Page 233 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

great sage smiled a little and asked, “Dear son, on which subject would you like to have my judgement?”
shankar: advaitism.
sage: Dear son, you are yet to develop in you the concept of ‘advaitism’.
shankar: how could you know about it?
sage: had you developed in you the real concept of ‘advaitism’, you could not have found a difference between you and i. On having already made a distinction between you and i, you could not have invited me to such a point. You have not yet discarded the idea of ‘Dvaitaism’ in you, and yet you are inviting the second one to a debate. The moment you overcome your feeling of ‘Dvaitaism’, you would no longer find a difference between you and i. You would then see the one and the indivisible Brahma everywhere—the world is a play of ‘advaita Brahmalila’.
On having heard this, acharya shankar got overwhelmed and instantly his proud head bent low. he then paid his obeisance at the feet of the great sage and said, “Now i have decided to drop the plan of setting up a ‘Math’ in Bangladesh. This land needs no ‘Math’. The fame of your anandamath will prevail everywhere in Bengal for ever.”
[Note: The anandamath still exists. The huge piece of stone on which that great sage Thakur Brahmananda used to remain seated is still there. Every year on the auspicious occasion of Makar sankranti, a great many sages, sannyasins assemble at this confluence of the Bay of Bengal, at this Kumbh Mela and reverently offer their heartfelt prayers at the holy feet of this great sage.]
a little later, he said, “But Utkal (i.e. Odisa) badly needs reformation in the sphere of worship and meditation. Puridham is now being ruled rampant by the Buddhist culture as a consequence of which the hindu religious beliefs and rites have been suffering a lot. i have therefore decided to found a ‘Math’ at Puridham. i believe, if you bless me i will be a success in such a mission.” [Note: The shankaracharya Math or Gobardhan Math was set up in 2654 at Puridham. The Veda, Rik and Mahavakya is Prajna- mananda Brahma’. (Ref. Gurupradip)]
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