with fear all the time. Lead them on the right path and console them, oh Sarada. (These are to of the verses which HH. Satchidananda Siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharati sang in prayer to Samkara and Saradamba after the consecration at Kalady.
8 Shrines and Places associated with the memory of Samkara in and around
Kalady
Krishna Temple : Just to the west of summary's, dear to Aryamba.
Manikkamangalam Temple :
Katyayini Bhagavati a temple, about two furlongs north of Kalady. Aryamba is said to have daily visited the temple with offering of milk.The deity appeared before Samkara one day as a bright vision
Vellimantuilli Temple:
A siva temple where Aryamba worshipped when she became physically weak to visit Trichur. It is about two miles west of Kalady.
Trichur vadakkunathar :
who conferred the boon of Samkara's birth to his parents.
Kodungalur :
Samkara is believed to have effected changes in the form of worshipping Devi Bhagavati.
Talayattumpilli Mana (illom) and Kapilli Illom: Referred to earlier.
Swarnathu Mana :
About fifteen miles from Kalady on the Perumbavoor - chottanikkara road. A lady of the illom who was abjectly poor was blessed with immense wealth by Goddess Lakshmi whom Samkara adored movingly in his Kanakadara Stotram, just expressing his gratitude for the lady who humbly and affectionately offered the brahmachari Samkara a mere over-ripe amalaka fruit as alms.
Melpalur illom : Twenty miles south-east of Ernakulam, birth place of Aryamba.
Kerala's Honour
The greatest memorial act Kerala has honoured samkara’s memory with is the founding of the Kollam era inA.D. 825.The news of the master's disappearance in the far off Himalayas in 820 A.D. reached Kerala a few years later.
King Udaya Marthanda Varma convened an assembly of learned men in Kollam (Quilon) and founded the new era in 825A.D., which is now the Malayalam Era prevalent all over Kerala and the adjoining Tamil districts.
The rehabilitation of Kalady and the vast improvements carried out by the Sringeri Mutt will keep alive the resplendent Samkara in the hearts of all the sons of India and inspire them to even loftier and nobler endeavours.
Sambhu incarnated as Siva walks on our earth. The light that first shone on the banks of the Purna, later shone on the banks of the Narmada and then on the banks of the Ganga both on the plains and on the Himalayas, illumines the (four) great Amnaya Peethas.
The source and fount of Advaita is verily Kalady, the rehabilitation of which (initiated in a grand manner by Sringeri Mutt) continues to be the glorious and devoted task of the Sringeri Mutt in which it received magnificent support and assistance from the Government of the Maharaja of Travancore, a staunch Hindu and devotee of Samkara.
On February 5, 1956, Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the indian Union, visited Kalady. The Swamis of the Sri Ramakrishna Adwaita Asrama (which is close to the Sringeri Mutt at Kalady) gave him a reception.
Among other things, Dr Rajendra Prasad said, ''Sri Samkara, within a short span of thirty-two years or so,managed not only to study and master all philosophies but also to write a tremendous lot and go about and tour all over the country to establish great centres of learning and great Mutts in the four corners of India... Kalady is a place of historic importance and it is only in the fitness of things that, now that we are free every effort is made to revive its old glory and re-establish the place which it ought to have in our national life.” It is to the glory of Sringeri Sarada Peetha that it was the 33rd Pontiff of this great Peetha who searched for and fixed the birth place of the Bhagavathpada and conducted the installation of Sri Sarada and Adi Samkara idols at a Kalady and invoked the divine blessings for fostering the spiritual glory of the place which is coming to fruition in leaps and bounds. The entire spiritual world is beholden to sringeri sarada Peetha and its saintly pontiffs for this gift of their to the world.
9. Other Institutions
The Samkara College : A few years ago, some public spirited persons started the Samkara College at Kalady. In April 1960, the gentlemen in the management of the College agreed before the Kerala High Court to hand over the college and its affairs to the Jagadguru of Sringeri. The college is managed directly by a Board of Directors with the blessings and under the guidance of His holiness. The college building is situated on a hillock of about 20 acres in extant. The hostels are located at the base of the hill. With the help of the Samkara Educational Trust (described below), new halls have been added and lecture halls extended. Provision has also been made for a more spacious library and a new hostel. New buildings have to be constructed for the Research Institute. The College offers the usual academic course in accordance with the rules of the Kerela University, but with special emphasis on Sanskrit studies. The Sanskrit degree course has Vedanta as a special subject.
The Samkara Educational Trust :
The Trust was founded soon after the taking over the College with the following objectives: (i) to promote and advance the cause of indian culture and more particularly higher education at the University level with an indological bias, at Kalady; (ii) to maintain the institution called The SamKara college's at Kalady and expand it so as to satisfy the objective mentioned above; and (iii) to help in the maintenance and development of such other educational institutions as are or may be taken up by His Holiness Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Sarada Peetham''. The Trust has greatly helped to maintain the educational institutions in Kalady and continues its useful work.
The Patasala: Instruction according to ancient Hindu tradition is also being imparted in the patasala at Kalady and at the Rig Veda Patasala being run by the Chadurdam Veda Bhavan Nyasa.
New Buildings : New buildings have been constructed by the Samkara Educational Trust with the help of contributions from disciples and devotees from all over india. They consist of Memorial Arch at the entrance to the temple and the enclosed hall which connects the shrines of Sarada and Samkara and a Guest House-cum Research Centre adjacent to it. The architectural beauty of the two temples has been enhanced by the new entrance arch. Indeed it gives the finishing touch to a cluster of buildings situated on the banks of a large river.
The other building is intended not merely for guests to stay and refresh their minds and renew their spiritual vigour in the holy precincts of the temples, but is further intended to be a centre for research of all matters connected with Hindu philosophy. It is difficult to think of a more appropriate place for this intellectual purpose from the point of view of either spiritual atmosphere or of external calmness which is necessary to promote calmness within.
Kalady : Kalady is connected by motorable roads with Trichur, Angamali. Alwaye. Emakulam, on the Southern Railway's Madras-cochin section. It is also on excellent bus routes from several important towns of Kerala State, Trivandrum, Kottayam, Cochin. Calicut etc. Kalady is 10.14 N Lat; 76.45 E long.
|