MAHAPURUSIYA CONVERTS ALL OVER INDIA

There are several specific examples to show that Sankardew's so-called pilgrimage was in fact a tour of universal conquest by scholarship. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, a great contemporary and discipline of Sankardew, in his colophon of Svarga Khanda Padma Puran records:

"Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya jyotisat sar:
Devi-upasak achiloho duracar. 168.
Sankarar sange bahu badak karilo:
Bade bhange huya sastra padhibaka gailo.
Kasidese Visweswar Cakravarti nam:
Cari Ved padhiloho taite anupam. 169.
Panca barsa taite Veda sastrak padhilo:
Anek sastrak siki jnanak labhilo.170.
Eka dina Guru mot karia sasvat:
Kahilanta gopya katha janilo manat.
Purva dise nij sakti Hari awatar:
Nij yas dharma kirti bhakati pracar. 171.
Namat Sankar haiba sudra kule jat…
Tahana carane karo sata namaskar. 172.

'I am Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, well-versed in astrology. I was a vile worshipper of goddesses. I had long argued with Sankar (-dew). Being defeated in (scriptural) debate, I went (abroad) to study scriptures (further). (There was a teacher) in Kasi (Baranasi) Viswaswar Cakravarti by name. There (under him) I studied the four Vedas so excellently. For five years I read the Vedas and (other) scriptures there. I acquired knowledge by reading many sacred books. One day (my) teacher took me into confidence and revealed to me that secret as I came to know: 'God in His own power has incarnated Himself in the Eastern Country to propagate His own fame, cult and Love. He must be Sankar by name and born in the Sudra class. I bow down a hundred times at his feet'.

So Sarvabhauma returned home and presently became a discipline of Sankardew. He beings his rendering of Svarga khanda by paying respect to Sankardew not only as his Guru, but also as an incarnation (vs. 1,164-65 ff). Then he gives a detailed account of the disciplines of Sankardew scattered in different cultural centres of India which he visited:

"Tarkabhanu Vidyapati Bhattacarya bar:
Raghawa Acarya Bibhusana ye Bhudhar. 174
Kaviratna Vidyaratna Uma Basudew:
Saraswati Srikanta Gajendra Mahasew:
Ramcandra Krsnadatta Visnu Narayan:
Gopal Jaiminidew Dewa Janardan. 175.
Tarasawe apon kusal cinta kari:
Sankarak Guru mani bhajilanta Hari:
Surya Vipra Kalidas Bhanu Harihar:
Caturar Cudamani jnani Ratneswar. 176.
Jyotisa-pradhan Sivakam Narottam:
Candradhar Suryadhar Surya Sarma nam.
Musha raja Ratnakhari Vijaykhari nam.
Dharmakhari Vajrakhari Mihir Sriram. 177.
Sriguru Ganes ye Siwa Sarma nam:
Udita Udaykhari Dibakar nam.
Sarvakale grah-upasak sarvajan:
Sankark Guru mani lailanta saran. 178.
Ksatriyar Maharaj Rup Sanatan:
Sankarak Guru mani laileka saran.179.
Jagadise svapna dekhi pandak kahila:
Bhagawat laia Purva disak larila.185.
Yateka kahila rup sava dekhilanta:
Bhagawat dia tat saran lailanta.186.
Maha santa Sila Santa Visnupuri nam
Brahmananda age kaila purva guna gram.
Sankara svarupe Hari haiba awatar:
Tanka lagi diba Ratnawali grantha sar. 189.
Mohor pranam cari sloka di pathaiba:
Tumio tahaka bhakti karia bhajiba: 190.
Brndaban name ek Mahanta achila:
Sankarak lag pai tehanto bhajila. 191.
Ramakanta name sisya Mathura purata:
Sankarak Guru mani saran lailanta.
Radha name ek santa achil Gokule:
Sankarak Guru mani sio bhakta bhaile. 192.
Sanyasi Trijata name Vajrat achil:
Sankarak Guru mani Harik bhajil.
Gopinath name santa Puskar Tirthata:
Sijaneo Sankarak Guru manilanta. 193.
Jagannath Pandasut Visnudatta nam:
Ramananda Haridew Jaimini Sriram.
Krsna Yadunath nam ehi das jan:
Sankarak Guru mani lailanta saran. 194.

Like Ramcaran, Sarvabhauma also clearly says that Sankardew lived for 120 years deficient by one:

"Eka bam chay vimsa barisa bhailanta:
Tathapi kisora svabhawaka nerilanta. 206.

Nor is Sarvabhauma the solitary instance of a contemporary Vaisnavite poet recording facts of Sankardew's influence abroad enumerating the disciples of Sankardew everywhere in cultural centres of fifteenth century India.

Ramcaran details another similar account. There was a Brahman named Kanthabhusan who completed in Kamarupa the study of four Kalapas and had been to Baranasi to study Vedanta. He read under a professor named Ram Bhatta, residing in the hostel beside his quarters. Kanthabhusan had a copy of Sankardew's rendering of the Bhagawat as Nimi Nawa Siddha Sambad, and he used to recite it aloud before it was dawn. Ram Bhatta listened to the verses attentively and came to the hostel early in the morning.-

Ram Bhatta bulilanta Kanthabhusanak:
Kaita paila tumi Bhagwatar padak. 1434.
Uttama pathana aka kone biracila:
Kanthabhusaneo suni bulibe lagila.
Amar desat ache namat Sankar:
Param mahanta agragani Vaisnawar. 1435
Tente Karichanta Bhagawatar padak.
Suni Ram Bhatta Guru paila anandak.
Punarbar Guru sambudhia bulilanta:
Suna Kanthabhusan tumi maha bhagyawanta. 1436.
Mohor vacan Karna pati sunioka:
Punarbar Sankarar pasak yayoka. 1438.
Sankarat janaibaha mor namaskar:
Kalit Vaisnava Visnu sarva sastra sar. 1439.
Ehi buli ani Ratnawali pustakak:
Ehi puthikhani diba Sankara hatat: 1441.
Sambudhi buliba laila Kanthabhusanak. 1440.
Param gaurave Sankarar hate dila:
Ram Bhattar stuti-nati samaste kahila. 1445.

'Ram Bhatta enquired of Kanthabhusan, 'Where have you come by this verse- rendering of the Bhagawat? Who has made this supreme text?' Kanthabhusan began to reply: 'In our country there is a saint, the foremost among Vaisnavas, Sankar (-dew) by name. It is he who made these verses from the Bhagawat.' Ram Bhatta was glad to hear this. Again the teacher addressed him and said," Kanthabhusan, you must be highly fortunate. Listen to me, and go back to Sankar (-dew) once more. Tender my salutations to Sankar (-dew). In the Iron Age a (true) Vaisnava is Visnu (Himself): it is the essence of all scriptures.' Saying so he got the book Ratnawali and said to Kanthabhusan: 'Give this book in Sankar's hand. ( Kanthabhusan ) gave the book in Sankar's hand with great joy and tendered all salutations of Ram Bhatta to Sankar (-dew)'.

Like Sarvabhauma again, another Vaisnavite poet Purusottam Thakur, son of Narayan Thakur, gives a comprehensive list of Sankardew's disciplines abroad, confirming his predecessor Sarvabhauma, in his Guru Gunmala:

Radhadas Santa : Guru manilanta;
Saran lailanta : Hari bhajilanta. 91.
Trijata Sanyasi : Teho Brajabasi;
Guruk upasi : Bhajilanta asi. 92.
Gopinath Santa : Karmi achilanta;
Saran lailanta : Hari bhajilanta. 93.
Setur khandata : Viswanath Santa;
Guru manilanta : Saran Lailanta. 94
Rambhadra Santa : Param Mahanta
Karma edilanta : Hari bhajilanta.95
Krsnakanta Santa : Param Mahanta
Guru Manilanta : Hari bhajilanta.96.
Gangadhar Santa : Param Mahanta
Guru Manilanta : Hari bhajilanta. 97.
Rudrapada nam : Teji ana kam:
Guruk pranam : Bhajilanta Ram. 98.
Sridhar Achanta : Param Mahanta;
Saran lailanta : Hari bhajilanta. 99.
Ram Bhatta Santa : Guru manilanta;
Saran lailanta : Hari bhajilanta.100.
Visnudatta nam : Ati anupam;
Kaila Parasuram : Guruk pranam. 101.
Visnupuri Santa : Param Mahanta;
Brahmanada Santa : Saran lailanta. 102.
Rup Sanatane : Gurur carane;
Parama yatane : Pasil sarane. 103.
Ano yata santa : Saran lailanta;
Tak kahi anta : Kone karibanta. 104.

That Sankardew's fame as a scholar and reformer was quite wide spread all through contemporary India is proved by yet another fact related by the early biographers. One Jagadis Misra of Trihut went to Puri to read the Bhagawat there for approval of his scholarship on the subject. But it so happened that he felt that he was ordered by the deity there, in a dream, to read the Bhagawat before Sankardew at Kamarupa, who had of late earned fame enough as 'living Jagannath' by interpreting scriptures at Puri. So Jagadis came to Sankardew and prayed to him to fulfil his desire. We quote in the next chapter all that was said and done. In spite of the established fact the Sankardew already made verses of the songs of the Bhagawat, offered corrections on the interpretations of Jagadis and suggested findings on the Bhagawat, it is pity that there should be 'scholars' to say that it was the first occasion for Sankardew to have come by the Bhagawat! The approach of Jagadis as a novice and the compliance of Sankardew as a veteran scholar of the Bhagawat should leave no room for vagaries of fancy on the point. ##