Sadasiva Brahmendra was a
saint,
composer of
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is ...
and
Advaita
''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'' (l ...
philosopher who lived near
Kumbakonam,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, during the 18th century. Only a few of his compositions have survived, but they are recognised as great compositions of Carnatic music.
Life
Sadasiva was born into a Telugu Brahmin couple Moksha Somasundara Avadhaani and Parvati. His initial name was Sivaramakrishna. He was married at the age of 17. Sadasiva lived in
Kumbakonam, in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
in the 17th to 18th century. He went to learn vedas and other various subjects in Sanskrit in Thiruvisanallur. His contemporaries such as Sridhara Ayyavaal and Sri Bhagvan Nama Bodendral lived in the nearby areas at that time.
Shiva ramakrishna left his home in search of Truth. He became the sishya of Sri Paramasivendra Saraswati. He started aathma vichara and received mahavaakya upadesas from his guru. After taking sanyasa, he is said to have wandered around, naked or semi-naked, and often in a
trance
Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
-like state. He was reclusive and often meditated, and was described as being in a "supremely intoxicated state". He is said to have performed many miracles whilst alive, some of the most prominent are provided below. His jiva samadhi site is briefly mentioned in 'Autobiography of a Yogi', Chapter 41 by
Paramahamsa Yogananda.
On the river banks of
Cauvery in Mahadhanapuram, he was asked by some children to be taken to
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
, more than 100 miles away, for an annual festival. The saint asked them to close their eyes, and a few seconds later they reopened their eyes and found they were in Madurai.
He also wrote the ''Atma Vidya Vilasa'', an
advaitic
''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'' (l ...
work.
There is an epilogue to this story. The next day, another youth, incredulous at hearing this story, asked Sadasiva to take him also to this festival. It is said that the youth immediately found himself in the distant city. When it was time to return, Sadasiva was nowhere to be found. The youth had to make his way back on foot.
Whilst relaxing near a heap of grains, he began meditating. The farmer who owned the land mistook Sadasiva for a thief, and confronted him. The farmer raised his stick to hit the saint, but became a
statue. He remained in this state until the morning, when Sadasiva finished meditating and smiled at the farmer. The farmer was restored to his normal state, and asked the saint for forgiveness.
At another time, while meditating on the banks of the
Cauvery river, he was carried away by a sudden flood. Weeks later, when some villagers were digging near a mound of earth, their shovels struck his body. He woke up and walked away.
Temple service
He is said to have met the Raja Thondaiman of Pudukottai and initiated him into the Dakshinamurthy Mantra. He is said to have written the mantra on sand. This sand was picked up by the king and it is in the worship of the royal family till now in the Dakshinamoorthy temple inside the Pudukottai palace in
Pudukottai
Pudukkottai is the administrative headquarters of Pudukkottai District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a large city located on the banks of the Vellar River. It has been ruled, at different times, by the mutharaiyar dynasty , Cholas, ...
.
He was responsible for installing the deity
Punnainallur Mariamman near
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
and guided the installation at
Devadanapatti
Devadanapatti () is a panchayat town in Periyakulam Taluk, a part of the Theni district in the Madurai Region in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located at the bottom of the Kodaikanal Hills.
Etymology
The name Devadanapatti is a combin ...
Kamakshi temple. He was also involved in the
thanthonimalai
Thanthoni is a block in Karur Municipal Corporation in Karur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 53,854.. Thanthoni Kalyana Venkatesa Perumal temple is a famous temple in this area. Kaliamman Koil ...
Kalyana Venkatesa Perumal temple at Karur.
He also installed the
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
Murthi in the Prasanna Venkateswara temple at Nalu Kal Mandapam in
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
. He instructed king of Tanjore to start the
Saraswathi Mahal Library
Saraswathi Mahal Library, also called Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library is a library located in Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest libraries in Asia established during 16th century by Nayakar kin ...
which runs till date.
He also installed Lord Ganesh and a powerful Ganesh Yantra at the Thirunageshwaram
Rahu Stalam
Tirunageswaram Naganathar Temple also known as ''Rahu Stalam'' is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located in Tirunageswaram, a village in the outskirts of Kumbakonam, a town in Tamil Nadu, India. It is significant to the Hindu sect ...
temple at Kumbakonam. An inscription in the temple bears testimony to this fact. The shrine can still be seen at the entrance to the temple.
There is a shrine for him in the
Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple
Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple is a Hindu temple situated in East Boulevard Road in the neighbourhood of Devathanam in Tiruchirappalli district. The presiding deity is the Hindu god Ganesha. The Nandrudayan Vinayaka Temple is the only temple whic ...
, Trichy.
He has five
samadhis
''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...
:
*
Nerur (Tamil Nadu)
Nerur is one of the villages in Karur taluk in Karur District in Tamil Nadu State. Nerur is located 10 km distance from Karur. It is 323 km far from Chennai. This village is known for the Samadhi of a 17th-century Hindu saint, Sri Sadas ...
*
Manamadurai
Manamadurai is a Municipality Town in Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Manamadurai falls under Manamadurai Legislative assembly.
Upgradation of Manamadurai to Municipality
Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru made ...
*
Omkareshwar
*
Kashi
Kashi or Kaashi may refer to:
Places
* Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India
**Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas
**Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
* Kashgar, a cit ...
*
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
Every year in Nerur and Manamadurai, music festivals are conducted in his honor. In Manamadurai his samadhi is located at the Somanathar temple
Sri
Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha Bharati
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 ...
, pontiff of the Sringeri Saradha Peetham had visited Nerur and composed two slokas in praise of Sri Sadasiva Bramhendra - Sadasivendra Stava and Sadasivendra Pancharatna
Sri
Vasudevanand Saraswati
Vasudevanand Saraswati ( mr, वासुदेवानंद सरस्वती/टेंबे स्वामी; 1854–1914), also known as Tembe Swami, is a Hindu saint who is regarded as an incarnation of Dattatreya.
Early life
...
,known as Tembe swami, a great saint of Maharashtra visited Nerur in the year 1907 and composed a hymn on Sadasiva Brahmendral. This incident is mentioned in his biography.
Books
He is the author of several works. The following works have been printed/published.
# Brahmasūtra-vṛtti or brahma-tattva-prakāśikā - A commentary on Brahma Sutras
# Yoga-sudhākara which is a commentary on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali.
# Siddhānta-kalpa-valli
# Advaita-rasa-mañjari
$ Kaivalya Amrita Bindu based on teachings of upanishads
# ātmānusandhānam
# ātma vidyā vilāsa
# Shiva mānasa pūjā
# Dakshinamurtty Dhyanam
# Swapnoditam
# Navamanimala
# Navavarnaratnamala
# Swanubhuti prakashika
# Mano niyamana
# Paramahamsa charya
# Shiva yoga Dipika
# Suta Samhita Sangraha
# Manisha Panchaka Vyakhyana (Tatparya Dipika)
The following works are ascribed to Sri Brahmendral but no printed version is available.
# Bhagavata sara
# Saparya paryaya stavah
# Atmanatma viveka prakashika
# Bodharya Prakarana
# Gita ratnamala - A Commentary on Bhagavat Gita
Songs
He also wrote several Carnatic compositions to spread the advaita
philosophy among common people. These songs are renowned for depth in content as well as brevity of expression. His compositions are quite popular and can be heard frequently in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is ...
concerts though they are not always rendered in the same raga since the same song has sometimes been set to music by various artists. Some of these are
# Ananda Purna Bodhoham Sachchidananda -
Shankarabharanam
# Ananda Purna Bodhoham Satatam -
Madhyamavati
Madhyamavati (madhyamāvati) is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāga (or ''owdava'' rāga, meaning pentatonic scale), as it does not have all the seven musical notes (''swaras''). ...
# Bhajare Gopalam -
Hindolam
Hindōḷaṃ is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the sev ...
# Bhajare Raghuviram -
Kalyani
# Bhajare Yadunatham - Peelu
# Brahmaivaham - Nadanamakriya
# Bruhi Mukundethi -
Gowla Gaula or GAULA may refer to:
Places
* Gaula (Madeira), a civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz in the island of Madeira in Portugal
* Gaula (Trøndelag)
The Gaula is a river that flows through the Gauldal valley in Trøndelag county, ...
, Navaroju, Kurinji, Senchurutti
# Chetah Sreeramam - Dwijavanthi / Surati
# Chinta Nasti Kila - Navroj
# Gayathi Vanamali - Gavathi, Yamuna Kalyani
# Khelathi Brahmande - Sindhubhairavi
# Khelathi Mama Hrudaye -
Atana
Atana or AThana (अठाण / अठाणा) is a raga (musical scale) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). It is a ''Janya'' raga (derived scale), whose ''Melakarta'' raga (parent, also known as ''janaka'') is ''Sankarabharan ...
# Kridathi Vanamali - Sindhubhairavi
# Krishna Paahi - Madhyamavati
# Manasa Sanchara Re -Sama
# Nahi Re Nahi Re - Gavathi
# Pibare Rama Rasam - Ahir Bhairav or Yamunakalyani
# Poorna Bodhoham - Kalyani
# Prativaram Varam -
Todi
Todi () is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) of the province of Perugia (region of Umbria) in central Italy. It is perched on a tall two-crested hill overlooking the east bank of the river Tiber, commanding distant views in every direction.
I ...
# Sarvam Bramha Mayam - Mishra Sivaranjani
# Smaravaram - Jog or Sindhubhairavi
# Sthiratha Nahi Nahire -
Amruthavarshini
# Tatvat Jeevitham -
Keeravani
Keeravani (pronounced ) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 21st ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. The 21st ''melakarta'' rāgam as per Muthuswami ...
# Tunga Tarange Gange -
Hamsadhwani
Hamsadhvani (meaning "the cry of the swan"), is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of Carnatic tradition of Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāga, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a ''janya'' rāga of th ...
In the movies
Character of Sadasiva Bramhendra is portrayed in the Tamil movie Mahashakti Mariamman
In popular culture
Sivan Sir has written a detailed life history of Sri Brahmendral in his book "Yenipadigalil Manithargal",
Tamil writer
Balakumaran
Balakumaran (5 July 1946 – 15 May 2018) was an Indian Tamil writer and author of over 200 novels, 100 short stories, and dialogue/screenplay writer for 23 films. He also contributed to Tamil periodicals such as ''Kalki'', ''Ananda Vikatan'' a ...
has written a novel Thozhan based on the life of Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra.
Printed Sources
Sadasiva Brahman, the Silent Sage, Cuttān̲anta Pāratiyār, 1967
See also
*
Sadasiva Brahmendra Swami Temple
Sadasiva Brahmendra Swami Temple is a Hindu temple and situated in Karur, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and larg ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Sri Kailasha Ashramam
Santa Shreshta Sadasiva Bramhendra and his miracles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brahmendra, Sadasiva
Carnatic composers
18th-century Hindu religious leaders
People from Thanjavur district
Scholars from Tamil Nadu
1755 deaths
Advaita Vedanta
Advaitin philosophers
Indian Hindu monks