The Chandrasekhara of Kanchi and The
Chandrasekhara of Sringeri
Ra. Ganapati
At this point of time, (October 25, 1992) when we are preparing
for the centenary celebration of Sri Kanchi Maha Svamigal, though He would be
completing 100 years only in May 1994, we deem ourselves doubly blessed by
paying homage to another great saint who has actually completed 100 years three
days back. It is a strange coincidence that the monastic name of that sage is
also Chandrasekhara.
He is none other than Chandrasekhara Bharati Svamigal of the
Sringeri Sankara Math, who held the holy office of Sankaracharya for 42 years
during the same period when Sri Chandrasekhara Indira-Sarasvathi was presiding
over the Kanchi Sankara Math.
Instead of repeating the conventional term that the two personages
were like 'the sun and the moon', we should say that they were like two
sun-cum-moons! They were like the sun in full blaze radiating Jnana, and the
rigorous Sastric Dharma in a most unique fashion, from 1912 to 1954. Upadesa
(teaching) in their case was not merely by words but it was by showing the
living examples of what they preached. Hence their words carried the power of
the mantras. Both were exalted as great sages, verily as divine personalities.
But their very name has the moon in it. The name 'Chandrasekhara'
is very appropriate for these two sages, who carried on their heads the burden
of showing the correct path to the world, which was increasingly following
sinful ways, in as much as the name originally denotes Siva who is His infinite
mercy, pardoned the sinning Moon, reduced to a crescent and stationed him on
His matted locks.
It is of note that among the many names adopted by the two lines
of the heads of these two Maths the name 'Chandrasekhara' alone is found in
both. The Kanchi Maha Periyaval is the seventh among Gurus of the of the Math
bearing the name Chandrasekhara; the Sringeri Acharya was the fourth in that
Math to bear that name. In Kanchi the names Mahadeva and Chandrasekhara
alternate from the 61st to 67th heads. So there is nothing unique in Periyaval,
the 68th in the line, having that name. what is significant is that the
Peethadhipati of Sringeri who ascended the Peetha five years later also
inherited the same name, after 450 years from the seventeenth predecessor in
the lineage of his Math! In the divine scheme of things of Parasakti (Mother-Power
Supreme), this coincidence occurred as if to show that these two Peethas are
but two eyes focused on the same object.
There is another similarly too, of the 'Dasanaama' (ten titles in
Sankara's monastic order) Kanchi Peetha has adopted (Indra) Sarasvati. Sringeri
Acharya adopt different titles like Tirtha and Aranya. Of these, the title of
the Sringeri Acharya we are talking of is 'Bharati' which too is a synonym of
Sarasvati, the Goddess of Learning. Sarasvati has yet another name, Sarada. The
Math of the Kanchi Svami is named after Sarada and the Peetha of the Sringeri
Svami carries the same name. The season of 'Sarad' is famous for the beauty of
its full-moon. These two sages, like the moon, converted the blazing bright
sunlight of Advaita-Knowledge into the cool moonlight of upadesa to benefit the
entire world! The blaze arising out of their austerities was cooled in their
Bhakti to the Godhead and was converted into compassion and comforted the
devotees like the moonlight.
Both are 'incomparable'; also facto they are comparable to each
other! They were steeped in Advaitic realisation even while apparently engaged
in day-to-day activities. They had authentic divine powers to truly bless
humanity. They were intellectually brilliant enough to astound the scholars but
at the same time were adopts in expounding great Vedantic truths to the
ordinary people in their own language. They were humble the way only the really
great are. They loved the entire creation. In the present day of so-called
reforms and change they followed strictly and boldly the traditional ways of
life, facilely swimming against the current. Far from being puffed up by the
greatness of the title Jagadguru, `the world-teacher', they who in their
spiritual heights were apart from the world and as real renunciates had no
craving to teach anybody, just endured that title, because it came to them
unasked and sensing the divine ordination in it, they carried the yoke in utter
sincerity and serenity.
In all these aspects they were comparable to each other - anyonya
Sadrasa.
There is another similarity. The mother-tongue of the Head of the
Kanchi Math in Tamil Nadu is Kannada and the mother-tongue of the Head of the
Sringeri Math of Karnataka was Telugu.
Both these sages had no Guru in the physical form to initiate them
into Sannyasa. But both stressed in one voice the need for a physical Guru for
the world at large.
But in the divine drama of parasakti, two characters cannot be
totally identical, as it would not suit Her variety-reveling! So she played her
game, manifesting diversities too in the two. In fact the very diversity
provided the backdrop to heighten the unity.
(This diversity' is definitely not `mutual difference of opinion':
even to think like that is sacrilege.)
Deep within, both Acharyas were the same; but what the world
perceived as their external behaviors and activities. In this respect, there
was a significant divergence between the two. The Chandrasekhara of Kanchi,
though a person of Self-realisation (Brahma-Jnani), paid meticulous attention
to the activities of the world outside, and dedicated his life to convert these
activities to be in tune with the Sastras; he was always devising one or other
scheme to achieve the objective. The Chandrasekhara of Sringeri, though deeply
interested in directing the people to the Sastric ways, generally kept himself
aloof, immersed in meditation.
Another difference which can be called an offshoot of the above is
that though Bharathi Svamigal could have achieved proficiency in any field of
knowledge if he so desired, was not inclined to turn his attention to areas
other than religion and spirituality. He did not encourage his disciples too in
pursuing mere academic research. He absolutely declined to lend his ears to
discussions on historic/literary basis for resolving purely religious issues
and matters touching the great men of religion. To questions such as the age of
Adi Sankara, or his authorship of certain books, or whether Vidyaranya had more
than one Guru, his stock reply would be, "Is there any connection at all
between finding out the truth in these and your own spiritual
development?" The Sage of Kanchi, on the other hand, would encourage
research in all fields and himself dive deep into the ocean of the various
knowledges including modern Science and bring out myriads of pearls, corals,
conchs and shells helping to solve academic problems. It is his conviction that
research in any field will sharpen the intellect, and ultimately purify it, to
make it fit to imbibe spiritual knowledge.
People held different views on this difference between the two.
Some said that only the Sage of Kanchi, thorough with the latest trends and
theories of the world, could perform the duties of the Jagadguru perfectly.
Others said that it was only the Sage of Sringeri who deserved to be called a
Jivanmukta - one liberated even while living in the body. Some also made
fruitless efforts to change the ways of the Sringeri Acharya so as to make him
gain more popularity, because they feared that the Kanchi Acharya was becoming
more popular! When he was immersed in the divine intoxication of Bakthi or the
spiritual afflatus of Jnana, some called him mad. The two sages, never bothered
about these comments and played beautifully the role assigned to each by parasakti.
One was like the lotus flower intent on rising above the waters around and
laying itself bare to the skies - setting an example in spiritual ardour,
transcending the material aspects of life. The other was like the lotus-leaf
which though carrying water-drops, does not allow them to stick on to it,
setting an example of Nishkama Karma (disinterested action) for the welfare of
the world.
Both these Chandrasekharas were born in families closely connected
with the respective Maths.
Some previous Peethadhipatis of Kanchi are the ancestors of Maha
Periyaval.
The father and grant father of Bharathi Svamigal were scholars
attached to the Sringeri Math. The pre-monastic name which he was given at
birth was Narasimha. That name was selected because the previous two Acharyas
were called Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati and Nrisimha Bharati. He
may be said to have been given in adoption to the Math as soon as he was born.
He was the fourteenth child of his parents, who lost all the preceding thirteen
children when they were very young. The distraught parents, wishing that at
least this child be untouched by their ill-luck, gave over the child to Sri
Kantha Sastri, the chief Functionary of the Math. Thus he came under the benign
care of the previous Acharya Sri Sivabhinava Nrismha Svami, while very young.
Narasimhan studied in a school for a few years and always stood
first in the class. At the behest of the Guru, his secular education was
stopped at a stage and he was asked to join the pathasala in the Math to study
the Vedic and allied subjects. After studying the scriptures there, he studied
advanced courses in the school in Bangalore, run by the Math itself, obtained
extensive and intensive proficiency in the Sastras and emerged as scholar. In
1912, at the age of 20 he was appointed as the next heir to Peetha. Even then
he excelled in the knowledge of the Sastras and the observance of the rituals,
and had also gained sufficient equipment in Bhakti, Jnana and Vairagya
(non-attachment).
COURTESY : http://www.kamakoti.org/souv/5-59.html
KODI KODI NAMASKARAMS
TO KANCHI MAHAPERIYAVA , PERIYAVA AND ALSO BALA PERIYAVAR
AND ALSO SRINGERI ACHARYAS
Thanks for the photos posted in the internet by both Kanchi acharya bhaktas and also to Sringeri acharyas bhaktas
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