KASHMIR SENTINEL
August 16-September
15, 2000
RELIGION-----ADI SHANKARACHARYA'S VISIT TO KASHMIR By Onkar Aima
Right up from ancient times great scholars, sages, saints, philosophers have been visiting Kashmir to learn, to gain knowledge, to escell in the field of spiritualism, mysticism and religion. Saints and seers found Kashmir a fertile place for the spiritual Sadhana. They always gained by their visit to Kahsmir. The sincere purpose - intention - of this article, to be followed by such other articles, is to remind ourselves - to inform our younger generation - that Kashmiri Pandits have always been torch bearness in different fields. History is witness to it that we have always been GIVERS. We have led and have not been led - we have represented and have not been represented. That is our past - that is our strength - that is what we are. The object is to resolve that the glorious past of thousands of years will not be allowed to be disturbed by unscrupulous elements through subversive efforts and activities for their selfish ends. Adi Shankaracharya, a great philosopher - a saint of high order,
re-established true faith in upanishads and gave Vedanta philosophy a right footing. He
visited Kashmir in first quarter of 9th Century (788-820 A.D) NK Kotru in `Sivastotravali
of Utpaladeva'mentions that when Buddhism was dominating in India, the great
Shankaracharya launched a Vigorous Campaign in the South and popularized the cult of
Bhakti, to reduce the influence of Buddhist domination. He had a sweeping tour of the
country and defeated Buddhist Scholars with his "He checked the tidal wave of nihilism (denial of all reality)Says
the writer in `The life of Swami Vivekananda'. At the sametime Kashmir was also under
strong influence of Buddhism, when Vasugupta appeared on the scene and changed the whole
current of religious thoughts. He propagated the `Siva Sutrar', revealed to him by`Shiva'
himself, as engraved on a big stone at the foot of Mahadeva mountain. According to PN Magzine, after accepting predominance of Shakti cult, Shankara wrote Saundarya Lahari, in praise of Shakti, at the top of the hill, known till then as Gopadari Hill. Pandit Gopi Krishan writer that Panchastavi--gamut of Shakti Shastra--a priceless gem -- a peerless hymn of praise addressed to Kundalini. The work has been cited as source book by several eminent scholars, but the name of the author has remained undisclosed". According to him the only other work in whole gamut of Shakti Shastra in the country, comparable to Panchastavi is Saundarya Lahari. PN Magzine says that Saundarya Lahari is acclaimed as master-piece in Sanskrit literature. After the visit of Adi Shankaracharya to Kashmir, he became staunch believer of Shakti-Shri Chakra - the symbol of Devi (Goddess) as mentioned in `Shankara Digvijay' - Life history of Shankaracharya. Thuswe know that even, a very knowledge philosopher, a Saint of greater order- Adi Shankaracharya - gained further depth in spritualism and mysticism in Kashmir.Kashmiri Pandit - great `Mehman Nawaz' - highly appreciativeof knowledge (which has at time sproved undoing for them), awarded a degree of the Sharda Peetha, the highest honour conferred on any dignitary of knowledge when Shankaracharya visited Sharda, a famous temple, Shrine of Goddess Saraswati and a famous university of learning. This temple is situated about 100 kilometers to the South West of Srinagar, which is now under occupation of Pakistan. Kashmiri Pandits were not satisfied by this award to Shankaracharya and desired to honour him further more and dedicated the hill and temple where he wrote Sundarya Lahari to the memory of his visit to Kashmir. The hill, till that time known as Gopadri hill and temple are both, thereafter, known as Shankaracharya hill and Shankaracharya temple.`Kashur Encyclopadia' published by J&K Academy records -"Behind Shiv Lingam at Gopadri (Shankaracharya temple) is Statue of Adi Shankaracharya, which has been installed in 1961, by Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, Pilgrimage to this temple is must be any scholar, philosopher, mystic, saint or seer who visits Kashmir.While writing this I am reminded of a Kashmiri poet, who has said:- "Yus chaman paamaal kari tas laar kar Saz yath dil vaayi Suy raazaah vanavYee pagaah asi peyi karun tee azy karavAschi kwochhi manz prazli pagahuk aaftab Azchi berang zindagaani kar hissab".
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