Jayendra Saraswathi
Encyclopedia
Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal (born July 18, 1935 as Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer) is the 69th Shankaracharya
(guru
and head or pontiff (Peetadhipathi)) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer was nominated by his predecessor, Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati
Swamigal as his successor and was given the title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22, 1954. He is one of the leading controversial religious figures in Hinduism today.
On account of his sacerdotal office and his profound knowledge of the Hindu religion, he commands wide respect in India, particularly in religious Hindu Brahmin
circles. The Kanchi Math has grown into a strong organization under him. Further, the Kanchi Mutt is also widely patronised by many NRIs, particularly from the U.S.A. The Kanchi Mutt runs many schools, eye clinics and hospitals, Shankara Nethralaya in Chennai
and Guwahati
, Assam
, and the Children's Hospital, Hindu Mission Hospital and the Tamil Nadu Hospital.
The Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu
enacted a law to ban religious conversion, in keeping with the Shankaracharya's oft-expressed concerns. The Tamil Nadu government also started to enforce a preexisting ban on animal sacrifice in temples, echoing concerns raised by the pontiff.
He was arrested on November 11, 2004 and charged by state prosecutors to being a conspirator in the murder of a temple manager, Sankararaman. On January 10, 2005, he was able to secure bail from the Supreme Court of India
although lower courts refused his bail application three times. On 26 October 2005, the Supreme Court of India transferred the case out of the state of Tamil Nadu state to the adjoining Union Territory of Pondicherry. The case is dragged for more than 6 years and still trail is in pending.
The Shankaracharya's arrest attracted widespread media coverage, prompting accusations of a trial by media
. The interest of the media decreased after successive verdicts of the High Courts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as well as the Supreme Court of India. Particularly, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh found that the conduct of the media was improper.http://judis.nic.in/andhra/qrydisp.asp?tfnm=832. As of January 2010, the key witnesses of the case have themselves turned hostile to the prosecution and state that the police had forced them to lie against the Shankaracharya and his disciple Shri Shankara Vijayendra Sarasvati.
Shankaracharya
Shankaracharya, is a commonly used title of heads of mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition. The title derives from Adi Shankara, a 9th century CE reformer of Hinduism. He is honored as Jagadguru, a title that was used earlier only to Lord Krishna...
(guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
and head or pontiff (Peetadhipathi)) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
Chandrashekarendra Saraswati
Jagadguru Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal or the Sage of Kanchi was the 68th Jagadguru in the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam...
Swamigal as his successor and was given the title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22, 1954. He is one of the leading controversial religious figures in Hinduism today.
On account of his sacerdotal office and his profound knowledge of the Hindu religion, he commands wide respect in India, particularly in religious Hindu Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
circles. The Kanchi Math has grown into a strong organization under him. Further, the Kanchi Mutt is also widely patronised by many NRIs, particularly from the U.S.A. The Kanchi Mutt runs many schools, eye clinics and hospitals, Shankara Nethralaya in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, and the Children's Hospital, Hindu Mission Hospital and the Tamil Nadu Hospital.
The Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
enacted a law to ban religious conversion, in keeping with the Shankaracharya's oft-expressed concerns. The Tamil Nadu government also started to enforce a preexisting ban on animal sacrifice in temples, echoing concerns raised by the pontiff.
He was arrested on November 11, 2004 and charged by state prosecutors to being a conspirator in the murder of a temple manager, Sankararaman. On January 10, 2005, he was able to secure bail from the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
although lower courts refused his bail application three times. On 26 October 2005, the Supreme Court of India transferred the case out of the state of Tamil Nadu state to the adjoining Union Territory of Pondicherry. The case is dragged for more than 6 years and still trail is in pending.
The Shankaracharya's arrest attracted widespread media coverage, prompting accusations of a trial by media
Trial by media
Trial by media is a phrase popular in the late 20th century and early 21st century to describe the impact of television and newspaper coverage on a person's reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt or innocence before, or after, a verdict in a court of law.In the United Kingdom there...
. The interest of the media decreased after successive verdicts of the High Courts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as well as the Supreme Court of India. Particularly, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh found that the conduct of the media was improper.http://judis.nic.in/andhra/qrydisp.asp?tfnm=832. As of January 2010, the key witnesses of the case have themselves turned hostile to the prosecution and state that the police had forced them to lie against the Shankaracharya and his disciple Shri Shankara Vijayendra Sarasvati.
External links
- The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
- Complete text of the Order of the Supreme Court of India in dismissing the application of the Government of Tamilnadu in seeking the stay of the Shankarachaya outside the States of South India
- Complete text of the Order of Writ Mandamus issued by the Madras High Court against the Government of Tamilnadu holding that the freezing of the bank accounts by the Police is illegal
- Kanchi Forum an online forum. (a forum for devotees of the acharyas to share their views)
- Cover Story on Jayendra Saraswathi, in FrontlineFrontline (magazine)Frontline is a fortnightly English language magazine published by The Hindu Group of publications from Chennai, India. Narasimhan Ram is the editor-in-chief of the magazine. As a current affairs magazine, it covers domestic and International news. Frontline gives a prominent place to various...
news magazine. - Consolidated news on Legal proceedings on Sri Jayendra Saraswathi.