Like Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya ji, every teacher should be a philomath.

Apart from their chosen disciplines, a teacher should also have adequate knowledge about other streams.

I have found that majority of the teachers are well-aquainted with their subjects but they are ignoramuses about other fields.

Like a mare with thick blinkers, they are focused in one particular direction only!

Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya was a renowned philosopher, sage, an authority on Advaita Vedanta.

As he was a “brahmachari”(celibate), he lacked knowledge with regard to sexual matters.

A philomath, he wanted to have first hand experience of copulation.

Through his “Yogic Powers”, he entered the dead body of King Amruka and indulged in sexual activities for about one month.

His deep understanding about sex came in handy when Bharati, wife of famous scholar Madana Mishra, challenged him to debate with her on “Kamashastra”(love making).

Adi Shankaracharya not only won the debate hands down but also gained invaluable insights into the subject.

He proclaimed, “Never ever dissipate your sexual energy. Your salvation lies in preserving and transforming your sexual energy. Through meditation, transform the lowly sexual energy into superior spiritual energy. Only those having abundant spiritual energy can mingle themselves with the Paramatma(Supersoul or God) and put an end to their incessant agonies”.

Well, I personally like the following lines by Adi Shankaracharya:

पुनरपि जननं पुनरपि मरणं,
भजगोविन्दं भजगोविन्दं, गोविन्दं भजमूढमते.

(again and again one takes birth in this miserable world, again and again one dies painfully.
O deluded minded fool, if you want to free yourself from this wheel of life and death, then lovingly chant the name of Lord Krishna. There is no other way to unshackle yourself from the chains of “maya” or illusions).

No wonder, Adi Shankaracharya was honoured with the title of “Jagadguru” (teacher of the universe).

~ Sanjay Gargish ~