Preceptors of Advaita THE SAGE OF KANCHI by
10. SIXTY-ONE OF THE MANY BLESSINGS CONFERRED
BY HIS HOLINESS ON THE WORLD
1. 13th February 1907––Ascension to the Pitha at the village of Kalavai in North Arcot district. 2. Grand state reception with full military honours at the Pudukkottai state border town of Manjuvadi by Vijaya Raghunatha Thondaiman, Regent Counsellor, Venkatarama Das Naidu, Dewan and other officials together with Radhakrishnan, mathematical genius. 3. 1908––His Holiness paid respects to His Parameshthi guru at the latter’s Adhishthanam at Ilaiyattangudi on Vaisakha-chitra-paurnami anusha nakshatra day which happens to be the birth-day of the Parameshthi guru. 4. 1908––Octogenarian Sri Muthu Ghanapathi who had at his own expense imparted Vedadhyayana to numerous pupils at Tiruvaiyaru Kshetra received His Holiness with more than fifty of his disciples while His Holiness was on His way to the Kumbhabhishekam of Akhilandesvari temple at Tiruvanaikka. 5. 1908––Kumbhabhishekam of Akhilandesvari temple at Tiruvanaikka. Adorned the Goddess with the ear-rings (tatanka). 6. 1909––Reception with military honours and by Vidvans and others at the palace of the Maharashtra princess of Tanjore, H. H. Jijamba Bai Saheba and Queen Ramamba Bai Saheba and at Sarasvati Mahal. His Holiness was then taken in procession along the four royal roads seated on golden howda on the royal elephant. 7. 1909––Led by Maharaja Sivaji and Prince Pratapsimha of Tanjore, His Holiness was taken seated on an elephant into Kumbhakonam town. His Holiness then took bath in the Mahamakham tank. 8. 1911––Installation of the image of Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada at Lalgudi (Tiruchi district) in the presence of Panditaratna Sundararama Sastri of Mysore state, Chidambaram Mahamahopadhyaya Harihara Sastri, Mylapore Mahamahopadhyaya Mimamsa Venkatasubba Sastri and other eminent scholars. 9. 1911 to ‘13––Sastravichara at Mahendramangalam on the banks of Akhanda Kaveri in Tiruchi district. 10. 1916––Lakshadipam at Kumbhakonam Sri Matha during the auspicious occasion of Sri Sarada Navaratri. Separate Laksharchanas to Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati who were seated on separate rathas. Among those who offered archana was Karungulam Krishna Sastri of Tirunelveli district. 11. 1921–Mahodaya-snanam at Vedaranyam. 12. Stay at the palace of Sri Govinda Dikshita and journey to Kumbhakonam for holy bath at Mahamakham tank. 13. 1922–Performed Navaratri puja at Dhanushkoti. On the next full moon day His Holiness after taking saikatam (sand) at Dhanushkoti reached Ramesvaram, performed puja at the sannidhi of Sethumadhava and bound the saikatam in the customary manner. 14. 1923–Kumbhabhishekam at Tiruvanaikka. His Holiness invested Goddess Akhilandesvari with the repaired ear-rings (tatanka). Sri Sadasiva Tawker of Tawker and Sons had donated precious gems for the said repair. Sri Tepperumanallur Sri Annadana Sivan performed annadana to thousands. 15. 1924–Heavy floods in the Kaveri threatening to link up with the overflowing Coleroon. His Holiness was at that time observing Chaturmasya at Tiruvaiyaru Pushyamandapam on the banks of the Kaveri. By His Holiness’s blessings and the co-operation of the general public the whole place was saved from the floods. 16. 1927–Establishment of the Adhishthana of His Holiness’s Purvacharya at Vadavambalam village on the banks of the South Pennar in South Arcot district. 17. 15th October 1927––Mahatma Gandhi paid his respects to His Holiness at Nallicheri village in Palghat. 18. 1928–Darsana of Sri Guruvayurappan and bhiksha by Guruvayur Devasthanam through His Highness the Zamorin of Calicut. 19. 25th January 1931–Darsana of Kanchi Sri Kamakshi. Mooted the idea of renovating the temple. 20. March, April, 1932––Darsana of Sri Venkatesvara at Tirupati. Performed Sahasrakalasabhishekam for the Lord. Bhiksha by the Tirupati Devasthanam through the Mahant to His Holiness with all temple honours such as umbrella, sesha-vastra (32 cubits), etc. 21. 1932–Chaturmasya at Bugga in Chittoor district. Renovation and Kumbhabhishekam of the temple there and installation of the image of Adi Sankaracharya. 22. 1932–Navaratri mahotsava at Madras Samskrit College and establishment of the Bhashyavijayamantapam. His Holiness’s Bhashyapravachana on the Vijayadasami day. Sri Rajendra Prasad paid his respects to His Holiness. 23. 1933–Camp at Tiruvidaimarudur, known as Madhyarjuna and holy bath at Mahamakham tank at Kumbhakonam. 24. 1933–Chaturmasya at Mukasa mansion in Tanjore. Procession on a richly caparisoned elephant on Visvarupayatra day. Navaratri also was celebrated at Tanjore. Beginning (ankurarpanam) of the practice of writing of Sriramajayam, Sivanamam, Muruganaman and the like. His Holiness commenced His northward journey to Varanasi. 25. Darsana of the Lord at Sri Sailam. 26. 1934–Reaching Prayaga His Holiness performed puja to the saikatam (sand) brought from Ramesvaram in the presence of Lord Prayaga Madhava and mixed the same in the holy waters of Prayaga, at the place of the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the antarvahini Sarasvati. Gathered the holy water in vessels for abhisheka to Ramanathasvami of Ramesvaram and to deities at other temples of South India. 27. 1934––Navaratri utsavam at Kasi reaching the same walking all the way from Prayaga. Welcome address presented by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya at the Benaras Hindu University. Abhinandanapatra presented by pandits who included several Mahamahopadhyayas. 28. 1935––Meeting at the Kasi Town Hall attended by many sannyasins and scholars including several Mahamahopadhyayas. A pranati patram was read and presented to His Holiness by Mahamahopadhyaya Giridhara Sarma of Jaipur, Rajasthan. 29. 1935–Dandasparsa (touching with the staff) of the Mundaprishta stone at Gaya. 30. 1935–Chaturmasya and Navaratri utsava on the banks of Adi Ganga at Calcutta. Welcome address by the members of the Bengal Brahmana Sabha and Kalighat Nirvaha Sabha. Presentation of Address by Mahamahopadhyayas of Calcutta. 31. 5th May 1936–Arriving at Puri, His Holiness camped at the Srimatha of Puri Sri Sankaracharya Svamigal. Took holy bath in the sea and had darsana of Lord Jagannatha. At the request of the Raja of Puri His Holiness took His seat in the temple and received the welcome address presented by the members of the Vidyalaya Sabha of the Devasthanam. 32. Sankarajayanti at Mukhamala–East Godavari. Brahma Saptaham. 33. 1939–Abhisheka to Sri Ramanathasvami of Ramesvaram with the holy waters of the Ganga taken at Prayaga. 34. 30th June 1939–His Holiness entered the Sri Matha at Kumbhakonam. Vyasa puja, Navaratri puja and Satachandi homa were conducted at the Matha. 35. 4th June 1941–Kumbhabhishekam of Sri Bangaru Kamakshi temple at Tanjavur. 36. 1942–Atirudra homa at Puvanur near Mannargudi. 37. Vyasa puja, Atirudra homa and Satachandi homa at Nattam village. 38. Vyasa puja and Navaratri puja at Tiruvanaikka. Kumbhabhishekam of Panchamukhesvara shrine. Parayana of the four Vedas was held, Atharvana Vedins having been specially brought from Kasi for this purpose. Recitation of the whole of Nalvar Tamil Tirumurai set to pan metres was also conducted. 39. 1944–Kumbhabhishekam of Kanchi Kamakshi temple on the completion of the renovation work. To commemorate the Kumbhabhishekam the Sri Kamakoti Kosasthanam brought out an edition of the Muka Panchasati with Srimukham. 40. 1945–Inauguration of the Veda Sastra Paripalana Sabha at Kumbhakonam on the auspicious occasion of the Mahamakha. The Golden Jubilee of the Advaita Sabha was also celebrated at the same time. In commemoration of the Golden Jubilee three works were published, namely Advaita-akshara-malika in Samskrit, Ponvilamalar in Tamil and Golden Jubilee Publication in English. In honour of the Guru and Paramaguru Adhishthanas a trust in the name of Kalavai Brindavanam Paramaguru Svamigal was established with the contributions of several devotees. 41. 1947–Completion of the silver chariot (ratha) of Sri Kamakshi; Celebrated the Rathotsava. 42. 1949–Atirudra and Vyasa puja at Tiruvidaimarudur. 43. 1951–Inauguration of the Veda-Bhashya-Vidvat-San-manam. 44. 22nd March 1954–His Holiness’ consecration of the disciple. 45. The Shashtiabdapurti of His Holiness. In commemoration of this auspicious occasion a Bhudana trust was established with the help of several devotees. 46. 1956–Diamond Jubilee of the Advaita Sabha was celebrated at the place known as Sivashanam near Kanchipuram. (It is worthy of mention that in the garbhagriha of the temple here is a sculpture depicting Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada offering dandavandana (obeisance with the staff) to Lord Somaskanda). Many works of Adi Sankaracharya which had not been published till then were brought out on the occasion of this Diamond Jubilee. 47. 1958–Consecration of Srimatha at Old Mambalam in Madras and the installation of the padukas of Sri Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada therein. 48. His Holiness awarded a grant for the translation of Kalidasa’s Sakuntalam into Tamil. 49. 1960–His Holiness inaugurated the Madras Samskrit Education Society; then arrived at Adayapalam village near Arani for the Kumbhabhishekam of the temple there. 50. 1960–Kumbhabhishekam of the Siva temple built by Sri Appayya Dikshita at Adayapalam. 51. 1960–Kumbhabhishekam of the Sri Akhilandesvari temple at Tiruvanaikka. 53. 1962–Inauguration of the Akhila-Vyasa-Bharata-Agama-Silpa Sadas at Ilaiyattangudi. 54. 1962–Publication of Kolarupatigam of Sri Jnanasambandhasvamigal. 55. 4th July 1962–His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore paid his respects to His Holiness at Ilaiyattangudi. 56. 7th April 1963–Kumbhabhishekam of Bangarukamakshi temple at Tanjavur. 1963––Sadas at Narayanavaram. 57. 31st May 1964––Under the instructions of His Holiness images of Sri Adi Sankaracharya and His four immediate disciples were installed at Kanyakumari in the place between Ambika temple and the sea. Vedic scholars were specially sent from the Sri Matha for this purpose. A Vimana mantapa was also constructed. 58. February 1966–The Maharaja of Mysore, Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Bahadur paid his respects to His Holiness at the House of Sri Sankararama Iyer at Adyar, Madras. 59. Under instructions from His Holiness Vedic Scholars sent from the Sri Matha installed at the place in Kurukshetra where the Bhagavad-gita was imparted to Arjuna a white marble sculpture depicting a chariot with the Hanuman banner and drawn by four horses with Arjuna seated inside and Sri Krishna outside as charioteer. 60. March 1967–Darsana of the Lord at Ahobilam, Mahanandi and other places. Installation in the Sri Adi Sankaracharya Vimanam at Srisailam of the images of Adi Sankara and His four disciples, His padukas and the image of Nartana Vinayaka. A Kumbhabhishekam was then performed to this shrine. 61. May 1967–Under instructions from His Holiness a Vimanam was constructed near the bridge over the Ganga at the place known as Lakshmana Jhula, on the route taken by Sri Adi Sankaracharya to Badari. SIXTY-ONE CHATURMASYAS 1. Plavanga –– 1907 –– Kumbhakonam Sage of Kanchi - Other Parts: |