KASHMIR 339

Sri Shankaracharya was a monist or adwaitist who
looked upon the world as illusion. Probably he did not then
believe in God's Shakti in manifestation.

He replied: " The world is an illusion. It has no exis-
tence although it seems to be existing to one whose mind
is obsessed by ignorance."

"You are mistaken," retorted the pandits, "the world
does exist, it is the expression of divine Shakti, the
supreme cause of creation, protection and destruction of
all the visible forms that comprise the universe. External
renunciation of the world is a folly springing from a false
conception of God and His power. Shakti is sporting in
the vast phenomena of life, change and movement in the
universe. The true vision does not discard the world as
non-existent but looks upon it as the manifestation of God,
the lila of His Shakti."

To show Sri Shankaracharya an example of the work-
ings of Shakti, it is said that a pandit invoked the goddess
with the incantation of a mantra and touched a spot on the
ground where they sat, and instantly water as from a
fountain oozed out of the ground.

The pandits say that Sri Shankaracharya was greatly
impressed by the teachings and the exhibition of God's
power by the pandits, and had to change his line of thought
for the one represented by the pandits.

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