The Upadesa of Sankaradeva

Forthrightness is the marked feature of Mahapurusa Madhavadeva. Let us have a look at one of His Borgits: -

ধ্ৰুং-                ৰে মন সেৱহু    হৰিকহু চৰণা

                                    নিকটে দেখহু নিজ মৰণা |

                        দেখত হৰিকহু   চৰণ শৰণ বিনে

                                    নাহি নাহি ভৱ ভয় তৰণা ||

পদ-            চাৰিবেদ পুৰাণ   যত ভাৰত

                                    গীতা ভাগৱত চাই |

                        ওহি সাৰ বিচাৰ          কয় ভাষত

                                    হৰি বিনে তাৰক নাই ||

                        সনক সনাতন    মুনি শুক নাৰদ

                                    চতুৰ বয়ন শুলপাণি |

                        সহস্ৰ বয়ন আদি গাৱত হৰিগুণ

                                    সকল নিগম তত্ত্ব জানি ||

                        কৃষ্ণনাম যশ             পৰম অমিয়া ৰস

                                    গাৱত মুকুত নিশেষ |

                        পৰম মুৰুখ মতি         কহয় মাধৱ দীন

                                    শঙ্কৰ গুৰু উপদেশ ||

dhrum –           “re mana sevahu         Harikahu carana

                                    nikata dekhahu nija marana |

                        dekhata Harikahu       carana sarana bine

                                    nahi nahi bhava bhaya tarana ||

pada -              caribeda purana          yata bharata

                                    Gita Bhagavata cai |

                        ohi sara bicara                        kaya bhasata

                                    Hari bine taraka nai ||

                        sanaka sanatana         muni suka Narada

                                    catura bayana sulapani |

                        sahasra bayana adi     gavata Hariguna

                                    sakala nigama tattva jani ||

                        Krishnanama yasa      parama amiya rasa

                                    gavata mukuta nisesa |

                        parama murukha mati                        kahaya madhava dina

                                    Sankara Guru upadesa ||”

O my mind! Attach yourself to the Feet of Hari

                        Do you not see your death approaching?

                        Look, apart from refuge at the Feet of Hari,

There is no securing release from the fear of the world. [Refrain]

Looking up all scriptures –

Four Vedas, Puranas, (Maha) Bharata and Gita-Bhagavata,

Only this is the considered opinion, the Essential Truth

That, apart from Hari, there is no Savior.

The sages Sanaka, Sanatana, Suka and Narada

Four-headed [Brahma] and the trident-wielder [Siva],

Thousand-hooded [Ananta] and all others sing Hari-Nama

Knowing the substance of all nigamas (Scriptures of Release).

The Name and Glory of Krishna, the supreme ambrosial fluid,

Is sung even by the masters of liberation

Extremely foolish-minded Madhava says,

This is the teaching of Guru Sankara.

If there was anybody who could know Sankaradeva in entirety, it was Madhavadeva. Madhavadeva has drawn our attention to the following facts as the upadesa (Counsel; Teaching) of Sankara Guru – 

1. That there is no other way to release from the fear of worldly existence save and except Sarana (Sole-Refuge) at the Feet of Hari; 
2. That the sara-vani (essence) of all scriptures – the four Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata and the Gita and Bhagavata – is that, apart from Hari, there is no other Savior; 
3. That [even great gods like] Brahma, Rudra, [and great accomplished sages like] Narada, Suka and the Four Siddhas, knowing the substance of the Vedas to be the Praise of Hari, engage in the singing of the Name and Glories of Hari, and 
4. That even the muktas (liberated ones) sing the Name and Qualities of Hari, finding It to be of the nature of Supreme Nectar.

[Excerpted from A TRIBUTE TO MADHAVADEVA, essay on the Life and Spiritual Contribution of Madhavadeva, by the venerable Bhakta scholar of Assam, Sri Sonaram Chutiya. To read the full essay, click here. Our salutations at the Feet of the author. June 8, 2012]