Hastamalaka
Here he was to get one more great disciple. Prabhakara was a brahmin. He had a son who was a dumb boy. He appeared to be dull. But Shankara felt that he was a yogi. Instead of asking the parents who had brought the boy ‘Why is the boy like this? since when?’ he asked the boy straightaway : "Who are you, my boy?" What else could be so sacred a place as the one where the divine master was standing for the yogi to break his silence? One who was dumb poke in answer, "I am the eternal self and not dead matter." This was the simplest form of expressing the nature of the self. By the grace of the master, the dull and the silent son of that couple revealed himself to be a great and wise sage. The master felt happy and taking him as disciple, named him 'Hastamalaka'.
The Four Regional Monasteries
The next important event in Shankara’s life was his coming to Shringeri. This place is situated on the bank of river Tunga in Karnataka. It is the loveliest of spots. Long, long ago, great sages like Vibhan- daka, Rishyashringa and such others had carried on their penance there. Since then it had been a very sacred place.Enchanted with the tranquillity of that place, Shankara established his first Vedanta JnanaPeetha. He installed there the idol of Sri Sharada, the Goddess of Learning, and placed Sureshwara as the Head of that Sharada Peetha.
In Acharya Shankara’s view the entire Bharat was a holy land. Its welfare and unification was to be based on Dharma only. In connection with this unification, Acharya’s plan was to establish four centres in four corners of Bharat for spreading Vedanta and for guiding persons practising Vedanta. The founding of Sharada Peetha was the first step in this project. This was meant to provide guidance for South India. He established the Govardhana Peetha in Jagannath for the East, the Kalika Peetha in Dwaraka for the West, and the Jyotih Peetha in Badarikashrama for the North. These Peethas are called ‘Amnaya Peethas.'
The Disciples
How at Shringeri during his stay Shankara showered his blessings on a disciple called Giri is very interesting. The co- students used to look down upon Girl thinking that Vedanta for him was a hard nut to crack. Once Shankara at the time of his lecture said, "Let us wait for Giri." The other pupils said, "Why should we wait for him, Sir? A wall is much better than that dullard."
Shankara felt pained when such a student as was devoted to the service of his master was jeered at. "What do you know about his nature and spiritual achievements? His ability will reveal itself shortly," said the Master. "Isn’t it enough if Master knows my merit? Should it be made known to others also? Let me not have such conceit" - so Giri used to feel within himself and was serving his master silently. On that day as usual he came late and did obeisance to Acharya. Acharya said with a smile, "Look Giri, We want you to give a discourse on the Self and its nature. We have been waiting for you."
It was the master’s command as well as blessing. The so-called dullard Giri, in a very modest way and full of devotion expressed in his eyes, presented the very gist of Vedanta in Trotaka Vritta, a highly complicated metrical form, but very enlighteningly as if he was making with all reverence as offering to the Master. The other students felt ashamed of their folly. They apologised to both Acharya and Giri. Shankara, thus revealing the literary ability latent in Giri, called him "Trotakacharya" to make this incident remembered for a long time.
Among the disciples of Shankara the most prominent are four Padmapada, Sureshwara, Hastamalaka and Trotaka. Shankara nominated them as the chiefs of the four Vedanta centres he had established: Sureshwara for shringeri the South zone center, Padmapada for Kalika Peetha of a, Trotaka for Jyotih’ peetha Dwarak of Badari, and Hastamalaka for Govardhana Peetha of Jagannath. He told that at their lives should be dedicated to re-organise ancient Hindu Dharma.
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