Totakacharya (8th century CE)
Totakacharya (8th century CE)
Totakacharya (8th century CE) was a disciple of Ādi Śaṅkara, the Advaita philosopher. He was made the first Jagadguru (head) of the Jyotirmaṭha Pīthaṃ, the northern maṭha founded by Ādi Śaṅkara near Badrinath. He founded a maṭha by name Vadakke Matham in Thrissur, Kerala.
Meeting Ādi Śaṅkara:
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The Mādhavīya Śaṅkaravijayam states that when Ādi Śaṅkara was at Śṛṅgeri, he met a boy named Giri. Ādi Śaṅkara accepted the boy as his disciple. Giri was a hard-working and loyal servant of his Guru, Ādi Śaṅkara, though he did not appear bright to the other disciples. One day, Giri was washing his Guru's clothes, when Ādi Śaṅkara sat down to begin a lesson on Advaita Vedānta. He however did not start the lesson saying he was waiting for Giri to come back from his chores and singing lessons. At this, Padmapada pointed to a wall and said that it would be the same if Ādi Śaṅkara taught to this dumb object as he taught to Giri. Now, Ādi Śaṅkara wanted to reward Giri for his loyalty and devotion. Thus he mentally granted Giri the complete knowledge of all the śāstras (sciences). The enlightened Giri composed extempore the Toṭākāṣṭakam, a Sanskrit poem in the toṭaka metre, in praise of the Guru Ādi Śaṅkara. Thus the dumb disciple Giri became Toṭākācārya.
The essence of Toṭākāṣṭakam:
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viditā khila śāstra sudhā jaladhe mahito paniṣat kathitār thanidhe ।
hṛdaye kalaye vimalaṃ caraṇaṃ bhavaśaṅkara deśika me śaraṇaṃ ॥ 1॥
O Śaṅkara, Who is learned in nectar-ocean like pile of treatises, and Who is the repository of explained philosophy in the honored Upaniṣat! I throw myself before Your faultless feet in my heart. O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
karuṇā varuṇālaya pālaya mām bhavasāgara duḥkha vidūna hṛdam ।
racayā khila darśana tattva vidam bhavaśaṅkara deśika me śaraṇaṃ ॥ 2॥
O You, Whose heart is an ocean of compassion! Protect me, Whose heart is afflicted by the miseries of metempsychosis. Convert me into one, Who is learned in the object of all the philosophies. O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
bhavatā janatā suhitā bhavitā nija bodha vicāraṇa cārumate ।
kalayeśvara jīva viveka vidam bhavaśaṅkara deśika me śaraṇaṃ ॥ 3॥
By You, the common people have become satisfied. O You, Who can meditate upon the Self, and Who has a beautiful mind! Incite me to learn the knowledge of God and living-beings. O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
bhava eva bhavā niti me nitarāṃ samajāyata cetasi kautukitā ।
mama vāraya moha mahājaladhiṃ bhavaśaṅkara deśika me saranam ॥ 4॥
You are Bhava (Śiva) — thus is my conclusion. It has set-forth curiosity in my consciousness (cetas). Absolve my ocean of immense delusion.# O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
sukrite dhikrite bahudhā bhavato bhavitā sama darśana lālasatā ।
atidīna mimaṃ paripālaya māṃ bhavaśaṅkara deśika me śaraṇaṃ ॥ 5॥
When numerous virtues have been accomplished, then by You, a desire to achieve indifference emerges. Protect me, who is very weak, thoroughly. O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
jagatīm avituṃ kalitākṛtayo vicaranti mahā mahasaśchalata: ।
ahimāṃ śurivātra vibhāsi guro bhavaśaṅkara deśika me śaraṇaṃ ॥ 6॥
To satiate this incomplete world, the great knowledge exponents roam in disguise [of a human]. Among them, you shine like the rays of sun. O Preceptor, O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
guru puṅgava puṅgava ketana te samatām ayatām nahi ko’pi sudhī: ।
saraṇāgata vatsala tattva nidhe bhavaśaṅkara deśikame śaraṇaṃ ॥ 7॥
O You, Who is the best among preceptors, and Who has a bull on His flag! Indeed there is no wise expounder like you right now. O Śaṅkara, Who cares for those seeking refuge, Who is the repository of truth, and Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
viditā na mayā visadaika kalā na ca kiñcana kāncana masti guro ।
drutameva vidhehi krupāṃ sahajāṃ bhavaśaṅkara deśika me śaraṇaṃ ॥ 8॥
By me, not even one quality (kalā) has been understood. I don’t even have any amount of gold (wealth), O Preceptor! Very quickly bestow compassion, which is Your second nature. O Śaṅkara, Who is the realized master! Be my refuge.
Source: Sage of Kanchi
Balaji Iyer