Swaagatam

  We regard ourselves blessed in  that, the late Sringeri Acharya  Swami Abhinava Vidyatirtha , the one on the right (1954 - 1989)(accompanied by the then junior acharya   Swami Bharati Tirtha (1989 - present) accepted the invitation of my parents  and graced their house by his visit during the late seventies. Ever since, it has been accepted practice in our household to regard the Sringeri Acharyas as our spiritual mentors or Gurus. Since then the entire family has been to both  Sringeri and Kaladi on pilgrimage. The setting  of the Sringeri ashram is indeed a sylvan one and exceedingly beautiful in its natural state. Jagadguru Adi Sankara obviously had an eye for aesthetics when he  was reported to have chosen this site for the southern ashram among the quartet of ashramas he founded in the four corners of the country (Dwaraka, Puri, Jyotirmath, and Sringeri). The Sringeri site has a rich history of its own and thereby hangs a tale which is recounted below.

Adi Sankara is popularly associated with the expounding of the darsana known as Advaita Vedanta. While the originator of theis philosophical stream of thought is lost in antiquity, Adi Sankara is certainly the most well known and vigorous protagonist of this darsana in the medieval  era, A wealth of material is being collated on the origins and various historical aspects of Advaita Vedanta at the Advaita Vedanta Home page. The genius that was Jagadguru Adi Sankara has drawn the attention of many a savant in the west, one of whom was Will Durant , the eminent historian, who commented on  the System of Sankara in this short but eloquent essay. The Advaita Vedanta page also has a brief synopsis of his life.

About Sri Sringeri Sarada Peetham

"The name Sringeri is the vernacular version of Rishyasringa-giri,

 meaning hill of Rishyasringa. According to legend, the Rishis Vibhandaka and his son Rishyasringa lived here. Rishyasringa is famous as the Rishi who brought rains to the drought-stricken kingdom of Romapada, after which he married the princess Santa. Lord Rama's father, King Dasaratha, invited Rishyasringa to be the officiating priest at his sacrifice to obtain sons. This legend connects Sringeri to the ancient epic poem, the Ramayana. There is a temple dedicated to Rishyasringa and Santa at Kigga, a few miles from Sringeri. The Sivalinga consecrated in the sanctum has a horn on the head, depicting Rishyasringa Rishi. The ancient site of Rishi Vasishtha's Asrama is also nearby. Thus, it was fitting that Adi Sankaracharya chose this spot to establish his monastery.

"The presiding Sankaracharya at Sringeri is Swami Bharati Tirtha (1989 - present), whose guru was Swami Abhinava Vidyatirtha (1954 - 1989). Swami Chandrasekhar Bharati, the world-renowned Jivanmukta, was the Sankaracharya from 1912 to 1954. He wrote a masterly commentary to Vivekachudamani, a celebrated work of Adi Sankara. His guru, Swami Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Narasimha Bharati, who was the Sankaracharya of Sringeri from 1878 to 1912, rediscovered Kaladi, Adi Sankaracharya's birth-place. He also arranged for the publication of all the works of Adi Sankaracharya, through the Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam. This multi-volume edition, called Sankara Granthavali, is considered by scholars to be an authoritative collection of the traditional works of Sankaracharya. The collection has been reprinted recently by Samata Books, Madras, with the blessings of Swami Abhinava Vidyatirtha. The Sringeri Peetham has been running many Vedic schools in southern India. The recently started Veda Vedanta Gurukula Mahavidyalaya is the latest in the efforts of the Sringeri Acharyas to preserve Vedic knowledge. Thus, the Sringeri Sarada Peetham has continued to be one of the most important centers of traditional Vedic learning and Advaita Vedanta over the ages.

One of the famous Acharyas of Sringeri was Sri Vidyaranya the founding preceptor to the Raya brothers who in turn were responsible for the establishment of  the Vijayanagar empire. Sri Vidyaranya in addition to being a noted commentator of the Vedas himself , authored a text titled "Jivanmuktiviveka" or the Path to liberation in Life, which also happens to be a compilation of his beliefs. During the period he was Prime Minister to Bukka Raya he was also known as Sayana. It was Sayana's work that Friedrich Max Mueller relied on for his own compilation of the sacred books of the east.

 Sringeri 1984