In the State of Kerala,
South-west of India,
There exists a town,
As Kaladi, it’s known.

As a famous pilgrim center,
At the bank of Purna River,
There lived in this Town
Many Namboodri Brahmins.

Among them was one,
Sivaguru, a poor Brahmin,
Who led a spiritual life,
With Aryambal, his wife.

They had no children.
To beget a pious one
They prayed daily the Lord,
Shiva, the most merciful God.

One day, in his dream,
The Lord, Shiva came,
And told him like this
To fulfill the wish of his.

“Do you want a son,
The most intelligent one,
With less years of age
But will live like a sage? ”

“Or, many sons you need,
With their sins and greed?
You’ve your option,
And choose any one.”

He told this to Aryambal.
Next day, in the temple,
Before Shiva, the Lord
They earnestly prayed.

“Oh Lord, What’s good
To serve this world
You know it well.
This how can we tell? ”

“Despite short-lived-one,
Let us have a good son,
Who’ll bring us credit
With his every noble act.”

In the Month of Vaikasi,
Under the star Tiruvathirai,
Shiva himself was born
As Sankara, their only son.

He came to destroy adharma,
And well establish dharma
As their son, Sankara,
In this miserable Kali Yuga.

Rajaram Ramachandran

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/adi-sankara-03-birth-of-sankara/