[Advaita-l] Sringeri Days - About Umesh ji

[V Subrahmanian]

I was pained to read some of the messages posted about Brahmasri Umesh in
this thread. There is also a comment that no information is available in
the public domain about Umesh. Having known Umesh for a few decades now, I
wish to share the following information about him.

Sri Umesh had the great good fortune of performing shravana, manana and
nididhyasana under the direct guidance of His Holiness Sri Abhinava
Vidyatheertha Mahaswamin, the then Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri. As
for his academics, Umesh finished his B.E (Hons.) in Electrical Engineering
and M.E in Computer Science from the College of Engineering, Guindy in
Chennai.  Later, as advised by His Holiness, Umesh also applied for and
completed His Ph.D in Control Systems as also two Post-Doctoral researches
involving mathematical modelling of Visual and Auditory systems.  On the
instruction of the Acharya, for a few years, Sri Umesh served the Math as
the Press Secretary to His Holiness and the Managing Trustee of Sri Sharada
Trust, an affiliate organisation of the Math, engaged in the publication of
books.

About Sri Umesh’s establishment in the Truth, the then Jagadguru Himself
has spoken to his disciples on many occasions. For instance, even in a
public Upanyasa delivered in 1989 the Jagadguru said (the English
translation of which is), ”Owing to the special merit acquired by him in
his earlier birth, on his sitting in Samadhi, he does not get up even after
three days have passed and “He is absorbed in Supreme Brahman.” “

On Umesh’s shastraic erudition, the present Jagadguru His holiness Sri
Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamin writes in the Srimukha to the book in Sanskrit
written by Umesh, “Vacharambhana-srutyartha-vivechanam”, a treatise on the
excellence of the Shankara Bhashya vis-à-vis other schools on the
Vacharambhana Sruthi, (and here is an excerpt from it in English) “The
author of this work is Brahmacharin Umesha, our dearest disciple.  He
served my Guru well for a number of years and became the recipient of His
unbounded grace.  Another speciality is that the author of this book had
studied the Chandogya Upanishad bhashya directly from the Lotus-mouth of my
Guru and gathered many a subtle points therein….”

About the veracity and excellence of the contents of Umesh’s book “Yoga
Enlightenment and Perfection (a spiritual biography of His Holiness Sri
Abhinava Vidyatheertha), Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Theertha says in his
Sanskrit Srimukha published in the book (and I present its translation),
“We are extremely happy that Bharmacharin Sri Umesh has authored this work…
  This author, the recipient of the limitless grace of the revered Guru,
has correctly acquired the matters here directly from His (The Guru’s )
lotus-mouth; it is.... certain that this book reveals what are facts. We
bless that those striving for liberation study this book with faith and
advance in the spiritual path.”

Again, in the latest book of Umesh, “The Multifaceted Jivanmukta” (A
comprehensive Biography of His Holiness Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha
Mahaswamin) the present Jagadguru writes in His Srimukha in Sanskrit (and I
cite its translation):  ”(The recipient of the infinite grace of the most
exalted (my) Guru…) the celibate Sri Umesh penned His biography
comprehensively in English for the comprehension of one and all and
submitted it to me”.  His Holiness released the said book during the birth
centenary celebrations of His Guru (18.10.2017) and praised the contents of
the book.

Umesh, with the permission of the Jagadgurus, withdrew Himself from all
activities including his position in the Math even in his early thirties.
>From his prefaces in his books cited above, it could be discerned that they
were written by him solely in deference to the directives of the present
Jagadguru. He has not been part of any organisation, nor does he give
lectures or take classes for the past 2 decades or more. It may seem
strange but the fact is that he does not have email or social media
accounts. Therefore, I am sure, he won’t even be aware of what is being
written about him in FB or in this list.  Knowing him, I can say with
certainty that he will neither respond to his praise in FB by Paddy Rao or
his censure (ninda) here in Advaita –L even if he had access to these fora.


regards

subrahmanian.v