The young Sankara was wise, <br />And his behavior very nice. <br />He earned others’ appreciation <br />With all his love and affection. <br /> <br />When he started his studies, <br />His age was three years. <br />By then, he had learnt <br />How to read and write. <br /> <br />All the science and art, <br />He learnt by heart, <br />And began to interpret <br />All scriptures, as an expert <br /> <br />At the age of four <br />He lost his father. <br />And was taken care <br />Then by his mother. <br /> <br />At five years, he had <br />His timely sacred thread, <br />And went to a Guru’s house <br />For his higher studies. <br /> <br />As a regular custom, <br />Guru had sent him <br />To beg for his food <br />In the neighborhood. <br /> <br />He went to a house, <br />Where the poor spouse <br />Had nothing else to eat <br />Except for an Amla fruit. <br /> <br />She gave him this fruit. <br />He saw her poor plight. <br />He shed a tear for her, <br />And started his prayer. <br /> <br />Goddess of wealth poured <br />Amla fruit shaped gold <br />In her open courtyard <br />Like rain that showered. <br /> <br />Her poverty this way <br />Ended from that day. <br />This “Kanakadara Sthotra” <br />Is still famous in India. <br /> <br />The eight year old Sankara <br />Learnt, by heart, the Vedas. <br />Back at home he served <br />His mother in her sick bed. <br /> <br />His mother couldn’t walk <br />For a bath in the river to take <br />So, he invited Purna River, <br />Which heard his prayer. <br /> <br />It changed its course to run, <br />Towards his backyard garden, <br />Thus he helped his mother <br />To take bath in the river.<br /><br />Rajaram Ramachandran<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/adi-sankara-04-the-early-life-of-sankara/
