Chandrashekarendra Saraswati
His holiness Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati VIII Mahaswamigal | |
---|---|
vedantha ,
nondualism | |
Religious career | |
Consecration | 13 February 1907 |
Ordination | 9 May 1907 |
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham | |
In office 1907–1994 | |
Preceded by | Mahadevendra Saraswathi V |
Succeeded by | Jayendra Saraswathi |
Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal (born Swaminathan Shasthri; 20 May 1894 – 8 January 1994) also known as the Sage of Kanchi or Mahaperiyavar (meaning, "The great elder") was the 68th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Mahaperiyavar's discourses have been recorded in a Tamil book titled "Deivathin Kural" (Voice of God).
Early life
Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal (born Swaminathan Shasthri) was born on 20 May 1894. He was brought up in the central part of the southern state of
As per the usual training given to the seers, he was well trained with the Vedas, puranas, various Hindu texts and ancient Indian literature. The Acharya was fifteen years old in 1909. For two years he studied under the pandits of the Matha at Kumbakonam. From 1911 to 1914 he studied in Mahendramangalam, a tiny village on the Northern bank of Akhanda Kaveri. The Acharya showed interest in subjects such as photography, mathematics and astronomy. He returned to Kumbakonam in 1914. The Matha (or mutt) was managed by the Court of Wards from 1911–1915 until he turned twenty-one in May 1915.
I had a bath at the Kumara Koshta Thirtha. A carriage of the Mutt had come there from Kalavai with the people to buy articles for the Maha Puja on the tenth day of the passing of the previous 66th Acharya. One of them, a hereditary maistry (mason) of the Mutt, asked me to accompany him. A separate cart was engaged for the rest of the family to follow me. During the journey the maistry hinted to me that I might not return home and that the rest of my life might be spent in the Mutt itself. At first I thought that my elder cousin having become the Head of the Mutt, it was his wish that I should live with him. But the maistry gradually clarified matters as the cart rolled on. The Acharya had fever which developed into delirium and that was why I was being separated from the family to be taken to Kalavai. I was stunned by this unexpected turn of events. I lay in a kneeling posture in the cart, shocked as I was, repeating “Rama… Rama,” the only prayer I knew. My mother and other children came some time later only to find that instead of her mission of consoling her sister, she herself was placed in the state of having to be consoled. — Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal[2]
Contributions
Mahaperiyava started spreading his knowledge in spiritual journeys across the Indian hinterland. These included devotional practices and daily rituals such as performing various
Throughout his life, Mahaperiyava breathed and practised the
He died without celebrating his centenary on 8 January 1994.[4] His attainment of Videhamukti invited devotees to go beyond numerology and believe only the name of god in their lifespan.
Discourses
As a religious head of the
Influence on Indian Freedom Movement
Mahaperiyava reconverted Indian National Congress leader F. G. Natesa Iyer from Christianity to Hinduism. Iyer, as a boy of ten, took shelter with Englishmen who brought him up and converted him to Christianity. Twenty years later, dissatisfied with the ability of the priests to clarify his doubts, he met the Kanchi Sankaracharya and, getting satisfactory answers from him, reconverted to Hinduism.[5]
Books
- Svāmī, Candraśekharendra Sarasvatī (2000). Hindu dharma : the universal way of life (4th ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 978-8172760557.
- Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (2006). The Vedas (7th ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 978-81-7276-401-2.
- Candraśekharendra Sarasvatī Svāmī (2008). Voice of the Guru : The Guru tradition (2nd ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 978-8172764159.
- Svāmī, Pūjyaśrī Candrasekharendra Sarasvatī (2001). Śri Śaṅkara Bhagavatpādācārya's Saundaryalaharī = Saundaryalaharī An exposition (1st ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 978-8172762124.
- Jagadguru His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal (2008). Fitzgerald, Michael Oren (ed.). Introduction to Hindu dharma : illustrated. Bloomington, Ind.: World Wisdom. ISBN 978-1933316482.
- Candraśekharendra Sarasvatī Svāmī (2008). Voice of God Vol 1 and 2 (2nd ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ]
- Chandraśekharendra Sarasvatī Svāmī (1978). Voice of God 7 Volumes in Tamil (தெய்வத்தின் குரல்), a collection of his discourses (26th ed.). Chennai: Vanathi Publishers.[citation needed]
See also
- Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
- Ramana Maharshi
- Dalai lama
- M.S. Subbulakshmi
- Vinoba Bhave
- Sathya Sai Baba
References
- ^ "Of sibling and sensibility". The Hindu. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ Mahadevan, T. M. P. (1983). The Sage of Kanchi. Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Mandir.
- ^ From a Calendar Published on Behalf of the Mutt in 1997 – 50th Year of India Independence.
- ^ Bhagat, Rasheeda (9 January 1994). "Kanchi Paramacharya attains siddhi". The Indian Express. p. 1.
- ^ T.S.Mani (1–15 April 2012). "FGN – actor and patron of the arts". Madras Musings. Vol. XXI, no. 24.
- ^ T.K.Balasubramaia Iyer (10 May 1923). "Editorial". The Hindu.
Never before in the annals of Tiruchirapalli have we witnessed the grandeur and enthusiasm that were displayed at the reception of His Holiness Sri Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam who arrived at Tiruchirapali on the 23rd. The mile long procession headed by richly caparisoned elephants and surging crowds with His Holiness seated high on the ivory palanquin in the center, surrounded by large concourse of Brahmins chanting the Vedas, and followed by numerous Bhajan parties and Thevaram parties, the rich and tasteful decorations all along the route which extended to nearly eight miles, the buoyant enthusiasm of the huge crowd that pressed on all sides just to have a glimpse of His Holiness' beaming countenance and that followed the procession right through to the end, the festive appearance of the whole town and the eagerness of everyone in that vast concourse of people to do some sort of service to His Holiness were sights for Gods to see and they beggar all description. It showed in a clear and unmistakable way the stronghold of religion and religious ideals still on the people of the country. No Viceroy or even the Emperor himself could have evoked such spontaneous and heartfelt enthusiasm. It took nearly five hours for the procession to reach its destination. His Holiness had a smile or a word of cheer for every one of the assembled people and when he retired into the mutt, His Holiness observed that the weariness of the journey was counteracted by the unprecedented enthusiasm of the people. Despite being his sishya, Mahaperiyava had huge respect for his successor Shri Jeyandra Saraswathi, fondly known as pudhuperiyava
External links
- Official website of Kanchi Kamakoti peetham
- Book "Hindu Dharma: The Universal Way of Life" by Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Press.
- History of Kanchi Mutt [3]
- Sri Kanchi Mahaswamy Charitram Archived 14 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine