77. राजाधिराजसम्पूज्यः Rājādhirāja-sampūjyaḥ

One who was worthy of reverential worship by kings and emperors

Ikṣvāku Emperor Dilīpa said to Sage Vasiṣṭha, “In the case of a goal that is difficult to accomplish for the Ikṣvākus, success is dependent on you.”²¹⁵ Thus, emperors held in high esteem, learned sages whose grace was potent in granting success in worldly endeavours. When such is the case, what need be said about the reverence of emperors for a sage who could grant not just worldly success but also the ultimate liberation! Emperor Janaka of Videha reverentially submitted to his Guru, “O Yājñavalkya who are worthy of worship! May That which is free from fear be yours, for you have made That which is free from fear known to us (by the removal of the veil of ignorance created by the limiting adjuncts. What can I give you in return for this knowledge, for you have presented the Ātman Itself? Hence), salutations to you. Here is Videha as well as myself at your service!”²¹⁶

His Holiness was eminently sam-pūjya, worthy of reverential worship, by rāja-adhirāja, kings and emperors. Maharajas sought His guidance on material and spiritual matters, and several heads of state and leaders paid obeisance to Him. The royals of Nepal, Mysore, Travancore, Indore, Gwalior, Burdwan, Darbhanga, Kashi, Kochi, Baroda, Palitana, etc., would also regularly present their offerings to the Jagadguru in person or otherwise, during His cāturmāsya-saṅkalpa and on vijayadaśamī day.

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The Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, who ruled the Princely State of Mysore from 1940 to 1947 and, later, was the Governor of Mysore (now Karnataka) and then the Governor of Madras (now Tamil Nadu), was extremely devoted to His Holiness. He had darśana and performed pādapūjā on several occasions, and served His Holiness and the Maṭha in numerous ways under the instructions of His Holiness. He sought His Holiness’s guidance in various matters, both spiritual and worldly, as the following letters of his vouchsafe.

[The following is a translation of the Maharaja’s letter to His Holiness written in Kannada on 6^th August, 1964 and sent from Mysuru.]

Humble prostrations to the exquisite lotus feet of Sri Sringeri Jagadguru, Śrīmad Abhinava Vidyātīrtha Mahāsvāmin by me, who am a recipient of Your Holiness’s grace. Mahāsvāmin! If it be Your Holiness’s will, please consider and plainly advise me what I should do in the future – whether I should stay on in Madras (as Governor) or go abroad (to a western country) and work or enter politics. Of these options, which one does Your Holiness advice? ...I am sending this missive through A. G. Ramachandra Rao in a confidential manner. It would be sufficient if Your Holiness were to convey Your Holiness’s opinion through him. Though I do not wish to trouble Your Holiness, I am compelled to write this letter as I have no other option.

The extremely obedient server of Your Holiness’s feet,

Sd/- Jayachamaraja Wodeyar,

My humble prostrations.

[The following is a translation of the Maharaja’s letter to His Holiness written in Kannada on 26^th December, 1963 and sent from Mysuru.]

Having offered prostrations, Your Holiness’s dear disciple, the server of the Guru, the king Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, submits as follows.

By the grace of the lotus feet of Your Holiness, I am well till today…. May the glorious Guru, ever remaining in the kingdom of tapas, kindly grace this missive with benedictions. I am bearing on my head the Śrīmukha graced by Your Holiness. The nyāsa of the ṣoḍaśākṣarī-mantra graced by Your Holiness reached me and caused horripilation in me. I desire to hear about the mahāvākyas in the direct presence of Your Holiness. I yearn to come to Your Holiness for this purpose and receive blessings in person.

Praying that Your Holiness’s blessing may ever be on me, with repeated prostrations,

Sd/- Jayachamaraja Wodeyar.

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King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal requested His Holiness to conduct the Mahāśivarātri celebrations in Nepal and a formal invitation was extended to His Holiness to this effect. His Holiness acceded to the royal request. He left for Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal on the afternoon of 3^rd March, 1967. His Holiness was accorded a royal welcome in Nepal under the direct supervision of King Mahendra. En route, He was received by other leaders at Kalanki and was later escorted in an open car in procession to Murari Bhawan at Battisputali. In the evening, His Holiness visited Sri Paśupatināth Temple, as described under nāma 33. The connect between the Paśupatināth Temple and Sringeri Peetham goes back centuries, for the priests who worship at the temple are selected by the Jagadguru of Sringeri. On the Mahāśivarātri day, when His Holiness went to Sri Paśupatināth Temple to offer worship, His Majesty the King of Nepal and Her Majesty the Queen had His darśana and paid their respects to Him. They held a long conversation with Him and departed after receiving His blessings.

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Rājamātā Vijayaraje Scindia of Gwalior hosted His Holiness in 1966 at Kalideh Palace in Ujjain where He observed cāturmāsya. The Rājamātā had also earlier arranged for His Holiness’s stay at Brindavan.

The city of Gwalior offered a magnificent welcome to His Holiness on the evening of 12^th October, 1966. Under the patronage and personal direction of the Rājamātā, a Swagata Samiti had been formed consisting of a hundred members and headed by the Maharaja of Gwalior, Madhavarao Scindia. The young Maharaja of Gwalior received His Holiness at the Palace gate and conducted Him to the special shamiana where dhūli-pādapūjā was conducted. His Holiness then arrived at the Sanatan Dharam Mandir.

After a brief halt there, He was taken in procession to the Palace, less than 2.5 kilometres away. Three caparisoned elephants heralded the procession, followed by twelve horses and an equal number of cows and a vast column of volunteers marching alongside, with the members of the committee and the citizens accompanying the palanquin on foot. The procession took two hours to wind its way through the busy thoroughfares of the city, before it reached the reception pandal at the palace. A crowd of nearly forty thousand thronged the precincts. The Maharaja reverentially read the welcome address, and all listened with devotion to His Holiness’s anugraha-bhāṣaṇa.

Jagadguru Śrī Candraśekhara Bhāratī Mahāsvāmin’s ārādhanā was celebrated for three days, after which the Navarātri-utsava was celebrated in a grand manner from the 14^th to the 22^nd. In conclusion, the pūrṇāhuti of the Caṇḍī-homa was conducted. His Holiness was later given a royal sendoff by members of the royal family and devotees.

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When His Holiness started on His first tour in 1956, He arrived at Kalady on 13^th July and observed cāturmāsya there. He was received as the royal guest of the Maharaja of Travancore, Chitra Tirunal Bala Rama Varma.

When His Holiness camped in Courtallam for cāturmāsya in 1964, the Maharaja of Travancore came there to pay respects and requested His Holiness to visit Tiruvananthapuram and conduct a Caṇḍī-yajña. It was partly in fulfilment of this request that His Holiness went to Tiruvananthapuram in November 1964, where He was received in a grand manner by the Maharaja. The Caṇḍī-yajña was conducted in the august presence of His Holiness.

His Holiness visited Thiruvananthapuram once again on 1^st January, 1980 along with His successor-designate, to a royal welcome. At the request of the Maharaja of Travancore, His Holiness accepted the pādapūjā done at the palace on the 8^th. The Candramaulīśvara-pūjā was conducted there. In the evening the Maharaja and others in the royal family called on His Holiness to offer their respects, after which a public reception was held at the palace.

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At the invitation of the Maharaja of Kochi, Sri Rama Varma Parikshit Thampuran, His Holiness visited his palace in November 1956. In recognition of the Maharaja’s great scholarliness in the Tarka-śāstra, His Holiness conferred on the sovereign, the title ‘Abhinava-tarka-vāgīśa (The new master exponent of Tarka)’. The Maharaja of Kochi participated in vidvat-sabhās presided over by His Holiness, had many a scriptural discussion with His Holiness and had the greatest respect for Him.

His Holiness visited Kochi-Ernakulam again in 1964, and was received with pomp. Later, He was taken in a grand procession to the Kochi Maharaja's durbar where the Maharaja performed dhūli-pādapūjā to His Holiness.

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When His Holiness visited Varanasi in 1967, He proceeded to the palace of the Raja of Kashi at the Raja's request. The young prince of eight years along with his father offered pādapūjā.

The arrival of His Holiness and Jagadguru Śrī Bhāratī Tīrtha Mahāsvāmin at Varanasi on the evening of 20^th January, 1977 was a great sight for everybody at the holy city. The Jagadgurus were accorded a warm reception and taken in procession to the palace. At the invitation of the Maharaja, the Jagadgurus visited the Sanga Veda Vidyashala. A vidvat-sadas was arranged to commemorate the visit and about 400 scholars from all over India participated in it.

Again in 1982, His Holiness was accorded a grand reception at Varanasi by scholars and a large number of devotees led by the Raja of Kashi.

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Raja Venkata Rao Limbekar of Hyderabad, was deeply devoted to His Holiness. He hosted His Holiness in May 1960, May 1964 and November 1967 in Hyderabad. He also wanted to gift the land at New Nallakunta, Hyderabad, to His Holiness personally, as described under nāma 70.

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Similarly, the Raja of Ramnad was also highly devoted to His Holiness. On reaching Ramanathapuram along with His successor-designate on 2^nd February, 1975, after having the darśana of Goddess Rājarājeśvarī, His Holiness performed the night pūjā at Sri Ramalinga Vilas Hall in the palace of the Raja of Ramnad. Arrangements for Their Holinesses’ stay had been made with care by the Diwan of Ramnad under instructions from the Raja. When the Jagadgurus proceeded to Rameswaram for the temple consecration, the Raja, who was overseeing the activities connected with the consecration, received Them with devotion. Later, the Raja came with his family and performed pādapūjā and bhikṣāvandana to the Jagadgurus.

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Queen Frederica and Princess Irene of Greece had His Holiness’s darśana on 20^th November, 1966 at New Delhi.

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As described under nāma 58, when the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, visited Sringeri in August 1954 and had darśana of the senior Jagadguru in Goddess Śāradāmbā’s temple, His Holiness played interpreter. The Hon’ble President was highly impressed by His Holiness and again called on Him on 13^th August, 1960 at Chennai. On the occasion, His Holiness blessed him with the title, ‘Rāṣṭra-ratna (A gem of the nation).’

Presidents of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Sri V. V. Giri, Dr. Giani Zail Singh, Sri R. Venkataraman and Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, have sought and had His Holiness’s darśana, sometimes on multiple occasions.

Prime Ministers of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi, Sri Morarji Desai, Sri P. V. Narasimha Rao and Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee have also had the great good fortune of His darśana and blessings.

Governors, Chief Ministers, Ministers of the Central and State Governments, social leaders, scholars, scientists, artists, industrialists and many others sought His Holiness’s darśana, blessings and guidance.

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