Lineage of Gurus

Lineage of Gurus
Divine Group

Lord Sadashiva

Lord Narayana

Lord Brahma

 

Semi-Divine Group

Vasishta Maharishi

Shakti Maharishi

Parashara Maharishi

Veda Vyasa

Sri Shuka Acharya

Sri Gaudapada Acharya

Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada

Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada

 

#
Jagadgurus of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Period of Reign (CE)

1.
Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada
820 (videha-mukti)

2.
Sri Sureshwaracharya
820 – 834

3.
Sri Nityabodaghana
834-848

4.
Sri Jnanaghana
848 – 910

5.
Sri Jnanottama
910 – 954

6.
Sri Jnanagiri
954 – 1038

7.
Sri Simhagiri
1038 – 1098

8.
Sri Ishwara Tirtha
1098 – 1146

9.
Sri Nrisimha Tirtha
1146 – 1229

10.
Sri Vidya Tirtha
1229 – 1333

11.
Sri Bharati Tirtha
1333 – 1380

12.
Sri Vidyaranya
1380 – 1386

13.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati I
1386 – 1389

14.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati I
1389 – 1408

15.
Sri Puroshottama Bharati I
1408 – 1448

16.
Sri Shankara Bharati
1448 – 1455

17.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati II
1455 – 1464

18.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati II
1464 – 1479

19.
Sri Puroshottama Bharati II
1479 – 1517

20.
Sri Ramachandra Bharati
1517 – 1560

21.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati III
1560 – 1573

22.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati IV
1573 – 1576

23.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati V
1576 – 1600

24.
Sri Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati
1600 – 1623

25.
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I
1623 – 1663

26.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati VI
1663 – 1706

27.
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati II
1706 – 1741

28.
Sri Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati I
1741 – 1767

29.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati VII
1767 – 1770

30.
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati III
1770 – 1814

31.
Sri Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati II
1814 – 1817

32.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII
1817 – 1879

33.
Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati
1879 – 1912

34.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati III
1912 – 1954

35.
Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha
1954 – 1989

36.
Sri Bharati Tirtharu
1989 – Present

 37.

Sri vidhushekara bharathi swamiji

From – 2015

Biography of Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji

Inspiring Life
Sri Bharati Tirtha, the present Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, a sanyasin of the highest paramahamsa order, is arguably the foremost scholar today of Vedanta and sastras.
In 1966, he approached the then Sringeri Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji as a bachelor at the age of 15 seeking his blessings and instruction in the sastras. The Sringeri Acharya was then observing chaturmasya at Ujjain. Sitarama Anjaneyulu (that was the Acharya’s name in his poorvashrama) had come with great vairagya growing in him.
As the great Acharya was returning after bath in the river Sipra, Sitarama Anjaneyulu prostrated before him and sought his tutelage, which was granted. The very next day the Acharya started teaching him. He soon became a gem of a scholar and a dear disciple.
What prompted the boy who had just finished high school studies, and who was advised by his father to go for higher education, to leave his home? Why did he go all the way to Ujjain from his home in Narasaraopet in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh? It must have been predetermined so by Goddess Sharadamba, the presiding deity of Sringeri Mutt.
When the same question was put to brahmachari Sitarama Anjaneyulu, he replied: “I had the good fortune of having the darshan of the Jagadguru quite early in life. Once I was asked to talk in Sanskrit by my teacher before His Holiness in Vijayawada. I got a special prize from him. At that time, it struck me that His Holiness was my teacher and my saviour. His beaming smile was giving me a message. I thought I got what I wanted.
“His Holiness has since been in my mind always. I used to feel that I was guided by His Holiness whenever there was a problem. This feeling grew in me to such an extent that I could not stay in my place.”
Since then Sitarama Anjaneyulu did not leave the lotus feet of the Acharya. He accompanied the Acharya during all his tours.
Within eight years he finished the study of Krishna Yajur Veda, Purva and Uttara Mimamsa, Nyaya Sastra and many other treatises and commentaries. He also became a poet in Sanskrit.
Childhood Days

Sitarama Anjaneyulu’s childhood is worth recalling in the context of his spiritual background. He was born into a Smartha family bearing the name “Tangirala”, of Apasthamba sutra, Krishna Yajur sakha, Kutsasa gotra, living in Alugumallepadu village in Palnadu area of Guntur, on the banks of river Naguleru. He was born on April 11, 1951 as a result of long prayer and vrata (fast) by his father Venkateshwara Avadhani and mother Ananthalakshmamma. Venkateshwara Avadhani had studied the Vedas , though learning English was the current fashion.
The pious couple desired very much to have a son after begetting four daughters. Avadhani used to wake up early in the morning, bathe in the river and worship Lord Bhavani Shankara, the local deity, with Rudrabhishekha. This he did for a year.
He also used to perform Sri Rama Navaratrotsava. He took a vow to name his child after Sita and Rama if his wish was fulfilled. The Lords Shankara and Rama were kind to him. He was blessed with a son. For her part Smt.Anantalakshmamma had sought Lord Anjaneya’s favour and promised to name the male child born to her ‘Anjaneyulu’. Hence the infant was named Sitarama Anjaneyulu.
Sitarama Anjaneyulu even at the age of three evinced signs of great devotion towards the Gods. The name of Lord Shiva was on his lips constantly. During his boyhood days he used to forget himself worshipping the Lord.

Outside school hours, he always devoted time to Sanskrit studies. By the time he was nine, he had considerable command over the language. He was aware of its subtleties. Scholars and poets, including the Kavi Samrat Sri Viswanatha Satyanarayana, praised him for his eloquence. He won a number of prizes and was invited by All India Radio Vijayawada to participate in Sanskrit programmes.
At night, he learnt the Vedas from his father. He studied Samhita, Brahmana and Aranyaka so well that he could take part in the Guntur District Vedapravardhaka Vidwat Pariksha. He passed the examination with honours.
Command over Languages
Sri Bharati Tirtha was seen more often talking in Sanskrit than in Telugu, his mother tongue. Quite early in life, he completed his study of grammar, literature, logic and philosophy. With an inborn love of Sanskrit, he composed poetry at a very early age. Even at games he would talk in verse. Rules of prosody were never violated. Rhyme, rhythm, irony, suggestion: every poetic beauty came naturally to him. Even ordinary things of life found expression in his poetry.
The mastery of His Holiness in Indian languages is well known to devotees. The Sringeri Mutt has under its preview Andhra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala. People of these states visit him to pay their respects and are naturally drawn by his amazing versatility in the languages together with a command over the local idiom.
In 1974 on the day in which he was initiated into Sanyasa, His Holiness spoke in Kannada for the first time at the felicitation meeting with such a telling eloquence that all those present, including ministers, High Court judges, members of the Legislature and University professors, could not control their admiration while listening to him. A few months after Sishya Sweekaram both the Holinesses started on a Vijayayatra to Rameshwaram. Enroute at Gobichettipalayam, the Acharya delivered a speech in chaste Tamil, electrifying the devotees as they had never expected such a clear language flow from someone whose language was not Tamil and who had not been taught Tamil by anyone. The eloquence with which he delivers speeches in Telugu, his mother tongue, is indeed a matter of rare experience.
Sri Bharati Tirtha accompanied his Guru in his tour of the northern parts of India, and lectured in Hindi. His benedictory speeches were highly appreciated. Even scholars in Hindi language and literature were fascinated with his melodious Sanskritised Hindi.
All his speeches have one thing in common. They are built brick by brick on a sound proposition. They are forceful, thought-provoking and inspiring. The language is always within the reach of the listeners. He reminds us of the ancient sages who taught in the gurukulams.
Devotion to Guru

The Guru Gita instructs : “One should meditate on one’s Guru through out one’s life. Even though one enjoys independence, one should not show even a fraction of indifference in one’s attitudes towards one’s Guru.” For Sri Bharati Tirtha (also Sri Sannidhanam), His Guru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamigal (also Sri Mahasannidhanam) was everything. He never let the fact that He had been given a separate identity as the Peetadhipati, distract Him at any time. Sri Sannidhanam’s mind was ever engrossed on his guru.
Those who have had the great fortune of seeing both the Acharyas together, could have noticed the great reverence with which Sri Sannidhanam conducted himself in the presence of his Guru. Sri Sannidhanam used to visit Sri Mahasannidhanam every morning, offer His prostrations at the most sacred lotus feet of His beloved Guru and only then commence the day’s work. Whenever Sri Mahasannidhanam spoke to Sri Sannidhanam, the latter would reverentially bend forward and listen. Whenever They walked together, Sri Sannidhanam would never over-step his Guru. Whenever both of Them were to occupy Their seats, Sri Sannidhanam would wait for Sri Mahasannidhanam to be seated first. Sometimes when Sri Sannidhanam arrived a little later than Sri Mahasannidhanam to attend a function, He would pay his respects to His Guru first and only then take his seat. Sri Sannidhanam would listen to Sri Mahasannidhanam’s discourses intently. While conducting the Vidwat Sadas (an assembly of scholars), Sri Sannidhanam would ensure that whatever He talked met with Sri Mahasannidhanam’s approval.
Admiring the divine relationship between Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sannidhanam, Dr. Mandana Mishra, a reputed educationalist and Sanskrit scholar, once said to Mahasannidhanam : “We have read that Shankara’s disciple’s went with him. How was He? How were his disciples? I was only conjecturing. Now I have come to the conclusion that they must have been like this. It is so satisfying.”
Ideal Pontiff

For the convenience of the increasingly large number of devotees and pilgrims coming to Sringeri, the most compassionate Guru, Sri Mahasannidhanam, had decided in the mid 1980s to construct a bridge across the river Tunga to link the Mutt complex on the northern bank with Narasimhavanam on the southern bank. He had entrusted the design and construction of the bridge to a reputed concern with the requisite expertise. The top management of the company held His Holiness in great regard and undertook the task with dedication. Sri Mahasannidhanam lucidly explained the requirements and His conception of the bridge. He unfailingly kept Himself fully posted with the developments. Unmindful of the strain, He regularly visited the construction site, keenly observed the work and, whenever appropriate, proffered encouragement and sagacious counsel. By His grace considerable progress was made by the time He attained Maha Samadhi in September 1989. Actively interested in the quick completion of the noble task commenced by His Guru, His Holiness finally inaugurated the bridge on 21st May 1990. On the day, Sri Sannidhanam named the bridge ‘Vidyatirtha Sethu’.
The Sharada Dhanvantari Charitable hospital run by the Math at Sringeri is the brainchild of Sri Mahasannidhanam who strongly felt that the residents of Sringeri and of the neighboring areas should be given proper medical facilities. The 100-bed hospital received constant attention from Sri Mahasannidhanam who took all steps to modernize it in all respects. Now Sri Sannidhanam, whose very life-breath is the fulfillment of His beloved Guru’s wishes, is taking fruitful steps to add more facilities so that the hospital becomes an ultra-modern health center. The hospital now has separate units for ‘Ayurveda’ and ‘Homeopathy’ too. A ‘Photo Gama Isotope Scanner’ was installed in the hospital in November 1992.

Sri Mahasannidhanam always gave priority to the needs of Vedic Scholars. He was very firm in His view that in order to protect the Vedas, we must protect Vedic Scholars. Sri Sannidhanam is fully aware of His beloved Guru’s praiseworthy intentions. Following Sri Mahasannidhanam’s magnanimous attitudes, Sri Sannidhanam has compassionately announced a lifetime allowance of Rs.1000/- per month to deserving Sastra Pundits. Paying a fitting tribute to Sri Mahasannidhanam, Sri Sannidhanam had a beautiful and majestic granite Adhistanam (Samadhi temple) built at Narasimhavanam. Sri Sannidhanam performed the Kumbabhisheka of the Adhistanam on the 12th of May 1993.
At Sringeri, under Sri Bharati Tirtha, the Mutt has undergone many changes. Now one can write to the office in any of the Indian languages, or in English.
Under the directions of His Holiness, a lot of improvement has been made in the Veda Patashalas. Most competent and well-learned Scholars have been appointed to teach the students. Free food, textbooks and comfortable accommodation have been provided to the students. Sri Sannidhanam not merely supervises the schools, but also teaches the senior students. He personally conducts tests, encourages deserving students, tries to help the slow learners and encourages even the teachers through some programmes. The Veda Patashala has been producing competent Scholars who settle down in various parts of the country and serve as Pundits or Purohits. As for performances of Homas and Yagnas Sri Sannidhanam personally supervises them so that the scriptural injunctions are implemented to the last letter. The Mutt conducts Sata Chandi Homas, Sahasra Chandi Homas, Atirudra Homas and the like for the welfare of the world and Sri Sannidhanam, an authority on the scriptures, sees to it that they serve their purpose.
Sri Sannidhanam, being aware of the increasing inflow of pilgrims and devotees, has had new guest houses built and named them ‘Sri Sharada Krupa’ and ‘Yatri Nivas’.
Sri Sannidhanam is accessible to the devotees twice a day, in the morning during the Theertha Prasadam distribution and in the evening. His Holiness receives everyone cheerfully, with a smile. He poses tender questions, listens to what they have to say and offers valuable suggestions. He accepts Bhiksha and witnesses the Pada Puja, which the devotees perform to His Guru’s and to Goddess Sharada’s Padukas.
Even though His daily schedules are very tight, His Holiness attends to all His pontifical duties with admirable enthusiasm and sincerity keeping in mind not only the rich traditional values of the Sringeri Guru Parampara but also the great responsibility entrusted to Him by none other than His peerless Preceptor, Sri Mahasannidhanam.
Scholar Par Excellence

Once, a scholar approached Him and sought clarifications regarding a particular portion in Ghana (a mode of Vedic chanting). Though not having practiced Ghana chanting, Sri Sannidhanam at once recited the same beautifully and the scholar was stunned.
On another occasion, a group of Ghanapatis came for the Darshan of Sri Sannidhanam. His Holiness was pleased to see such learned ones. When He enquired about their studies, the senior-most Ghanapatigal, informed with pride that they all had completed the entire study of Ghana and that they could recite any portion that His Holiness would require them to recite. Sri Sannidhanam was immensely happy at their confidence and asked them to recite a portion of their choice from Vedas. The scholars however insisted that Sri Sannidhanam choose the portion for their recital. With a bewitching smile, Sri Sannidhanam suggested a particular portion. To their own surprise none of those Ghanapatis could recollect and recite that particular portion. Finally, it was Sri Sannidhanam who recited the initial lines of that portion with the appropriate intonation. It was only then that the wonder-struck Ghanapatis could recollect that portion and recite it.
Sri Sannidhanam’s unquestionable scriptural knowledge would be evident to anyone who has watched His Holiness during the Vidwat Sadas dedicated to Lord Ganapati, conducted every year for 10 days commencing on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Bhadrapada. The Sadas is held every evening in the august presence of His Holiness. Learned scholars and philosophers, invited from all over India and Nepal, assemble in the Sadas. It is customary for each Vidwan to choose some text and analyze it in the mornings with other Vidwans and discuss it in detail in the evenings in the august presence of His Holiness. His Holiness encourages candid communication among the scholars, and intervenes when any issue remains undecided and settles the same in His characteristic style. The most impressive aspect in the Sadas is Sri Sannidhanam’s off-hand quoting of Sastraic passages and His encouragement to young scholars and debutants.
For the past many years, during the Chaturmasya period, His Holiness has been conducting classes in the Brahma Sutras to a select band of sincere devotees. The students invariably assert that they are delighted by the lucid way in which His Holiness makes them understand the text.
Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada in his Mathamnaya Sashana said that any sage occupying the position of the Jagadguru of Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham in the unbroken apostolic succession is an incarnation of himself. Sri Bharati Tirtha is a worthy example.

 

Biography of Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji
Born to Venkatalakshmi Ammal and Rama Sastry, a primary school teacher, on November 13, 1917, the day of Deepavali at Bangalore,He was named Srinivasa. Even as a child, Srinivasa was ardently pious. At school, Srinivasa was an obedient and conscientious student. Several were the instances of His boyhood days when He displayed exceptional qualities of wisdom and farsightedness. From a very young age, He began expressing to His friends a desire to renounce the world and attempt to see God.
Srinivasa’s Upanayana(sacred thread ceremony) was performed at the Math’s expense at the Sharadamba temple in Sringeri. Ordained by the Gayatri Upadesha, Srinivasa stepped into the stage of brahmacharya, following which He sought to stay back and learn the holy scriptures at the Math.
Chosen successor
Srinivasa was unquestionably the most brilliant of the students at the Math and came up with thought-provoking interpretations of the Sanskrit verses that He was taught. He slowly caught the eye of the Jagadguru, the great Jivan Mukta, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal.
When the Jagadguru decided to choose His successor, the choice fell rightly on Srinivasa. Necessary arrangements were made. On May 22, 1931, Srinivasa was initiated into the holy order of Sanyasa, even before He had attained the age of 14. The Guru named him as Abhinava Vidyatirtha and taught the sacred Mahavakyas that signify the identity of the individual soul with the ultimate reality. The Guru named His holy successor designate Abhinava Vidyatirtha, perhaps because He foresaw that His illustrious disciple would equal the great Yogi, the 10th Pontiff of the Peetham, Sri Vidya Shankara Tirtha, in Yoga.
Sensing the capability of His disciple, the Jagadguru who was least interested in administrative affairs, wished to be relieved of the responsibilities of pontifical duties. He handed over the running of the Mutt to His disciple and entrusted the performance of the Chandramoulishwara Puja.
Ever since He was initiated into Sanyasa, Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha was extremely keen on being an ideal ascetic. Mere reading of the scriptural texts could never satisfy His need for perfection. The Acharya was temperamentally inclined to the royal path of Yoga. Maharshi Patanjali lists eight steps leading to the acme of Yoga. He aphorises : Yama (restraint), Niyama (Observance of rules), Asana (posture), Pranayama (regulation of breath), Pratyahara (abstraction), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (contemplation) and Samadhi (trance) are the eight limbs of Yoga. Sri Jagadguru Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal initiated the Acharya into the process of meditative contemplation when He was just 15 years of age. By the time Acharya attained 16 years of age, the deep contemplation of the Self became natural. A few hints from the Guru regarding meditation were sufficient for the Acharya, who practised meditation and soon began to attain Savikalpa Samadhi. He went on to perfect Nirvikalpa Samadhi (attained by concentration on the attributeless Supreme). He was a Jivan Mukta before He was 20.
Strange as it may seem, His formal lessons in Vedanta commenced much after he had attained perfection in yoga. His guru expounded the Bhagavad Gita Bhashyam, Brahma Sutra Bhashyam and Bhashyam on Isa, Kena, Katha and Taittiriya Upanishads. To the Acharya, these lessons merely served to confirm what He had already learnt through His personal experiences earlier in life.
On September 26, 1954, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati ended His mortal life in the waters of the Tunga. About 20 days later, on October 16, 1954, Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha formally took over as the 35th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham.
Able Administrator
Many were the tasks that lay ahead of the new Jagadguru. As his guru had often remained secluded, he had not toured much. Naturally devotees all over the country were eagerly awaiting the visit of the Acharya to their cities. There were other administrative problems of the Math that needed to be sorted out immediately by the new Jagadguru.
He started improving the affairs of the Math, built a new guest house to stay for the pilgrims coming to Sringeri to receive the blessings of Goddess Sharadamba and the Jagadguru, renovated the Ambal and Ganapati shrines, converted a huge bamboo forest into cultivable land, laid roads of access in Sringeri and introduced irrigation facilities.
He was also an able administrator. Though in 1959 the government handed back the administration of the Math to the Acharya, it was stripped of all the Jahagirs earlier in its possession. This was a big blow to the income of the Math. The Math had to be content with an annual compensation of a couple of lakhs of rupees. When the news was sorrowfully told to the Acharya, he was unperturbed and replied, “The Jahagirs were non-existent in the Bhagavatpada’s time. The Math had been functioning quite well even before the lands were granted. Likewise, it shall carry on now without them. There is nothing to worry about.”
He was equally adept in the art of management. Power in the Math was initially concentrated in the hands of a few in the administrative cadre. This provided scope for bottlenecks. The Acharya effectively implemented the well-known management principle of decentralisation. It is common knowledge that favouritism is always detrimental to effective administration. The Acharya gave no room for partiality and the relatives of His former days were no exception.
He established branch Math’s at various places and consecrated many temples.
The Acharya was also blessed with incredible memory. When questioned about the accuracy of His recollections relating to numerous details He said: “I used to remember details of the construction work that was carried out in my presence. In fact, I could even recall the exact number of nails used for a particular task as also the number of strokes with which each nail was driven in, provided the task was carried out in my presence.”
In April 1964, the Acharya started from Sringeri on his first all-India tour during which he met the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka. The meeting of the two Jagadgurus was a great event and was hailed by the press and the public alike.
Fifteen years later, during the Jayanti of Shankara Bhagavatpada in May 1979, the Acharya organised a historic summit meeting at Sringeri with the Jagadguru Shankaracharyas of the three other Mutts of Dwaraka, Badri and Puri, established by Adi Shankara, thus showing the unity of spiritual strength of the religious leaders.

Biography of Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji
ಸದಾತ್ಮಧ್ಯಾನನಿರತಂ ವಿಷಯೇಭ್ಯಃ ಪರಾಙ್‍ಮುಖಮ್  ನೌಮಿ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೇಷು ನಿಷ್ಣಾತಂ ಚನ್ದ್ರಶೇಖರಭಾರತೀಮ್
Unattached to objects of the senses Immersed in the Self day and night Skilful in sacred lore, which He does live My salutations to Chandrasekhara Bharati
A Jivan Mukta is rare. Some time, in some country a great soul takes birth. One must be fortunate even to get a glimpse of such a being, for it ennobles his life. To this parampara of jivanmuktas belonged Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati, the 34th Acharya of Sringeri Sharada Peetham.
Laureate among the scholars who were patronised by Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII was Ishwari Subba Shastri. Later in life he retired to the Himalayas as a recluse. His only son Gopala Shastri inherited his father’s flair for learning and outshone him in his detachment. His spouse Lakshamma bore him eleven children and each of them died in their infancy. The couple sought the blessings of Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swamiji whom they looked up to for everything. When they met the Acharya, due to his spiritual insight, he could see the happy events in store not only to their family but also for the Peetham. It is said that the Acharya, while assuring them of the success of their pilgrimage, added that it would be in the best interest of their to-be-born son to be dedicated to Goddess Sharadamba.
On their pilgrimage to Gokarna on a Shivaratri day, Lord Mahabaleshwara appeared in the dreams of Gopala Shastri and Lakshamma, and assured them that they would be blessed with an illustrious son. Their hearts were filled with ecstasy. Soon the happy tidings came, Lakshamma had conceived her twelfth child. On Sunday, October 16, 1892, a son was born to this pious couple. It was the auspicious day of Ashwayuja Bahula Ekadasi (the eleventh day of the dark fortnight) in the lunar year Nandana. On the eleventh day the rituals of jatakarma and namakarana were done. The son was named “Sri Narasimha’. There is little doubt that Narasimha was an exceptional luminary who was born to teach, born to redeem. Even from his boyhood days he was introverted, had no attraction for the objects of the world.
He had his board and lodging in the house of Srikanta Shastri, the Agent of the Mutt. He was very fond of chanting the hymn Mookapanchasati. Once, while on way to the market, he was so immersed in the composition that he proceeded far beyond the limits of the Sringeri township. It was only when the recitation ended that Narasimha realised he had come far out.
Narasimha’s memory was prodigious, his intelligence was sparkling and his conduct was humble and simple. He was admitted to the local Anglo-vernacular school run by the Government. Narasimha used to study Sanskrit at home and English at school. The Brahmopadesa of Narasimha was performed when he was eight. He was regular in the performance of sandhyavandana three times each day and agnikarya, worship of fire god, twice daily.
Narasimha excelled in his class. In his twelfth year, Narasimha took the lower secondary examination and topped the list in the first division. However, Narasimha was just not made for a worldly career. He was the child of God born to adorn the Sharada Peetham. Narasimha changed over to Sadvidya Sanjeevini Patashala of the Peetham, according to the express wishes of Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swamigal.
During his tours, the Acharya established in 1910 an institution of higher Vedantic training, ‘Bharatiya Girvana Praudha Vidya Abhivardhani Pathasala.’ His automatic choice for the course was his special student, Narasimha for higher studies in Mimamsa and Vedanta. He prayed that His disciple and successor should embody in His person all the great traditions of knowledge and spirituality that the Peetham had stood for, and true to His samkalpa all of them found their abode and fulfillment in the disciple who ascended the Vyakhyana Simhasana under the name of Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati on April 7, 1912.
As a Peethadhipati
The new Jagadguru gathered round Him veteran scholars, one of them Virupaksha Sastri who later became head of the Kudli Mutt. Virupaksha Sastri often proclaimed that the Jagadguru’s profound scholarship was the result of divine grace rather than any effort on His part. Within three years, the Jagadguru mastered all the recondite works on Vedanta, not to speak of the other Shastras.
The renovation of the temple of Sri Sharada was completed, and a beautiful shrine was erected over the Samadhi of the late guru in Narasimhavana. In 1916, the Acharya had the Kumbabhishekam of both the shrines performed at which the Maharaja of Mysore was present, as also representatives of the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda and several other rulers. Thousands of disciples came to Sringeri to participate in the functions and receive the blessings of their own guru. The Jagadguru then set His heart upon tapasya, and placing complete faith in Sri Sharada and his guru, He withdrew into solitude, occasionally coming out to teach the bhashyas to deserving disciples.
Four years busy touring was followed by a long period of practical seclusion from the outside world, and the Jagadguru gave Himself up to intense tapasya oblivious of his surroundings. But the affairs of the Mutt required attention. Under inspiration from Sri Sharada, the Jagadguru designated Sri Srinivasan, a youth of remarkable intelligence and potentiality for spiritual eminence, His successor, and gave Him Sanyasa with the name of Sri Abhinava Vidya Tirtha Swami on May 22, 1931. The Junior Acharya soon became highly proficient in learning and took over the spiritual and secular affairs of the Mutt, giving considerable relief to the senior Acharya.
At the request of the Jagadguru, the Mysore Government appointed a senior officer of their administrative service, who under the designation ‘officer-in-charge’, took charge of the revenue administration of the Samsthanam.
Seldom did the Jagadguru receive disciples while in retirement and on the few occasions that He did, for which hundreds would be waiting, a smile or a significant nod proved more efficacious and illuminating than a sermon, and would fill their souls with blessedness. By dint of introspection and tapasya, His body lost all suggestions of being material and appeared sublimated into spirit radiating a halo all around.
Videha Mukti
A few years later the Jagadguru of His own volition decided to free from the fetters of His mortal body. On Sunday, September 26, 1954, He got up very early in the morning and walked towards Tunga; a servant followed at a slight distance. He stepped into the water without heeding the servant’s warning about the depth of water at that spot, and advancing further into the current had a dip. Then he did Pranayama, and dipped again. The servant saw the Acharya’s body floating down the current. In consternation the servant plunged into the river, caught hold of the Acharya, but in the effort lost his consciousness. A gentleman who happened to hear the shouts of the servant, brought the two ashore. The servant was soon restored to life but ‘nothing could be done in the other case’. It was reported that His Holinesses body was in an erect sitting posture with legs crossed as at the time of contemplation and was straightened out only in an attempt to restore respiration and that there was no sign of drowning or of suffocation or of any struggles for life. His Holiness had ever been in the best of health, and His passing away naturally baffled all doctors, just as He was baffling them even when He was alive. In life as in death he was equally an enigma to all who sought physical explanation for spiritual experiences. The Jagadguru’s mortal remains found their resting place in a samadhi just by the side of that of his great guru in Narasimhavanam. The anniversary of the day will ever fall on the Mahalaya New Moon day, the day of the annual abhiseka of Sri Sharada preparatory to the Navaratri celebrations. His birth, upanayanam, sanyasa and videha mukti were all on Sundays.

Biography of Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswami
During the greater part of the 19th century the Peetha at Sringeri was presided over by Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII (1817 – 1879). The Guru was in his 60th year and he had graced the Peetha for 40 years. One day, while engaged in contemplation, it appeared to him that a voice arose saying “make room”. He interpreted it to mean that he should nominate a successor and bring him up properly, in a manner suited to the position he was to occupy. The guru sent for several horoscopes and had them scrutinized. The search for a suitable nominee took eight years. At last he found a horoscope to his satisfaction. The boy Shivaswami was seven years old at this time. Lakshmi Narasimha Sastri, accompanied by his young brother Shivaswami came to Sringeri to pay their respects to the Guru. The Guru seated the boy by his side and asked him what he wanted. The boy quoted a Sanskrit verse. This was a prayer to Siva, peculiarly appropriate to the occasion and in harmony with the Upanishadic doctrine that the guru was God himself in human form. The boy wanted nothing but steadfast devotion to the guru. This prompt reply from the young Shivaswami greatly pleased the Guru.
In 1866 Sri Nrisimha Bharati Swami ordained him under the Diksha name of Sri Sacchidananda Sihvabhinava Nrisimha Bharati. It was a long compound name; but the guru wanted that the name of his guru Sacchidananda who was a great yogi should be given to the initiate; the boy’s name as determined by his father was originally Shivaswami and the pandits assembled there were of the opinion that Shiva, the first part of the name given by the father, should be added; the Maharaja of Mysore who was present throughout the ceremonies thought his guru’s name – Nrisimha Bharati – should also be added. The young Sanyasin, eight years old, was fatigued at the end of the day long rites of ordination and when he was put to rest, much to the wonder of his Guru, he murmured in his sleep Sarvoham, Sarvoham manifesting the spiritual potentiality that lay in store for him.
The Jagadguru had already fixed upon Narasimha Sastri, a young man born in Sringeri, of sparkling intelligence and ‘exemplary character’ for nomination as his successor to the Peetha. He had prayed to the Devi fervently to make Narasimha ‘a paragon of wisdom, a pupil to me.’ Narasimha was at that time pursuing higher studies in the Sanskrit College in the Mutt at Bangalore. Early in March 1912, the Jagadguru felt it was time for him to renounce his body. Finally resolved to initiate his successor, he directed that Narasimha Sastri should be brought to Sringeri after informing the Maharaja.
On March 20, 1912, the great Acharya attained Videhamukthi and his mortal remains were interred in Narasimha Vana, and over the samadhi, a linga was installed. Sri Narasimha ascended the Peetha on April 7 under the name of Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swami.
A prince among Atmajnanis, an exemplar of bhakthi, a veritable Bharati in knowledge, an adept in yoga, Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swami was universally hailed as an avatar of Sri Shankara. And appropriately enough he conceived the need to resuscitate Kaladi, the birth place of Shankara. His universal sympathy and benevolence drew to his presence men of all religions. Muslims and Christians no less than Hindus saw in him a saint full of purity and Godliness. Tutor Fraser avowed that his conversation with the Acharya had lifted his soul above life’s turmoil. Wrote Charles Johnston: ‘He is a man of the highest character, a magnetic personality, a fine Sanskrit scholar and a perfect master of the intricacies of the Vedanta Philosophy.’ Thousands sought relief from troubles and none went away disappointed. He gave relief out of his intense psychic powers which came to him unsolicited. Like Sri Shankara the Acharya preached Vaidika dharma and condemned immoral practice in the name of religion.
Many eminent Sanyasis had their training and vidhyabyasa under the Jagadguru. One of them is Sri Venkatarama Sarasvati who later became Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha, Head of the Govardana Peetha and another K.Ramachandra Aiyar who became the siddha Sri Ramananda Sarasvati. Ardhanari, who later became the siddha Villimalai Sri Sacchidananda, had his first initiation from the Jagadguru into vairagya and vanaprastashrama. In response to the Jagadguru’s commands and under his guidance the Sri Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, brought out a complete edition of Sri Shankara’s works and a series of publications on Vedanta. The hymns sung by the Jagadguru on different occasions, often during his visits to the temples, have been published as an anthology under the title Bhaktisudhatarangini.

Sri Vruddha Nrisimha Bharati
Sri Nrisimha Bharati VIII

ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದವರದೋ ದೇವೋ ಯೋ ನೃಸಿಂಹಃ ಪರೋ ಹರಿಃ  ನೃಸಿಂಹೋಪಾಸಕಂ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ತಂ ನೃಸಿಂಹಗುರುಂ ಭಜೇ
He is Hari who protected Prahlada The lion that quells the foes of faith and truth The worshipper of the Supreme Lord Nrisimha I offer my salutations to Sri Nrisimha Bharati!
Sri Nrisimha Bharati was born in 1798. Even as a boy, he had walked all the way to Kasi to learn the Sastras from learned Pandits. After assuming the headship of the Peetham, the Acharya strenuously applied himself to securing high proficiency in several branches of learning, besides mastering the details of the administration of the Mutt. He conquered hunger and sleep. When he was hardly fifty years of age, he gave up normal food and subsisted on a handful of boiled pagal (Momordica charantia). He spent practically the whole day in meditation and Puja. While he was in Bangalore in 1858, Commissioner Bowring, who had heard of the austere and godly life of Acharya, wished to see for himself the truth of the reports, and one day at one A.M he went incognito to the Acharya’s camp and slightly drew aside the curtain in front of the Puja hall. Oblivious at what was happening around and with his head bent down, the Acharya was offering flowers to Chandramoulishwara. The Commissioner contemplated on the spectacle with reverence and wonder. His letters to the Acharya are eloquent expressions of his esteem.
The Acharya’s will was indomitable and he never swerved from any decision he had taken. Never aggressive, never impatient, he gently set about working till his purpose was accomplished. From constant meditation on God Narasimha, his mind assumed a character of stern sublimity and struck awe and reverence in the minds of those who approached him. His heart was however very tender, and would easily melt at the sight of distress.
In 1838 the Acharya went on a tour to Rameshwaram and halted in the third corridor of the great temple of Ramanatha. Among several wells round the shrine, Koti-tirtha was considered to be the most important. When the Acharya went there for a bath, He instructed His personal attendants to draw the sacred water from the well for His bath, but the staff of the temple objected to it. They maintained that only they had the rights to draw the water from the well and offer it to others. They were very adamant and unyielding. Finding their behaviour disrespectful, and wanting to teach them a lesson, His Holiness went to another well to the south of the inner shrine, known as Sarva-tirtha and concluded his bath with the water from this well. He announced to the people assembled that hence forth it would be enough for pilgrims to conclude their baths with the water of Sarva-tirtha due to which the water of Koti-tirtha was forsaken by pilgrims and it became filthy and insanitary for want of use.
In 1872 in the course of the second tour in the southern districts the Acharya came to Madura. There the erring priests came to him and implored him to forgive them for their insolence. The Acharya being tender at heart again went to Ramesvaram in 1873, caused the Koti-tirtha to be drained and pouring sanctified water into the well from his pitcher declared that the Koti-tirtha had now become purified. The pilgrims could once again have their bath from the water of this well. The Koti-tirtha was restored once again to its lost glory. There are many such instances where the Acharya had gently but firmly corrected the wrong doings being committed at various places and led the devoted on the right path.
Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar III invited the Acharya to Mysore in 1822. The Maharaja issued several orders to exempt the articles brought to the Mutt from taxes and further confirmed the right of the Mutt to property of the disciples who passed away without heirs. When Mysore came under the British Administration, the Acharya went on a long tour of pilgrimage to the north. Collector Alexander Nisbet welcomed Acharya at Dharwar in 1842 and provided him with considerable escort during his pilgrimage to Nasik, Dwaraka, Kurukshetra, Kasi, Badarikasrama, Jagannath, etc. The Acharya’s progress through the North Indian states was marked by demonstrations of respect and devotion. The Gaekwad of Baroda issued an order to help the progress of Acharya’s party. Annual cash contributions and offerings to the Mutt were promised by a number of rulers including Jayaji Rao Sinde of Gwalior (1848 – 1849), Shaji Raja Bhosle of Akalkot, Narasinga Rao Sitole Deshmukh and Raja of Kutch. Meanwhile, the Maharaja of Mysore wrote several letters to the Acharya’s camps in the north requesting his return to Mysore. In 1854, the Acharya paid his second visit to Mysore and initiated the Maharaja into study of Shiva Gita.
The Acharya performed the Chaturmasya of 1855 at Bhavnagar. The subsequent visit to Hyderabad State extended over three years, and was marked by unprecedented manifestations of the Acharya’s high position and spiritual attainments. The first proclamation issued by the Nizam’s prime minister referred to the ‘auspicious tour’ (savari mubarak) “of the most holy personage who could dispense blessings from where he stayed, but in the fullness of his grace had condescended to tour the kingdom of Hyderabad.” The Government of the Nizam issued a series of proclamations containing orders to various officials of the Deccan to aid the entourage of the Acharya and ensure the Acharya’s smooth tour of the State.
When the Acharya returned to Sringeri after his northern tour, he was sixty years old and it occurred to him that he should nominate his successor and give him suitable training. Fixing his mind upon a promising boy, he came to Mysore. The boy, Shivaswami, was under guardianship of his brother Lakshmi Narasimha Sastri, a pandit at the court of Mysore. Young Shivaswami was ordained into Sanyasa Ashrama under the name of Sri Sacchidananda Shiva Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swami.
The Jagadguru and his successor-designate then started on another extended tour. Leaving Srirangapatnam, they visited Nanjangud, and Chamarajanagar and then toured the districts of Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Thiruvananthapuram, Chingleput, Madras, North Arcot, Cuddapah and Kurnool. During this tour, which lasted twelve years, the Mysore, Madras and Indian Governments had made proper arrangements for the reception of the Acharyas and providing suitable escort. In a memorandum, Commissioner Bowring desired all officers to receive Him with becoming attention. In a letter to the Government of India, the Commissioner observed “The Sringeri Guru is the acknowledged spiritual director not only of the greater proportions of the Hindus of the southern India but also for leading Marathas, such as Holkar and the former Peshwas. It may be said that his influence is far greater than that of any spiritual guide in India, and I presume that it is for this reason that he is regarded with such unlimited respect. The Guru Nrisimha Bharati is a venerable man of 72, who has been a great traveler and has a considerable reputation for learning. He is deservedly respected, being very unassuming in manner and having a well established character for benevolence and wisdom.”
During these twelve years, the Jagadguru had made all arrangements for the suitable training of his successor. He returned to Sringeri in 1877 and entered Mahasamadhi in 1879.

Sri Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati II (1814 – 1817)
ಅಭಿನವಪದಪೂರ್ವಾನ್ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನನ್ದ ಸಂಜ್ಞಾನ್ ನಿಗಮಶಿಖರವೇದ್ಯಾನ್ ನಿತ್ಯಕಲ್ಯಾಣರೂಪಾನ್  ತ್ರಿಭುವನಜನವನ್ದ್ಯಾನ್ ಸರ್ವಲೋಕೈಕಹೃದ್ಯಾನ್ ಹೃದಯಕಮಲಮಧ್ಯೇ ಭಾವಯಾಮ್ಯಮ್ಬುಜಾಸ್ಯಾನ್
The sage aloft the peak of Vedic lore, Auspicious One, Eternal Bliss Divine, Adored by great men of the three worlds, Gladdening the heart of good devotees, That lotus-faced effulgent saint, Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati, Is always held with reverence in my lotus heart!
This was a short reign of three years. The Maharaja wrote to the Agent Venkatachala Bhatta, “The spiritual throne of Sringeri being pre-eminent and Swami new to his charge, he should manage its temporal affairs in such a way to safeguard its property and maintain its prestige.”
When the Swami felt his end was approaching, he ordained a young Brahmachari, a native of Sringeri Agrahara, and six days later, passed away.

Sri Sacchidananda Bharati III (1770 – 1814)

ತತ್ತ್ವಮಸ್ಯಾದಿವೇದಾನ್ತವಾಕ್ಯಾರ್ಥಜ್ಞಾನವಾರಿಧೇಃ  ಪೂರ್ಣಚನ್ದ್ರಮಸಂ ವನ್ದೇ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನನ್ದಯೋಗಿನಮ್
He is the sea of knowledge that expounds Vedanta’s essence which is Thou art That; His visage beams with wisdom like the Moon; I bow to Sacchidananda Yogi!
Hyder-Ali demonstrated his profound respect for the new Jagadguru by directing his ministers to render all assistance to the Mutt.
Tipu, who succeeded Hyder, was opposed by the Marathas, the Nizam and the British. In the course of the campaigns of the Third Mysore War (1790 – 1792), Parasuram Bhau marched on Bednur. His hosts commanded by a Patwardan foolishly plundered Sringeri. In the letter commiserating the Acharya, Tipu wrote, “People who sin against such a holy place will at no distant date suffer the consequences of their misdeeds. Treachery to the Gurus will lead to all round ruin of the family.” He aided in the restoration of the temple and the re-consecration of the image of Sri Sharada.
On several occasions Tipu sought the blessings of the Acharya. He once wrote that he depended upon three sources of the strength – God’s grace, the Jagadguru’s blessings and the strength of his arms. He requested the Acharya to perform Satachandi and Sahasrachandi japa and homa. In the subsequent letter the Sultan acknowledged the miraculous effects of the Yaga that led to success in his enterprise and how rains poured and the land flourished.
The Acharya decided to go to Poona to seek redress for the spoliation of the Mutt. Tipu invited him to Srirangapatnam before proceeding to Poona. Not having heard from the Acharya for a long time after he reached Poona, Tipu requested in a letter expressing his conviction that wherever a godly personage like Acharya stayed, there was sure to be prosperity. After returning to Sringeri, the Acharya set out on a pilgrimage to Tirupati, and other holy places. While the Acharya was at Kanchi, Tipu requested him to bless his charities to the temples there and work of renovating the temples partly destroyed during his father’s campaigns.
Tipu even desired to make a pilgrimage to Sringeri, but the desire was not fulfilled. Between 1791 and 1798 Tipu wrote twenty-nine letters to the Acharya, and every one of them breathed the high veneration he had for the latter.
It is remarkable that Tipu’s enemies also sought the blessings of the Acharya. Nizam-Ul-Mulk, the founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty in Hyderabad, evinced very high respect for the Sringeri Guru and issued several special privileges on the Mutt. In 1800 Peshwa Baji Rao II communicated his decision that agrapuja should be paid to the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in all religious assemblies. He further declared himself a disciple of the Mutt. During 1785-86, Basavappa Nayak of Jugali (Anekal taluk), Basavappa Nayak of Santebennur and Chamaraja Wodeyar of Mysore conveyed their respects to the Acharya with presents and grants.
After Tipu’s death, the rightful sovereign Krishna Raja Wodeyar III was placed on the throne. During his minority (1799-1811) Diwan Purnaiya carried on administration as regent. A Madhava Brahmana by birth, Purnaiya had a prejudice against Advaitins and their Acharyas. He thought that the Sringeri Acharya was leading a life of indolence in the midst of plenty and waited for an opportunity to bring about his discomfiture. When the Acharya was in the capital, he proposed a polemical contest between the Acharya and the ablest of the Pandits in Mysore. The Acharya accepted the challenge on the condition that a curtain was laid between him and all others assembled. Discussions began and soon reached a high intellectual level. To Purnaiya it appeared that he heard the voice of a woman from behind the curtain. Unable to restrain his curiosity, he slightly pushed the curtain and peeped in. What a wonderful vision he had! He saw the figure of Sri Sharada discoursing, and slowly it transformed itself into the Acharya. He fell at the Acharya’s feet for pardon, vowed to serve him to the best of his ability. He indeed did serve the Acharya during his tenure as the regent of Mysore.
Thirty-eight letters written by the regent to the Acharya are on record. In 1805, the Acharya was on pilgrimage for which the regent afforded all facilities. While at Madras, the Governor met the Acharya and paid his respects. The East India Company provided an armed retinue for the Acharya’s safety with instructions to the officers to offer all facilities during the Acharya’s pilgrimage. After visiting Tirupati, Kanchi, Kalahasti, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Thiruvananthapuram and other holy places, he went to Srirangapatnam and returned to Sringeri.
The regent strictly enforced on his officers the duty of seeing that the rights and privileges of the Acharya and Samsthanam were respected. The regent held that no other Swami could be taken out in the Adda Pallakki. In 1811, the regent Purnaiya handed over the reins of the Government to Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar III on his attaining the age of majority. The Maharaja lost no time in extending a respectful invitation to the Acharya to visit his capital.
The Acharya then went to Harakeri, which the Maharaja had declared a sarvamanya village belonging to Sringeri Samsthanam, for the Chaturmasya vows for the year and there cast off his mortal body. Thus passed away from this world an eminent sage, whose spiritual greatness commanded the veneration of the Muslim and Hindu rulers of Mysore, Peshwas Madhava Rao and Baji Rao II, Mahadji Sinde, Nizam Ali Khan, and last but not least the governors of the East India Company.

Acharyas who adorned the Peetham between 1706 and 1770
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati II (1706 – 1741)
ಸಚ್ಚಿತ್ತಾಮ್ಬುಜಮಿತ್ರಾಯ ಸಚ್ಚರಿತ್ರಯುಜೇ ನಮಃ  ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನನ್ದಭಾರತ್ಯೈ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನನ್ದಮೂರ್ತಯೇ
The lotus in the heart blossoms due to this Sun whose sacred life do distinguised poets sing, and who is the Truth-Knowledge-Bliss embodied I bow to that saint, Sacchidanada Bharati!
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati honoured Basavappa by visiting his capital. He later visited Kigga, Subrahmanya, Velapura, Uppinangadi, Nandavaram (the head quarters of a chief). He also worshipped Sri Narasimha installed at Haladi and proceeded to Kotishwara, Barakura, Bhatkal, Honnavar and Gokarna.
Sometime after returning to Sringeri, the Acharya set forth on another pilgrimage to Gokarna.
The active association of the Maratha ruling houses with the Sringeri Mutt began during the reign of this Pontiff. The Maratha rulers, Shivaji II, Shambu Chatrapathi of Kolhapur line, Peshwa Baji Rao Ballal Pradhan were all great devotees of the Acharya and were firmly enforcing the supremacy of the Guru in all socio-religious matters.
Sri Krishna Raja Wodeyar II of Mysore sent from Srirangapatnam elephants, silk cloth and other offerings to the Acharya, whom he described as ‘the ruler of the Yoga empire seated on the jewelled throne of Sringapura’. The Acharya founded a Mutt at Belur.
The Acharya had a marked devotion to Sri Mahabaleshwara of Gokarna and to Sri Mookambika of Kollur, who was also the tutelary deity of the Keladi Nayaks. His ‘Mookambika stotra’ and his ‘Sharada stotra’ commemorating a Navaratri celebration are two gems of poetry. He conducted festivals in the Sringeri temples on a lavish scale, to which, among other chiefs, the Sethupati of Ramanathapuram also sent offerings. He had a linga, by name Vidyashankara, installed in Rameshwaram.
The benign influence of ‘The jewelled throne of Dharma’ in Sringeri was shed on all alike. Visiting scholars were lavishly rewarded. By their personal conduct and teachings the Acharya lessened the acerbities born of the conflict of contending philosophies and sects.
The pilgrimage of the Acharya and the temple festivals afforded opportunities for all classes of people to approach the Jagadguru for guidance and instruction for their spiritual betterment. The Samsthanam was only an ancillary to the Sharada Peetham, the primary aims of which it was meant to subserve. The resources of the Samsthanam also helped to maintain yatis , temples, Annadana and other charities as well as support sadhakas and scholars in their endeavours.
Sri Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati I (1741 – 1767)
ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನನ್ದ ಭಾರತ್ಯೈ ನವ್ಯಾಯಾಸ್ತು ನಮೋನಿಶಮ್  ಭವ್ಯಾತ್ಮಜ್ಞಾನನಿರ್ಧೂತಾವಿದ್ಯಾಕಾರ್ಯೋಪಲಬ್ಧಯೇ
By radiating blessed Self-knowledge, He annuls ignorance in all beings; Abhinava Sacchidana Bharati, Him I adore as my Master Supreme
When the new Swami ascended the Vyakhyana Simhasana, Basavappa Nayak II was on the throne of Bidanoor. After him Channa Basavappa ruled for two years and was succeeded by Rani Virammaji. The Rani invited the Acharya to her capital, offered him a Spatika Linga and an image of Krishna set in rubies and lands valued at three hundred pagodas. Later the King Somasekhara Naik in 1762 exempted from taxation all articles that were taken to Sringeri for the Navaratri festival of Sri Sharada Devi.
Krishna Raja Wodeyar II was the then ruler of Mysore with his capital in Srirangapatnam. He invited the Acharya with the belief that his presence in his State would bring in the much-needed rains for the country and granted Belavadi and its hamlets.
His government rendered the necessary help to the Sringeri Samsthanam in the collection of dues and contributions, in the maintenance of order in the villages and in the achara vicharas . Lands granted to the Samsthanam by private parties were also ordered to be treated as sarvamanyam (taxes were not levied).
Venkatadri Nayak of Belur sent offerings to the Acharya. Veerappa Udeyar, ruler of Coorg, granted the village of Kodalimande and bore the expenses of the Puja on the Vijayadasami day in the temples at Sringeri.
Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao Pradhan (1740 – 1761) sent from his camp on the banks of the Krishna, valuable offerings to Goddess Sharada and the Acharya.
Peshwa Madhava Rao Ballal Pradhan instituted an annual grant for agrapuja (first puja to be offered) to the Jagadguru. In response to an invitation from the Peshwa’s uncle Ragunatha Rao, the Acharya went to Poona in 1760-1761. From Poona, the Acharya went to Nasik where he attained Videha mukti.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati VII (1767 – 1770)
ಮಾರಮಾತಙ್ಗಪಞ್ಚಾಸ್ಯಂ ಮದಸರ್ಪದ್ವಿಜರ್ಷಭಮ್  ನೃಸಿಂಹಭಾರತಿಂ ವನ್ದೇ ಜಿತಾಕ್ಷತುರಗಂ ಸದಾ
The elephant that quells vital passions, the eagle that kills the snake of mental pride, He is also the one who controls the seeds of wild senses; I always adore that seer, Nrisimha Bharati!
In 1766, Peshwa Madhava Rao and Nizam Ali were at war with Hyder. A brief respite helped Hyder to regain his lost territories. Notwithstanding troubles at home caused by Ragunatha Rao, the Peshwa again made war with Mysore, and both sides being exhausted, peace was arrived at only in 1770. Under such circumstances Sri Nrisimha Bharati VII could not take charge of the Mutt in Sringeri. Hyder, however, wrote to the Acharya assuring that his officers would see to the proper maintenance of the charities and the protection of the Samsthanam’s lands. The Acharya attained Videha mukti in Nasik.
For about ten years, Nasik was the centre from which the Jagadgurus of Sringeri propagated the message of Dharma. Between 1761 and 1772, Madhava Rao gradually enhanced the annual State grant to Sringeri Mutt from two hundred rupees to fifteen hundred rupees.

 

Acharyas who adorned the Peetham between 1560 and 1706
Sri Nrisimha Bharati III (1560 – 1573)
ಸುರಸಿನ್ಧುಲಸತ್ಕೀರ್ತಿಂ ಸ್ಮರಸಿನ್ಧುಘಟೋದ್ಭವಮ್  ನಾರಸಿಂಹಾರ್ಚಕಂ ಶ್ರೀಮನ್ನಾರಸಿಂಹಯತಿಂ ಭಜೇ
His fame is like the swelling Ganges-flood; Like Agastya He drinks the desire-sea; He does adore God Nrisimha daily; With love I worship Nrisimha the Saint !
It was during his period that the famous battle of Talikota was fought resulting in the disembering of the Vijayanagar Empire and in the feudatory chieftains claiming to be independent rulers.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati IV (1573 – 1576)
ಸಾರಾಸಾರವಿವೇಕಜ್ಞಂ ಮಾರಕಾನನಕುಞ್ಜರಮ್  ಶೂರಂ ದಾನೇ ಚ ನಿರತಂ ನಾರಸಿಂಹಯತಿಂ ಭಜೇ
His wisdom knows what is worth and what is not His will is a tusker that kills lust He is brave and magnanimous I adore with love, Nrisimha, the Saint of Saints!
The period of about two centuries and a half marks the relations of Sringeri with the Vijayanagar Empire during the years of its prosperity and subsequent decline. The Math acquired possessions outside Sringeri Samsthanam proper, enjoyed full rights over the mineral resources. It enjoyed the rights to cultivate supari (arecanut), grow sandal trees and create new plantations. It was exempted from royal customs and taxes and the requirement to supply labour for royal purposes. Subject to royal control, the authorities of the Samsthanam were empowered to enforce law and order within their jurisdiction. Properties of disciples, who died without heirs, were taken care of by the Samsthanam; imperial sanction was necessary only where the value of the property exceeded a certain limit. In the imperial capital, the Guru was shown all honours pertaining to royalty, including the Adda Pallakki (Palanquin). The blessed message that emanated from the lotus-like face of Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada got diversified a thousand-fold in the expositions of the Acharya who came after him, even as the Ganga stream gets variegated while flowing over different lands. It was the task of Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya to link these variegated streams, and canalize them through several monastic establishments. And their successors added to the number of these monasteries, the heads of which were disciples of Acharyas of the Sringeri or derived inspiration and guidance from them. To these monasteries, as to Sringeri, flocked ascetics and scholars for contemplation, study and the elucidation of the truth of Advaita in its manifold aspects and refutation of the arguments of the rival schools. These Maths had also shrines and facilities for Annadana attached to them. It is no exaggeration to say that for spotless character, saintliness and depth of erudition, the Sringeri Jagadgurus commanded the highest esteem.
The Avani Math
According to tradition the Avani Math was founded by Sri Nrisimha Bharati Swami of Sringeri Math, while he was camping in Kolar, and placed in charge of one of the disciples. The head of the Math is known as Avani Sringeri Swami.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati V (1576 – 1600)
ನೃಸಿಂಹತಾಂ ಪ್ರಯಾನ್ತ್ಯಾಶು ಯಮಾಶ್ರಿತ್ಯ ಜನಾ ಭುವಿ  ನೃಸಿಂಹಭಾರತಿಂ ವನ್ದೇ ದ್ವಿಗುಣೋಪಪದಂ ಸದಾ
Men of earth who take refuge in him Shall become lions of lofty virtues His holy feet I adore in full faith Hail Nrisimha Bharati the Saint!
The Acharya has written a work called Vaidika Nirnaya in which he has demonstrated that it is only Advaita that is in full conformity with the teachings of the Vedas.
Sri Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati (1600 – 1623)
[Click to view a close-up of the painting] A mural depicting Sri Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swamigal giving the Shivagita Bhashyam to the then monarch of Mysore.
ತಂ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾಭಯದಂ ವಿಭವೈರನ್ವಿತಂ ಪರಮ್  ನಾರಸಿಂಹಂ ಗುರುಂ ಚಾಪಿ ನವಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಾರ್ಣವಂ ಭಜೇ
He removes fear from all the human minds He is majestic and magnanimous An ocean of spiritual knowledge Hail Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati!
An expert in mantrasastra, Sri Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati was an adept of a high order. A commentary on the Shiva Gita, that he wrote, is an outstanding work. He installed a linga named Rameshwara in 1602 at Rudrapada. He also founded an agrahara on the Paschimavahini and named it Narasimhapura after his Guru. When the Acharya visited the Malahanikeshwara temple and noticed the absence of any Ganesha image there, he painted with a piece of turmeric a figure of the God on one of the front pillars and worshipped it. Ever since, the outline of Ganesha on the pillar has been bulging out presenting a bas-relief, and has come to be known as Stambha Ganapati. The granite stone behind the idol now sounds hollow inside, while it is quite solid over the rest of the pillar.
The Shivaganga Math
The Acharya founded a Math in Shivaganga and placed one of his disciples, Sri Shankara Bharati in charge of it. Sri Shankara Bharati presided over the new Math till 1656 and the Math has since had an uninterrupted succession of Gurus.
Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I (1623 – 1663)
ಸತ್ಯಸ್ವರೂಪಂ ಸದ್ಜ್ಞಾನನಿಷ್ಠಂ ಸಾಕ್ಷಾಚ್ಛಿವಂ ಪರಮ್  ಸದಾ ದಾನರತಂ ದಾನ್ತಂ ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನನ್ದಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
Truth incarnate, firm in self-knowledge He is ever blissful like Supreme Shiva, Self-controlled, He delights in charity; Homage to Master Sacchidananda!
The Acharya was a native of Madura district and became a very sound Vedic scholar in boyhood. In his 16th year, he went to Sringeri where he was nominated as the 25th Acharya of the Peetham. Shortly after he assumed the headship of Peetham, the new Acharya visited Ikkeri on the invitation of Venkatappa Nayak. From there accompanied by the Nayak, he went to Kollur to worship Goddess Mookambika. No sooner did Virabhadra Nayak ascend the throne of Ikkeri, than Bhairava, chief of Kalasa, invaded his territory and captured a slice of it, which included Sringeri. In his cupidity, he committed the irrelevant act of ordering the Guru to come to his court and compelling him to yield the valuables of the Math. Nothing perturbed the Guru who went into meditation and refused to yield to aggression. Bhairava then went to Sringeri and plundered its wealth and on his way back defeated the Nayak forces that had come for the relief of the Guru. Thus emboldened, he again went to Sringeri, and when the Guru was about to leave the Math, relief came from Nayak. Bhairava came a third time to plunder the Math. Left with no help but the power of his tapasya, the Guru retired to his meditation, and saw in a vision the mysterious response of the deities in Sringeri, who appeared as bearing arms and attacking the invader. The Guru was soon informed that Bhairava had actually left the town. He celebrated the occasion by composing the poems, Ramachandra Mahodaya, Guru Stuti Satakam, Rama Bhujanga , Meenakshi Ashtakam and Meenakshi Satakam. Virabhadra Nayak, Sivappa Nayak, Bhadrappa Nayak, Hanumappa Nayak and the then rulers bestowed several grants to the Math during this period. On his return from a visit to Bednur, He built a shrine for Bhavani in the Malahanikareshwara temple and started several festivals including a ‘rathotsava’ (car festival) at the temple and also composed t. This festival is held even today following Maha Shivaratri in the benign presence of the Sringeri Jagadguru.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati VI (1663 – 1706)
ಮಹಾಮೇರುಸಮಂ ಧೈರ್ಯೇ ಮಾಧುರ್ಯೇಪ್ಯಮೃತೋಪಮಮ್  ಊಹಾಪೋಹಾರ್ಥ ನಿಷ್ಣಾತಂ ನರಸಿಂಹಂ ಗುರುಂ ಭಜೇ
His mighty courage is like that of the mount Meru, His tender heart is like the sweet nectar, He who is clear in the inner Truth of things I hail that holy Master Nrisimha!
Somasekhara Nayak (1664 – 1675) confirmed the grant of lands in Erehalli village to be utilised for the worship of Sri Chandramoulishwara. The Acharya visited Bednur at the request of Rani Channamaji (1671 – 1696). Her minister provided an ‘Utsava Murti’ (idol used in rathotsavas) for the Sri Sringeshwara temple in Kigga. The Rani instructed her officers not to collect duties on articles bought for the use of Math. Her successor Basavappa (1696-1714) issued orders to his officers directing them to help Sringeri authorities in their enquiries regarding ‘achara’ and in the collection of dues. The Acharya fed thousands of people during the great famine of Akshaya in 1686. The places he visited in his pilgrimage included Kollur, famous for the temple of Sri Mookambika, Gokarna and Kotishwara. He founded an agrahara which he named Sacchidananapura after his guru, and also installed a linga named Sacchidanandeshwara.

Acharyas who adorned the Peetham between 1380 and 1560
After the great seer, Sri Vidyaranya, a period of approximately two centuries was marked by the reign of eight Acharyas, who ascended the Throne of Transcendental Wisdom, through whose benign blessings and guidance the Vijayanagara empire flourished for nearly a quarter millenia. Characterised by the close connection of the monarchy of Vijayanagara Empire, the math saw expansion in many areas, through the various grants in the form of land, gold and other kind from various Monarchs and Kings.
Unlike the period of Sri Vidyaranya, not much historical information is available today regarding these great Acharyas who graced the throne. Whatever reliable source is available has been carefully analysed and a short history of the Math and its Preceptors in this timeframe has thus been presented.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati I (1386 – 1389)
ಅವಿದ್ಯಾರಣ್ಯಸಕ್ಲೇಶಕೃಶಾನುಭೃಶತಾಪಿತಃ  ಸಂಶ್ರಯೇ ಸತತಂ ಭೂತ್ಯೈ ಚನ್ದ್ರಶೇಖರಚನ್ದ್ರಿಕಾಮ್
Led astray and caught in the forest fire of ignorance, I suffered dismal wounds; The moon that soothed me with divine rays, I hail that great Chandrasekhara!
When Sri Vidyaranya was far advanced in age, he nominated Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati I as his successor. Some time after the nomination, with the permission of his Guru, the disciple went on a pilgrimage to several sacred places. In the meantime, King Harihara of Vijayanagar visited Sringeri and pressingly invited Sri Vidyaranya to his capital. As the Mutt required constant attention, the Acharya entrusted the management to a later disciple, Sri Nrisimha Bharati and then left for Vijayanagar. He stayed there for sometime as the honoured guest of the king, and passed away at a ripe old age.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati heard of Sri Vidyaranya’s videha mukti, and hastened to Vijayanagar. The king took him to Sringeri and had him installed on the seat. Sri Nrisimha Bharati, who was temporarily in charge of the Mutt with the permission of his senior, went to live at a village called Haladi. He consecrated a Sri Chakra there and spent his time in worshipping the Divine Mother and did tapasya. When in course of time Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati passed away, Sri Nrisimha Bharati was called from Haladi and installed as the next Acharya.
The Acharya received Harihara II at Sringeri where the emperor erected a temple in memory of Sri Vidyaranya and founded the agrahara of Vidyaranyapura, which is the home of many Sringeri priests even today.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati I (1389 – 1408)
ಅವಿದ್ಯಾಖ್ಯದ್ವಿಪದ್ವೈಧೀಭಾವೇ ದಕ್ಷಂ ಸಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ  ನೃಸಿಂಹಭಾರತೀಶಾಖ್ಯಹರಿಂ ಶ್ರುತಿಗುಹಾಶ್ರಯಮ್
He has the lion-like strength and great courage to tackle the wild tusker of ignorance; He sheds light on the secrets of the Veda, I adore the sage Nrisimha Bharati!
Sri Nrisimha Bharati had, in addition to his own intrinsic merit, the advantage of having acted as the deputy of Sri Vidyaranya. He so impressed all by his spiritual greatness and universal love that he came to be looked upon as an incarnation of God Nrisimha himself in a benign form.
King Harihara of Vijayanagar felt that the Acharya would be a great spiritual bulwark to his kingdom and invited him to the capital and arranged for his stay there for sometime. During that period, the Acharya not only initiated the king into appropriate mantras, but also gave him valuable guidance in political affairs and inspired him to carry out many works beneficial to the subjects.
After the Acharya returned to Sringeri following a second visit to Vijayanagar, Harihara founded a town in an attractive place at the junction of two rivers in the Tulu region and arranged a Dharmashala for the stay of a large number of sanyasins and other disciples. He also endowed extensive lands. Subsequently, when the Acharya visited the town, which had been named Nrisimhapura, he had a temple built for God Nrisimha and after its consecration, returned to Sringeri.
The Acharya gave spiritual initiation to Devaraya I, who ruled Vijayanagar after Virupaksha, the son of Harihara II. He stayed in Sringeri till 1406 and then at the request of Devaraya went to Hampi where he attained Siddhi. A shrine was erected over his Samadhi and a Linga installed.
Sri Puroshottama Bharati I (1408 – 1448)
ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮತಾಂ ಯಾನ್ತಿ ಯಮಾಶ್ರಿತ್ಯ ಜನಾಃ ಶ್ರಯೇ  ಕ್ಷರಾಕ್ಷರಮತೀತಂ ತಂ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮಯೋಗಿನಮ್
They who sought His feet rose to glory, He is the fleeting world and the ever-lasting soul; Beyond them both, He indeed is the transcendent, Homage to the great Yogi, Purushottama!
Sri Puroshottama Bharati blessed the emperor Devaraya and his feudatories and went to Sringeri to take over the management of the Mutt. In 1446 the Acharya received a grant of the village of Harihalli by Mangarasa, a governor under the viceroy of Tulu and Konkan provinces.
Devaraya granted (1432) a village to Puroshottama Aranya, a disciple of the Acharya.
Sri Shankarananda Bharati (1448 – 1455)
ಕಿಂಕರೀಕೃತಭೂಪಾಲಂ ಪಙ್ಕೇರುಹಸಮಾನನಮ್  ತಂ ಕಾರುಣ್ಯಪಯೋರಾಶಿಂ ಶಂಕರಾಖ್ಯಂ ಗುರುಂ ಶ್ರಯೇ
Kings of earth are His humble servants, His smiling face is like the lotus flower, His heart is an ocean of compassion, I take refuge in the divine Master, Shankara (Bharati)!
After his accession to the Peetham, Sri Shankarananda Bharati visited Vijayanagar, invited by Mallikarjuna and prince Bukka Raya when the emperor gave him lands of the revenue value of one thousand six hundred and ninety seven ‘gadayanas’, and Bhanappa, presumably governor of the Barakur, the village of Kanguvalli in his province.
A label bearing the Acharya’s name on a pillar of the sandhyamandapa of the Sringanatheshwara temple in Kanikatte (Arisikere taluk) is shown as a place to which Sri Shankarananda Bharati often resorted for meditation.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati II (1455 – 1464)
ಚನ್ದ್ರಿಕಾಧವಲೋದಾರಸಾನ್ದ್ರಿಕೀರ್ತಿಚ್ಛಟಾಧರಮ್  ಇನ್ದ್ರಿಯೈರ್ದುರ್ಜಯಂ ನೌಮಿ ಚನ್ದ್ರಶೇಖರಭಾರತೀಮ್
Like silver moonlight shines His sacred ash, Great poets sing His spotless fame! He who has conquered the senses, Salutations to Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati!
After the videha mukti of Sri Shankarananda Bharati, the Peetham was adorned by Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati II who had taken Sanyasa in 1449.
Sri Nrisimha Bharati II (1464 – 1479)
ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಲಯಂ ಲಸಮಾನಗುಣೋತ್ಕಟಮ್  ಬಿಸಜಾಕ್ಷಾರ್ಚಕಂ ಭಕ್ತ್ಯಾ ನೃಸಿಂಹಂ ತೀರ್ಥಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
He is the famous seat of Knowledge, Supreme Master full of sacred virtues, The ardent devotee of Sri Krishna; I pay homage to Nrisimha Tirtha!
Sri Shankarananda Bharati’s successor was Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati II, who was succeeded by Sri Nrisimha Bharati II. A record from Pampapura (Yadatore) relates to a grant by the residents of the village Hiriyur to Chikka Dikshita, a disciple of Sri Nrisimha Bharati II, to conduct Annadana on the banks of the Cauvery in the name of the Acharya.
Sri Purushottama Bharati II (1479 – 1517)
ಪುರುಹೂತಾದಿದೇವೌಘಪೌರುಷೇಯಗುಣೋತ್ಕಟಮ್  ಪುರುಷಾರ್ಥಪ್ರದಂ ನೌಮಿ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮಯೋಗಿನಮ್
Indra followed by all celestials adore this sage of all manly virtues, He fulfils the four ideals of life; I hail the yogi Purushottama!
During the pontificate of Sri Purushottama Bharati II Vijayanagar witnessed two usurpations, by Saluva Nrisimha in 1486 and by Narasa Nayaka of the Tulu dynasty in 1491. Before his hazardous expedition (1515 – 1516) against Vira Rudra Gajapati of Kalinga, the Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadeva Raya sought the blessings of Sri Purushottama Bharati. The Guru conveyed his blessings through one of his disciples, Vidyaranya. The emperor granted to the Sringeri Mutt a village called Huyyaru in Barakur rajya and the attached hamlets, and also ordered the immediate restoration to Sringeri of Gavaturu, Gajanuru, Mandali, Harakera, Shimoga and Sollebyle, formerly enjoyed by the Mutt but had later gone out of its hands. The object of the grant was stated “to secure to the king a three-fold benefit, the destruction of his foes, unswerving attachment of his supporters and allies, and extension of his own life, health and prosperity.” The emperor prayed for the Guru’s blessings to secure him victory in his campaigns. The Acharya’s blessings had a marvellous effect; Krishnadeva Raya conquered Kalinga, recaptured Raichur and routed the forces of the Bijapur, Ahmednagar and Golkonda. During his sojourn in Hampi, Vidyaranya organised the Mutt there. The emperor issued orders to village heads to obey the Sringeri Gurus as their masters.
Sri Ramachandra Bharati (1517 – 1560)
ಕಾಮದ್ವಿರದಪಞ್ಚಾಸ್ಯರಾಮಣೀಯಕಮನ್ದಿರಮ್  ಸೋಮೋಪಮಾನನಂ ಶ್ರೀಮದ್ರಾಮಚನ್ದ್ರಗುರುಂ ಭಜೇ
The lion that kills the elephant of lust, The holy shrine of pleasing qualities, His smiling face is bright like the full moon; Hail holy master Srimad Ramananda!
In 1545 Honnappa Nayaka, a representative of the emperor Sadasiva Raya of Vijayanagara, granted to the Mutt, Bastihalli in Aragarajya.
During his visit to Karkala, the Acharya responded to the invitation of the local Jains and visited their temple, where to the astonishment of the assembled worshippers, the idol appeared as Anantha Padmanabha.
The Kudali Mutt was founded by Nrisimha Bharati, a disciple of the Sringeri Guru.

Biography of Sri Vidyaranya
Tradition has it that Madhava (the generally accepted pre-ascetic name of Sri Vidyaranya) was the elder of two Brahmachari brothers belonging to a poor but learned Brahmin family of Ekasila Nagari (present-day Warangal). The younger of the two, wandering south in search of true knowledge, reached Sringeri when the great Vidyashankara Tirtha was the reigning pontiff. On seeing the innate greatness of the young Brahmachari, Sri Vidyatirtha readily gave him sanyasa diksha with the ascetic name of Bharati Krishna Tirtha in 1328 A.D.
In the meanwhile, Madhava left home in search of his younger brother. After much wandering, he finally reached Sringeri where he found his brother as the junior pontiff Bharati Krishna Tirtha. At the junior pontiff’s request, Sri Vidyatirtha readily gave Madhava sanyasa diksha in 1331 A.D under the ascetic name of Sri Vidyaranya, in other words, verily a forest of knowledge. Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha, though younger than Vidyaranya became his senior by virtue of his earlier ordainment into Sanyasa Ashrama and came to be known as the senior Sripada and Vidyaranya the junior.
Sri Vidyaranya then started on a pilgrimage and reached Kashi. At the direction of Sri Vyasa, he went to Badrikashrama where the great sage himself initiated him into Sri Vidya. Returning south, he retired to Matanga hill, near Hampi, where he immersed himself in intense meditation. It was at this time that the two brothers, Madhava and Sayana, the sons of Mayana of Bharadwaja Gotra, approached Sri Vidyaranya and sought his blessings. Sri Vidyaranya graciously gave them his unfinished Veda bhashyas and some other works. He blessed them to complete the works in their own names as Madhaviyam and Sayaniyam. Later, both the brothers served as ministers in the Vijayanagara empire under Bukkaraya and Harihara I and II. At Sringeri, Sri Vidyatirtha attained Mahasamadhi by entering into Lambika Yoga Samadhi and Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha succeeded him as the 11th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Mutt and reigned from 1333 to 1380 A.D.
The Jagadguru’s Greatness
Sri Vidyaranya then resumed his pilgrimage to Varanasi. While he was there, Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha at Sringeri had already started construction of the magnificent Vidyashankara temple over the tomb into which his guru Sri Vidya Tirtha had entered into Lambika Yoga Samadhi.
Bukka and Harihara who were sharing the responsibilities of ruling their empire and were marching from victory to victory, went to Sringeri in 1346 for the blessings of Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha. They celebrated the occasion with a land grant to the senior Sripada.
Bukkaraya communicated all the details to Sri Vidyaranya in Kashi, forwarding to him Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha’s srimukha. It desired his early return to Sringeri, which Sri Vidyaranya complied with, reaching Sringeri via Hampi, accompanied by Bukkaraya. At Hampi, Sri Vidyaranya had built a Mutt near the Virupaksha temple, for his use. After Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha attained videha mukti, Sri Vidyaranya assumed charge of the Sringeri Mutt and reigned as Jagadguru for six years from 1380 to 1386. The Acharya initiated the emperor into the mysteries of Advaitic meditation, and in 1386 attained videha mukti. Shortly after this event, Harihara visited Sringeri and founded the agrahara of Vidyaranyapura in memory of the guru.
Sri Vidyaranya was indeed a unique personality, scholar and sage, rightly regarded as a great thinker in the post-Shankara period. No wonder he was extolled and virtually raised to divinity by kings Bukka and Harihara when making royal grants:
Sri Vidyaranya’s powers of exposition are more wonderful than those of Brahma; he can make (by his dialectics) the eloquent dumb and (by his teaching) the dumb eloquent (Copper Plate May 1384) Can he be Brahma? We do not see four faces; can he be Vishnu? He does not have four hands; can he be Shiva? No oddness of the eyes is observed. Having thus argued for a long time, the learned have come to the conclusion that Vidyaranya is verily the Supreme Light Incarnate. (Sringeri Plate of Harihara II May 1386)
Mutts
Under Sri Vidyaranya’s direction, the emperors made endowments to Mutts founded by him or by Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha in different parts of South India, some of which rose to importance as branches of the Sringeri Sharada Peetha or as subordinate monastic establishments. Prince Chikka Raya (afterwards Virupaksha I) made a grant to Satyatirtha of Muniyur Mutt which marks the origin of the Sakatapuram or Bandigade Mutt.
Hariharapura, an agrahara about six miles from Sringeri was founded by Harihara II, and Sri Ramachandra Saraswathi was the first Acharya of the Mutt established there. The Tirthamuttur Mutt (Tirthahalli taluk) and the Kudali Mutt also came into existence some centuries later under the guidance and encouragement of the Sringeri Gurus and the emperors. The agraharas of Sringapura and Vidyaranyapura were laid out by Harihara II.
Temples
A vritti was allotted to the Sri Janardana temple. Of the new temples built during this period, the Vidyashankara temple was the grandest. It was during Sri Vidyaranya’s time, that Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha substituted the present golden image of Sri Sharada for the one in sandalwood originally consecrated by Sri Shankara over a Sri Chakra on a rock and over which a small temple had been raised. The temple was enlarged. The Bharati Ramanatha temple was built over the samadhi of Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha and the Vidyavishweswara temple in memory of Sri Vidyaranya. Sri Vidyaranya made grants for the worship of Gopinatha in Paschimavahini, a few furlongs from Sringeri on the westward bend of the Tunga, and consecrated lingas and Sri Chakras in several places.
A New epoch
Vedic dharma, which had received a rude shock under Muslim rule in the North found a bulwark in the South. The re-emergence was on all fronts. On the political front, Sri Vidyaranya’s grace helped in the formation of a Hindu empire. On the socio-religious front, to begin with, worship that had been suspended in several temples, including the famous temples of Srirangam and Madurai was restored. Mysore inscriptions speak of grants to temples under the direction or in honour of Sri Vidyaranya. From now on, Vijayanagar emperors and their vassals carried out renovations, with extensions on a lavish scale of hundreds of temples.
Till this period in the history of the Sringeri Sharada Peetha, the Jagadgurus had been concentrating on imparting Brahmavidya to the elect, and training spiritual aspirants. Since Sri Vidyaranya, the Jagadgurus also took upon themselves the tasks of prescribing proper modes of divine services, in temples and guiding the socio-religious activities of the millions of disciples so as to bring them under the discipline of religion.
The Resplendent Jewel amongst Jagadgurus: Sri Vidyaranya was the head of the Sringeri Mutt for only a short span of six years. But because of his association with Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha (his predecessor Jagadguru and poorvashrama brother) for over five decades, he left an indelible mark on the spiritual life of his times. The Vidyashankara ‘ Bharati Krishna Tirtha ‘ Vidyaranya epoch marks the rise of the Sharada Peetham to the highest of eminence and led to the emergence of the spiritual institution as the torchbearer in sustaining Sanatana Dharma. Sri Vidyaranya is rightly considered as one of the brightest jewels in the illustrious line of Sringeri Guru Parampara.
ವಿದ್ಯಾವಿದ್ಯಾವಿವೇಕೇನ ಪಾರಂ ಸಂಸಾರವಾರಿಧೇಃ  ಪ್ರಾಪಯತ್ಯನಿಶಂ ಭಕ್ತಾನ್ ತಂ ವಿದ್ಯಾರಣ್ಯಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
Homage to this serene Vidyaranya who holds aloft the torch of discrimination, Knowledge of the Real form unreal and helps the devoted across the sea of birth!

The Early Acharyas
Sri Nityabodhaghana (834-848 A.D)
ಅನಾದ್ಯವಿದ್ಯಾಮುತ್ಸಾರ್ಯ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾನಘನರೂಪತಾಮ್  ಯೋ ಬೋಧಯತಿ ಸಚ್ಛಿಷ್ಯಾನ್ ತಂ ಬೋಧಘನಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
He who imparts to worthy disciples the Truth – ‘Thou art the wakeful conscious Inner Self’ And thus removes the deeply ingrained delusion, I bow at the feet of that Sage Bodhaghana!
Sri Bodaghana and his successors shed the lustre of their exalted mood instilling in their disciples true bhakti by conducting the daily worship of Sri Sharada and Sri Chandramoulishwara and by their precepts leading them to the path of righteousness.
Sri Jnanaghana (848-910 A.D)
ಸಿತಾಘನಾದಿದೃಷ್ಟಾನ್ತೈರ್ಯತ್ಸ್ವರೂಪಂ ಶ್ರುತಿರ್ಜಗೌ  ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾನಘನ ಏವೇತಿ ತಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಘನಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
His clear wisdom extracts insightful analogies From the ancient delightful Srutis, And sets ablaze the knowledge of the Self. I adore the Saint of such a quality, Sri Jnanaghana!
Sri Jnanaghana was the author of Tattvasuddhi. Tattvasuddhi, which is held in high esteem by Sri Appayya Dikshita, the famous Vedantin of the 16th century, is probably a record of the Acharya’s exposition to his disciples. According to Guruvamsakavya, he worshipped Pinakin (Lord Shiva) and Janardana. This fact being the earliest reference to Lord Janardana in Sringeri, the consecration of the ancient Janardana temple in present-day Sringeri is attributed to Sri Jnanaghana.
Sri Jnanottama (910-954 A.D)
ಜ್ಞಾನಾನಾಮುತ್ತಮಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಿನಾಮುತ್ತಮೋ ಯತಃ  ಜ್ಞಾನೋತ್ತಮ ಇತಿ ಖ್ಯಾತಂ ಗುರುಂ ತಮಹಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
Jnanottama, the foremost among sages, The Knower of the Supreme Knowledge of the Self The world honours Him as the exalted One To that adorable Master, I bow!
A Gauda in his purvashrama (previous stage of life) settled in the south, Sri Jnanottama succeeded Sri Jnanaghana. His work ‘Vidya Sri’ is a sub commentary on Sri Adi Shankara’s ‘Brahma sutra bhashya’. One of the Acharya’s disciples was Vijnanatman or Vijnanashrama, the author of Tatparyadyotini and a vritti on Narayanopanishad, which is a section of Taittiriya Upanishad. Another prominent disciple of the Acharya was the prolific writer Chitsukha popular for his work on Advaita, called Tattva-Pradipika (also known as Chitsukhi). Chitsukha pays homage to his Guru, Sri Jnanottama as the effulgence that was Dakshinamurti, Vyasa and Shankara.
Sri Jnanagiri (954-1038 A.D)
ಜ್ಞಾನನಿಶ್ರೇಣಿಮಾಲಮ್ಬ್ಯ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಖ್ಯಂ ಗಿರಿಮುನ್ನತಮ್  ಆರೂಹ್ಯ ಕೃತಕೃತ್ಯೋ ಯಸ್ತಂ ಜ್ಞಾನಗಿರಿಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
He scaled the mount of wisdom step by step and climbed the peak of transcendent Brahman His life was fulfilled in that, lofty Truth To Sage Jnanagiri, Salutations!
Sri Simhagiri (1038-1098 A.D)
ದುರ್ವೀದಿದುಷ್ಟಮಾತಙ್ಗವಿದಾರಣಪಟೀಯಸೇ  ನಮಃ ಶ್ರೀಸಿಂಹಗಿರಯೇ ಗುರವೇ ದಿವ್ಯಚಕ್ಷುಷೇ
Whose lion-like inner strength rips asunder Mad elephants and wrangles over stubborn foes; Salutations to that Divine Sage Simhagiri Whose divine vision beams with true wisdom!
Sri Ishwara Tirtha (1098-1146 A.D)
ಈಪ್ಸಿತಾರ್ಥಪ್ರದೋ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಪ್ರಣತಾನಾಂ ಚ ದೇಹಿನಾಮ್  ಯತಿರೀಶ್ವರತೀರ್ಥಾಖ್ಯಃ ತಂ ನಮಾಮಿ ಗುರುಂ ಶಿವಮ್
Just as the Great Shiva, He grants with gracious heart The boons that pure beloved souls aspire for; I salute and solemnly adore That saintly Master Ishwara Tirtha!
Sri Nrisimha Tirtha (1146-1229 A.D)
ಶ್ರುತಿಮಸ್ತಕಕೂಟಸ್ಥಮಜ್ಞಾನದ್ವಿಪಭೇದಿನಮ್  ಶ್ರೀಮನ್ತ್ರರಾಜಮೂರ್ತಿಂ ತಂ ನೃಸಿಂಹಂ ಗುರುಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
The Light effulgent up the Vedic Hill The Power that kills the mammoth Ignorance The royal sage of Mantras I humbly surrender to that Master Nrisimha!
Sri Jnanottama’s successor was Sri Jnanagiri. Then reigned Sri Simhagiri, after whom an agrahara (locality for priests) near Sringeri has been named. The next two Acharyas were Sri Ishwara Tirtha and Sri Nrisimha Tirtha. All of them were great polemics. Independent works on Advaita, elucidations of Sri Shankara’s bhashyas and Sri Sureshwaracharya’s vartikas, glosses representing both the Bhamati and the Vivarana schools, polemical works and works of the class entitled ‘siddhi’ (books like Ishta Siddhi, Advaita Siddhi..), that sum up the vast literature on Advaita during this period, can be said to have set the norm for future writers. The Sharada Peetham was the fountain head of all this expansion of Vedantic knowledge, in the pursuit of which were engaged sages and scholars from all parts of the land – Karnataka, Chola (comprising a major part of Tamil Nadu), Andhra, Maharashtra, and Gaudadesa (Bengal). It was not long before other places of learning were influenced and Vedanta was added to the curriculum of studies.
Sri Vidyatirtha (1229-1333 A.D)
Idol of Sri Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji at Simhagiri in Sringeri. Also seen flanking him are his two foremost disciples – Sri Bharati Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya Mahaswamigal
ಅವಿದ್ಯಾಚ್ಛನ್ನಭಾವಾನಾಂ ನೃಣಾಂ ವಿದ್ಯೋಪದೇಶತಃ  ಪ್ರಕಾಶಯತಿ ಯಸ್ತತ್ವಂ ತಂ ವಿದ್ಯಾತೀರ್ಥಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
His message brings about the Light of Wisdom To men that are immersed in ignorance He holds the torch of Truth for the entire world Homage to the holy Vidyatirtha!
“His message brings about the Light of Wisdom To men that are immersed in ignorance He holds the torch of Truth for the entire world Homage to the holy Vidyatirtha! ‘Verily Vidyatirtha, the Lord of ascetics, excels the sun; the latter dispels the darkness around us only by day, while the former dispels the darkness both within and without, both by day and night” – this tribute paid by Emperor Harihara II of Vijayanagar is a measure of the greatness of Sri Vidyatirtha.
The tenth Acharya of the Sharada Peetham at Sringeri, Sri Vidyatirtha Mahaswami, was a eminent Guru well-versed in all the shastras and Vedas, and was also called , “Maheshwara  whose breath was the Veda”, by His disciple, Sri Sayanacharya in his commentary to the Vedas.
A number of scholars flocked to Him and became his disciples. Besides Sri Shankarananda and Vidyaranya, Sri Satchidananda, Sri Advaita Brahmananda (Bharati Tirtha), Sri Sandrananda, Sri Advaitananda Shevadhi, Sri Mahadeva Siva, Sri Advaita Sukhananda, Sri Sivayogi and Sri Pratyagjyoti were eight other eminent disciples of Vidya Tirtha. Vidya Tirtha is said to have installed these eight disciples as the heads of the eight mathas established by him. Among his disciples, Sri Bharati Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya were the foremost. All these have invoked Vidya Tirtha in one work or other composed by them.
Always absorbed in the bliss of self-realisation, he spent many years in Simhagiri in the company of numerous disciples, who by his grace became adepts in mantra, tantra, yoga and meditation. The royal brothers, Harihara and Bukka visited him and proceeded with him to Sringeri. To the great sage, came a Brahmana lad, young in years but advanced in the practice of the virtues of a mumukshu, from Ekasilanagaram (Warangal). Finding him worthy, the Acharya admitted him into the order of Sanyasa (1328) under the name of Sri Bharati Tirtha. Three years later in 1331 came another learned Brahmana, who was the elder brother of Sri Bharati Tirtha in His purvashrama. He also received Sanyasa under the name of Sri Vidyaranya. Sri Bharati Tirtha stayed with the master, while Sri Vidyaranya went on long tours. Jagadguru Sri Vidyatirtha also toured over South India. In Simhagiri, there is still preserved a strange sculpture, with figures sculpted on its four faces. The front face depicts Sri Vidyatirtha flanked by his two chief disciples Sri Bharati Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya. The figures on the other three faces are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Above them is a figure of Lakshmi Narasimha and on top is a Shiva Linga. When the Acharya got this strange multiple image, called Chaturmurti Vidyeshwara made, he explained to Sri Bharati Tirtha that his body would assume a shape similar to that after twelve years of yoga in an underground chamber. The chamber was excavated on the northern bank of the Tunga, and while the Acharya sat there in yoga, it was closed over him. Three years elapsed. When Sri Bharati Tirtha was temporarily away from Sringeri, the curiosity of the attendants got the better of their duty to their Guru and they opened the chamber. The sage’s body had completely disappeared and they saw only the form of the linga on the top of the model in Simhagiri. Sri Bharati Tirtha, who was completely upset by this act of indiscretion on the part of the attendants, received a cheering message be known as Sri Vidyashankara and the Acharya constructed a magnificent temple within the next few years. It is believed that effulgence of the sage continues to manifest itself shedding subtle spiritual influence about the place. To this day the seal of the Mutt bears the name of Sri Vidyashankara.
Sri Bharati Tirtha (1333-1380 A.D)
ಅಜ್ಞಾನಾಂ ಜಾಹ್ನವೀ ತೀರ್ಥಂ ವಿದ್ಯಾತೀರ್ಥಂ ವಿವೇಕಿನಾಮ್  ಸರ್ವೇಷಾಂ ಸುಖದಂ ತೀರ್ಥಂ ಭಾರತೀತೀರ್ಥಮಾಶ್ರಯೇ
That Ganga which is the sin-removing refuge to the ignorant, That esoteric knowledge that is the refuge sought by the wise, That refuge which is good for all who seek Bliss, Unto that Bharati Tirtha, I bow!
Sri Bharati Tirtha a native of Ekasilanagaram (present day Warangal, Andhra Pradesh) and younger brother of Sri Vidyaranya, in his purvashrama, ascended the throne of transcendental wisdom as the 11th Acharya by succeeding his Guru Sri Vidyatirtha. He occupied the throne for 47 years until 1380. The Acharya’s reign was one of the most momentous periods in the history of India. It was under the guidance of his successor-designate, Sri Vidyaranya, that the great Hindu Empire of Vijayanagar was founded in 1336. The Acharya knew that the sacred religion of the land could be preserved only if the temporal powers were retained by the Hindu rulers. In order to prevent the minds of the public from drifting away from spiritual goals and also to retain the influence of the Mutt on the common man for spiritual good, he consecrated a golden image of Sri Sharada in the place of the sandalwood image installed during the time of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. He took up the task of renovating the temple and Mutt buildings. During the time of founding of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, the Vidya Shankara temple also was built. King Harihara’s brother Marappa and son-in-law Ballapa went to Sringeri in 1346 under the direction of the King to present nine villages to His Holiness for the undisturbed performance of His tapas and the support of forty Brahmin attendants. On the occasion of the consecration of Sri Vidyashankara temple, the Jagadguru divided lands yielding 600 pagodas into 120 vrittis of five pagodas each and gave them away to 120 learned Brahmins who thus settled near the Mutt. This was the beginning of the present town of Sringeri. Scholars proficient in the Vedas and Sastras were honoured with titles and gifts. The Acharya is noted to have endowed one hundred and twenty scholars proficient in the Vedas and Sastras with vrittis or small holdings of land.

Works of Sri Sureshwaracharya
Sri Sureshwaracharya works expound the philosophy of non-dualism. He explains that Bramhan is the only Reality(Sat)  and the substratum of the world. Following is the list of His works.
Vartika on Taittriya Upanishad Bhashyam
Vartika on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhashyam
Mansollasa
Panchikarana Vartikam
Naishkarmya Siddhi
Naishkarmya Siddhi
It is well known that the Brahma Sutras, Sri Shankara’s bhashyas and the Vartika are together like the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati, and this Triveni removes our sin and emancipates us.
Among the hundreds of Sishyas of Sri Shankara, the four, namely Padmapada, Sureshvara, Totaka and Hastamalaka were the most important, and among these Sureshvara, the Vartikakara, was the foremost.
Sri Shankara who through his instruction was spreading the Advaita Vidya throughout the land, desired that a Vartikam should be composed for his bhashyas, similar to the Mimamsa and Vyakarana Vartikas, and expressed it to his sishyas. Sri Shankara told Sureshvara to write a Vartika on the bhashya of the Brhadaramyaka Upanishad belonging to the Kanvasakha of Sukla Yajus and on the Taittiriya Upanishad bhashya and in addition to write an independent work. Sureshvara wrote the Naishkarmya siddhi which Immensely pleased the Master and then the other two works.
Being a prakarana, Naishkarmya siddhi lays down the Vishaya (topic) its significance, adhikara (qualification) and Correlation(sambhanda). The first adhyaya inquires into the authority of the shruti and lays down that all of them have for their final goal (Parama tatparya), the Brahman. The second chapter correlates the other authorities, the third deals with the disciplines. Shravana, manana etc. and tie fourth and concluding chapter explains Kaivalya or liberation and Jivanmukti. The Vartikakara concludes with adoration to his great Master.
Naishkarmya siddhi, of Sri Sureshvaracharya padah wellknown as Vartikakarapadah, is though comparatively short, an outstanding accomplishment of exceptional importance among the works of the Advaita Vedantins. The other ‘siddhi’ works are. Ista siddhi by Sri Vimuktatman and Advaita siddhi by Sri Madhusudana Saraswati which, like the Naishkarmya Siddhi, closely follow the Bhashyas of Pujya Sri Shankara Bhagavatpadah, and the earliest of these viz Brahmasiddhi by Mandana presumably an elderly contemporary of the Bhashyakara, which differs in certain respects from the view points of the Bhashyas.
Naishkarmya siddhi-the name could be believed to have arisen from the word in the Gita verse-“ Naishkarmyasiddhim paramam sanyasenadhigachhati” rendered in the Bhashya as ‘Naishkarmyam cha tat siddhischa’ or Naishkarmyasiddhi meaning attainment of the state of Actionlessness i. e , Brahman-Atman or the decisive conclusion as to the Actionlessness of Brahman- Atman, the work being called so because of its role in leading to that state -is an independent work (Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya Sarga 13, Sloka 49, and Guruvamsa Kavya, Sarga 2 and Sloka 89) of Sri Sureshvara which has won the appreciation of his Master who initiated him into the Sanyasa asrama after his defeat in controversy. It is a manual of Advaita-Vedanta, in four chapters. in verse, and providing the necessary links between them and the elucidations of their contents given in prose by the author himself, written not for securing fame, return or praiseworthiness but as a measure intended to purify and elevate his own intellect. It establishes the Nishprapancha Brahma, the transcendental Reality unconnected with and unconditioned by the world which itself is shown to be mithya i.e., devoid of fundamental existence. The work, like the Vartikas, revels in Yuktis, upholds the view point of the Bhashyakara and refutes those of others especially of Mandana. A few illustrations are given below.
It is the decision of the Vedantin that whatever ‘appears’ in our parlance is to be regarded as due to Ajnana (Nescience), The question arises as to what are the locus (Asraya) and the object (Vishaya) ignorance. That Brahman is the Vishaya is agreed upon by all without dispute. Mandana and Bhamatikara who follows Mandana in this respect as also in a few other respects, believe that Jiva is the Asraya. Sri Sureshvaracharya, however, maintains that Brahman is the Asraya in accordance with the Bhashya. He is faithfully followed by Samskhepa Sariraka charya.
A second question arises when Maadana, a kind of Jnana karma Samuchchayavadin that he is says that Tattvadarsana Abhyasa (a kind of upasana) as also the performance of Yagnas are to be resorted to till the end of one’s life even if Sabda Jnana has been attained As a corollary it is maintained that a Grihasta has greater chances of gaining Visuddha vidya than a Sanyasin who has renounced even the Nitya and Naimittika Karmas. These views are strongly refuted by Sri Sureshvaracharya, who maintains and supports the view point of the Bhashyakara that in their cause, context and results (means, make up or constitution, fruit) the Karmas turn out to be very different, nay the very opposite of SamyaJnana, and as such, like light and darkness the two cannot co-exist. Nidhidhyasana on this view is only to get rid of Viparitabhasvana. Necessarily, it follows that renunciation of all action is vital for securing Atmajnana. The Nitya and Naimittika karmas are not absolutely useless. They cannot coexist with Jnana. They work themselves out on producing Vividisha. No Jnana karma Samuchchaya is possible. At least only karma Samuchchaya with the karmas as preliminary to jnana.
Regarding Mukti, Sri Sureshvaracharya subscribes to the doctrine of sadyo mukti, release immediately on attaining Jnana. He explains the text ‘Tasya tavadeva chiram’ accordingly and solvely the problem of the Gurusishya parampara by analogy of the dream or by tracing the wholething to the Avidya of the Sishya who regards the Mukta as his Guru etc., though the latter is not aware of anything else except the only abiding Reality viz., Brahmana-Atman. He also mentions the ‘Sampradayika View’ as it is called of the Jivan Mukti and refutes the possibility of Yathestacharana by pointing out its absence even in the Mumukshu. The texts like ‘Na me Matr vadhena’ etc., are only eulogies in praise of Jivanmukti. This view also solves the problem of the Brahma vidya Sampradaya by Gurusishaparampara.
The Mahavakyas such as Aham Brahmasmi are to be understood on the basis of Abheda samanadhikaranyam. This again is faithfully followed in Samkshepa sariraka. However, in the case of Aham Brahmasmi the principle of Badhayam samanadhi karanyam may be employed as well. If the ‘Aham’ buddhi is removed, the duality disappears as the snake (in the rope ) does on the disappearance of darkness.
Thus, the Great Srimat Sureshvaracharyapadah, the expert in pada, Vakya and Pramana, Master of both the Karma Kanda and Jnana Kanda, who is always faitful to the views of his Acharya has, by composing the Nishkarmya siddhi, conferred Anugraha on his Sishyas in every respect.

Works of Sri Vidyaranya
Sri Vidyaranya’s literary contributions comprise works on Vyakarana, Mimamsa, Smriti, Purana, astronomy/astrology, Mantra Sastra, music, Darsana and Advaita Vedanta. The more important of them are Jaiminiya Nyayamala, Parasara-smriti Vyakhyana, Smriti Sangraha, Vyavahara-Madhava, Sri Vidyatirtha-Dipika, Vivaranaprameya Sangraha, Panchadasi, Jivanmukti Viveka, Drig Drisya Viveka, Aparokshanubhuti-Tika, and six Upanishad-Dipikas.
Of these, Panchadasi is an important work in Advaita Vedanta, so called because of its division into fifteen chapters, dealing with topics of metaphysical and spiritual importance. In the Brhadaranyavartikasara, Sri Vidyaranya summarises Sri Sureshwaracharya’s work. Dipikas on Aitareya and Taittiriya Upanishads and Sri Shankara’s summary of the twelve principal Upanishads, are also attributed to Sri Vidyaranya.
Madhaviya Shankara Vijaya is the work of Sri Vidyaranya. Because of its high poetic merit and objectivity, it is considered the best for recitation during Shankara Jayanti.
Drgdrsyaviveka is considered a combined work of Sri Vidyaranya and His predecessor, Sri Bharati Krishna Tirtha. The works of the two Jagadgurus are among the greatest treatises in post-Shankara Advaita literature and both of them occupy a unique place in the history of religion.

SANKARA’S LIFE

 

SankarAcArya ashThottaram

Transliteration Key
The following is based upon accounts known through oral tradition and texts like the mAdhavIya Sankara vijayam. There exists some controversy about Sankara’s date, but most traditions are quite unanimous about other details.
Birth and childhood: Sankara was born to the nambUdiri brAhmaNa couple, Sivaguru and AryAmbA, in a little village called kAlaDi in Kerala. The couple had remained childless for a long time, and prayed for children at the vaDakkunnAthan (VRshAcala) temple in nearby Trichur. Siva is said to have appeared to the couple in a dream and promised them a choice of one son who would be short-lived but the most brilliant philosopher of his day, or many sons who would be mediocre at best. The couple opted for a brilliant, but short-lived son, and so Sankara was born.
Sankara lost his father when quite young, and his mother performed his upanayana ceremonies with the help of her relatives. Sankara excelled in all branches of traditional vaidIka learning. A few miracles are reported about the young Sankara. As a brahmacArin, he went about collecting alms from families in the village. A lady who was herself extremely poor, but did not want to send away the boy empty-handed, gave him the last piece of Amla fruit she had at home. Sankara, sensing the abject poverty of the lady, composed a hymn (kanakadhArA stavam) to SrI, the goddess of wealth, right at her doorstep. As a result, a shower of golden Amlas rewarded the lady for her piety. On another occasion, Sankara is said to have re-routed the course of the pUrNA river, so that his old mother would not have to walk a long distance to the river for her daily ablutions.
sam.nyAsa: Sankara was filled with the spirit of renunciation early in his life. Getting married and settling to the life of a householder was never part of his goal in life, though his mother was anxious to see him as a gRhastha. Once when he was swimming in the river, a crocodile caught hold of his leg. Sankara sensed that he was destined to die at that moment, and decided to directly enter the fourth ASrama of sam.nyAsa right then. This kind of renunciation is called Apat sam.nyAsa. The crocodile released him when he thus mentally decided to renounce the world, and Sankara decided to regularize his decision by going to an accomplished guru. To comfort his anxious mother, he promised that he would return at the moment of her death, to conduct her funeral rites, notwithstanding the fact that he would be a sannyAsI then.
Sankara then traveled far and wide in search of a worthy guru who would initiate him and regularize his vow of sam.nyAsa, till he came to the banks of the river narmadA in central India. Here was the ASrama of govinda bhagavatpAda, the disciple of gauDapAda, the famous author of the mANDUkya kArikAs. Sankara was accepted as a disciple by govinda, who initiated him into the paramahamsa order of sam.nyAsa, the highest kind of renunciation. Seeing the intellectual acumen of his disciple, govinda commanded Sankara to expound the philosophy of vedAnta through commentaries on the principal upanishads, the brahmasUtras and the gItA. Sankara took leave of his guru and traveled to various holy places in India, composing his commentaries in the meantime. At this time he was barely a teenager. He attracted many disciples around him, prominent among whom was sanandana, who was later to be called padmapAda. In this period, Sankara wrote commentaries on bAdarAyaNa’s brahmasUtras, the various upanishads and the bhagavad gItA. These commentaries, called bhAshyas, stand at the pinnacle of Indian philosophical writing, and have triggered a long tradition of sub-commentaries known as vArttikas, TIkAs and TippaNis. He also commented upon theadhyAtma-paTala of the Apastamba sUtras, and on vyAsa’s bhAshya to patanjali’s yogasUtras. In addition to these commentarial texts, Sankara wrote independent treatises called prakaraNa granthas, including the upadeSasAhasrI, Atmabodha, etc.
In addition to writing his own commentaries, Sankara sought out leaders of other schools, in order to engage them in debate. As per the accepted philosophical tradition in India, such debates helped to establish a new philosopher, and also to win disciples and converts from other schools. It was also traditional for the loser in the debate to become a disciple of the winner. Thus Sankara debated with Buddhist philosophers, with followers of sAm.khya and with pUrva mImAm.sakas, the followers of vedic ritualism, and proved more than capable in defeating all his opponents in debate. Sankara then sought out kumArila bhaTTa, the foremost proponent of the pUrva mImAm.sA in his age, but bhaTTa was on his deathbed and directed Sankara to viSvarUpa, his disciple. viSvarUpa is sometimes identified with maNDana miSra.
Sankara’s debate with viSvarUpa was unique. The referee at the debate was viSvarUpa’s wife, bhAratI, who was herself very well-learned, and regarded as an incarnation of Goddess sarasvatI. At stake was a whole way of life. The agreement was that if viSvarUpa won, Sankara would consent to marriage and the life of a householder, whereas if Sankara won, viSvarUpa would renounce all his wealth and possessions and become a sannyAsI disciple of Sankara. The debate is said to have lasted for whole weeks, till in the end, viSvarUpa had to concede defeat and become a sannyAsI. bhAratI was a fair judge, but before declaring Sankara as the winner, she challenged Sankara with questions about kAmaSAstra, which he knew nothing about. Sankara therefore requested some time, during which, using the subtle yogic process called parakAya-praveSa, he entered the body of a dying king and experienced the art of love with the queens. Returning to viSvarUpa’s home, he answered all of bhAratI’s questions, after which viSvarUpa was ordained as a sannyAsI by the name of sureSvara. He was to become the most celebrated disciple of Sankara, writing vArttikas to Sankara’s bhAshyas on the yajurveda upanishads, in addition to his own independent texts on various subjects.
Establishment of maThas: Sankara continued to travel with his disciples all over the land, all the while composing philosophical treatises and engaging opponents in debate. It is said that none of his opponents could ever match his intellectual prowess and the debates always ended with Sankara’s victory. No doubt this is true, given the unrivaled respect and popularity that Sankara’s philosophical system enjoys to this day. In the course of his travels, Sankara stayed for a long time at the site of the old ASrama of the Rshis vibhAndaka and RshyaSRnga, in the place known as SRngagiri (Sringeri). Some texts mention that Sankara stayed at Sringeri for twelve years. A hermitage grew around him here, which soon developed into a famous maTha (monastery). sureSvara, the disciple whom he had won after long debate, was installed as the head of this new ASrama. Similar maThas were established in the pilgrim centers of Puri, Dvaraka and Joshimath near Badrinath, and padmapAda, hastAmalaka and troTaka were placed in charge of them. These are known as the AmnAya maThas, and they continue to function today. Their heads have also come to be known as SankarAcAryas, in honor of their founder, and revered as jagadgurus, or teachers of the world. Sankara also organized the community of ekadaNDI monks into the sampradAya of daSanAmI sannyAsins, and affiliated them with the four maThas that he established.
Meanwhile, Sankara heard that his mother was dying, and decided to visit her. Remembering his promise to her, he performed her funeral rites. His ritualistic relatives would not permit him to do the rites himself, as he was a sannyAsI, but Sankara overrode their objections, and built a pyre himself and cremated his mother in her own backyard. After this, he resumed his travels, visiting many holy places, reviving pUjAs at temples that had fallen into neglect, establishing SrI yantras at devI temples as in Kancipuram, and composing many devotional hymns.
Ascension of the sarvajnapITha: In the course of his travels, Sankara reached Kashmir. Here was a temple dedicated to SAradA (sarasvatI), the goddess of learning, which housed the sarvajnapITha, the Throne of Omniscience. It was a tradition for philosophers to visit the place and engage in debate. The victorious one would be allowed to ascend the sarvajnapITha. It is said that no philosopher from the southern region had ever ascended the pITha, till Sankara visited Kashmir and defeated all the others there. He then ascended the sarvajnapITha with the blessings of Goddess SAradA. (A few centuries later, rAmAnuja, the teacher of viSishTAdvaita, would visit the same sarvajnapITha in search of the baudhAyana vRtti. However, a variant tradition places thesarvajnapITha in the south Indian city of Kancipuram.)
Sankara was reaching the age of 32 now. He had expounded the vedAnta philosophy through his writings; he had attracted many intelligent disciples to him, who could carry on the vedAntic tradition; and he had established monastic centers for them in the form of maThas. His had been a short, but eventful life. He retired to the Himalayas and disappeared inside a cave near Kedarnath. This cave is traditionally pointed out as the site of his samAdhi. Other variant traditions place Sankara’s last days at Karavirpitham or at Mahur in Maharashtra, Trichur in Kerala or Kancipuram in Tamil Nadu. It is a measure of SankarAcArya’s widespread fame that such conflicting traditions have arisen around his name.
True to the traditions of sam.nyAsA, Sankara was a peripatetic monk, who traveled the length and breadth of the country in his short lifetime. His fame spread so far and wide, that various legends are recounted about him from different parts of India. The true sannyAsI that he was, he lived completely untouched by the fabric of society. So much so that even the location of kAlaDi, his birth-place, remained generally unknown for a long time. The credit of identifying this village in Kerala goes to one of his 19th-century successors at Sringeri, SrI saccidAnanda SivAbhinava nRsimha bhAratI. Similarly, the credit of renovating Sankara’s samAdhi-sthala near Kedarnath, goes to SrI abhinava saccidAnanda tIrtha, his 20th-century successor at Dvaraka.