Acharya Panchakam

॥ आचार्यपञ्चकम् ॥ 

श्रीमदाद्यशङ्कराचार्य-परम्परागत-मूलाम्नाय-सर्वज्ञ-श्रीकाञ्चीकामकोटिपीठाधिपतिभिः श्रीजगद्गुरुश्रीशङ्कराचार्यस्वामिभिः श्रीचन्द्रशेखरसरस्वतीश्रीचरणैः विरचितम् ॥
(“हिन्दू मेसेज्” इत्याख्यायां पत्रिकायां १९२३-तमे वर्षे आचार्यजयन्त्युत्सवावसरेप्रकाशितम्)

Ācāryapañcakam

of

Jagadguru Śhrī Chandraśhekharendra Saraswati Śhaṅkarāchārya Swamigal the 68th Jagadguru of Ādya Śhaṅkara Paramparāgata Mūlāmnāya Sarvajña Śhrī Kāñchī Kāmakoṭi Pīṭham
(Published in The Hindu Message Issue April 26, 1923, Āchārya Jayanti Special Number)


समन्ततः सात्त्विकधर्मलोपं 
समीक्ष्य लोकेऽत्र सदाशिवः स्वयम्।
यदात्मनावातरदादिदेशिकः
तं शङ्कराचार्यमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ १ ॥

Observing keenly the decline of Sāttvika Dharma all around in this world, Bhagavān Sadāśhiva himself, the first teacher incarnated as Śhaṅkarāchārya – I seek refuge in that Śhaṅkarāchārya. (1)

मरीचिमुख्यैः सनकादिभिश्च
प्रवर्तितां धर्मयुगीं भुवीह।
यो बुद्धजैमिन्यनुगेभ्य आव
तं शङ्कराचार्यमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ २ ॥

I seek refuge in that Śhaṅkarāchārya who protected from the onslaughts of the disciples of Buddha and Jaimini, both the dharma mārgas – the pravṛtti mārga and nivrtti mārga  which were set afoot in this world by Marīchi and others and Sanaka and others respectively (2)

सुप्तं सदा मोहवशं गतं मां
प्रबोधयन्तं करुणार्द्रचित्तम्।
गुरुं सदा जाग्रतमप्रमेयं
श्रीशङ्कराचार्यमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ ३ ॥

I seek refuge in Śhrī Śhaṅkarāchārya-the ever-awake, unfathomable Guru, with heart soaked in tenderness-who wakes me up with the light of knowledge – me who am always sleeping subject to the control of ignorance. (3)

प्रतिक्षणं दुःखमये प्रपञ्चे
लुठन्तमेनं क्षणमात्रतोऽपि।
तनोति नैजस्मरणेन निर्वृतं
तं शङ्कराचार्यमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ ४ ॥

I seek refuge in that Śhaṅkarāchārya who makes me happy by the remembrance of him even for a single minute – me, who am wallowing every minute in this world full of miseries. (4)

कलङ्किनं पातकसङ्कुलं च मां 

स लालयत्यल्पकलं यथेन्दुम्।
यतः शिवान्नो गतिरन्यथा नृणां
तं शङ्कराचार्यमहं प्रपद्ये ॥ ५ ॥

He is affectionate to me though I am full of spots and sins and am little learned just as He fondles the Moon though thin and with spots. For there is no haven of refuge for men except the Bhagavān Śhiva whose incarnation he is. I seek refuge in that Śhaṅkarāchārya. (5)

दुष्प्रापं दुर्निरूपं परशिवमनघं सूत्रकृत्सूत्रजालैर्-
निश्शङ्कं नः प्रशान्तं मुनिरतिकरुणो ग्राहयत्यात्मतत्त्वम्।
इत्येवं भाषमाणो दृढतरहृदयग्रन्थिजालं विभिन्दन्
भूयान्निःश्रेयसे नः शिवगुरुतनुभूः शङ्करः शङ्करार्यः ॥

May that creator of auspiciousness (Śhiva) Śhaṅkarāchārya, who took the body of the son of Śhivaguru, be the cause for our liberation by cutting asunder the firm knot of the heart. He expounded free of doubts the supreme  divinity, the serene ātmatattva that was difficult to attain, that which was difficult to describe, from the web woven by the sūtrakāra [Bhagavān Veda Vyāsa.]