The Vaiṣṇavism of Ancient Āryan Women (Pracina Ārya Mahilādiger Vaiṣṇavatā)
The Vaiṣṇavism of Ancient Āryan Women (Pracina Ārya Mahilādiger Vaiṣṇavatā)
Overview
This article, ‘The Vaiṣṇavism of Ancient Āryan Women,’ was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Volume 2, Issue 9, in 1885. In it, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura narrates the account of Śaṅkarācārya’s mother, who, as she lay on her deathbed, expressed her longing to attain Vaikuṇṭha.
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
(This article has been compiled from the Śaṅkara Vijaya composed by Sāyanācārya).
Nowadays, who would not feel delighted when the subject of the steadfast devotion of Indian women is discussed? We shall not now speak about the two maidservant daughters Pil and Pilyā described in the Bhaktamāla, nor about other noble women, because the time for that has not yet come for us. The devout lady of whom we shall now inform the learned and respectable readers may be said to be well known even among the mature educated class of men.
Eleven centuries ago, in the village of Kālapi in the land of Kerala, there lived a brāhmaṇa by the name of Śivaguru Śarmā. He was the father of Śaṅkarācārya, the crest-jewel of parivrājakācāryas, and his wife was the mother of that best of ācāryas, Śaṅkara Svāmī. Śaṅkara’s mother gave birth to that world-renowned Śaṅkarācārya on the day of Śukla Ekādaśī in the month of Vaiśākha in the 71st year of the Śaka era.*
*
niṣe nāgebha bahnyabde vibhave māsi mādhaveśukle tithau daśamyāstu śaṅkarāryodayaḥ smṛtaḥārya vidyā sudhākara dhṛta tat sampradāyikṛta śloka
“In the year 3889 of the Kali Era (778 CE), in the month of Mādhava, on the bright tenth lunar day, the birth of Śaṅkara is remembered. This śloka, upholding the nectar of āryan learning, is composed according to the sampradāyika tradition.”
Later, after Śaṅkara had embraced the order of sannyāsa and, while travelling through many lands, was residing on the mountain called Śṛṅga, surrounded by his own disciples such as Sureśācārya and engaged in discussion of the Vedānta śāstra, at that time the final hour of his mother approached. At that time, the mother of the venerable world-teacher – due to advanced age and the frailty of widowhood – was exceedingly weak. Seeing that her own end was near, she began repeatedly recalling her only son who was a sannyāsi. Śaṅkara, being omniscient, was able to hear the anguished cries of his mother even while residing on the Śṛṅga mountain. Then, leaving his disciples, by the power of his yogika strength, he immediately proceeded to the village of Kālapi and paid respects at his mother’s feet. The wife of Śivaguru, seeing her child before her as if in a dream, became exceedingly joyful and began to say, ‘Son, my final moment has now arrived. I am an ignorant and helpless woman. Please tell me what duty I should now perform.”
Hearing his mother’s words of distress, Śaṅkara began to instruct her about the non-differentiated Brahman that he had previously expounded. But his mother, showing her inability to grasp that, replied, “Son! I am a woman – I have no capacity to contemplate that non-differentiated Brahman. Therefore, please teach me about a beautiful, tangible form of Brahman.”
Then Śaṅkara instructed his mother to contemplate the nature of all beings and the essence of Bhūtanātha (Śiva). He began to recite in the bhujaṅga-prayāta metre a hymn in praise of the eight forms of Mahādeva. Pleased with that hymn, Śiva, wielding the trident and Pīṇaka bow, sent his attendants to honour her. Seeing this, Śaṅkara’s mother became dissatisfied and said, “I will not go along with the attendants of Śiva.”*
**vilokyatān śula pināka hastam
naivānugaccheyamitibruvastyām*
Having seen them, with trident and Pināka in hand, she said, ‘I will not follow.’ (Śaṅkara Vijaya)
Then the crest-jewel of parivrājakācāryas, perceiving that no other recourse remained, understood his mother’s unparalleled bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Overjoyed, he began to recite verses in praise of the supremely merciful Lord of Lakṣmī, who is most affectionate to His devotees.
For the benefit of the readers, three ślokas gathered by Sāyanīya Mādhavācārya are quoted here:
bhujagādhipa bhogatalpa bhājaṁ
kamalākṣa sthala kalpitāṅghri padmaṁ
abhivījitamādareṇa līlā-
vasudhābhyāṁ calamāna cāmarābhyāṁ
vihitāñjalinā niṣevyamāṇaṁ
vinatānanda kṛtāgrato rathena
dhṛta-mūrtibhirastra devatābhiḥ
paritaṁ pañcabhirañcitopakaṇṭaṁ
mahanīya-tamāla-komalaṅgaṁ
mukuṭī-ratna-cayaṁ mahār’yantaṁ
śiśiretara-bhānu-śīlitāgraṁ
hari-nīlopala-bhūdharaṁ hasantaṁ
He who uses the coils of the serpent-king as a couch; whose lotus-feet are placed upon the bosom of Lakṣmī; who is gently fanned with affection by Līlā and Vasudhā,
with cāmaras moving to and fro; He who is attended with folded palms by the joyful son of Vinatā (Garuḍa), who acts as His chariot; who is surrounded by His five weapons (the conch, discus, club, bow and sword) who have assumed personified celestial forms; whose limbs are tender like the revered tamāla tree; who is adorned with clusters of jewels set upon His crown; whose face is radiant like the sun; who playfully outshines the sapphire with the beauty of His body – I praise that smiling Hari, the supporter of the earth, who is blue, like a sapphire.
Śivaguru’s wife, hearing this regal prayer to the Supreme Deity, Śrī Kṛṣṇa composed by her own son as his own means, became exceedingly joyful; and while contemplating the enchanting form of Śrī Śrī Mādhava, she abandoned her body like a yogī. At that moment, Viṣṇu swiftly arrived, accompanied by a celestial aerial car radiant like the autumnal moon. Seating Śaṅkara’s mother upon that Vaiṣṇava vimāna, He carried her beyond the realms of the Sun, the Moon, Varuṇa, Indra, and even Brahmaloka, and brought her to the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu, in other words, Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma.