(adi Sankara) 04 The Early: Life Of Sankara Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

The young Sankara was wise,
And his behavior very nice.
He earned others’ appreciation
With all his love and affection.

When he started his studies,
His age was three years.
By then, he had learnt
How to read and write.

All the science and art,
He learnt by heart,
And began to interpret
All scriptures, as an expert

At the age of four
He lost his father.
And was taken care
Then by his mother.

At five years, he had
His timely sacred thread,
And went to a Guru’s house
For his higher studies.

As a regular custom,
Guru had sent him
To beg for his food
In the neighborhood.

He went to a house,
Where the poor spouse
Had nothing else to eat
Except for an Amla fruit.

She gave him this fruit.
He saw her poor plight.
He shed a tear for her,
And started his prayer.

Goddess of wealth poured
Amla fruit shaped gold
In her open courtyard
Like rain that showered.

Her poverty this way
Ended from that day.
This “Kanakadara Sthotra”
Is still famous in India.

The eight year old Sankara
Learnt, by heart, the Vedas.
Back at home he served
His mother in her sick bed.

His mother couldn’t walk
For a bath in the river to take
So, he invited Purna River,
Which heard his prayer.

It changed its course to run,
Towards his backyard garden,
Thus he helped his mother
To take bath in the river.