Parakaya Pravesham Essay

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Parakaya Pravesham Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shankara was born to Shivaguru and Aryamba in Kalati, Kerala, belonging to the Namboodri Brahmin community. Leading historians have established the birth of Shankara in 788 AD. Download Biography Child Shankara was precocious and (exhibited) a great prodigy in learning poetry and hymns, Chandas (meter) and Alankaras (Rhetoric) at the early age of three. Encouraged by his learning ability, his parents were contemplating on performing his Upanayana, when Shivaguru died suddenly. Aryamba followed through and consummated the child's Upanayana before Shankara was five years old. Following the Upanayana, Shankara learnt the four Vedas in a very short time. Shankara's Childhood Two incidences of Shankara's childhood are reported to have their presence felt even today. Following the Brahmacharya tradition, he was going for alms. One day, a very poor lady, expressing her helplessness, offered a dried berry to Shankara. Shankara was moved by her kindness even in poverty, prayed Goddess Lakshmi on her behalf and composed the hymn “Kanakadhaara Sthothra”. Goddess Lakshmi pleased by the earnestness of Shankara bestowed the woman with riches. Even today, two rich “Swarna Thillam” families in the village of Ponnar Thodatha are reported to identify their riches to the blessings of Shankara. The other incidence relates to Shankara's service to his mother. When he was seven, one day in the hot afternoon, his mother collapsed by the riverside. Having helped his mother with first aid and brought her home, the whole day Shankara was thinking compassionately of a solution to mitigate the stress of his mother visiting the river every day for daily ablutions. Next morning, to his surprise, the Poorna River had changed course and was flowing adjacent to the house. Even today, Keralites are reported to refer to the river as “Amba
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