Kanakadhara

Once Shankaracharya went to Bhiksha poor couple offered only Amla left in their house to brahmachari boy. Shankaracharya moved by this gesture immediately sang Kanakadhara stotra glorifying Mahalakshmi and rain of golden amla fall in that place.

Sanyasa

Shankaracharya decided to take sanyas. Her mother refused. Shankaracharya once while bathing in river crocodile catches him and her mother doesn’t know what to do. Shankara said once she gave permission crocodile will leave him. She gave permission and crocodile left him

 Search of guru

Shankara said to mother he will come in her last moment to liberate her and he went in search of guru. He saw govinda bhagavad pada shisya of gaudapada in cave and prostrated before him. When guru asked who he was. Shankara composed dasa shloki. Guru realised about who he was and said I know by samadhi you are shiva himself taken form as human on Earth. He said he will take part in Leela of shiva by enacting role if his guru. Sankara did guru pooja to govinda bhagavad pada. His guru was gaudapada whose guru was sukha maharishi himself

Narmada flood control.

Once Narmada flooded and flood enter caves. Shisya don’t know what to do.shankara prayed and showed kamandala and all flood entered it. All shisyas were happy. Guru told only he is eligible to write bhasya on Upanishad and Brahma sutras

Shankara at Varanasi

Adi Shankaracharya reached Varanasi as magnet he attracted huge followers. Adi Shankaracharya got first monastic disciple Sunanda who took sanyasa. He travelled to badari had discussed with sages and wrote commentary on prasnatrayi. He won many debates.

Shiva Leela at kashi

Once Adi Shankaracharya was taking bath in river chandala came with four dogs and dead calf on his back. Adi Shankaracharya said him to move away. He said whether he addressed him or his body. Shankara fell at his feet and composed manasi pabchakam. Then Chandala disappear and shiva with parvati and four Vedas standing there. Shankara bowed before shiva. Shiva blessed Shankara told him to spread Advaita and disappear. At age 16 vyasa gave darshan as old Brahmin and tested Shankara. Later showed his form and blessed him.

Meeting with shri vyasa

Vyasa said only he can write true meaning of Upanishad and blessed him with 16 more years of life as many things he needs to be done. At kashi he composed famous bhaja govindam when he saw old man teaching importance of grammar.

Padmapada

All disciples though Shankara favouring sunanda more. Seeing this once sunanda on other side of river Shankaracharya called him. Immediately sunanda walked on river reaching other side. His every step Lotus came on river so he was called padmapada

Totakacharya

He was totally devout to Adi Shankaracharya. But he couldn’t grasp anything Shankaracharya told. With his Manasa Diksha Shankara enlightened him who wrote famous totakashtakam on Adi Shankaracharya

Hastakamala

He was yogi who done parakaya pravesham of child to allievate suffering of mother. He need not thought anything as he grasped through mind. Shankara named hastakamala. Shankara met kumarila Bhatta who was into Agni samadhi. He directed Shankara to meet mandana mishra

Mandana mishra

Adi Shankaracharya went to mandana Mishra house. Door was locked hence he went inside through his Siddhi. Fierce arguments and debate followed. when his wife ubaya bharati saw husband losing debate she came to husband rescue she asked about third purushartha kama

Parakaya pravesha

Shankara asked for time and he went to cave and using parakaya pravesha entered into body of king. After learning about grihasta ashrama he decided to move again to his body. But minister anyhow smelled it and decided to burn Shankara body.

Sureshwaracharya

With Shankara moving to his body he saw fire lit outside cave. Hence he prayed to narashima and extinguish fire. Then he defeated ubaya Bharati. Husband mandana Mishra accept sanyasa and he became sureshwaracharya. Shankara installed Devi Sharda at sringeriSringeri

Adi Shankaracharya was on traveling. He saw preganat frog given shadow by snake. He decided to establish a mutt on sringeri. he spent considerable amount of his life in sringeri. He established 4 mutts along 4 corners of country with 4 of his main disciples

4 muttts

He established 4 mutts at sringeri Dwarka Puri and Badrinath. He formulated rules for dashanami Sanyasa set. He established authorities of each mutts and how should each mutt function with 4 main disciple as head.

Kapalika wants Shankara head

Once kapalika came and asked Adi Shankaracharya head for his pooja of Bhairava. Shankara being ocean of mercy immediately accepted it. He came to them at their place in night. Padmapada saw this and think of narashima. With his grace he killed them

Getting shivling from shiva

He got shivling and some murtis from shiva in kailash which were worshipped by shankara mutts even till today. At srishaila in panchadara once he was thirsty shiva gave water from head which Is called panchadara falls. He wrote Soundarya lahari here.

Soundarya Lahari and sivananda Lahari

While Kailash with grace of Mahalakshmi and Ganesh Shankaracharya got Soundarya Lahari. Nandi snatched it from Shankara. He got only 41 verses. Shiva told to complete rest 59 on his own. Hence he completed it. At thiruvidaimaruthur Shankar

Badrinath renovation

Came and saw shivling. He was so happy that he wrote sivananda Lahari here. he got shiva darshan in form of jyoti at Badrinath hence it was called joshimutt.With orders of vishnu he consecrated Badrinath and renovated it. He renovated Pashupati nath too.

Mookambika

He want to consecrate Devi in chottanikara hence he requested maa Durga. She said he should not turn back if he turn back she will stay there itself. Adi Shankara didn’t heard sound of Devi’s salangai in kolluru. He turned back and she stayed there.

Various consecration

He later consecrated chottanikara with grace of Devi too. He reduced anger of Devi in akhilandeshwari temple at thiruvanaikkaval. He consecrated dhana akarasana yantra at Tirupati. He sang verses of Sri skanda at Tiruchendur. He almost covered entire kshetras.

Kanchipuram

Adi Shankaracharya favorite place was Kanchipuram. He spent considerable amount of time there. He wrote Sri chakra himself and pacified anger of Kamakshi. He established his mutt in kanchi and formulated Devi worship. He talked directly to Devi maa kamakshi.

Mother death bed

Mothers final time came. Shankara travel in sky and reached mother. He called shiva. Mother terrified at shiva. Hence Shankara said both shiva & Narayana same and composed stotra. She had darshan of vishnu and got Mukti. He performed last rites of mother himself

His works

He wrote his magnum opus Viveka chudamani. He wrote atma boddha tatvabodha and many works on Upanishad. He wrote commentary on Gita Brahma sutra and vishnu sahasaranama. 

Almost every diety he composed stotras. He was ocean of mercy himself. He composed bhujangams too

Ascension to sarvagna peetha and disappearnce

Sarvagna peetha Shankara defeated every other opponent and ascended sarvagna peetha and became first Jagadguru. He then went to Kedarnath and disappear in a light. Another version is he merged with Kamakshi in Kanchipuram.

Legacy

From his mutts various mahatmas thrived and saved sanatan dharma time to time.

SrutismrtipurANAnAm Alayam karuNAlayam

NamAmi bhagavdpAdam shankaram lokashankaram

shankaram shankarAchAryam keshavam bAdarAyaNam

SUtrabASykrtau vande bhagavantau punah punaha

Har har mahadev