Other remarkable incidents
Some enemical elements sent two strong wrestlers to harm Acharya
physically. He sensed this and wanted to teach them a lesson. He
invited the wrestlers to demonstrate their power by preventing
him from reciting Vedic hymns by strangling him. The wrestlers
were overjoyed at this golden opportunity and tried their best.
Finally, they gave up exhausted, being unable to even make an
impression on Acharya’s neck.
Once when Acharya sensed that a tinge of arrogance was creeping
into his disciples about their physical prowess he put a stop to
it immediately. He planted a finger on the ground and challenged
them to move it, either individually or collectively as a group.
When they could not do so, they realized their mistake and
sought his forgiveness.
Acharya had remarkable yogic powers. He once became so light
that a small boy could easily carry him and make a tour of the
local temple.
Acharya had an ox that used to carry his precious books and sit
by his side listening to his speeches. One day he announced that
the ox would write commentaries on his works, since he knew that
the ox was really Lord Indra. When the ox was poisoned by some
misguided people Acharya revived it sprinkling on it water
sanctified by the dvaadasha stotra. We learn from JayatIrtha
vijaya that the ox later reincarnated as Sri JayatIrtha and
wrote commentaries on all the major works of the Acharya.
To test his powers of digestion, a brahmin named Shankara
offered Acharya 4000 banana fruits and 30 vessels full of milk.
AchArya polished off the food without a trace. The super human
abilities of AchArya impressed the King of that place. He tried
to force Acharya to stay in his kingdom and even had him locked
up in the village temple. AchArya became invisible to the king
and his soldiers and left the place with his disciples.
Using his powers AchArya and his disciples appeared like stones
to thieves who had come to rob them. After the thieves left,
AchArya and disciples resumed their journey. The thieves looked
back and saw the group walking peacefully. They were stunned by
Acharya’s yogic power. They fell at his feet and asked for
forgiveness.
When a band of robbers attacked him and his disciples on the
difficult road to the Himalayas Acharya made his pupil
Upendra-tirtha silence them after a fierce flight.
When the Acharya was touring Kalsa in Karnataka he noticed that
people were struggling to lift a huge rock boulder. He
effortlessly lifted it with one hand and placed it on the river.
This rock, called Bhimana Bande, exists even to this day. It
carries an inscription about this incident.
Once Acharya and his disciples were forced by a king to
participate in the digging of a tank. The Acharya feigned
ignorance and asked the King to show them the correct technique.
The king started digging and could not stop. Acharya and his
disciples smiled and walked on.