108. विद्यातीर्थजगद्गुरुः Vidyātīrtha-jagadguruḥ

(Śrī Abhinava) Vidyātīrtha, the preceptor of the world

This aṣṭottara-śatanāmāvali began with an allusion to vidyā or knowledge, and concludes here, again with a reference to vidyā. Apart from reverentially taking His name, Jagadguru Śrī Bhāratī Tīrtha Mahāsvāmin presents all the glories of His Guru through this one nāma, just as He did through the first three.

Taking some common meanings of the word ‘tīrtha’ along with the word vidyā, the word ‘Vidyā-tīrtha’ can be seen to have many connotations. ‘Vidyā-tīrtha’ means ‘One who is the holy place of knowledge’ and ‘One who is worthy of veneration as the very nature of knowledge’, thus conveying that His Holiness was a magnificent knower of Brahman (nāma 1). Similarly, ‘Vidyā-tīrtha’ also means ‘One who is the revered Guru who bestows knowledge’ and ‘One who liberates by means of knowledge,’ thus implying that His Holiness was not just a knower of the Supreme, but was a compassionate Sadguru too, capable of granting the ultimate beatitude (nāma 2). Finally, ‘Vidyā-tīrtha’ also means ‘One who is the very incarnation of knowledge’, indicating that His Holiness was not just a jñānin but was an incarnation of the Supreme Lord of the cosmos (nāma 3). Thus, the Jagadguru has beautifully summed up the entire glory of His Holiness in this one nāma.

Apart from this, the word ‘Jagadguru’, meaning ‘preceptor of the world’, also finds a place in this nāma. His Holiness’s Guru once explained the meaning of this term: “The word ‘Jagadguru’ is not a title, but a responsibility. When I am designated a ‘Jagadguru’ it becomes my responsibility to accept, help and protect anyone who comes to me for succour, irrespective of his caste, creed, religion, beliefs or nationality.” This rings true in the case of His Holiness. People of various religions, castes, belief systems and nationalities used to flock to Him and looked up to Him as their preceptor. He accepted everyone who came to Him, sometimes even drawing towards Himself and blessing those who had not even heard of Him. And He never abandoned anyone. The specific use of the word ‘Jagadguru’ in this concluding nāma highlights this poignant aspect of His Holiness.

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At the time of His Holiness’s taking saṁnyāsa, the senior Jagadguru softly uttered in His Holiness’s right ear the yoga-paṭṭa (post-saṁnyāsa name) chosen by Him for His disciple, ‘Abhinava Vidyātīrtha.’ It is apparent that He chose this name, which literally means ‘The new Vidyātīrtha’, in memory of Śrī Vidyātīrtha, the 10^th pontiff of the Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham.

So important was Śrī Vidyātīrtha in the Maṭha’s Guru-paraṁpara (line of Gurus) that one of the honorifics of all the pontiffs of the Sringeri Math after Him is, ‘vidyāśaṅkara-pāda-padmārādhaka (Worshipper of the lotus-feet of Vidyāśaṅkara (Śrī Vidyātīrtha))’ and the seal of the Maṭha bears, to this day, just His name. Śrī Bhāratī Tīrtha, the renowned author of several influential works on Vedānta was amongst His disciples and so was Śrī Vidyāraṇya, as also Śrī Sāyaṇa, the author of the esteemed and traditionally-studied commentaries on all the four Vedas. So deeply revered was Śrī Vidyātīrtha that obeisance has been paid to Him in the following manner: “Having saluted the Supreme Ātman present in the form of Śrī Vidyātīrtha…”²⁷⁶; “May Vidyātīrtha, the great God, who is immutable, who knows the true import of the Vedas, Smṛtis and the Itihāsas, be pleased…”²⁷⁷; “I salute the great God, Vidyātīrtha, whose breath is the Veda…”²⁷⁸; “He who delights in lambikā-yoga and is none other than Lord Śiva…”²⁷⁹ and, “Vidyātīrtha, the greatest of saṁnyāsins, excels the sun (that dispels the darkness outside during daytime) as He dispels the darkness (of ignorance) that is within people (in the mind) and outside them (as projected in the form of objects), and by day and by night.”²⁸⁰ He was a consummate vedāntin and yogin.

Being greatly percipient, the senior Jagadguru perhaps felt that His Holiness would go on to equal or excel Śrī Vidyātīrtha and so chose the name ‘Abhinava Vidyātīrtha’ or ‘the new Vidyātīrtha’ for Him.

His Holiness’s Paramaguru explains in a verse, “He who chants the four syllables ‘vi’, ‘dyā’, ‘tī’ and ‘rtha’ of the name ‘Vidyātīrtha’, will ever be a yogin and will also have worldly joys. There is no room for doubt in this.”²⁸¹ The senior Jagadguru perhaps had these words of His Guru too in mind when He chose this sacred name for His disciple.

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When His Holiness was camping in Ghatkopar in Mumbai, a Muslim had the opportunity to have His Holiness’s darśana. Being conversant with Sanskrit, he introduced himself to His Holiness in Sanskrit. His Holiness was surprised and conversed with him in Sanskrit to encourage him. The man was very happy and told His Holiness that he had been yearning to have His Holiness’s darśana for a long time and added that his father, who was in Kolkata, had the same desire as well. His Holiness told him that his father could have His darśana when He visited Kolkata.

His Holiness then asked for some stones to be brought. Giving them to the man, He said, ‘These were given to me by some Muslims who had returned from Mecca. You can keep them. If your father requires one, you can give it to him too.’ The man then asked His Holiness if he could watch the Candramaulīśvara-pūjā that night. His Holiness told him that he may do so. At the end of the pūjā, His Holiness blessed him with flowers. He preserved the flowers. Furthermore, he embedded one of the stones given by His Holiness in a ring and wore that ring. His Holiness was truly held in the highest regard as a preceptor by all who sought Him, and He in turn graced everyone.

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A poor paṇḍita who belonged to Gokarna, once made a visit to Sringeri during cāturmāsya. Expecting to be given an honorarium as usual by His Holiness, he had brought with him only enough cash for the onward journey. When the time came for him to leave Sringeri after a few days’ stay, he waited eagerly for the honorarium (which was Rs. 25 in those days). However, it was not forthcoming, and His Holiness simply blessed him before he left.

The paṇḍita had planned a trip to Bengaluru on his return journey, but did not have enough money to reach the intended destination. Filled with anger and disappointment, he rashly decided to travel as far as the money he had would take him, and boarded a bus. He spent the entire bus journey in anger, fuming at the thought that His Holiness had been unfair to him. Finally, he was dropped off by the bus conductor at a place midway between Sringeri and Bengaluru. It happened to be a bus stop at the outskirts of a small village. The paṇḍita sat down on a rock there, in the middle of nowhere, his mind flooded with self-pity. “I, a gṛhastha (householder), have come to grief because of placing my faith in this saṁnyāsin,” he mentally moaned, condemning His Holiness.

Soon, quite unexpectedly, some well-to-do acquaintances of his came by in a car. They were delighted to see him for they had in fact been wanting to meet him. They asked him for some astrological advice regarding a building they were constructing, which he readily proffered them. Finally, after thanking him profusely, one of them took out a hundred-rupee note and thrust it into the paṇḍita’s hand, before bidding adieu. The overjoyed paṇḍita then completed the intended journey to Bengaluru and after finishing his work there, returned to his home in Gokarna. He, however, decided to keep the entire episode to himself and did not breathe a word about it to anybody.

A few months later, His Holiness came to Gokarna during His tour. This paṇḍita had not gone for darśana. One afternoon, the paṇḍita was making his way through the fields, when He espied His Holiness walking alone through the fields and coming in his direction! He ran towards His Holiness and prostrated. His Holiness asked, “Where is your house?” The paṇḍita answered that it was nearby. His Holiness then said that He had come to see him, and suggested that they proceed to his house.

After reaching the man’s house, His Holiness did not stay for long. Before leaving, He blessed the paṇḍita by giving him a handful of gold that He had brought in His hand. His Holiness then turned to leave. Near the doorstep, however, He paused, turned back and told the man softly, “But do not ever think that you have come to grief because of placing your faith in this saṁnyāsin.”

Indeed, it is said,

(Salutations to the Guru Vidyātīrtha who is the Supreme Effulgence, and whose compassion for anyone He has accepted never wanes.)

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