Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I
Encyclopedia
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I ' onMouseout='HidePop("43481")' href="/topics/Devanagari">Devanāgarī
: ),
was a prominent Hindu
saint
and religious leader of the 17th century. He was the supreme pontiff of the Hindu mutt Sringeri Sharadha Peetam from 1623 to 1663. He is credited with having protected the integrity of the Peetham and enhanced its greatness.
in the southern part of India
. This village was in Madurai District
and is presently located in the Dindigul district
(from 1985 onwards) of Tamil Nadu
.
of the Sringeri Sharadha Peetam in 1623. When he ascended the pontificial chair, the southern part of India was beset with civil war and turmoil. Sachchidananda Bharati soon acquired mastery over the Vedas
and shastras and visited many famous shrines. Initially, he wanted to marry the daughter of his maternal uncle. But the then Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Narasimha Bharati advised him in favor of celibacy and persuaded him to become a sanyasin or Hindu
monk.
Sachchidananda Bharathi-I is generally credited by his devotees with having saved Sringeri through his penance and austerities. He was also regarded as a good administrator. He was well regarded and respected by all people of all faiths and all sections of the society.
), Maruda and Manjalaru called as Triveni Sangam - - Meaning - Tri - Three , Veni - river , Sangam - Confluence (as mentioned in the biography). The river Vaigai takes a slightly northern course ' onMouseout='HidePop("81541")' href="/topics/Ganges_River">Ganga (Ganges)
in Varanasi
) near this village. It is inferred from the article in "Amman Darisanam" (see external sources) and the author's foreword in the part-II of the biography that the 35th Pontiff Sri Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswamigal and the current pontiff Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Teertha Mahaswamigal have visited this village. The author R Krishnaswamy Iyer has made an anecdotal reference (in the foreword of Part-II - see References below) of the visit, the holy dip of the 35th pontiff in the point of confluence of these rivers,
His visit to old Koti Mukteeswarar temple here, performance of His daily Sri Sarada Chandramouleeswara Puja in this nearby village and His benedictory talk on the significance of this area(Sthalam " () in 1965. The Jayanthi (birthday) of 25th Pontiff Sri Sri Sachchidananda Bharathi Maha Swamigal is mentioned in the biography as in the month of Sravana -Rohini star. The Jayanthi is celebrated in this Kunnuvarankottai Kasi Visalakshi-Viswanathar temple
as per the advice and benedictions of 35th pontiff (refer His talk above) every year by devotees from 1965. The article in Amman Darisanam also mentions about the Kumbhabhisekham of this temple in 2001. Shri V.Viswanatha Bhattar is the priest of this temple.
This is a photograph of the remains of the old Koti Mukteeswarar temple which is found in the biography. The outer wall of this temple contains an ancient Tamil inscription that refers to this village as "Thiru Kanta Vinnagaram " ( - Srikanteswarapuram in Sanskrit). This temple was near the point of confluence of the three rivers before it is believed by the locals to have been damaged by natural calamities (like floods). The current village settlement and temple of Lord Visalakshi Viswanathar half-a-kilometre away is believed to have been reconstructed after the damage done by natural calamities (like floods).
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: ),
was a prominent Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and religious leader of the 17th century. He was the supreme pontiff of the Hindu mutt Sringeri Sharadha Peetam from 1623 to 1663. He is credited with having protected the integrity of the Peetham and enhanced its greatness.
Early life
Sri Sacchidananda was born Narasimha in the village of Srikanteswarapuram now known as Kunnuvarankottai Kunnuvarankottai Kasi Visalakshi-Viswanathar temple#Kunnuvarankottai or Kannapatti near BatlagunduBatlagundu
Batlagundu [pronounced Vathalakkundu] is a panchayat town in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The town is about an hour and a half from Kodaikanal....
in the southern part of India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. This village was in Madurai District
Madurai District
Madurai district is one of the 32 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. The city of Madurai serves as the district headquarters. It houses the world famous Sri Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple and is situated on the banks of river Vaigai. Thiruparankundram is one of the major...
and is presently located in the Dindigul district
Dindigul District
Dindigul District is an administrative region in the south of Tamil Nadu, India. The district was carved out of Madurai District in the year 1985...
(from 1985 onwards) of 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...
.
Pontificate
Sachchidananda Bharati was ordained pontiffPontiff
A pontiff was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the principal college of priests . The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in ecclesiastical usage, to a bishop and more particularly to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope or "Roman Pontiff".-Etymology:The English term derives...
of the Sringeri Sharadha Peetam in 1623. When he ascended the pontificial chair, the southern part of India was beset with civil war and turmoil. Sachchidananda Bharati soon acquired mastery over the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
and shastras and visited many famous shrines. Initially, he wanted to marry the daughter of his maternal uncle. But the then Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Narasimha Bharati advised him in favor of celibacy and persuaded him to become a sanyasin or Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
monk.
Sachchidananda Bharathi-I is generally credited by his devotees with having saved Sringeri through his penance and austerities. He was also regarded as a good administrator. He was well regarded and respected by all people of all faiths and all sections of the society.
Biographies
The most popular biography of Sachchidananda Bharati is by R.Krishnaswami Iyer who based his biography on Sanskrit manuscripts from the period. While studying the Ramachandra Mahodaya Kavya of Sri Sachchidananda Bharati swami, the twenty fifth Jagadguru as per the advice of His Holiness Abhinava Vidyateertha Swamigal, he discovered another manuscript dealing with the life of that Jagadguru and bearing the title - Sri Ramachandra Mahodaya Kavya Kartru Swarupa Prakasam.Compositions, Hymns and Works
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati (I) is said to have composed Gurustutisatakam which details the lives of all the Acharyas of Sringeri from Adi Sankara till the 24th Pontiff Sri Abhinava Narasimha Bharati. He has also composed other hymns and metrical works such as Meenakshi Satakam , Meenakshi Ashtakam , Rama Bhujanga , Kovidashtakam and Ramachandra Mahodayakavyam.Places Associated with Sachchidananda Bharati I
The village of Kunnuvarankottai is an important place of pilgrimage associated with Swami Sachchidananda Bharati. This village is served by three rivers Vaigai (Vaigai RiverVaigai River
The Vaigai is a river in Madurai, Tamil Nadu state of southern India. It originates in the Periyar Plateau of the Western Ghats range, and flows northeast through the Kambam Valley, which lies between the Palni Hills to the north and the Varushanad Hills to the south. The Vattaparai Falls are...
), Maruda and Manjalaru called as Triveni Sangam - - Meaning - Tri - Three , Veni - river , Sangam - Confluence (as mentioned in the biography). The river Vaigai takes a slightly northern course ' onMouseout='HidePop("81541")' href="/topics/Ganges_River">Ganga (Ganges)
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
in Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
) near this village. It is inferred from the article in "Amman Darisanam" (see external sources) and the author's foreword in the part-II of the biography that the 35th Pontiff Sri Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswamigal and the current pontiff Sri Sri Sri Bharathi Teertha Mahaswamigal have visited this village. The author R Krishnaswamy Iyer has made an anecdotal reference (in the foreword of Part-II - see References below) of the visit, the holy dip of the 35th pontiff in the point of confluence of these rivers,
His visit to old Koti Mukteeswarar temple here, performance of His daily Sri Sarada Chandramouleeswara Puja in this nearby village and His benedictory talk on the significance of this area(Sthalam " () in 1965. The Jayanthi (birthday) of 25th Pontiff Sri Sri Sachchidananda Bharathi Maha Swamigal is mentioned in the biography as in the month of Sravana -Rohini star. The Jayanthi is celebrated in this Kunnuvarankottai Kasi Visalakshi-Viswanathar temple
Kunnuvarankottai Kasi Visalakshi-Viswanathar Temple
-Kunnuvarankottai:Kunnuvarankottai, a village near Batlagundu which is on the foothills of Kodaikanal in Dindigul district. As per Etymology, the Tamil name for this village is Kundru-Aran-Kottai which now is known as Kunnuvarankottai or Kannapatti....
as per the advice and benedictions of 35th pontiff (refer His talk above) every year by devotees from 1965. The article in Amman Darisanam also mentions about the Kumbhabhisekham of this temple in 2001. Shri V.Viswanatha Bhattar is the priest of this temple.
External sources
- Biography of Jagadguru Sri Sachchidananda's life (1623–1663) (ENGLISH Edition) by R. Krishnaswami Iyer (Swami Jnanananda Bharati).
- http://www.sringeri.net/jagadgurus/later_acharyas2.php#21_acharya
- R. Venkataramani. (August 2003. P. 8,9,10,11,12,13). "Sringeri Sarada Peedathin 25th Peetadhipadhi - Mudalam Sachchidananda Bharathi", 'Amman Darisanam', Tamil Periodical
- Swami Saccidananda Bharati (I), Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Sringeri, Gurustutisatakam, Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1971, Library Of Congress, Washington D.C., U.S.A, LC Call No.: MLCS 93/1716 (B) - Refer Library of Congress catalog in http://catalog.loc.gov/
- http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~vs28/S.Vidyaraman/Sringeri/index.htm
- Sri Sankara krupa, Tamil Periodical, Tiruchirapalli, 1962.
- S.R. Swami. (November 2008. P. 432). "Sri Sachchidananda Bharathi-I - Acharyalin Varaltru Thoguppu", 'Amman Darisanam', Deepavali Special edition, Tamil Periodical
- 'Tattvaloka', English Monthly Magazine. (October 2009. P. 50). "News and Events - Books Released" - New book on 'Gurustutishatakam', a eulogy of Sringeri Guruparampara composed by the 25th Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham, His Holiness Sri Sachchidananda Bharathi Mahaswamiji with a commentary pertaining to Vedanta, Vyakarana and Tantra by Sri Lakshmana Sharma.
- Online Link - http://www.tattvaloka.com/Documents/4.NewsEventsOct09.htm
- Sri Sri Sacchidananda Bharati Mahasvaminah with commentary by Sri Lakshmana Sarma, Samskrit Book. (October 2009.). "Sri Gurustutisatakam", Sri Shankara Advaita Research Center, Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharda Peetham, Sringeri, Karnataka, Sri Offset - Vidya Bharati Press, Shankarapuram, Bangalore.
- श्रीभारतीतीर्थवॆदशास्त्रग्रन्थमाला - दशमं कुसुमम् - ॥ गुरुस्तुतिशतकम् ॥ - शृङ्गगिरिजगद्गुरु श्रीसच्चिदानन्दभारतीमहास्वामिविरचितम् - व्य़ाख्याता लक्ष्मणशर्मा -सम्पादाक: - विद्वान् एम् . ए . नागराजभट्ट: गिरि: - श्रीश्रीजगद्गुरुशङ्कराचार्य महासंस्थानम् दक्षिणाम्नाय श्रीशारदापीठम्, शृङ्गगिरि: - (October 2009).
- http://www.sringeri.net/branches/tamil-nadu/vattalagundu - Link to Sringeri mutt branch in Vattalagundu and reference to Dhyana mandapam in Kunnuvarankottai.
- http://www.gnananandabharathi.org/ - Link to the website of Swami Gnananda Bharathi (Sri R. Krishnaswamy Iyer), his biography, his publications in Tamil and English and photo gallery.
- K. Narayanaswamy, Vidyaranyapuram (Sringeri). (October 2009. P. 074,075,076,077,078,079). "Sringeriyil Olirntha Madurai Maharatnam", Amman Darisanam, Deepavali Special Edition, Tamil Periodical.
- K Venkateswaran, Madurai (March 1–15, 2010. P. 38, 39, 40, 41). "Kunnuvarankottai Ulaga Naayagan"" , 'Kumudham Bhakthi Special' , Tamil Periodical.
- Re. Ramamurthy. (February 2010. P. 11). "Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsar Aruliya Inkadhai Kavidai', Saravana Padippagam, Chinmaya Nagar, Chennai-600 092, Collection of Tamil poems and short stories.
- (29-8-2010, P.7). "Kunnuvarankottayil Sacchidananda Bharathi Jayanthi",குன்னுவாரங்கோட்டையில் சச்சிதாநந்த பாரதீ ஜயந்தி, Dinamalar Tamil Daily newspaper, Madurai and Dindigul Editions.
- http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/sacred-places/2007/11/16/a-place-for-the-dead-and-the-living.html - Link for Varanasi
- http://nwda.gov.in/writereaddata/sublink2images/239.pdf - Reference to Vaigai river and its tributaries
- http://wikitravel.org/en/Dindigul - Wikitravel website for Dindigul city useful for travelers and devotees to the Pilgrimage sites in the area
- http://wikitravel.org/en/Dindigul_district - Wikitravel website for Dindigul district useful for travelers and devotees to the Pilgrimage sites in the area
- http://wikitravel.org/en/Madurai - Wikitravel website for Madurai district useful for devotees to the Pilgrimage sites and travelers in the area