Excerpts from the Caritas: Sankaradeva’s Views on Going on Pilgrimages (tirtha)

 The caritas are not at all reliable when it comes to the ideology of Sankaradeva. Written centuries into the post-Sankaradeva era when the Eka Sarana religion of Sankaradeva had already become distorted, with the original path of pure devotion reverting to the old karmic ideology, these biographies provide an account that is extremely inconsonant with Sankaradeva’s own pronouncements and exhortations (regarding the path to be followed). Among these glaring inconsistencies is the one pertaining to traveling to sacred spots (tirtha). However, even among this abundance of contradictions, there are certain passages that seem to give the correct version of events. The ideology expressed in these passages aligns beautifully with the one revealed by Sankaradeva in his own writings. It is these passages that give us the real Sankaradeva.

The Sarana of Ramadasa (Daityari, pp. 52-53)

Sankara’s words to Gayapani (Ramadasa) on the futility of tirtha and the glory of the pure devotees’ company:

jānilom̐ śaṅkara-, -deve bulilanta kahiẏoka mahāśaẏa .. 20 .. kibā paḍhi āchā, tehe bole alpa nāhike paḍhā bistara . eka guṭi śloka, paḍhiẏo eteke jānibo bole śaṅkara .. 21 .. "tatraiva gaṅgā yamunā ca tatra godāvarī tatra sarasbatī ca . sarbbāni tīrthāni basanti tatra ẏatrācyutodāra kathā prasaṅgaḥ .." ehi guṭi śloka, paḍhilanta tehem̐ iṭo sarbbaśāstra sāra . āra bāra mātā, bulilanta tāṅka paḍhā paḍhā āra bāra .. 22 .. ehimate tini, bāra paḍhāilanta śaṅkaradeve eteke . rākhilanta śloka, bulilanta tāṅka bujiẏo āra arthake .. 23 .. tehem̐ kahilanta, nubujiẏo artha śuniẏā śaṅkare hāsi . ślokara samasta, artha bakhāniẏā kahilā tāṅka prakāśi .. 24 .. kṛṣṇara udāra, kathāra prasaṅga yathāta hove niścaẏa . gaṅgā godābarī, ādi yata tīrtha nibāsa tathā karaẏa .. 25 .. hena śuni tente, bole kaika yāi tīrthaka yāibāra mana . tīrthara āśāka, teji sehi dinā

kṛṣṇata lailā śaraṇa .. 26 ..

“I have known,” Sankaradeva said, “Tell me, sir.” 20 “What texts might you be reading?” He replies, “Very few; I have not read many.” “Please read out one sloka. From that, I will know,” says Sankara. 21 “tatraiva gaṅgā yamunā ca tatra godāvarī tatra sarasvatī ca . sarvāṇi tīrthāṇi vasanti tatra ẏatrācyutodāra kathā prasaṅgaḥ ..” This small, yet beautiful, sloka he recited—this was the essence of all scriptures. “Read it out once more!” He tells him, “Read! Read one more time!” 22 In this manner, after he had him read it three times, Sankaradeva kept aside the sloka. He then said to him, “Now please explain to me its meaning.” 23 He replied, “I have not understood its meaning.” Hearing, Sankara, laughing a little, the entire meaning of the sloka he explained and revealed to him in full: 24 “Wherever the `noble and munificent` (udāra) facts (kathā) pertaining to The Supreme Personality of Joy (Krsna) are discoursed and celebrated in song, know that it is only at that place where all the `sacred spots` (tīrtha), beginning with the Ganga and the Godavari, undoubtedly have their residence.” 25 Listening to these words, he (Ramadasa) said to himself, “Oh! Where do I go with the objective of visiting these tīrthas!” Forsaking all desire of tīrtha, on that very day,

he took sole-refuge (śaraṇa) in Krsna. 26

Sankara’s gita (for Ramarai and the others) on the futility of tirthas (Guru Carita Katha)

ākau āhe kātit- rāi ātā : rāmarāma guru āru pāca sāta ātai sabe goṭa hai ālaca kaile punu bṛndābane jābalai || kari gurujanata prārthanā bidāi kaile : bole bāpa gaẏā kāśī bṛndābana cābara cita thākila sibāro nahala jāba khojo || bole bāru jā bṛndābanadāsara ṭhāi somāi āhibā āmāra kathā kai || pācata gurujane gīta eṭi kari bahā pone cālite khuci thale : nāhi nāhi ramaẏā bine tāpatāraka ko-i || paramānandapadamakaranda || pācadinā sabeo khāibai olāi āhila : gurujanaka sewākai jābalai pacima khetre || gurujana bhojanalai gaice : ārāsabe bāsa cālite dekhi āni māti cāi sabeo bhaṅga gala || gurujana olālata prārthanā kari bole bāpa najāña āru || bole kiwa : bole bāpa tomrāra ei gīte kaice dekho : tīrthakṣetrat- śramahe : ekasanna hai hari bhaji hariguṇa gālehe jīwara saṃsāra nibāraṇa : tomāka najāni nicini nabhajo kāntehe : tomāra māẏā muhi eibhora : tomrā daho īśbara nica-i kailo sbaba erilo tīrthakṣetra najāña āru nica-i ei buli ubhati gala || * ||315||

Rai ata again came at the advent of the cool season. Ramarama and a few other atais all assembled and once again thought about going to Vrndavana. Thinking thus they came to pray for leave to the gurujana. They said, ‘Bapa! We had a wish in mind to see Gaya, Kasi and Vrndavana; that time also it could not materialize; we wish to go.’ He says, ‘Okay go. While coming, enter into Vrndavana Dasa’s place telling about me.’ Afterwards, the gurujana, composing one song (gīta), kept it pierced into the projection of the roof of the house: nāhi nāhi ramayā bine tāpa tāraka koi, paramānanda : pada makaranda. The next day, all came out having their meal, ready to depart to the western ksetra, saluting the gurujana. The gurujana had gone to have meal; all of them, seeing it embedded in the roof’s projection and reading it, became defeated in ideology. When the gurujana came out, doing prayer to him, they say, ‘We will never again go, O bapa!’ He says, ‘Why?’ They say, ‘Bapa, this gīta of yours is saying; there is only labor in tirthas; Only on taking eka sarana and doing pure devotion to Hari by singing his qualities is the samsara of jiva removed. Only because we did not understand and recognize you; bewildered by your maya, we do all these things. You are the Lord; we firmly resolve. We leave everything; we will never again go to tirthas.’ Saying these, they returned.

Bhattadeva’s Mention of Sankaradeva as the First Propagator of Pure Devotion

Bhattadeva, in the Dasama rendering of his Katha Bhagavata, makes a clear mention of the Bhagavata tradition in Assam:

he sabhāsadasava, pūrbbata santa mahanta mahāguṇavanta śrī śaṅkare śrībhāgavata śāstrara paẏāra kari lokata bhakti panthā pravarttāilā, yāka pāi antya jātio saṃsāra tarilā. pāche tāra avaśeṣa kathā ananta kandali pada racilā . tāko dekhi moro kṛṣṇaguṇa barṇāite manata icchā hailā . tāka jāni śrīkṛṣṇe śrī dāmodararūpe ājñā dilā . eteke mañi ṭīkā-bhāṣya anusāre saṃkṣepe kathā nibandhilo .

“O members of the assembly! In the past, Sri Sankara, saint, exemplar-devotee and one endowed with great qualities, had composed verses of the Bhagavata scripture and propagated for the first time the path of pure devotion among the people; obtaining which, even the lowest of the low castes survived samsara. Later, Ananta Kandali had made verses out of the leftover sections. Seeing that, I also had a wish in mind to describe the glories of Krsna. Knowing that, Lord Krsna, in Sri Damodara’s form, gave me permission. Therefore, I, following the notes and commentaries, have composed, in abbreviated form, the (Bhagavata) katha.”

Madhavadeva’s “Biography” of Sankaradeva

 It appears that Madhavadeva has, through the verses of his Nama Ghosa, etched an essential biography of Sankaradeva—one that touches upon his primary role as the reclaimer and propagator of Eka Sarana Hari Nama, the path of pure devotion.  He has understood the nature and role of the compassionate guru so well that while pointing out the oneness—in point of graceful nature—of the guru and the Lord, he has not merged Sankara so completely with Krsna as is done by the (latter day) caritakaras like Ramacarana and the others.
If one reads carefully through these verses, the following picture of Sankara emerges.
Madhavadeva’s Sankara is an inquisitive, intelligent and discriminating jiva but above all, he is empathetic and thoroughly unselfish in nature. He analyzes the philosophico-scientific texts (sastras) and enlightens himself through his own pure intellect. But, being (like the Lord) extremely full of grace (ati krpamaya), he is not content merely with securing his own deliverance.  Moved by his own compassionate nature, he proceeds to secure also the highest welfare of his fellow jivas by propagating amongst them this supreme truth and the road to the supreme happiness. It becomes, then, the primary aim of such a conscientious personality, his life’s mission.
The guru is, like the Lord, a personality of grace (krpa), the savior of the masses. Such a personality is truly the emissary of Krsna for such, indeed, is the arrangement of the Lord. Such a true understanding of the philosophy of the guru in Madhavadeva should have shown the way for the caritakaras and provided them with the much needed model (arisi). They should, accordingly, have focused on or searched out even those key aspects and points in the life of Sankara which are highlighted by Madhava. But such a focus is lacking and, as a result, a lot of details are brought in which do not really gel with this vision of Madhavadeva.

The Literary Output of Sankaradeva

Sankaradeva preached the ideology of Eka Sarana and pure devotion to Krsna in a variety of literary genres—renderings, songs, dramatic compositions, etc. As a writer, he was as versatile as he was prolific. His primary oeuvre undoubtedly is the rendering of the Bhagavata Purana into Assamese verse which also represents, in the history of Assamese literature, the beginning of a new literary movement.

The literary output of Sankaradeva is considerable with modern printed editions of his works running into thousands of pages.

The works of Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva were preserved over centuries by institutions and personalities and the text of the manuscripts was copied intergenerationally from scribe to scribe till the advent of the modern period when attempts were made by some personalities to bring out printed editions of these works. In the 20^th century, there have been attempts to bring out critical editions after comparing manuscripts and recensions preserved at several traditional institutions and research institutions.

Extracts from the Caritas: Sankara’s Engagement with the Text and his Fondness for Religious Study

Sankara, Daityari says, exhibited a keenness for analyzing (bicara) the primary texts. He did not do anything apart from engaging with the sastras. His mind, right from childhood (sisuhante), was always in religion. It is this childhood keenness that we find reflected in Bhusana, when the adult Sankara desires to analyze (bicara) the Bhagavata in Ramarai’s sattra grha.

ati apraẏāse guru tāhāṅka paḍhānta ..

paḍhilanta nirantare śāstra samastaẏa .

apramādī paṇḍita bhailanta mahāśaẏa .. 16 ..

abirate samasta śāstraka bicāranta .

śāstrālāpa bine āna karmma nācaranta ..

śāstrara tattbaka jāni manata hariṣe .

paraloka hita mātra cinte aharniśe .. 17 ..

dharmmata sadāẏa rati kṛpāmaẏa mana .

śiśuhante dharmma mātra karanta manana ..

His teacher [did not need to expend much effort with Sankara and] taught him quite effortlessly.
[In this manner,] He studied uninterruptedly all the sastras, without a break;
he became a “apramādī paṇḍita,” an unerring scholar, the noble one. 16
Unceasingly, he does the bicara of all the sastras;
he does no work apart from engaging with the sastras.
Knowing the truth (tattva) of the sastras, with extreme joy in mind,
he thinks only about the welfare of others, day and night. 17
Fondly attached to religion always, with mind full of compassion,
right from childhood, he does only the contemplation (manana[H1] ) of religion.

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 [H1]deep reflective thought

Extracts from the Caritas: No Ideology of Pure Devotion before Sankaradeva

According to the biographer (caritakāra) Daityari, there was no ideology of pure devotion before Sankaradeva. He describes[1] in the following words the state of the religion of the (majority of the) people at the time of the advent of Sankaradeva:

ইদেশত পূৰ্ব্বকালে নাছিল ভকতি .

নানা ধৰ্ম্ম কৰ্ম্ম লোকে কৰিল সম্প্ৰতি .. ৮ ..

নানাদেৱ পূজয় কৰয় বলিদান .

হংস ছাগ পাৰ কাটে সহস্ৰ প্ৰমাণ ..

তপ জপ যজ্ঞদান তীৰ্থস্নান কৰে .

ঘোৰ নৰকত পৰি পৰি সৱে মৰে .. ৯ ..

উপজয় মৰয় সংসাৰে বাৰম্বাৰ .

নাহি সুখ নেৰাৱয় সংসাৰ নিকাৰ ..

তল গৈল লোক কলি পাপ-সাগৰত .

কৃপাময় কৃষ্ণে জানি গুণিলা মনত .. ১০ ..

সিটো লোক সমস্তক কৰিবে উদ্ধাৰ .

শঙ্কৰ মাধৱ ৰূপে ভৈলা অৱতাৰ ..

ideśata pūrbbakāle nāchila bhakati .
nānā dharmma karmma loke karila samprati .. 8 ..
ānādeva pūjaẏa karaẏa balidāna .
haṃsa chāga pāra kāṭe sahasra pramāṇa ..
tapa japa yajñadāna tīrthasnāna kare .
ghora narakata pari pari save mare .. 9 ..
upajaẏa maraẏa saṃsāre bārambāra .
nāhi sukha nerāvaẏa saṃsāra nikāra ..
tala gaila loka kali pāpa-sāgarata .
kṛpāmaẏa kṛṣṇe jāni guṇilā manata .. 10 ..
siṭo loka samastaka karibe uddhāra .
śaṅkara mādhava rūpe bhailā avatāra ..

In former times, in this land, there was no (ideology of) `pure devotion` (bhakti).
The people, they did various `ordained duties` (dharma) and `acts of emulation` (karma). 8
They worshiped various devas and did `animal sacrifices` (balidāna) (to them).
They cut pigeons, ducks and goats on an infinite scale.
They did acts of penance, murmured incantations, gave offerings in yajnas and bathed in tirthas.
Yet (, in spite of all these,) all of them died, falling repeatedly into the most terrible hell. 9
They took birth and died in this `cycle of material existence` (saṃsāra) again and again.
They could not obtain happiness nor could they get rid of material affliction.
All people sank to the bottom of the sin-ocean of kali.
Knowing this, Krsna, the `embodiment of grace` (kṛpāmaẏa), pondered in mind. 10
In order to save all these people,
he became descents (avatāra) in the form of Sankara and Madhava.

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[1] Daityari’s description appears to be more in line with Sankara’s reference to the Vedic sacrificial dharma in his rendering of the first book of the Bhagavata (Vyasa Narada Samvada):

nārada badati śunā mahāmuni byāsa |

tumise karilā sawe jagatake nāśa ||

nirantare paśura lowāilā tumi prāṇa |

nāhi manda karmma āra ihāra samāna ||32||

ākasmike lokaka karāilā hiṃsā dharmma |

nubujilā tumio bedara tattba marmma ||

garihita karmmako kahilā dharmma buli |

tohmāra bacane loka nāśila samūli ||33||

sbabhāwe lampaṭa biṣaẏata anurāga |

sbarga pāibo buli raṅge kāṭe haṃsa chāga ||

karai nānā hiṃsā dharmma nānā dewa pūjai |

puṇyakṣaẏa bhaile dunāi narakata majai ||34||