PRECEPTORS OF ADVAITA PART 21 10 24 CONTD KR IRTS The next important place of visit was Gaya. Arriving there on the 20th of May 1935, the Āchārya bathed in the Phalguni River, and had *darśana* of the Viṣṇu-pāda. On the 25th of May, he went to Buddha Gayā and saw the Bodhi Tree and the Temple of the Buddha and also the tiny Śivaliṅga in a low flooring in front of the large idol of the Buddha, said to have been consecrated by Śrī Śaṅkara Bhagavatpāda. A great place of pilgrimage in Bihar is Deogarh (Vaidyanātha Kṣetra) On June 21st, the Āchārya visited Deogarh, went to the Temple and stood for a long time in meditation before the *Svayambhu-Liṅga* and Śrī Girijā-devī.
After brief halts *en route,* the Āchārya reached Calcutta on the 13th of July 1935. The premier city accorded to him a rousing welcome. The Āchārya observed the *chāturmāsya* from the 17th of July at Kali Ghat. In an Address presented on behalf of the Committee of the Kali Temple, Darśanasāgar Śrī Gurupāda Śarmā said that after founding the Maṭhas in the various parts of our country, Ādi Śaṅkara established a Maṭha at Kāñchī, that the present Śaṅkarāchārya whom they had the honour to receive was on a peripatetic tour of India following in the footsteps of Ādi Śaṅkara, and that through the grace of Śrī Parameśvara and Mahā Kālī the tour should be completed victoriously after planting firmly in the land righteousness and piety. In his reply, the Āchārya stated that he accepted the reverence shown as a representative of Ādi Śaṅkara, and blessed all the assembled people. On behalf of the Brāhmana-sabhā of Bengal, an address of welcome in Samskrit was presented on the 23rd of September. The address, which was read out by the eminent scholar Paṇḍita Pañchānana Tarka-ratna, paid a glowing tribute to the Āchārya who by his grace was leading the people on the path of righteousness, referred to the sanctifying effect of the gracious visit to Calcutta, pointed out the significance of the title “Indra Sarasvatī” which belongs to the Āchāryas of the Kāmakoṭi Pīṭha, and praised the manner in which His Holiness was performing the *vijaya-yātrā,* following the example of Ādi Śaṅkara. *Navarātrī* or *Daśarā* (called *Pūjā* in Bengal) is the most important festival for the Bengalis. The Āchārya performed the *navarātrī pūjā* in September-October at Calcutta, delighting the hearts of thousands of devotees there,) In the third week of October, the All-India tour resumed. A steamer took the Āchārya and the entourage on the rivers, Dāmodar and Rūpnārāyan which are tributaries to Ādigaṅgā. The Āchārya reached Midnapore in response to the earnest request of the people of that place on the 27th of October 1935. Midnapore at the time was the spearhead of the revolutionary nationalist movement. Many young men—especially college students—were behind prison-bars as detenus. And. the town was under curfew restrictions. The authorities, however, relaxed some of the restrictions to enable the people to receive the Āchārya and participate in the religious; functions connected with the unique visit'. Coming to know of the Āchārya’s presence in Midnapore, many of the detenus desired to meet him. They obtained permission from the British officer in charge of the prison for this purpose; but the condition imposed was that they should return to the prison before 6 p.m., that day. When the detenus reached the Āchārya’s camp late in the evening, the Āchārya had just then retired for brief rest after the day’s *pūjā.* After waiting for some time, the young men started going back to the prison, disappointed. Meanwhile, the Āchārya came out and on learning about what had happened, sent for the detenus. They came again, prostrated before the Āchārya, and prayed to him for his blessings for the gaining of independence for the country and for the welfare and happiness of the people. Kharagpur, where the well-known Railway Workṣops are situated, and Tatanagar, the Iron and Steel-town, were the places which the Āchārya visited, after leaving Midnapore. Then followed the tour of the Native States in Bihar. While in Keonjar Garh, the Āchārva visited the temple dedicated to Dharanī Devī. The Image of the Goddess, according to the records of the State, was brought from Kāñchī by one Govind Bhanj Deva. In Mayurbhanj State, the Āchārya had *darśana* of the Mahā-Liṅga in the Vāraneśvara Temple at the State Capital, Bāripadā (Mayurbhanj State). In Rāj Nilgiri State, at a place called Sujanāgaḍ, there is a temple of Śrī Chaṇḍī Devī, where the *vāhana* is the boar instead of the usual lion. The Āchārya visited the temple, and halted in that place for four days. Entering the Cuttack District of Orissa, the Āchārya arrived at Jājpūr on the 4th of April 1936. Jājpūr is famous for its antiquity and sanctity. The place is referred to in the *Mahābhārata,* as *Virājapīṭha,* one of the eighteen *Śakti-pīṭhas.* The river Vaitaraṇī flows in a north-ward direction here. There are twelve main temples and many smaller ones—each exemplifying in a marvellous manner the ancient skill in architecture. Because there resided at this place over one hundred Somayājins, about two centuries ago, it came to be called Jājpūr (Yājīpuram). The Āchārya spent five days in this historic town, and then proceeded to Cuttack, the District headquarters. That year’s Śaṅkara-Jayantī was celebrated there. On the 3rd of May 1936, the Āchārya visited Sākṣi-Gopāl, about which there is a legend current in Orissa. Two Brāhmaṇa pilgrims went to Kāśī from Kāñchī; one of them was old and the other young. The old one promised to give his daughter in marriage to the young man on their return to Kāñchī; this promise was made in Mathurā at the shrine of Gopāla. The old man, however, did not keep his promise. The youth lodged a complaint with the king. Asked if there was any witness, he said that Gopāla was his witness, and went to Mathura and brought the Lord with him. The stipulation was that the young man should not look back, as Gopāla was following him. On the outskirts of Kāñchī, the young man violated the stipulation. Gopāla transformed himself into an image at the very place.. Later, the image was brought from there fo Sākṣī-Gopāl by a king of Purī. After visiting Sākṣī-Gopāl, the Āchārya proceeded to Purī Jagannāth. At the end of a grand procession, a ceremonial reception was given to him at the Govardhana Maṭha. The other Advaita Maṭhas of Purī, viz, Śaṅkarānanda Maṭha, Śivatīrtha Maṭha, and Gopālatīrtha Maṭha, also associated themselves with this function, and co-operated in the arrangements connected with the Āchārya’s visit. The Āchārya visited the temple of Jagannātha, and at the request of the scholars of the Mukti-maṇṭapa Sabhā, sat on the Pīṭha in the Maṇṭapa and blessed the assembly. In a speech delivered in Samskrit, the Āchārya said that he regarded the honour shown to him as belonging to Ādi Śaṅkara whose holy Feet are worshipped by all, and who made the false doctrines disappear from the land by establishing the supreme Truth. On the 6th of May 1936, the Āchārya bathed in the Mahodadhi (the Eastern Sea) at Purī; it was the auspicious Pūrṇimā day. On the 9th, he inaugurated a Paṇḍita-sabhā; several elderly speakers recalled the visit of the Sixty-fifth Āchārya of Kāmakoṭi Pīṭha, Śri Mahadevendra Sarasvatī, fiity years earlier, and said that they were having the unique privilege, again, of receiving in their midst the Sixty-eighth Āchārya. The journey through the Chilka Lake area was an arduous one. High mountains, thick forests and sandy wastes had to be crossed. Walking at the rate of twenty-five miles a day, the Āchārya with the tour-party arrived at Chatrapūr on the 17th of May 1936; at this place which is on the sea-coast at the southern end of the Lake, there is a temple of Ādī Śaṅkara. The *chātur-māsya* which commenced on the 4th of July was observed at Berhampur. The *navarātrī* festival was celebrated in October at Vijayanagaram. At a largely attended meeting on the 31st of October, the Āchārya spoke on Advaita, explaining that there was no difference between Hari and Hara, that saints like Samartha Rāmadās gained *mukti* by following the path of *Hari-Hara-Advaita,* that those who adopt the path of knowledge attain *Jīva-Brahma-Advaita,* and that the goal is the same for both *upāsanā* and *jñāna* . Simhāchalam is an ancient pilgrim centre in Andhra. On a picturesque hill is situated the ancient temple of Śrī Varāha Nṛsimha. On the 4th of November 1936, the Āchārya visited this shrine, and spent some time in meditation near the *Gaṅgadhārā Falls.* Three days later, the Āchārya reached Viśākhapatnam, the harbour-town. After touring in the District of Vizag, he journeyed through the Godāvarī area. The *chāturmāsya* in 1937 was observed in Palacole. The next important place of halt was Rajahmundry, on the banks of the Godāvarī. On the auspicious *Mahodaya* day on the 31st of January 1938, the Āchārya bathed in the sea at Kākināḍā. The Andhra districts to receive the Āchārya next in sequence were Krishna, Guntur, and Nellore. At Vijayavāda, the Āchārya had his bath in the Krishna River. The 1938 *chāturmāsya* was observed in Guntur. During this period, the well-known Vyākaraṇa Paṇḍita Śrī Pulyam Umāmaheśvara Śāstrī offered to the Āchārya a poetical composition in Samskrit, consisting of one hundred and seventy verses. From November 1938 to January 1939, the Āchārya was in Nellore. After visiting Venkaṭagiri, he went to Kālahasti and Tirupati again. In April 1939, Śrī Śaṅkara-Jayantī was celebrated at Buggā. After having Śrī Subrahmaṇya’s *darśana* on the Tiruttaṇi hill, the Āchārya reached Kāñchī on the 2nd of May 1939. >From Kāñchī, the Āchārya proceeded to Chidambaram *en route* to Rāmeśvaram. The sand collected at Rājmeśvaram in September 1922, it will be recalled, was Immersed in the holy waters at Triveṇī-Saṅgama (Allahabad) on the 25th of July 1934. The sacred water of the Gaṅgā that was gathered there was now to be offered to Śrī Rāmanātha as *abhiṣeka.* On the 10th of June 1939, after bathing in the Agni-tīrtha, the Āchārya went to the temple, and the *abhiṣeka* was performed. With this was concluded the Āchārya’s Gaṅgā-yātrā. From the next day onwards, for over six months, the Āchārya observed silence. But the tour schedule was continued, as also all the activities connected with the Maṭha. After re-visiting many places in Ramnād, Pudukkoṭṭai, Tiruchi, and Tañjāvūr, the Āchārya returned to Kumbhakoṇam, from where he had started out on his *vijaya-yātrā* twenty-one years earlier. The 29th of June 1939 was a red-letter day for the citizens of the town; there was no end to their joy in receiving the Āchārya again into their midst. *7. Consolidation and Furtherance of Our Ancient Dharma* The twenty-one years’ All-India tour had paved the way for taking concrete steps towards the consolidation and furtherance of our ancient *Dharma.* In the years that have followed, the Āchārya has given the lead in several directions for bringing together the different sections of Hindus, for the promotion of Vedic and Vedāntic studies, for the due observance of religious ceremonies, and rules of conduct as prescribed in the Śāstras, for deepening the spiritual life of the people, for rendering service to the sick and the disabled, and for universal welfare. In 1939, the Āchārya had an organization of *Mudrādhikārīs* set up, with a view to serve the people in a comprehensive way. The *Mudrādhikārīs* are representatives of the Maṭha in the different places. Among their functions are: to enlist' the co-operation of the people in keeping the temples in good repair, to see to it that temple-worship is performed in the proper order, to arrange for popular expositions of the *Purāṇas* on Ekādaśī days, to bring together all classes of people in such corporate activities as digging tanks and wells, dragging the temple-car on festival days, etc., and cattle-care. In order to implement this programme and ensure the best possible results, the Āchārya toured the villages in the Tañjāvūr District, and other places several times, and convened periodical conferences of the *Mudrādhikārīs* to instruct them personally. Under the guidance of the Āchārya, several of the old temples came to be renovated, and *kumbhābhiṣekams* were performed. The *kumbhābhiṣekam* for the temple of Śrī Baṅgāru Kāmākṣī at Tañjāvūr, after renovation, was performed in June 1941. In Tiruvānaikkā (Jambukeśvaram), the ancient temple of Pañchamukheśvara (Liṅga with five faces) was in ruins. When the Āchārya visited the place in 1943, he had the accumulated rubbish and wild trees that had grown there removed, marvelled at the uniqueness of the temple, arranged for renovation, and had the *kumbhābhiṣekam* performed in. June that year. There is an old Śiva Temple in Tiruviḍaimarudūr on the banks of the Vīrachoḻan River. It was in a state of utter disrepair. The Āchārya had it renovated, and the *kumbhābhiṣekam* performed in 1943. The renovation work of Śrī Kāmākṣī Temple at Kāñchī had been in progress for some years. On the completion of the work, the *kumbhābhiṣekam* was performed on a grand scale on the 7th of February 1944. In the temple itself that day, over fifty-thousand devotees had gathered to witness the ceremony. To mark the occasion, the *Mūka-pañchaśatī,* a moving hymn of devotion to the Devī, was published by the Kāmakoṭi Kośasthānam. In order that the evils caused by the Second World War may not oppress the people and distort their minds, the Āchārya suggested to the temple-authorities, and managements of religious charities, in 1942, that the *Śrī-Rudra* and *Śrī-Viṣṇu-sahasranāma* be recited and *archanas* performed in the temples. Accordingly, in many temples, this suggestion was carried out. In April 1942 at Pūvanūr near Mannārguḍi, an *Ati-Rudra-yāga* was performed, in the immediate presence of the Āchārya, for the purpose of securing the welfare of all people. In September, the performance of the *yāga* was repeated at Nattam in Tiruchi District where that year’s *chāturmāsya* was observed. While touring in this District, the Āchārya visited Śaṅkara-malai which is at a distance of thirty miles to the west of Tiruchi Town; here is a Mahā-Liṅga establishesed on the hill here, similar to the one of the Śaṅkarāchārya Hill in Kashmir. On the day of this visit—the 2nd of March 1943— the Āchārya drew the attention of the people there to the striking similarity. The next *Ati-Rudra-homa* was performed in February 19-19, at Tiruviḍaimarudūr. As on previous occasions, people in their thousands participated in the performance of this *yāga* and received the Āchārya’s blessings. The *navarātrī* also was performed at Tiruviḍaimarudūr. After that, the Āchārya stayed during October-November, 1949, at Kuttālam, and went every day to Māyūram for *Tulā-snānam.* The Vedas constitute the basic scriptures of the Hindus. It is through the preservation of the Vedas that Hindu culture has been preserved in spite of the vicissitudes of history. In recent times, the cultivation of skill in Vedic recitation and Vedic studies have been neglected because of alien influence and conditions of modem life. In order to offset the forces making for deterioration, the Āchārya created the Veda-dharma-paripālana-sabhā. Under the auspices of this sabhā, which was started in 1944, annual conferences of Vedic scholars are held in the various parts of the country, examinations are conducted in Vedic literature and prizes are awarded to successful candidates, maintenance is provided for selected Vedic scholars, institutions for teaching the Vedas are set up and run, and every possible assistance is given for the preservation of Vedic culture. In, January 1955 at Kāñchī where the Āchārya was staying at the time, a conference of eminent Vedic scholars was convened, and seventeen *paṇḍitas* in Ṛg, Yajus and Sāma Veda were selected from all over the country and honoured with presents and awards. The consolidation of Advaita through his *bhāṣyas* and numerous Vedāntic manuals, and through teaching by example and precept, was the greatest gift Ādi Śaṅkara conferred on the entire humanity. The central mission of any institution which owes its foundation to the great Teacher should be to spread the knowledge of Advaita. The Jagadgurus of Śrī Kāmakoṭi Pīṭha have, in various ways, rendered invaluable service to the cause of Advaita. An important measure designed to promote studies in Advaita was taken when the Parama-guru of our present Āchārya inaugurated, in 1894, at Kumbhakoṇam, the Advaita Sabhā. Besides the annual conferences of Advaita scholars, award of studentships for the study of Advaita, arranging for courses in Advaita according to a syllabus, publication of works on Advaita, and of a journal “Brahma Vidyā”, are among the activities of the Advaita Sabhā. The first conference was held in 1895 in the immediate presence of His Holiness the Sixty-sixth Āchārya; eminent scholars headed by Mahāmahopādhyāya Śrī Rāju Śāstrī participated in the deliberations. Learned discussions and *vākyārtka* in Samskrit and popular lectures in Tamil form regular features of these conferences. Examinations are held in Advaita-śāstra and prizes are awarded to successful candidates. Presents are given to them every ye’ar if they attend the conference. The Golden Jubilee of the Sabhā was celebrated in Febraury 1945, at the Kumbhakoṇam Maṭha in the presence of our Āchārya. The Āchārya commended the work of the Sabhā, and explained the essentials of Advaita-Vedānta: The basic truth of Advaita is that the Self (Ātman) alone is real, and that all else is *mithyā.* Not understanding the implication of the words *mithyā* and *māyā,* the critics find fault with Advaita. Although ultimately the world of plurality is not real, it is not that it is not useful. Because the world of *māyā* is useful until the onset of wisdom, it is vested with empirical reality *(vyāvahārika satya).* It is in this world, and while living in it, that we have to strive for and gain release from bondage. The true *mokṣa* is the attainment of all-selfhood, in this very life, by the removal of *māyā* through knowledge. The followers of the different religions think that their particular mode of worship alone is the true mode. But we who follow Advaita believe that it is the same God that is attained through any of the religious modes, and that devotion to God is essential for realizing the truth of Advaita. In conclusion, the Āchārya referred to the fact that teachers of Advaita have appeared at all times and in all the different parts of the country, and have left behind immortal works on Advaita; and he declared that it was our duty to study those works and gain the wisdom that is contained in them. To mark the occasion of the Golden Jubilee, a volume entitled “Advaita-akṣara-mālikā”, containing fifty-one essays on Advaita written in Samskrit by various scholars, was published. Two other books, one in English and the other in Tamil, containing articles on Advaita were also published on the occasion. K RAJARAM IRS 211024 TOBE CONTD Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoo%3D49%2BvmW1WT8mL06JxBp5ttpjBNSBKz%3Dn6R4K%3DtVzpWw%40mail.gmail.com.
