Source: TW
There has been a lot of talk on Swami Satchidanandendra Saraswati Swamiji and his sampradaya or lack there of, or what Sri D.B.GongoLLi says, etc., etc.
I had intended to keep quiet on this thread earlier, but I am tempted to think this maybe good information for the list – many might not have read his biography, which is in KannaDa (Sri GurucharitAmR^ita - by his disciple Sri H.S.Lakshmi Narasimha mUrthy). We might have an English version of his biography in the near future.
I am picking a few incidents from Sri Satchidanandendra Saraswati Swamiji’s life from the above book that clearly show his respect for sampradAya, for his teachers, for the Sringeri Shankara Mutt, and for everything that stands for our hoary Vedic tradition.
Initiations
Sri Satchidanandendra Saraswathi Swamiji was initiated into the study of Shankara’s bhAshyas by Sri SatchidAnanda SivAbhinava NR^isimha bhArathi Swamiji of the Sringeri peetha at kAlaTi in 1910. During the auspicious consecration celebrations of kAlaTi, Swamiji (Y.SubbarAya at the time) got initiated into the study of Shankara bhAshya and the pancAkshari mahAmantra from the jagadGuru. [kAlaTi didn’t exist as a town that it is today, until this time. It was Sri SacchidAnanda SivAbhinava NR^isimha bhArathi Swamiji of the Sringeri Peetha who was inspired to look for this place and establish the temple and the town as it is today.]
SubbarAya studied gita bhAshya, nyAya, Vedanta, parts of pancapAdika, ChAndogya and other Upanishads, parts of Brahma sUtra, BhAmati, etc. under Sri Hanagal virUpAksha shAtry - the nyAya teacher for Sri Chandrasekhar BhArathi swamiji and other Swamis of Sringeri. In fact, SubbarAya’s association with Sri ShAstry was a very long one - until the end of Sri ShAstry’s life (Sri ShAstry was Sri abhinava vAlukeshwara bhAratI swamiji - the peethAdipathi of KuDLi Shankara Mutt, when he passed away)
SubbarAya had been interested in getting initiated into Vedanta and Shankara bhAshyas by Sri Hanagal sItarAmashAstry (Sri virupaksha shastry’s Guru), and when that didn’t happen, he yearned to get initiated by Sri Virupaksha shastry himself, but he was lucky enough to get initiated by the Sringeri JagadGuru – Sri Sri Sivabhinava NR^isimha bhArathi Swamiji (on Sri VirUpAksha ShAstry’s request).
virUpAksha ShAstry’s interest
Later, in an episode during the Vivarna subject discussions in Bangalore Shankara Mutt, Sri VirupAksha ShAstry told the class (in which SubbarAya was a pupil) – “people say that according to SubbarAya there is no mUlAvidya, I am not sure what he says, and what people understand….”. SubbarAya, out of extreme respect for his teacher, just sat quietly in class.
Another episode that took place in Bangalore Shankara Mutt is worth mentioning here. SubbarAya was just completing his mUlAvidyAnirAsa, and Sri VirupAksha shAstry, who had heard of this work, stopped SubbarAya in the hallway and asked him if he was writing anything against Shankara. SubbarAya promptly replied that he was writing to correct those people who had interpreted Shankara wrongly, and Sri shAstry went away satisfied. It is also worth mentioning that SubbarAya and Sri KrishNaswAmy Iyer had discussed in detail with Sri VirUpAksha ShAstry, regarding pramANa, avidya, videha mukti, etc. These discussions could very well be said to be the basis of the mUlAvidyAnirAsa book. Sri KrishNaswAmy Iyer - SubbarAya’s mentor, was himself was very traditional, Vedic scholar, who hosted several students in his house during their education, and SubbarAya was one of them.
In yet another episode, when Sri virUpAksha ShAstry was the aasthAna vidvAn at Mysore palace, the maharaja of Mysore asked him to review SubbarAya’s mUlAvidyAnirAsa for funding its publication. Sri ShAstry commented that the style of writing was fine, but the Subject matter could go against tradition. Such were the prevailing winds of tradition…..
These incidents tell me there was a sort of subtle acknowledgement from Sri VirupAksha Shastry on SubbarAya’s line of thinking, his analysis, his rigorous facts to substantiate his thinking, etc.
VivekachUDAmaNi
It also bears mentioning that the very first Vedanta book Swamiji read cover to cover was the VivekachUDAmaNi. Once he was traveling by train from Bangalore to KaDUr, and he had a little bit of money with him. He looked at a bookstall to get a book for the journey, and the storeowner gave him the VivekachUDAmaNi. He read it from cover to cover on the journey, not realizing how time had fled past him, a journey of at least 5 hours…
Inconsistencies
Thanks to Swamiji’s painstaking research, he was able to bring to the notice of the world, that there were differences between the later commentators’ versions of the bhAshyas and the original Shankara bhAshya. One cannot but appreciate his patience in researching the original Shankara bhAshyas along with the other commentators’ versions – such vast groundbreaking research was never conducted before.
sannyAsa
His teevra mumukshutva led him to take sanyAsa in 1948 from Sri bodhAnandendra Saraswathi Swamiji of MaTTur. He was ready to drop off his body, bringing the true essence of Shankara Vedanta to the people.
vedAnta-prakriyA-pratyAbhijnA
Later, Sri abhinava vidyAteertha Swamiji, pontiff of Sringeri, who visited Holenarasipura, was immensely pleased with Swamiji’s “vedAnta-prakriyA-pratyAbhijnA” book and the tremendous efforts that went into the book. He offered a contribution to get the book published. He visited adhyAtma prakAsha kAryAlaya and looked at all other activities of the organizations. He genuinely praised Swamiji thus –
“You have dedicated your life to the propagation of Shankara’s philosophy. Even in this old age, you work with such enthusiasm – you are Shankara’s genuine devotee! In meeting you and discussing these topics in person, many of my doubts have vanished”.
What a heartfelt appreciation!
Conclusion
I could mention a lot of other episodes, where he was acknowledged by the Sringeri and the kanchi jagadgurus, or other scholars and saints, or when he went to OmkAreshwar to read his “ManDUkya rahasya vivrutti” to dedicate it to Sri GauDapAdachArya, etc, etc., but it suffices to say his life’s goal was to bring Shankara Vedanta to people. Though his life was full of trials and tribulations, he transcended them, stood his ground firmly in the face of all opposition, and fearlessly reached his supreme goal in spite of all odds, thus ultimately helping all aspirants in their quest for immortality.
It is easy to wave one’s hands and sulk - he was not bound by tradition, he claimed to know Shankara better than 1200 years of scholars, he is haughty in calling the later commentators blind, etc.etc., but only one who has studied his life history closely can see his sincerity in bringing the lucid essence of Shankara to the people and the brilliance of his systematic approach. Swamiji had a very sharp intellect and in keeping with the gIta verse "tad-viddhi praNipatena pariprashnena sevaya…." inquired into the basic nature of things. Isn’t this what the Upanishads and gIta tell us – examine against the touchstones of sruti, yukti and anubhava? No guru asks his disciple to blindly accept what he says.
So what if Sri GangoLLi called Swamiji Shankara’s avatAra, its obviously how he felt. Who defines what is tradition and what is outside tradition? The line between guru bhakti and yukti is abviously a murky one. It is just smart to take what appeals to your yukti and anubhava…
As someone mentioned earlier – let’s not pay undue importance to our opinions and biases. Let us stay the course of advaita…