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{{Hindu philosophy}}<br />
'''Hastamalakacharya''' ([[IAST]] ''{{IAST|Hastāmalakācārya}}'') (c. 8th century [[Common Era|CE]]) was a disciple of [[Adi Shankara]], the [[Advaita]] [[Hindu philosophy|philosopher]]. He was made the first Jagadguru (''head'') of the [[Dvaraka Pitha|Dvāraka Pīṭhaṃ]], the [[matha|monastery]] founded by Adi Shankara in [[Dwarka|Dwaraka]]. Hastamalaka founded a matha by name Idayil Matham in Thrissur, Kerala.<br />
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==Meeting Adi Shankara==<br />
The Mādhavīya Śaṃkaravijayam states that when Adi Shankara was at [[Kollur, Udupi district|Kollur]], he accepted invitations by [[brahmin|brāhmaņas]] to have Bhikşa (''alms'' or food) at their houses. On such an occasion he visited a village called Śrī Bali (present day [[Shivalli]] or [[Udupi]]), where every house was said to emit the holy smell of the smoke of [[Agnihotra]] sacrifice, to accept Bhikşa. That place was inhabited by about two thousand brāhmaņas who were learned in the [[Vedas]] and performed the [[Yajnas]] prescribed in the Vedas. There was also a [[mandir|temple]] dedicated to [[Shiva]] and [[Parvati]].<br />
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In that village there lived a brāhmaņa, Prabhākara, who was noted for his learning. He had a son who though appearing quite handsome, behaved rather like an idiot. Though [[upanayanam]] was performed for him, he did not take to studying the Vedas, instead preferred to sit around doing nothing. Hearing about Adi Shankara's visit, Prabhākara approached the [[Adi Shankara|Acharya]] (''teacher'') with a load of fruit and prostrated before him. He also made his son prostrate before him. Prabhākara explained to Adi Shankara that his son behaved rather like an idiot and sat idly throughout the day.<br />
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Then, Adi Shankara addressed that young boy and asked him who he was. The boy replied in 12 verses containing the gist of the [[Advaita]] philosophy.<ref>[http://www.sankaracharya.org/hastamalaka.php Hastamalaka Stotra]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=5175.0|title=Hastamalaka Stotra|website=www.arunachala-ramana.org|access-date=2018-02-08}}</ref> Thus Adi Shankara was immensely impressed with him and accepted him as his disciple. He was named Hastāmalaka (''one with the [[Indian gooseberry|amalaka]] fruit in his hand'') since the knowledge of the [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Self]] was natural to him like an Amalaka fruit in one's hand. Adi Shankara took the boy into his party and started towards his next destination.<br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[Adi Shankara]]<br />
*[[Advaita Vedanta]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
*[[Vidyaranya|Madhava Vidyaranya]], [[Shankara Vijayam|Sankara-Digvijaya]], translated by [[Swami Tapasyananda]], Sri Ramakrishna Math, 2002, {{ISBN|81-7120-434-1}}. Purchase online at [http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/books/elist.asp?ProductType=MA15 www.sriramakrishnamath.org]<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [http://sites.google.com/site/vedicscripturesinc/home/srishankaracharya/hastamlaka Hastamlakam] Side by side translation in Hindi and English<br />
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080515174358/http://www.govardhanpeetham.org/ Sri Hastamalakacharya]<br />
*[http://www.sringeri.net/history/sri-adi-shankaracharya/primary-disciples/sri-hastamalakacharya Sri Hastamalakacharya]<br />
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[[Category:Advaitin philosophers]]<br />
[[Category:8th-century Indian philosophers]]<br />
[[Category:People from Thrissur district]]<br />
[[Category:Scholars from Kerala]]</div>imported>Marcocapelle