Chapter 15- Staying human - lessons to entrepreneurs from Shankaracharya

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Obeisance unto the hoary Guru Parampara, beginning from Lord Sri Sadashiva up to the present Acharya with Sri Shankaracharya in middle

While Shankaracharya proposed an idea & thesis that is universal & potentially resolves all questions around spirituality, his focus on basic humanity is second to none. While being part of a society immersed in rituals, what makes him standout across time & space is his ability to stay human. Shankara never had to create a new god, He never had to say one form of worship is better than the other because he could understand everyone’s point of view and identify what is a universal good.?

Few critics without reading his works call him Brahminical ( perhaps who won’t understand the difference between Brahman & Brahmin;-).??

He wrote Manisha panchakam after he saw divinity in a “drunk chandala”. A verse from Manisha Panchakam explains the kind of person Shankara is?

“Is there any difference between the reflection of the sun in the waters of the Ganga and its reflection in the water in a ditch in the quarters of the outcastes? Or between the space in a gold pot and a mud pot? What is this illusion of difference in the form, “This is a Brahmana and this is an outcaste” in the indwelling self which is the ripple-free ocean of bliss and pure consciousness?”. A great example that shows how meaning less the practices around caste during that time

?Shankaracharya’s love for his mother gives a humane touch to his story. Being an only son of a widowed mother, it must have been very difficult for him to leave his mother and take up Sanyasa, But he gave her the promise of seeing her in her last days. When he gets news of his mother in the final days, he goes back to Kaladi to see his mother. It is not allowed by Sanyasi, to perform the last rights of one & thus he was opposed by a highly strict society in kaladi. But he ignores them & performs his mother’s last rights going against the society & the practices.?

His work Matru panchakam is heart-melting & carries an abundance of love for mothers. Many times we wonder, can it be the work of a ruthless sanyasi who is on the mission to attain moksha & someone who preaches “Kevala Advaita”. Few translated verses from matrupanchakam are here,?

Oh, my mother, Crying, you shouted in pain,

During the hard labor,“Oh mother, Oh father,

Oh God Shiva, Oh Lord Krishna,

Oh Lord of all, Govinda, Oh Hari, and Oh Mukunda,”

But in return, Oh, my mother dearest.

I can give you but humble prostrations.

Neither did I give you water at the time of death,

Neither did I offer oblations the to help the journey of death,

And neither did I chant the name of Rama in your ear,

Oh Mother supreme, pardon me for these lapses with compassion,

For I have arrived here late to attend to those.

This poem is enough to make everyone's eyes get wet, this being written by a Sanyasi makes it even more special

There is another legend of an old lady who does not have anything to offer as Bhiksha to Shankaracharya when he recites Kanakadhara stotra to help that lady.

But another most interesting aspect of his humane nature is the respect he shows for Bharati Devi, who is the wife of SUreshwaracharya. When Bharati Devi questions Shankara on the aspects of life that he is not exposed to ( love, family, sex, etc), Shankara takes time to study & return and answers Bharati. Not only that, he makes Bharati the judge of the discussion & even later sees her with extreme respect. One of its kind of an example of respect shown to a lady who has wisdom even when she was trying to help him, opponent.

Talking about opponents, SHankaras conduct with Sureshvaracharya itself is a great example of staying human even while competing fiercely.?

While Shankara was a strong proponent of Kevaladvaita, which in its purest form believes in formless Brahman which is not different from the self, Shankaracharya, empathized with the needs of the common man to achieve “chitta shudhi” of cleanness of mind which is required for appreciating formless Brahman. Being an Advaita. Shankara has made more contributions to rituals than anyone else because of this empathy. In fact effort Shankara did in synchronizing the concept of formless truth & idol worshiping has ensured philosophy and culture are preserved for generations

Many entrepreneurs, forget their roots, forget humility and stop being human forgetting the core values that made them. Entrepreneurs need to understand that being successful is an opportunity to make a difference. Success by itself is nothing if the same is not used for the upliftment of society. Success without empathy will only create bad examples for society & Shanara stands tall in giving these lessons.