94. शारदापीठनायकः Śāradā-pīṭha-nāyakaḥ

One who was Lord of the Śāradā-pīṭha

Lore has it that while traversing the Western Ghats of southern India, Bhagavatpāda came to Sringeri, where He witnessed on the banks of the river Tuṅgā, a frog being protected by a cobra that had spread its hood as a shield over it against the scorching sun. Such compassion of a predator towards its natural prey convinced Bhagavatpāda that the place was sacred, and an abode of peace. Therefore, He chose Sringeri as the holy place for the first of the four āmnāya-piṭhas founded by Him (vide nāma 36).

The Mādhavīya Śaṅkara-vijaya describes that Bhagavatpāda invoked the Goddess of knowledge, Śāradāmbā in an idol and established Her over a Śrīcakra at Sringeri. Hence the pīṭha is known as ‘Sri Sharada Peetham’. His Holiness was nāyaka, Lord, of the pīṭha, and the great power of Śāradāmbā manifested through Him.

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His Holiness reigned over the glorious Sri Sharada Peetham as its 35^th pīṭhādhipati, pontiff. He succeeded His Guru, Jagadguru Śrī Candraśekhara Bhāratī Mahāsvāmin, and was succeeded by Jagadguru Śrī Bhāratī Tīrtha Mahāsvāmin. He took over as the pontiff of the Sri Sharada Peetham in 1954 after the Mahāsamādhi of His Guru and reigned as the pīṭhādhipati for 35 years, from 1954 to 1989, that is until He gave up His mortal form.

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