79. रुद्राक्षभूषितग्रीवः Rudrākṣa-bhūṣita-grīvaḥ

One whose neck was adorned with (a garland of) rudrākṣa beads

The rudrākṣa (berry of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree), is a sacred bead. The Rudrākṣa-jābāla-upaniṣad teaches, “Rudrākṣas are spoken of in the world as born of the eye of Lord Rudra. Indeed, after destroying the universe at the time of cosmic dissolution, Sadāśiva closes His (third) dissolution-causing eye. Rudrākṣas are born of the tears (formed as a result) from that eye…. By merely wearing that rudrākṣa, one obtains the fruit equivalent to that got by donating two thousand cows.”²²²

His Holiness is described here as One whose grīva, neck, was bhūṣita, adorned with, (a mālā or garland of) rudrākṣas. It seems as though Jagadguru Śrī Bhāratī Tīrtha Mahāsvāmin specially coined this nāma on recollecting the resplendent form of His Guru sporting the rudrākṣa-mālā, with the mālā’s elegant sway as He walked, itself being a sight to see and cherish.

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The following is an experience narrated by Sri H. S. Ramatheertha and recorded in the Kannada book, ‘Jagadguru’.

“I am an engineer who had my education abroad and am disinclined to accept as fact, that which have not been proved beyond doubt. However, I have had a notable but inexplicable experience, which seems like a riddle.

“One evening, I was called by my friends for games. Somehow, I did not feel like going and hence refused to join them. Soon after that, I went to my uncle’s house and started studying. Not even a few minutes had passed, but I felt an urge to go out. I set out on my bicycle. I saw one of the founder members of my institution standing amidst a gathering on a road. I stopped, wanting to know what was going on. Soon a car came there and halted near the gathering. Chants of Veda-mantras and victory slogans commenced. Oh! What spiritual splendour! Glittering like molten gold, wearing ochre robes,

210 80. Rudrārādhana-tatparaḥ with forehead glittering with bright vibhūti and neck adorned with a rudrākṣa-mālā, a sage of sages moved towards the assembled ones. I returned to my room enthralled. I am unable to explain the experience I had on that day. In fact, without knowledge, I had offered thousands of salutations to none other than His Holiness Jagadguru Śrī Abhinava Vidyātīrtha Mahāsvāmin of Sringeri.”

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