2025-04-20 14:32:02 by ambuda-bot
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Introduction
११
composed by Sankara when he lived in the body of king
Amaru and hence it is attributed to the latter.
Ravicandra gives a slightly different version of this
legend. When the venerable Sankarācārya, in the course of
his triumphant march through the country, reached Kāśmir,
he was requested by an assembly of learned men to give
them a discussion on the art of love; whereupon through
his Yaugic powers, Sankara entered the dead body of
king Amaru and having enjoyed the company of the hund-
red wives of the king, he recited to them this poem.
being ridiculed by the wicked who thought him a hypocrite
who posed before them as a recluse since his child-hood,
Sankara interpreted his poem as one that exhorted them to
a life of renunciation.
But
An anonymous commentator of the poem narrates to us
the direct occasion of the origin of the poem. In the
course of his triumphant march over the country, the great
Sankarācārya came to the court of king Amaru of Kāśmir,
who was given to the pleasures of love which he enjoyed in
the company of a hundred beautiful women of his house-
hold. Sankara desired to raise him up from the mire of
sensual pleasures into which he had fallen, to a realisation
of the higher spiritual values of life. He was, however,
requested to describe the art of love. When Sankara did
it, they ridiculed him, since as a bachelor it was unlikely
that he would know anything of love Not bearing to be
thus insulted, he entered the body of the king through the
powers of Yoga, and explained to them through the words
of the king the true import of his poem. Immediately the
king, as he listened to the mystic discourse coming through
his own mouth was greatly enlightened and transcending the
bonds of sense attained beatitude; and the assembly, too,
११
composed by Sankara when he lived in the body of king
Amaru and hence it is attributed to the latter.
Ravicandra gives a slightly different version of this
legend. When the venerable Sankarācārya, in the course of
his triumphant march through the country, reached Kāśmir,
he was requested by an assembly of learned men to give
them a discussion on the art of love; whereupon through
his Yaugic powers, Sankara entered the dead body of
king Amaru and having enjoyed the company of the hund-
red wives of the king, he recited to them this poem.
being ridiculed by the wicked who thought him a hypocrite
who posed before them as a recluse since his child-hood,
Sankara interpreted his poem as one that exhorted them to
a life of renunciation.
But
An anonymous commentator of the poem narrates to us
the direct occasion of the origin of the poem. In the
course of his triumphant march over the country, the great
Sankarācārya came to the court of king Amaru of Kāśmir,
who was given to the pleasures of love which he enjoyed in
the company of a hundred beautiful women of his house-
hold. Sankara desired to raise him up from the mire of
sensual pleasures into which he had fallen, to a realisation
of the higher spiritual values of life. He was, however,
requested to describe the art of love. When Sankara did
it, they ridiculed him, since as a bachelor it was unlikely
that he would know anything of love Not bearing to be
thus insulted, he entered the body of the king through the
powers of Yoga, and explained to them through the words
of the king the true import of his poem. Immediately the
king, as he listened to the mystic discourse coming through
his own mouth was greatly enlightened and transcending the
bonds of sense attained beatitude; and the assembly, too,