Swami Chandrasekhara Bharati (born Narasimha Sastri; 1892–1954 ) was the Jagadguru Sankaracarya of
Sringeri Sharada Peetham in 1912–1954. He was one of the most significant spiritual figures in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
during the 20th century. He is a
Jivanmukta
A ''jīvanmukta'', literally meaning ''liberated while living'', is a person who, in the Vedānta philosophy, has gained complete self-knowledge and self-realisation and attained '' kaivalya'' or ''moksha'' ( enlightenment and liberation), thus ...
(
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
for one liberated while alive).
[''Sages of Sringeri'', A Tattvaloka Publication, Shri Sharada Peetham, Shringeri, 2005.]
Biography
Narasimha Sastri, who became Jagadguru Shankaraachaarya Swami Chandrashekhara Bharati (Honorific style: Chandrashekhara Bharati Swaminah
[Hindu peethadipathis (''peethadipathis are heads of Hindu Mathas'') are addressed respectfully as ''Swaminah'', ''Swamigal'', ''Mahaswami''. In this article, the same convention is followed]) was born to Gopala Sastri and Lakshmamma in
Sringeri on Ashvayuja Shukla Ekadashi (the eleventh day of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashvayuja) in the Hindu lunar year Nandana (corresponding to October 16, 1892). He was the last of his parents' twelve children and the only one who survived past infancy. A notable feature of his life was that his birth,
upanayanam
''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' ...
,
sannyasa
''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' A ...
and
videha mukti
Videha mukti ( meaning "liberation after death or literally liberation from the body") refers to the moksha (liberation from the death and rebirth cycle) after death. It is a concept found in Hinduism and Jainism in relation to ending the samsara ...
(death), all happened on Sundays.
Childhood days
The childhood days of Narasimha Sastri were passed in Sringeri.
An introvert, social life held little attraction for him. He was lodged in the house of Srikanta Sastri, the then administrator of the
Sringeri Matha
Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Śri Śringeri Maṭha (, ; sa, मठ, ) is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by acharya ...
. His parents performed the ''
Choodakarma'' (a rite performed as one of the sixteen
saṃskāra
Samskara ( IAST: , sometimes spelled ''samskara'') are sacraments in Hinduism and other Indian religions, described in ancient Sanskrit texts, as well as a concept in the karma theory of Indian philosophies. The word literally means "putting t ...
s that enables one to go to school). He was then sent to the local Anglo-vernacular school run by the government.
His
Brahmopadesha
''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' ...
was performed when he was eight. He was regular in the performance of
Sandhyavandanam
Sandhyavandanam (Sanskrit: , ', lit. 'salutation to (Goddess) Twilight' or 'salutation during the twilight')
is a mandatory religious ritual centring around the recitation of the Gayatri mantra, traditionally supposed to be performed three times ...
three times a day, and
Agnikarya, twice a day.
Narasimha, after his twelfth year, moved to
Sadvidya Sanjivini Pathasala in Sringeri by the expressed wish of
Swami Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati, the Jagadguru Sankaracarya, who kept a close watch over the progress of his ward.
Higher studies at Bangalore
The Sankaracarya of
Sringeri had established in 1910 an institution of higher Vedantic training, the
Bharatiya Girvana Prouda Vidya Vardhini Shala in
Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
. Narasimha Sastri was chosen to be a student at that institution. Narasimha Sastri moved to Bangalore in 1911 with his parents and plunged into his studies. Mahamahopadhyaya Vellore Subrahmanya Sastri and Mimamsa Shiromani Vaidyanatha Sastri taught him
Purva Mimamsa
The Fourteen Purva translated as ancient or prior knowledge, are a large body of Jain scriptures that was preached by all Tirthankaras (omniscient teachers) of Jainism encompassing the entire gamut of knowledge available in this universe. The pers ...
by texts such as the ''Bhatta Dipika''.
Mahamahopadhyaya Virupaksha Sastri taught him
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
. Even in Bangalore there was no change in Narasimha's introvertness. He spent his free time in the peaceful environs of the
Gavigangadhareshwara Temple in Gavipuram, Bangalore.
Taking Sannyasa
In 1912, Jagadguru Sankaracarya Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Nrsimha Bharati named Narasimha Sastri as his successor at Sharada Peetham. A devotee, Rama Sastri, was entrusted with the task of personally delivering the Sankaracarya's letter naming his successor to
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar; 4 June 1884 – 3 August 1940) was the twenty-fourth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore, from 1902 until his death in 1940. He is popularly called ''Rajarshi'' ( sa, rājarṣi, lit ...
, Maharaja of
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
. Before Narasimha Sastri arrived in Sringeri, the Sankaracarya attained
Videha Mukti
Videha mukti ( meaning "liberation after death or literally liberation from the body") refers to the moksha (liberation from the death and rebirth cycle) after death. It is a concept found in Hinduism and Jainism in relation to ending the samsara ...
. So, on April 7, 1912, Narasimha Sastri was initiated into Sannyasa by Swami Satyananda Sarasvati and given the
yoga patta[The name one receives after taking ]Sannyasa
''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' A ...
(monastic vows) in Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
of Swami Chandrasekhara Bharati. He received the saffron robes, the sacred staff, and the kamandala (water pot) from Satyananda.
He was thus ordained in the
dashanami tradition of
Adi Shankaracharya
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
.
Kumbhabhishekam and Digvijayam
In 1916, the ''Kumbhabhishekam'' (consecration) of the Sharada Temple in
Sringeri was performed by Sankaracarya Chandrashekhara Bharati. In 1924, he left Sringeri on his first ''Digvijayam'' (tour). He first reached
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
and consecrated a temple at the house of his
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
. It was named ''Abhinava Shankaralaya''. Then, from Mysore, the Sankaracarya proceeded to
Satyamangalam
Sathyamangalam (also known as Sathy) is a town and municipality in Erode district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. 8 th century Town. It lies on the banks of the River Bhavani, a tributary of the River Cauvery in the foothills of the West ...
via
Nanjanagud
Nanjangud, officially known as Nanjanagudu, is a town in the Mysuru district of Indian state of Karnataka. Nanjangud lies on the banks of the river Kapila (also called Kabini), 23 km from the city of Mysore. Nanjangud is famous for the S ...
and
Chamrajanagar
Chamarajanagar or Chamarajanagara is the southernmost district in the state of Karnataka, India. It was carved out of the original larger Mysore District in 1998. Chamarajanagar town is the headquarters of this district.
It is the third leas ...
. He then toured the southern parts of the Tamil country including
Thirunelveli
Tirunelveli (, ta, திருநெல்வேலி, translit=Tirunelveli) also known as Nellai ( ta, நெல்லை, translit=Nellai) and historically (during British rule) as Tinnevelly, is a major city in the Indian state of Tami ...
and
Kanyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
. He then toured
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
and
Kaladi
Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th cen ...
in
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
. At
Kaladi
Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th cen ...
, in 1927 he established a ''Vedanta Pathashala'' (an institution for higher studies in
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
). He then returned to Sringeri after visiting a few more places in
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and
Travancore
The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...
.
Avadhuta Sthiti and naming his successor
After returning to Sringeri, Sankaracharya Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswamin assumed the ''Avadhuta Sthiti'' (the state of being an
Avadhuta
''Avadhūta'' (IAST ', written as अवधूत) is a Sanskrit term from the root 'to shake' (see V. S. Apte and Monier-Williams) that, among its many uses, in some Indian religions indicates a type of mystic or saint who is beyond egoic-conscio ...
). He was absorbed in the inward bliss of the
Atma. To enable himself to spend more time in meditation and contemplation of the Self, he named a successor to the Peetham: a vatu named Srinivasa Sastri. On May 22, 1931, he initiated Srinivasa Sastri into Sannyasa and gave him the
yoga patta of
Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha
Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Śri Śringeri Maṭha (, ; sa, मठ, ) is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by acharya ...
. In 1938, Sri Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswamin undertook a ''yatra'' (pilgrimage) to Bangalore, Mysore and Kaladi. After returning to Sringeri, he resumed his classes on
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
and wrote thought-provoking and erudite articles in ''Asthikamathasanjeevini'', a journal published by the Matha.
He granted interviews to genuine seekers and gave ''
darshan'' to the public.
Final years and videha mukti
After 1945, Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswamin gradually withdrew from all activities. However, his fame had spread far and wide. On August 24, 1954, the first
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...
,
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, visited Sringeri to pay homage to the Sankaracharya.
The President, a pious man having deep faith in the
Hindu scriptures
Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...
, discussed with Sankaracharya Sri Sri Chandrashekhara Bharathi on
Dharma and other allied subjects.
A few years later the Jagadguru died. On Sunday, September 26, 1954, he got up very early in the morning and walked towards
Tunga River
The Tunga River (alternatively spelled Thunga) is a river in Karnataka state, southern India. The river is born in the Western Ghats on a hill known as ''Varaha Parvata'' at a place called '' Gangamoola''. From here, the river flows through two ...
; a servant followed at a slight distance. He stepped into the water without heeding the servant’s warning about the depth of water at that spot, and advancing further into the current had a dip. Then he did
Pranayama
Pranayama is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In Sanskrit, '' prana'' means "vital life force", and ''yama'' means to gain control. In yoga, breath is associated with ''prana'', thus, pranayama is a means to elevate the '' prana'' ''sh ...
, and dipped again. The servant saw the Acharya’s body floating down the current. In consternation the servant plunged into the river, caught hold of the Acharya, but in the effort lost his consciousness. A gentleman who happened to hear the shouts of the servant, brought the two ashore. The servant was soon restored to life but ‘nothing could be done in the other case’. It was reported that his body was in an erect sitting posture with legs crossed as at the time of contemplation and was straightened out only in an attempt to restore respiration and that there was no sign of drowning or of suffocation or of any struggles for life. The Jagadguru’s mortal remains found their resting place in a samadhi just by the side of that of his great guru in
Narasimhavanam. The anniversary of the day will ever fall on the
Mahalaya
Mahalaya is the last day of offering tribute to our departed forefathers, i. e pitripaksha and the beginning of the devipaksha. At the time of the cataclysm, when the earth became a great cause-sea, Lord Vishnu laid Anantanag on that sea and fell ...
New Moon day, the day of the annual Abhiseka of Sri
Sharada preparatory to the Navaratri celebrations. His birth,
Upanayanam
''Upanayana'' ( sa, उपनयनम्, lit=initiation, translit=Upanāyanam) is a Hindu educational sacrament, one of the traditional saṃskāras or rites of passage that marked the acceptance of a student by a preceptor, such as a ''guru'' ...
,
Sanyasa
''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' As ...
and
Videha Mukti
Videha mukti ( meaning "liberation after death or literally liberation from the body") refers to the moksha (liberation from the death and rebirth cycle) after death. It is a concept found in Hinduism and Jainism in relation to ending the samsara ...
were all on Sundays.
Works
Chandrashekhara Bharati composed a few poems and wrote a famous commentary. His main works are:
*''Gururaja Sukti Malika'' containing 36 compositions in about 400 pages. Printed in Sanskrit and Tamil
*''Bhashya'' (commentary) on
Vivekachoodamani of
Sri Adyashankaracharya
See also
*
Sringeri Sharada Peetham
*
Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Dakṣināmnāya Śrī Śāradā Pītham or Śri Śringeri Maṭha (, ; sa, मठ, ) is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams following the Daśanāmi Sampradaya - the ''peetham'' or ''matha'' is said to have been established by acharya ...
*
Advaita Vedanta
''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ( ...
*
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...
*
Abhinava Vidyatirtha
Jagadguru Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswami (born as Srinivasa Sastri) (13 November 1917 - 21 September 1989) was the 35th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, which has been occupied by an unbroken lineage of gurus stretching back to the ...
*
Smartism
The ''Smarta'' tradition ( sa, स्मार्त), also called Smartism, is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Mimamsa, A ...
Notes
References
*''Sages of Sringeri''
A Tattvaloka Publication Shri Sharada Peetham, Shringeri, 2005.
External links
Sringeri Sharada PeethamJagadgurusAbout Sankarcharya and His Parampara
{{Authority control
Advaitin philosophers
Shankaracharyas
Sringeri Sharada Peetham
1892 births
1954 deaths
Indian Hindu monks