SriChandrasekharaBharathiSwamigal

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Biography

Birth of a Rare SageHis Early DaysHis Accession to the Holy SeatSelf-RealisationVijaya YathraChooses His SuccessorSilent BlessingsImmense CompassionThe Unique Seer

Birth of a Rare Sage

The morning of Sunday, October 16, 1892 witnessed the birth of a holy saint. He was a

native of Sringeri itself and was born to Sri Gopala Sastri and his devoted wife Lakhsmi

Amba.

Sri Gopala Sastri was himself a very learned pandit and the only son of his father Sri

Subba Sastri. The latter was a great scholar and the Asthana pandit of the Sringeri Mutt

and was blessed and honoured by His Holiness Sri Sacchidananda Siva Abhinava

Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswamigal, the then Jagadguru who was famous as much for

His erudition as for His yogic powers.

Gopala Sastri had 14 children but such was Gods will that only this boy, Narasimha by

name, survived. The parents felt that they were being pursued by an inexplicable and

relentless fate which deprived them of their children and hoped that at least by

separating the boy from themselves for sometime, he might escape the fate of hisbrothers and sisters.

In response to this, Brahmasri Srikanta Sastri, the then agent of the Mutt, took the boy

under his protection and treated him as one of his own household. The boy was

admitted into the local Middle School where both Kannada and English were taught. He

easily topped the list of students and endeared himself to his teachers.


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His Early Days

By a strange good fortune he was brought in his 12th year to the benign notice of HisHoliness Sri Sacchidananda Siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharathi Mahaswamigal, the then

Jagadguru, who at once discerned the aptitude of the boy and foresaw the future

greatness that awaited him. He was asked to give up the secular school and join the

Sadvidya Sanjeevani Pathasala attached to the Mutt. His Holiness took great interest in

that Pathasala and visited it frequently and had genuine pleasure in seeing for himself

the answer papers of several students of the Pathasala.

He was very much impressed with the great clearness of thought and expression

apparent in the answers of Narasimha and selected him for a special course in Tarka.

In January 1907 His Holiness started on a tour throughout the Southern districts for

consecrating a temple at Kalady in North Travancore which was the birthplace of SriSankaracharya. Even while on tour He had arranged for the examination answer papers

being sent to Him with the result that He was able to steadily watch the rapid progress

that Narasimha was making in his studies. On His way back to Sringeri He founded the

Sankara Mutt Pathasala at Bangalore for higher studies in Meemamsa and Vedanta.

Realising that a good grounding in Meemamsa was essential to a student of Vedanta,

He asked Narasimha to join the Meemamsa section in the Bangalore Pathasala. That he

had the special attention and blessing of His Holiness is quite apparent from the four

verses which His Holiness addressed to Sri Sarada. The refrain in all of the verses ran

as follows: "Sarvajnam Srinrsimham kuru Sivadayite Sattvaram Madvinamram"

(Bhaktisudhatarangini P. 445). During this period, there were several indications to

show that His Holiness had decided to choose Sri Narasimha as His successor to the

Sringeri Sarada Peetham.


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His Accession to the Holy Seat

Sri Sachidananda Siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharathi

Mahaswamigal returned to Sringeri in 1911. Early in 1912 He

felt that His lifes work was finished and that it was time for

Him to free himself from His mortal coil. He instructed one of

His intimate devotees Brahmasri Kunigal Rama Sastri to go

to Bangalore and take Narasimha with him to Sringeri and

also inform His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore about His

intention to nominate Narasimha as His successor-designate

to the peetham. His Highness promised all help in the

matter.

The father of the boy also agreed, though very reluctantly, to accede to the wishes of

His Holiness but the mother flatly declined to part with the only surviving one of her 14

children. Narasimha himself had to plead with his mother to obey His Holiness behest

on the main ground that he himself had no intention at all of becoming a householder

and that, if he was a sannyasi staying as the Head of the Mutt at Sringeri, his mother

might have the satisfaction of knowing about his welfare and of occasionally seeing

him. These advantages could not be had if he was an ordinary sannyasi going aboutfrom place to place.

The mother thereupon had to agree and Brahmasri Rama Sastri started with Narasimha

for Sringeri. But just the day previous to their reaching Sringeri, namely, on March 20,

1912, His Holiness had attained freedom from all embodiment. After the ceremonies

were all over, Narasimha Sastri was duly given sannyasa on April 7, 1912 and installed

on the Sringeri Peetha the next day under the name of Sri Chandrasekhara Bharathi

Swamigal.

His Holiness, the new Acharya, conscious as He was of the fact that He had in

abundance the gracious blessings of His guru, was nevertheless sorely grieved at nothaving had the opportunity of being trained and guided by the latter. His ambition was

to follow rigidly the footsteps of the previous Acharya and justify the latters selection

of Himself as His successor.

In the course of about three years He completed His studies in the Vedanta under the

able guidance of Mahamahopadhyaya Vidyanidhi Brahmasri Virupaksha Sastri, a

veteran scholar who later on became the Head of the Kudli Mutt. The latter used to say


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that the deep knowledge and learning of the Acharya was out of all proportion to his

own teaching and could be accounted for only as due to divine grace.

His Holiness felt that the renovation of Sri Sarada Temple which had been started by

His Guru must be completed as early as possible and that a temple should be erected

over the samadhi of His Guru. These constructions took more than three years and itwas only in the middle of 1916 that the work was complete and the

kumbhabhishekams of both the temples were duly performed.

Splendour and pomp characterised the festivities especially as His Highness Sir

Krishnaraja Wodayar, the Maharaja of Mysore, was there in person as also

representatives of His Highness, the Gaikwar of Baroda, and representatives from other

States. But the chief attraction of the great and the small, the learned and the laity, the

young and the old, was the simple and enchanting personality of His Holiness the

young Swamiji Himself.

He radiated about Him an atmosphere of peace and joy. This did not clash with the

pomp and splendour, the noise and bustle that was present due to the presence of

dignitaries and a large congregation of people from all parts of the country.Self-Realisation

After the consecration was over, His Holiness steadily set His mind on the

practical realisation of the truths learned by Him through His exhaustive

studies and, though He continued to expound the scriptures and the

commentaries to deserving students, He spent more time in contemplation

and Tapas. He felt that He must seek the grace of Sri Sarada and His Guru

intensely and qualify Himself to the utmost for the seat of spiritual

eminence which He had been called upon to occupy.

His intensive devotion to His Guru and the steady perseverance which

characterised His efforts led Him in course of a few years to such an

exalted state of erudition and self-realisation as could not ordinarily be

reached in several lives of genuine effort. He stands unrivalled in learning

and stands equally unrivalled in the realisation of the goal of the Vedanta.

His predilection for contemplation naturally marked Him out from other

people who could possibly have no conception of the supranormalexperiences had by Him. It may be mentioned in parenthesis that His

Parents were justly proud of their son and had the supreme satisfaction of

seeing for themselves the spiritual eminence which He had attained.


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Vijaya Yathra

In or about 1923, His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore requested His Holiness to goover to Mysore and confer blessings on himself and the other members of the royal

family. In deference to that request His Holiness left Sringeri on the January 18, 1924

and proceeded to Mysore.

Arranagements had been made for acquiring for the Mutt, the house in the old

agraharam at Mysore in which the previous Acharya was born and also some extensive

adjoining it. Thanks to the kindness of His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore and the

good services of Brahmasri Kunigal Rama Sastri and Srikanta Sastri, it was possible to

raise thereon a magnificient stone structure containing a shrine for a beautiful marble

image of His Holiness Sri Sacchidananda Siva Abhinava Narasimha Bharathi

Mahaswamigal. His Holiness had the supreme pleasure of consecrating this new shrineat Mysore in holy memory of His Guru. In accordance with His instructions, Vedanta

classes were being held there daily.

The earnest representatives of the disciples in the southern districts made His Holiness

agree to extend His tour as far south as Kanyakumari. After a magnificient reception in

Mysore, His Holiness descended the Mysore Plateau by the Sathyamangalam ghat. He

was well versed in Telugu, His mother-tongue, Kannada, the language of the land of His

birth and Tamil, from contact with the Tamilian disciples who had visited Sringeri. The

visit to Sathyamangalam was really His first contact with the Tamil districts.

While there, He was requested to give some words of advice to His disciples and to the

great surprise of all including those most intimate with Him, He began to give

discourses in such chaste and fluent Tamil as would evoke the admiration of any born

Tamilian. Since then throughout the Tamil districts, His discourses were all in Tamil

except in special gatherings of pandits which He addressed in His own characteristic

style of very simple and expressive Sanskrit so natural to Him. His admonitions and

advices, coming as they did from a sincere heart longing for the welfare of the world,

had their own inimitable effect in converting many a skeptic and in strengthening the

faith of many a believer.

After visiting Rameswaram, His Holiness toured throughout the Madura and Tirunelveli

Districts, had a fitting reception at Tiruvananthapuram and then proceeded to Kalady,

the birthplace of Sri Adishankara. His Holiness Sri Sacchidananda Siva AbhinavaNarasimha Bharathi Mahaswamigal had after great difficulty and with the hearty help

of the then Maharaja of Travancore acquired an extensive site there and built there a

temple for Sri Adisankara and another for Sri Saradambal in 1912.

His Holiness felt that this place must be improved further so as to become a centre for

learning. He accordingly directed the formation of an agraharam (street) there for the

residence of the temple employees and others and also the building of a Veda


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Pathasala for the education of young Brahmin boys who desired to learn the Vedas.

In 1927 when He personally visited the place, He inaugurated a Vedanta Pathasala also

for advanced students in Vedanta. The students were given a house to live in and also a

decent stipend to cover their expenses. From Kalady His Holiness returned via Palghat

and Coimbatore to Nanjangud in the Mysore State. There He founded another Pathasalaand proceeded to Mysore.

His Holiness returned to Sringeri towards the end of 1927. He was greeted with a

magnificent and devoted reception. He showered divine blessings on all those who

came in contact with Him.Chooses His Successor

Four years of busy touring was followed by a long period of practical seclusion

from the outside world. The Acharya gave Himself up to intense Tapasya

oblivious to His surroundings. But the affairs of the matha required attention.

Under inspiration from Sri Sarada, the Acharya designated Si Srinivasa Sastry,

as His successor. He was a youth of remarkable intelligence and potential for

spiritual eminence. The Acharya gave Him sannyasa on May 22, 1931 with the

name ofSri Abhinava Vidyatheertha. The Junior Swami soon became highly

proficient in learning and took over the spiritual and secular affairs of the

matha, giving considerable relief to the senior Acharya.

Seldom did the Acharya receive disciples while in retirement. On the few occasions that

He did, for which hundreds would be waiting, a smile or a significant nod proved more

efficacious and illuminating than a sermon. It would fill their souls with blessedness.

By dint of introspection and Tapasya, His consciousness appeared sublimated into an

all-radiating spirit.

In 1938, the Acharya yielded to the prayers of the disciples to visit Bangalore and stay

there for a few months. Facing the shrine of Sankara another shrine had been built for

Sri Saradambal in Shankara Matha. This temple was consecrated by the Acharya. From

Bangalore He went to Coimbatore and then to Kalady.


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Silent Blessings

The Acharya returned to Sringeri in 1940 and again went into retirement in theNarasimhavana. Though He was not accessible, thousands who prayed for His blessings

in their troubles got relief. Many others were blessed even without any conscious

attempt on their part to solicit His grace.

His Holiness seldom came out of His seclusion and on the few occasions He did, He

used to perform Sri Sarada Chandramoulisvara puja meticulously. He fully

demonstrated in His life the qualities of asthita prajna as enunciated by Sri Krishna in

the Gita. Although externally engaged in worldly actions, His Holiness, whenever He

returned to bahirmukha (the state of normal activity), Had no attachment to any object

whatsoever. His conduct did not annoy anybody. He behaved like an ideal friend of all.

Enjoying the Supreme Bliss, He moved sometimes like an ignorant one, sometimes with

royal magnificence, sometimes full of auspiciousness, sometimes unmoving like a

python, sometimes evoking respect, sometimes getting derided and sometimes

unknown to anybody.

When numerous disciples approached the Acharya for permission to celebrate the 60th

anniversary of His birth which fell in October 1952, He sternly discouraged the idea.

When it was suggested that the funds collected would be spent in performing Atirudra

and Sahasra Chandi homas He approved. The homas were conducted in April 1953. A

large concourse of people from distant places gathered to witness this unique function

and to get the blessings of the Acharya.

The Acharya came out of His retirement for a few weeks after the homas Had

concluded, resumed His normal routine and received disciples. On August 24, 1954,

President Rajendra Prasad paid a visit to Sringeri and was received by both the Senior

and Junior Swamis with whom he spent some hours in intimate and soulful

conversation. The Rashtrapatis innate humility, piety, godliness, and respect for saints

much pleased the two Gurus, who showered their blessings on him.


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Immense Compassion

His Holiness had enormous compassion for the struggling souls. None went awayfrom Him empty handed. His faith in the limitless power and mercy of God was

such that if He gavevibhuti(holy ashes) or kumkum (saffron), it acted as an

immediate panacea for all human ills. He played as a child in the company of

children, as a youth among the young and acted as an old man in the company of

the aged ones sharing their joy and sorrow.

Many have been the incalculable benefits derived by those who had the good fortune to

come in contact with Him. Not only He showed Himself head and shoulders above all

scholars in the several branches of learning and commanded their admiration and

reverence but He made even the humblest of men realise that they had a sincere friendand guide in His Holiness.

His love was quite catholic and universal. The high and the low, the rich and the poor,

the learned and the laity, the Hindu and the Christian, the Mohammedan and the

skeptic, all received the same kind treatment from Him and all of them returned home

the wiser and the better for the few minutes of contact which they were fortunate

enough to have with Him.

Many have been the incidents in which He has playfully shown His yogic and

supernormal powers without the least detriment to His Tapas. He was an adept in the

Mantra Sastras and in the Agamas as well. Many have been the suggestions andrectifications made by Him in the field of individual worship or in the temples which He

visited. His memory was quite phenomenal and at times seemed uncanny.


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The Unique Seer

In the year 1954, the Acharya decided to free Himself from the fetters of the mortal

body. On September 26,in that year, He got up very early in the morning and walked

towards the Tunga river. He stepped into the water, and advancing further into the

current Had a dip. Then He did pranayama, and dipped again. The Acharyas body was

seen floating down the current.

It was reported that the Acharyas body was in the erect sitting posture with legs

crossed as at the time of contemplation and was straightened out only in an attempt torestore respiration. There was no sign of drowning or of suffocation or struggle for life.

The Acharya Had ever been in the best of health, and His passing away naturally

baffled all doctors, just as He was baffling them even when He was alive. He was an

enigma equally in death as in life to all who sought physical explanation for spiritual

experiences. God descends on earth for our instruction and emancipation in a

manifested form. One such emanation of the divine was His Holiness Jagadguru Sri

Chandrasekhara Bharathi Mahaswamigal.

The commentary written by His Holiness in Sanskrit on Bhagavatpadas

Vivekachudamani is a monumental work. It is an epitome of His Holiness erudition,

experience, and deep knowledge of Advaita Vedanta. Paying a glowing tribute to His

Holiness who was His Guru, Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal said, "My

Acharya was an eminent Tapasvin, a scrupulous observer of Sastraic injuctions, a

knower of the Atman and a rare Jivanmukta".

Having seen Him, having heard about Him, having met Him and having remembered

Him, all creatures feel delighted. The very remembrance of Him will bring all round

prosperity and blessedness, for it is said: "The knower of Brahman verily becomes

Brahman." That is why to such a seer even the Devas offer their worship.

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