Bharathi Tirtha

Jagadguru Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswami is an Indian religious leader who is the current 36th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. The Sringeri Sharada Peetham has preserved the unbroken lineage of gurus stretching back to the Advaitic philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, who established the matha for the propagation and preservation of Sanatana Dharma.[1][2]

His Holiness Jagadguru Shankaracharya

Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswami

Mahasannidhanam
Title36th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Personal
Born
Seetharama Anjaneyalu

(1951-04-11) 11 April 1951
Alugumallepadu, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India
ReligionHinduism
NationalityIndian
Religious career
Ordination11 November 1974
Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Assumed office
1974-present
Preceded byAbhinava Vidyatirtha

Early Life

Bharathi Tirtha (born Seetharama Anjaneyalu) was born 11 April 1951 to a Telugu Smarta family from Alugumallepadu village in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He was born on Chaitra Shukla Shasti in the year of Khara (the sixth day of the month of Chaitra as per the Hindu calendar) as a result of long prayer and penance by his father Venkateswara Avadhani and mother Ananthalakshmamma.[3][4]

Seetharama Anjaneyalu (Bharathi's name in his poorvashrama) showed increasing signs of devotion towards God in his childhood. His Brahmopadesha was performed when he was seven years of age and he was regular in the performance of the prescribed karmas of Sandhyavandanam three times a day and Agnikaryam, twice a day. In addition to schooling, he spent his time studying Sanskrit and took Vedic lessons from his father, whom himself was a Vedic scholar.[5]

In the year 1966 at the age of 15, Anjaneyalu approached the 35th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji as a bachelor, seeking his blessings and tutelage in the sastras. The Acharya accepted the disciple and the lessons in the Tarka sastras commenced. The Acharya also kept a close watch over the progress of his ward.[6]

Embracing Sanyasa

Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji announced his desire to appoint the brahmachari ("bachelor" in Sanskrit) Seetharama Anjaneyalu as the successor-designate (i.e., as the 36th Jagadguru acharya) and give him Sanyasa. The Shishya Sweekaram ceremony took place on the 11th day of November, 1974 and the brahmachari received the saffron robes, the sacred staff and the kamandalu (water pot) from the acharya.[7] The newly initiated sanyasi was given the yogapatta Bharati Teertha in line with the Dashanami Sampradaya of Adi Shankaracharya.[8]

Reign as Jagadguru

The Acharya is the pontiff, both in spiritual and secular sense. A celibate ascetic by tradition of the Matha, he leads the learning institutions within the monastery and worship festivals. In case of differing views on the operation of monastery, his decision is considered by the monks as binding.[9] He is also responsible for screening, studying and selecting the monk who will succeed him as the next pontiff.[10]

Bharati Teertha Mahaswami has studied shastras like Vedanta, Mimamsa, Tarka, Nyaya, Vyakarana amongst others and has completed his studies in the Yajur Veda in Sadvidya Sanjivini Pathasala prior to taking up Sanyasa.[11] The devotees of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham pay frequent visits to the matha seeking guidance and blessings.[12] Many notable personalities like Narendra Modi, Abdul Kalam and others pay frequent visits and seek guidance.[13] The Acharya delivers benedictory addresses in Indian languages like Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi which are available on Youtube.[14] As part of the tradition, the acharya also undertakes Vijaya Yatras (tours) to visit different places and guide the devotees. The most recent one took place in the year 2017 which covered the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.[15][16][17] The various events involved in the Vijaya Yatra are covered by Sri Sankara TV, which broadcasts the highlights on a daily basis during the course of the Vijaya Yatra.

During his reign as the Jagadguru, assisted by V. R. Gowrishankar - the current CEO and administrator of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, the matha has also undertook activities in the field of education and social service in addition to being a seat of Vedic learning.[18][19][20][21][22]

Appointment of the successor

Sri Bharati Teertha Mahaswami appointed the brahmachari Kuppa Venkateswara Prasada Sharma as his successor designate, i.e., the 37th Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham on 23 January 2015 and gave him the Yogapatta (monastic name) Sri Vidhusekhara Bharati Mahaswami.[23][24]

See also

References
  1. Maramkal, MB. "Successor designate appointed". Times of India. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  2. Murthy, Narasimha. "Salutations To Sringeri Jagadgurus".
  3. Shastre, Giredhar (2003). Jagadvandya Jagadguru (Kannada).
  4. Chandar, Suresh. Inspiring Saint. Sri Vidyatirtha Foundation,Madras.
  5. Chandar, Suresh. Inspiring Saint. Sri Vidyatirtha Foundation,Madras.
  6. Tattvaloka (Sep 2018 ed.). Chennai: Vidyateertha Education Trust. Retrieved 7 October 2018. The guru meets His disciple
  7. Shivaram, Choodie. "Successor initiated". Hinduismtoday. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  8. Geeta, Venktaraman (27 September 2018). "Ascetic extraordinary". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 October 2018. Successor nominated
  9. AK Shastri 1999, pp. 75-76.
  10. AK Shastri 1999, pp. 77-78.
  11. Vidya, Shree. "Ideal Pontiff". Shrividyaranya Samethi.
  12. Jagadguruvin Arulamuda Thuzigal (in Tamil). Sri Vidya Bharathi press. 2010.
  13. "Modi meets acharya".
  14. K, Suresh (2010). Acharyalin Ponmozhigal (in Tamil). SSP.
  15. Special, Correspondence. "Reception accorded to the Jagadguru". Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  16. Staff, Reporter. "Pontiffs arrive in the city". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  17. A, Rajagopal. "Sringeri mutt chief arrives in capital". The new Indian Express. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  18. Correspondence, Special. "Seat of Learning". Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  19. "Bricks laid for Sringeri Sharada Peetham Temple in Houston". India Herald. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  20. Correspendence, Special. "Sringeri seer releases a book about the Peetham". Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  21. "The Management and Board Members". Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering Technology. 2016. Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  22. "Management Team". Rangadore Memorial Hospital. 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  23. "Sringeri seer appoints successor". The Hindu. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  24. "Sringeri seer names successor". Deccan Herald. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
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