Jagadguru
Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal (May 20, 1894 – January 8, 1994) or the Sage
of Kanchi was the 68th Jagadguru in the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He is
usually referred to as Paramacharya or Mahaswami or Maha Periyavaal.
Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara - by M.S. Subbalakshmi
Rare Pictures of Kanchi Kamakoti Pettam Maha Periyavar (in 4 parts)
Rare pictures of Maha Periyavar - Part 1
Maha
Periyavaal was born on 20 May 1894, under Anuradha star according to the Hindu
calendar, into a Kannadiga Smartha Hoysala Karnataka Brahmin family in Viluppuram,
South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu as Swaminatha. He was the second son of
Subramanya Sastri, a District Education Officer. The child was named Swaminatha,
after the family deity, Lord Swaminatha of Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam.
Swaminatha began his early education at the Arcot American Mission High School
at Tindivanam, where his father was working. He was an exceptional student and
excelled in several subjects. In 1905, his parents performed his Upanayanam, a
Vedic ceremony which qualifies a Brahmin boy to begin his Vedic studies under
an accomplished teacher.
Rare pictures of Maha Periyavar - Part 2
Indeed
the predictions came through and young Swaminathan was installed as the 68th
head of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam on February 13, 1907, the second day of the
Tamil month of Masi, Prabhava year. He was given Sanyasa Asramam at the early
age of 13 and was named Chandrasekharendra Saraswati. On May 9, 1907 his
"Pattabishekam" as the 68th Peetathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
was performed at the Kumbakonam Math.
Rare pictures of Maha Periyavar part 3
Even
though there was not enough property in the mutt to be administered, the court
considering the benefit of the mutt, ordered the mutt to be administered under
the “Guardian and Wards Act”. Sri C.H.Venkataramana Iyer, an illustrious
personality from Kolinjivadi (Colinjivadi) village near Coimbatore was
appointed as guardian by the court. The administration of the mutt was under
guardianship from 1911 to May,1915.
Rare pictures of Maha Periyavar - Part 4
On
the day of Sankara Jayanthi in the year 1915, Swamigal took over the
administration of the mutt on the completion of his 21 st year. The
administration of the mutt was taken over in name, but the actual work was
taken care of by an agent, one Sri Pasupathi Iyer. He was an able administrator
who volunteered to do the job without compensation and hailed from Thirupathiripuliyur. Sri Swamigal does not sign
any document, instead Sri Mukham stamp is placed on documents.
An excerpt of how he became the 68th pontiff was best told by Acharya himself and published in Bhavan’s Journal, Bombay:
“ In the beginning of the year 1907, when
I was studying in a Christian Mission School at Tindivanam, a town in South
Arcot District, I heard one day that the Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
who was amidst us in our town in the previous year, attained siddhi at Kalavai,
a village about 10 miles from Arcot and 25 miles from Kanchipuram. Information
was received that a maternal cousin of mine who, after some study in Rig Veda,
had joined the camp of the Acharya offering his services to him, was installed
on the Peetam.”
“He was the only son of the widowed and
destitute sister of my mother and there was not a soul in the camp
to console her. At this juncture, my father who was a supervisor of schools in
the Tindivanam taluk, planned to proceed with his family to Kalavai, some 60
miles from Tindivanam, in his own bullock cart. But on account of an educational
conference at Tiruchirapalli, he cancelled the programme.”
“My mother with myself and other children
started to Kalavai to console her sister on her son assuming sannyas ashram.
We traveled by rail to Kanchipuram, and halted at Sankaracharya mutt there. I
had my ablutions at the Kumara-koshta Tirtha. A carriage of the Mutt had come
there from Kalavai with persons to buy articles for the Maha Pooja on the 10th day
after the passing away of the late Acharya Paramaguru. But one of them, a
hereditary Maistri of the mutt, asked me to accompany him. A separate cart was
engaged for the rest of the family to follow me.”
“During our journey, the maistri hinted to
me that I might not return home and that the rest of my life might have to be
spent in the mutt itself. At first I thought that my elder cousin having become
the head of the mutt, it might have been his wish that I was to live with him.
I was then only 13 years of age and so I wondered as to what use I might be to
him in the institution.”
“But the maistri gradually began to
clarify as miles rolled on, that the Acharya, my cousin in the poorvashram had fever
which developed into delirium and that was why I was being separated from the
family to be quickly taken to Kalavai. He told me that he was commissioned to
go to Tindivanam and fetch me, but he was able to meet me at Kanchipuram
itself. I was stunned by this unexpected turn of events. I lay in a kneeling posture
in the cart itself, shocked as I was, repeating Rama Rama, the only spiritual prayer
I knew, during the rest of the journey.”
“My mother and the other children came some
time later only to find that instead of her mission of consoling her sister,
she herself was placed in the state of having to be consoled by someone else.”
“My robes of sannyas were not the result
of any renunciation on my part, nor had I the advantage of living under a Guru
for any length of time. I was surrounded from the very first day of sannyas by
all the comforts and responsibilities of a gorgeous court.”
Maha
Periyavaal was the head of the Mutt for eighty-seven years. During this period,
the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam acquired new strength as an institution that
propagated Śankara's teachings. The devotion, fervour,
and intensity with which the Paramacharya practiced what Śankara had taught are considered to be unparalleled by his
devotees. Throughout his life, the focus of his concern and
activities was rejuvenating Veda adhyayana, the Dharma Sasthras, and the
age-old tradition, which had suffered decline. "Veda rakshanam" was
his very life breath, and he referred to this in most of his talks.
Remaining
active throughout his life, the sage of Kanchi twice undertook pilgrimages on
foot from Rameshwaram in the far south of the Indian peninsula to Benares in
the North.
His
long tenure as Pitadhipathi is considered by many to have been the Golden Era
of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He attained Mukti (died) on January 8, 1994 at
the age of 100 and was succeeded by Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal.
Periyava
stressed the importance of a Guru in one's life. He repeatedly preached about
the importance of following the Dharmic path. His various discourses are available
in a volume of books called 'Deivathin Kural' (Voice of the
Divine) which have been compiled by R. Ganapathi, a devotee of Periyava, and
published by vaanathi publications. These books are available both in Tamil and
English.
Though
Periyavaa did not get directly into politics, he was interested in the
happenings. At Nellichery in Palakkad (Present Day Kerala), Rajaji and Mahatma
Gandhi met the Acharya in a cow shed. It was a practice in the mutt to wear
silk clothes. But Acharya was the first one to do away with them and shifted to
Khadi robes at Rameshwaram. He requested his devotees to do away with foreign/
non natural clothes some time earlier at Trichy. The day India became free, he
gave the Maithreem Bhajata song, which was later to be sung at the UN by M S
Subbulakshmi.
Maithreem Bhajatha Akila
Hrith Jeththreem
Serve with Friendship and
Humility, which will conquer the Hearts of Everyone.
Atmavat Eva Paraan api pashyata
Atmavat Eva Paraan api pashyata
Look upon others similar
to yourself.
Yuddham Tyajata
Yuddham Tyajata
Renounce War
Spardhaam Tyajata
Spardhaam Tyajata
Renounce unnecessary Competition
for Power
Tyajata Pareshwa akrama aakramanam
Tyajata Pareshwa akrama aakramanam
Give up Aggression on
others' properties which is wrong
Jananee Prthivee Kaamadughaastey
Jananee Prthivee Kaamadughaastey
Mother Earth is wide
enough and ready to give us all we desire like a Kaamadenu
JanakO Deva: Sakala Dayaalu
JanakO Deva: Sakala Dayaalu
God, Our Father, is very
Compassionate to All
Daamyata
Daamyata
So, Restrain yourself
Datta
Datta
So, Donate your wealth to
others
Dayathvam
Dayathvam
So, Be Kind to others
Janathaa:
Janathaa:
Oh People of the World
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam
Sreyo Bhooyaath Sakala Janaanaam
May All People of this
World be Happy and Prosperous.
The life of Chandrasekara Maha Periyavar
http://www.srikanchimahaswami100.org/SriMahaSwamyCharitram__2__1_edit.pdf
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 1 of 7)
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 2 of 7)
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 3 of 7)
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 4 of 7)
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 5 of 7)
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 6 of 7)
The Sage of Kanchi: Life of Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati (Part 7 of 7)
Speech by Maha Periyavar
Maha Periyavar about Lord Ganesha (popularly known as pillayar in the South of India)
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