Early Boyhood Days
Baby Sankara grew up in an environment vibrating with scriptural recitations and traditional forms of worship. He was a child genius exhibiting extraordinary intelligence. Chanting stotras before he was two years old came naturally to him. At the age of three, Sankarar was initiated into aksarabhyasa (alphabets). It is said that Sankara was a blessing to his teachers. He not only learnt all that he heard the first time but also helped his fellow students in learning.
Thoughts of sending young Sankara to Gurukul after performing his upanayanam (investiture of the sacred thread) were cropping up in Sivaguru’s mind. But fate had other plans. Sivaguru wasn’t fortunate enough to see these culminate and unfortunately passed away.
A year went by in observance of ceremonies associated with the departed soul. Being a wife of a great scholar, mother of a child prodigy and herself spiritually evolved, Aryamba put together all her efforts in helping Sankara grow. It is said that she had Sankara’s upanayanam ceremony done in Melpazhur Mana. At an appropriate age, Sankara was sent to a Gurukul in Kalady, his paternal village, where his scholarly ancestors had lived.
Gurukul Days
Wonder child that Sankara was, he mastered the four Vedas and the six Sastras from his Guru. His learning was so swift that in the first few months he equaled the Guru in knowledge. He studied auxiliaries, sacred narratives, doctrines of rituals, philosophy, logic, Yoga, Sankhya, Mimamsa doctrines among others but his deep interest was in the non-dualistic doctrines of Upanishads. His learning was so great that he started to look like the very embodiment of Vyasa. At the tender age of six, Sankara already composed a book, Balabodha-Samgraha.
One day Sankara along with his fellow students went out for bhiksa (alms). With all humility he called upon the lady of a house who was poverty stricken. Overwhelmed with helplessness and sorrow in her heart, the lady presented a mere gooseberry (amalaka) that she found in her kitchen. Sankara was filled with compassion and that moment he composed the Kanakadhara stotra, a prayer for prosperity of the family. It is said that Mahalaksmi please with young Sankara appeared and said that the poverty in the house was due to past karma to which Sankara responded saying that in this birth the lady has given the gooseberry with love. Mahalaksmi blessed the household with golden gooseberries. Soon Sankara’s fame spread beyond the boundaries of Kalady.
