Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamin

Chapter 3 - The Beatific Brahmacharin

The time had come for destiny to fulfil Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s aspiration to realize God.

Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekhara Bharathi Mahaswamiji, 34^th pontiff of Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham, had resolved to choose a successor for the pitha to whom He could entrust the institutional responsibilities and so dedicate Himself to penance. He informed Srikanta Sastry, the administrator of the matha, about His decision.

During a visit to Bengaluru, Srikanta Sastry asked Venkatarama Iyer whether he had come across the horoscope of any boy whose destiny indicated sannyasashrama. The astrologer handed over Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s horoscope. On Srikanta Sastry’s behest, Rama Sastry and Sri Srinivasa Sastry visited him at the Bengaluru matha. During the visit, Srikanta Sastry offered to conduct the boy’s upanayana at Sringeri to which Rama Sastry readily agreed. On 4 May 1930, as the bell in the Sri Sharadamba temple chimed at the start of the abhijit muhurta, Sri Srinivasa Sastry received His brahmopadesha.

That evening, as Ganapati Subrahmanya Avadhani was teaching Him the evening sandhya-vandana, Sri Srinivasa Sastry surprised him by stopping the former’s erroneous utterance of His abhivadana, just by virtue of remembering what He had heard during His afternoon sandhya-vandana.

Five days later, Sri Srinivasa Sastry and His family went to behold the Jagadguru. The Jagadguru compassionately gazed at Sri Srinivasa Sastry and said that it may now be necessary for the young boy to return home to perform the duties of a brahmacharin. Sri Srinivasa Sastry responded reverently that He instead wished to study Sanskrit in Sringeri. The Jagadguru placed His hand unexpectedly on Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s head before asking the brahmacharin a few questions, and was immensely pleased upon hearing His answers.

Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s stay was arranged in Narasimhavana along with few other boys and Vaidyanatha Sastry (later Sri Bhashya Swamiji) was deputed as the instructor. Sri Srinivasa Sastry maintained a rigorous daily schedule. He was greatly fond of the Gayatri mantra and resorted to constant mental chanting of the same, which even extended to His dreams!

Sri Srinivasa Sastry averred that elders named their wards after God so as to enable constant remembrance of God, and that all food served at the matha was Jagadguru’s prasada. He pleased the Jagadguru on many occasions with His austerity, patience, and refinement. These occasions often presented themselves during the Jagadguru’s walks along with the students to the Kalabhairava Temple. During such discussions, Sri Srinivasa Sastry offered profound explanations to verses, and narrated impactful stories His mother had taught Him during His childhood. On one occasion, He illustrated the power of Sanskrit in portraying meanings innate as well as phonetic.

When the interpretation of a verse composed by the Jagadguru in antarmukha extolling the book, snake and flame in the hands of Lord Dakshinamurthi was being discussed, Sri Srinivasa Sastry remarked that they indicated the scripture, reasoning and direct experience respectively. Neither the Jagadguru nor the scholars had any objection to the profound explanation advanced by the brahmacharin who was just twelve years of age and without prior exposure to Vedanta.

One day, the Jagadguru called Sri Srinivasa Sastry and Vaidyanatha Sastry and directed them to speak of the advantages of family life. After they spoke, the Jagadguru detailed the disadvantages of that stage of life and chanted two verses to that effect, before asking Sri Srinivasa Sastry as to whose life – the householder or the sannyasin was better. Without any hesitation, Sri Srinivasa Sastry averred that sannyasa was, indeed, superior.

Sri Srinivasa Sastry posed some queries to Vaidyanatha Sastry – Should the eldest son of the family compulsorily marry? Should one acquire proficiency in scriptures prior to entering sannyasa? Should the debts that accrue when one is born be necessarily repaid by serving parents, worshipping devas and getting progeny? Can a young boy like Him take up sannyasa? While Vaidyanatha Sastry was unable to satisfactorily address these queries, the Jagadguru categorically answered all the questions, though neither Vaidyanatha Sastry nor Sri Srinivasa Sastry had mentioned the queries to the Jagadguru. The Jagadguru firmly drove home the following points – (a) Wealth, progeny and the like cannot confer liberation. Only the realisation of the atman yields immortality (b) Sacrifices mentioned in the vedas and marriage are not obligatory for one who has strong dispassion and (c) Vedas clearly indicate that one can take up sannyasa the moment one becomes extremely dispassionate. The Jagadguru’s teachings had a profound effect on Sri Srinivasa Sastry. On several other occasions too, the Jagadguru spoke to Sri Srinivasa Sastry in private about detachment and brahmacharya.

In early 1931, Sri Srinivasa Sastry developed high fever one night and became delirious. The Jagadguru while neither authorizing medical attention nor granting vibhuti as He did when other students took ill, instructed Vaidyanatha Sastry to note whatever the brahmacharin uttered in delirium. Sri Srinivasa Sastry kept saying “Sadguro Sharanam Shivoham Shivoham” and “Sadguro Pahi, Sadguro Pahi”.

While proceeding to the river for His afternoon bath the next day, the Jagadguru heard Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s chant. He abruptly entered the room where Sri Srinivasa Sastry lay. On seeing the Jagadguru, the brahmacharin prostrated with His forehead resting on the Guru’s feet. The Jagadguru raised His disciple gently and placed His hand on the brahmacharin’s head. Following the Jagadguru’s touch, Sri Srinivasa Sastry’s fever vanished, and He became relatively introverted.

That night, during His Chandramouleesvara Puja, the Jagadguru prayed ‘O beloved of Shiva, quickly make Srinivasa, my disciple, omniscient.’ Days later, the Jagadguru, impelled by Goddess Sharada, chose Sri Srinivasa Sastry as His successor.