PREFACE

THE several aspects of our religion and practice have been so exhaustively dealt with by a brilliant succession of saintly authors in our sacred land from time immemorial that it would seem impossible to throw further light upon them. It is only when the aspirant earnestly longs to realise the goal of life and determinedly seeks to place his foot on the path leading to it he comes to know that, however helpful books might be, there is still an imperative need for a competent guide to lead him on. The Guru does not attempt at thrusting ideas into the brain of the pupil but helps him to think for himself. Homely dialogue is found to be more useful and of more permanent effect than printed books, however interestingly written. That is why the Upaniṣads, the Purāṇas, the Itihāsas and other sacred literature are mostly couched in the form of dialogues. Great souls who have lived and are living the true life do not ordinarily care to stoop to the level of authorship. Even if they do, their personal example and their occasional words of guidance will be found more potent to help the world than any book of theirs. Even their stray sayings embodying as they do the highest teachings in the simplest language appeal directly to the heart and the intellect of even the dullest of men.

Born on the morning of Sunday the 16th of October 1892 of Pandit Gopāla Śāstrī and his devoted wife Lakṣmī Ambā, His Holiness, then known as Narasimḣa Śāstrī, very early in life had the gracious blessings of His Holiness Śrī Saccidānanda Śiva Abhinava Narasimha Bhāratī Svāminaḥ who then graced the Śrī Śṛṅgeri Jagadguru Pīṭham. At the instance of His Holiness Himself, Narasimha Śāstrī had his education in the Sadvidyā Sañjīvinī Pāṭhaśāla at Śṛṅgeri and later on joined the Śrī Śaṁkara Mutt Pāṭhaśāla at Bangalore for higher studies in Mīmāmsā. Under the able guidance of Mahāmahopādhyāya Mīmāmsā Kanṭhīrava Vaidyanātha Śāstrigal and Mahāmahopādhyāya Vidyānidhi Virūpākṣa Śāstrigal, he easily mastered the sciences of Mīmāmsā and Vedānta. His Holiness who had been watching with great interest his progress in his studies, keenness of intellect, sincerity of purpose, simplicity of heart and nobility of character decided upon nominating him as His successor. When His Holiness attained Siddhi, Narasimha Śāstrī was duly given Saṁṇyāsa on the 7th of April 1912 under the name of Śrī Candraśekhara Bhāratī Svāminaḥ and installed as the Head of the Śrī Śṛṅgeri Jagadguru Mutt.

In addition to His daily duties, studies and practices, His Holiness the new Ācārya directed His mind to the renovation of Śrī Śārada Temple which had been commenced by His Predecessor and to the erection of a Temple over His Samādhi. The Kumbhā-bhiṣekams of both the shrines were duly performed in the middle of 1916. After this was over, He set His mind on the practical realisation of the ultimate Truth and began to spend more and more time in contemplation and tapas and in a very short time reached such an exalted stage of Self-Realisation as could not be reached even in several lives of intense effort.

At the earnest request of His disciples, He undertook early in 1924 a tour of the southern districts. While at Mysore, with the valuable help of His Highness the then Mahārājā of Mysore, His Holiness had a magnificent stone structure raised at the site where His illustrious Ācārya was born and consecrated a beautiful marble image of His there. It needs no saying that He had a very hearty and enthusiastic welcome wherever He went. In addition to the Veda Pāṭhaśālā which had been started at His instance at Kāladi, He inaugurated in 1927 a Vedānta Pāthaśālā also for advanced students. Under His orders, a street of houses was also built for the accommodation of the teachers and students and the Temple servants and of occasional visitors. On His way back to Śṛṅgeri towards the end of 1927, He founded a Pāṭhaśālā at Nañjaṅgūd also. During the tour, His Holiness not only showed Himself a perfect master of learning and a great spiritual power but endeared Himself to all people and they found in Him a sincere friend and guide.

SRI ABHINAVA VIDYATHEERTHA

MAHASWAMIGAL

His method of teaching was unique; from the simplest facts of ordinary life He would draw many a useful lesson. He did not believe in mass propaganda in matters of religion but stressed great emphasis on individual effort.

On the 22nd of May 1931, He installed a young boy named Śrīnivāsa as the Junior Svāmī under the name of Śrī Abhinava Vidyā-tīrtha Svāminaḥ. Though He took interest in the education and training of the young Svāmī, He preferred very often to retire into Himself and was lost in communion with the Absolute. All the same He was prevailed upon to undertake an informal tour to Bangalore in 1938; while there, He consecrated a fine temple for Śrī Śāradā in the premises of the Śrī Śaṁkara Mutt there. From Bangalore, he proceeded to Kāladi where he stayed for about ten months. Early in 1940 he returned to Śṛṅgeri.

Since then His retirement was so complete that it was only very rarely that the disciples had the opportunity of seeing Him and paying their respects to Him in person. In 1953, however, with His gracious permission a Sahasracandi Homa and an Atirudra Mahā Yajña were performed on a very grand scale at Śṛṅgeri under the auspices of the Junior Svāmī. A few weeks after these functions, His Holiness came out and resumed His normal routine and was also pleased to receive and bless the disciples quite freely as He used to do of old. It may be mentioned that Dr. Rājendra Prasād was one of those who were so blessed.

It would now appear that His return to normal life was deliberate in view of His impending disappearance from our midst. On Sunday the 26th of September 1954, His Holiness got up very early even before the break of dawn, walked coolly into the stream of the river Tungā and shuffled off His mortal coil. There were no signs of drowning or suffocation and this baffled all doctors and others who sought a physical explanation for spiritual possibilities. His sacred body was duly interred in a site close to that of His beloved predecessor and an equally beautiful edifice is now being raised there.

Such is a brief outline of the outward life of the Saint who is the “Divine Anvil” in this book. Readers desirous of more detailed and interesting particulars are referred to the book, The Saint of Śṛṅgeri.

It is my purpose here to give a free rendering of some of the valuable words which fell from the lips of that saintly Ācārya. I have in my earlier publications, The Saint of Śṛṅgeri, Dialogues with the Guru and The Call of the Jagadguru given samples of His method of exposition, conversational and otherwise. I confine myself here to a few scintillating thoughts which found expression when some fortunate disciples casually contacted Him. At the desire of some friends who have heard me speak about His Holiness, I have added also some incidents which may interest the general reader and will certainly interest His devotees and from which the earnest seeker may gather many a useful lesson to guide him in his daily life. That His Holiness occupied the famous seat of learning founded by the great Śrī Śaṁkarācārya was the least among His qualifications. That He realised Truth and lived it is sufficient to endow His sayings and the incidents connected with Him with incalculable value to all.

I respectfully record here my grateful thanks to my esteemed friend Śrī G. Sreenivasa Iyer who, in his weak health, has out of his deep devotion to His Holiness been kind enough to grace this publication with his valuable Foreword.

1958. R. KRISHNASWAMI AIYAR