The life history of Adi sankara part 2.

Photos from top: Sri. Sringeri shankara math - kalady, the birth place of Jagad guru Adi Shankarar. 2.Shirine of Sri. saradamba. 3.Kumbhabhisheka held at kalady in 1910. Photos from Sringeri math  web site with thanks                                                                                                               Sankara met Sri. Govinda pada Acharya at Badrikashram  in  Badrinath  & prostrated at the teacher's feet. When  Govinda Pada asked who he was , Sankara replied " O revered Guru" I  am not of the pancha bootha element but the immortal Atman (self) that is hidden in all names & forms . He  told him  that  he was son of Sivaguru, brahmin of kerala. I was brought by my mother when my  father died at my child hood.i have studied  Vedas & Shastras under a teacher. I took Apath Sanyas  when a crocodile   caught my foot in a river.Kindly initiate  me into Holy order of Sanyasa. Govinda pada was very much  pleased to  hear the truthful narration from Sankara.He accepted him as his disciple & initiated him into proper Sanyasa.Govinda pada taught him Advaitha philosophy which he learnt from his Guru Gauda pada acharya.                                                                                                                                             Govinda pada asked  Sankara to go to Kashi.Sankara proceeded to Kashi as per his Guru's  instruction. There he wrote  all his famous commentaries on Bhrama Sutra,the Upanishads & Gita . He then toured all over India.At that time other religions  were found all over India. Sankara met the leaders of  different school of thoughts & convinced them by arguments.He established  the supremacy of Advaitha philosophy.He defeated  Bhatta Bhaskara regarding his commentary on the vedhanta sutra.Dandi & Maurya became his students. He also defeated many pundits like Harsha, Abhinava Gupta,Murari misra,Udayanacharya,Dharma gupta,Kumarila & Prabakara.He also defeated Mandana Misra, an expert in Mimamsa & his wife Bharati who is said to be an avatar of Saraswati.Accepting the  defeat,Mandana Misra became a disciple of sankara.Sankra took him to Sringeri & made him as the first sanyasin of  Sringeri.His wife  also accompanied him to Sringeri. She is  there & worshiped even today.Owing to Sankara's actions all other religious faiths disappeared & he established the  supremacy of Hindu  Religion .