Pages 74-76

Such is the mahAtmiyam (greatness) of the name that no one used for calling after his thirteenth year of age! And then the names that came to him! The names of Him who made a guru of Swaminathan! One name is the 'SankarAchArya nAmam' that belongs to the adhipatis of Sri Sankara MaThams. And another, the name 'Chandrasekhara', the sannyAsa nAmam (name as an ascetic) given to him as his own.

One should listen to how SriCharaNar explains the beauty of the 'Sankara nAmam' applying to Sri BhagavadpAda. (He explained that) Shiva remained only as Shambhu until Sankara was born. That is the utpatti sthAnam (place of origin) of parama-sukham (Ananda, bliss). But then the world did not seek for that sthAnam. The world was in despair, with no experience of that parama-sukham. It was only then that Sham-bhu became Sam-kara, to himself seek the people and impart the bliss to them too. For the achala mauna (motionless, silent) dakShiNA-mUrti becoming the AchAra mUrti who always acted, roamed, talked and wrote for the welfare of the world, SriCharaNar would thus deftly show the Sham-bhu, Sam-kara names in sAkShiyam (evidence).

For 'Sankara' deriving from 'Shambhu' the vAk (words) of the GitAchArya KaNNan (Krishna) credited with the title of Jagadguru also stands in testimony. In the vibhuti-yoga he says, "I am the Sankara among the Rudras". But then among the ekAdasha rudra (eleven Rudras) there is none with the name 'Sankara'; only 'Shambhu' is there. Since the prefix 'S(h)am' denoting the parama-sukham is present in only this name among the names of those eleven Rudras, this is the Sankara that KaNNan talks of--the authors of the commentary have thus explained.

The parama-sukham is only the advaitAnubhavam (experience of Advaita). It would ever remain as the self-created svaymbhu. That is, to remain as Shambhu is its nature. The 'kara' in Sam-kara brings that pure, inert existence down to Dvaitam. Sankara is the personifcation of the immense compassion with which the Advaita Murti took upon Himself the Dvaita BhAvam, in order to turn the Dvaita world to Advaita. All the kAryas (actions) belong to Mother Shakti. And compassion is her very soul. Therefore it was our SriCharaNar's custom to always speak of his mUlavar (ancestor Guru) Sankara as not just Shiva avatara but a Shiva-Shakti avatara.

In the same way, in the present times, our SriCharaNaaL is the jnAna-karuNa avatara, who caused sukham sadA kAlam (happiness at all times) to the outer world, while remaining the advaita svarUpam inwardly. How many thousands of people have worshipped him as Shiva, as AmbaaL, and as Ardhanariswara? Is not the competence that he had to bear the name Sankara which means 'one who does only good' a distinguished one? AhA, is he not the 'ellaiyil peru~nalam' (boundless great goodness) who from his thirteenth year of age for eighty-five years thought only about the world's welfare day and night, conversed only to cause it and walked all over to places, his golden feet bearing the wear and tear of it?

The Chandrasekhara nAmam is one that denotes measureless grace and beauty. The crescent moon on the jaTAmuDi (twisted locks of hair)--what a beauty! Although Isha remained as the ghoramaya rudra (terrific Rudra), it is the ornament that adorns him. Though a waned third-day-moon, for compassion it shows the state of fulfilment! Because Isha's mark of compassion touches its peak when He not only pardons the sinner Chandra, but lifts and wears him on His head! Yes, the Chandra-sekhara is the KShamA-shikhara!

SriMaTham's adhinAyaka (Lord) is also Chandra-maulIshvara! [sekharam and mauli are one and the same. Both the words indicate the shiras (head).] When there are countless names for Ishvara, for the spaTika lingam (crystal lingam) received by KAlaDi Sankara from KailAsha Sankara to bear this name only shows its special elegance.

They also say that the crescent moon indicates that we should endlessly grow in knowledge while we seek to increase our beauty and the grace of God. The entertaining kalas (arts) are also included in the area of knowledge. Since we say chandra kalA, this metaphor gets confirmed, right?

The outer beauty that is the expression of the inner beauty, the characteristic of pardoning even the greatest sinner and appreciating whatever little goodness in them, the vidyAbhyAsa (practice of seeking knowledge) that did not leave him even in his vRuddhAbhyam (old age) [from the Adi-anAdi pazhamaRai (beginningless Vedas) to the atinUtana (most modern) psychometry!], and the ~nuNNiya kalA rASikkiyam (appreciation of subtle arts)--by these qualities Maha PeriyavaaL remained as the mahA-bhAShyam (great commentary) for the name of Chandrasekhara.

The sannyAsa title Indra Sarasvati.

We call the power of Maya, indra-jAlam. Concealing his divinity, Sri PeriyavaaL remained only as a mAyA mAnuSha rUpadhAri (showing the Maya of a human form). This is on one side. On another side, the Vedas would speak of Indra as the parampoRuL (Supreme Truth) that became everything due to the Maya Shakti. The Upanishads show him as an Advaita JnAni who realized the Absolute Truth within his self by himself. In these respects too, Sri PeriyavaaL is only Indra, right?

One who is rasamaya (essence-filled); a good nature to move with everyone in sarasam (love); immersed deeply in all the areas of knowledge and arts; and capable of an elegance of words that is unique. Yes, he is only the form of Goddess Sarasvati!

Therefore, the names given to SriCharaNaaL in his pUrvAshrama and turIyashrama, all of them became exclusively applied to him.

Long live that tirunAmam, perunAmam, gurunAmam (holy name, great name and the guru name) that fosters our life!

Glossary:
achala - mf(%{A})n. not moving, immovable; m. a mountain, rock; a bolt or pin; the number seven;
rAsikkiyam - (Tamil) appreciation.
utpatti - f. coming forth, origin, birth (p. {-nant}); result, produce; f. arising, birth, production, origin.