Sanathana Dharma or Hinduism is vibrant today largely due to the efforts
of Jagadguru Shri Adi Sankara who lived over 1300 years ago. In his brief life
of 32 years, he restored the pristine glory of Advaitha vedantha philosophy of the Upanishad and re-established
the path through which everyone can experience and become one with divinity.
Seldom in history, had one individual had so much influence on a nation,
its civilization and its religion! The divine couple Aryambal and Sivaguru was
blessed with a son on Vaishaka sukla panchami day in 788 CE. The lord Shiva himself
incarnated as the son of this couple. He was named Sankara.
Sankara knew hymns and could grasp poetries. When Sankara was five years
old, sacred thread ceremony was performed by her mother, with the help of
relatives. Reading at gurukula, Sankara mastered in Vedas and Sastras. He
grasped everything by merely listening to the teachings just once and thrilled
everyone and his mother felt very happy.
After his upanayanam at the tender age, Sankara rigorously followed the
injunctions of the “brahmacharya” life and lived on the food obtained by
“biksha”(alms). In the course of his daily biksha rounds, one day he stood at the threshold of a poor brahmin and asked
for alms by uttering the prescribed formula “bhavathi bikshaam dehi”. The
master of the house who himself lived on the charity of his neighbours, was
away and the lady of the house, who possessed a magnanimous heart wanted to
give something to the child. With a divine countenance, her search resulted in
unearthing only a small “amalaka” fruit (goose berry, nellikani in tamil). This
she deposited in the bowl devoutly, her heart melting at the thought that she
had nothing better to offer. Shri Sankara divined the situation and realized
that the small gift came from a heart as expansive as the sky itself.
He composed and sang the 21 verses which go by the name SHRI
KANAKADHARASTHAVAM. Goddess Mahalakshmi responded to the prayer and showered golden amalaka fruits inside the house of the poor Brahmin couple and banished their
poverty. Incidentally this was also the first composition of Shri Sankara.
There is internal evidence in the stotram itself to substantiate the story.
While Adisankara's achievment are eternal and unforgettable, his birth place was forgotten by society for many centuries. The 33rd Jagadguru of the Shri Sharada Peetam at Sringeri Sri Sri Sachidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswamiji rediscovered KALADI, the birthplace of Adi Sankara with the help of former rulers and spiritual leaders who were influenced by the great philosopher.
Till today, the house in which Shri Adi Sankara made this miracle happen stands a few miles away from Kaladi, Kerala. The house is located in a place called “pazhanthottam’ near to a place called “patti matham” on the Perumbavoor-Chottanikkara route about 22km from Kaladi.
Till today, the house in which Shri Adi Sankara made this miracle happen stands a few miles away from Kaladi, Kerala. The house is located in a place called “pazhanthottam’ near to a place called “patti matham” on the Perumbavoor-Chottanikkara route about 22km from Kaladi.
We a team of 8 members visited “Ponnorthukkottu mana” also called “Swarnaththu
Illam” on 12Oct 2011. The present heir of the family Sri Narayanan
namboothiripad received us and after brief verification took us around the Illam.
The area is about 16 acres of land with 10,000 sq. ft house containing
antiques. At present the family of Sri. Narayanan namboothiri is staying in the
house. We had a golden opportunity of reciting Kanakadharasthavam sitting in
the verandah of the house.
We returned back after satisfying ourselves with the darshan of the
house.
If we too recite Shri Kanakadharasthavam with devotion, we shall be
relieved of poverty, sufferings, affiliations and sins.
Jaya Jaya
Sankara Hara Hara Sankara
