[Advaita-l] Kalady’s Rediscoverer & Rediscovery - 1

[S Jayanarayanan]

 https://www.sringeri.net/2010/06/24/articles/kaladys-rediscoverer-and-rediscovery-part-1.htm
 
Kalady’s Rediscoverer & Rediscovery – Part 1
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
 
A Profile of the Great Re-discoverer
 
Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji, the 33rd Jagadguru in the unbroken chain of
Acharyas of Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham is hailed as the re-discoverer of Kalady.
 
Owing to a number of similarities between His life and the life of Sri Adi Shankaracharya, He was universally hailed
as an Avatar of Sri Shankara. Just like the great philosopher saint, He too was initiated into Sannyasa by His Guru
at the tender age of eight. A look at His biography would indicate that the incidents that occurred during
His first meeting with His Guru and the first day of His Sannyasa were certainly a harbinger to the remarkable life
that He was about to lead. Having ascended the Peetham as the 33rd Acharya in 1879, the Mahaswamiji spent the first
few years in intense Tapas at Sringeri. The Mahaswamiji undertook three long Vijaya Yatras to foster Dharma in the minds
of people. Just as Adi Shankaracharya, the Mahaswamiji during His Yatras consecrated many temples instituting the
Vedic procedure for worship. Sringeri itself had a remarkable transformation during the time of the Mahaswamiji.
 
For giving a momentum to the study of Shastras, the Mahaswamiji instituted the annual gathering of Shastra scholars
during the period of Chaturmasya. Termed the Mahaganapati Vakyartha Vidwat Sabha , the Sabha went on for twenty one
days with scholars of Vedanta, Nyaya, Mimamsa and Vyakarana Shastras participating and deliberating on various topics.
The Sabha took place under the august Presidentship of the Mahaswamiji, Himself an eminent scholar in Vedas and Shastras.
Ever since, the Mahaganapati Vakyartha Vidwat Sabha has continued to be conducted in the presence of the presiding
Jagadguru of Sringeri providing encouragement and guidance to scholars, young and old.
 
In 1895, the Mahaswamiji started at Sringeri a Pathashala under the name of ‘Sadvidya Sanjivini Samskrita Pathashala’.
The Pathashala continues to flourish to this day under the constant care of the Jagadgurus of Sringeri and has been
producing many scholars who have gone on to become the torch-bearers of Sanatana Dharma in the society.
 
The Acharyas of Sringeri had always been residing in the northern bank of the river Tunga close to the temple of
Goddess Sharada. However, during the latter part of the last decade of the 19th century, the Mahaswamiji began to feel
the need for a more secluded place for His tapas. He then chose to move to the river’s southern bank that was then a
dense forest. A small portion of the area was cleared and the Mahaswamiji named it Narasimha Vanam in memory of
His revered Guru. Ever since, Narasimha Vanam has come to be the permanent abode of the Acharyas of Sringeri.
 
To be continued …