[Advaita-l] JAGADGURU SRI CHANDRASEKHARA BHARATI MAHASWAMI – MYSTIC AND SEER - 11

[sjayana at yahoo.com]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 
(Book condensation from Tattvaloka, July 1999, Volume XXII No. 2 )
 
http://www.svbf.org/journal/vol5no1-2/mystic.pdf
 
Life’s  Fulfilment  of Kumbhabhishekams  –  IV
 
This affirmation of faith in the presiding deity
of  the  Peetha,  Sharadambal,  was  most
auspicious. The Kumbhabhishekam, of the
Sharada temple, in 1916, was a great fulfillment
for Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswami,
following the rebuilding of the temple which had
been partly destroyed by fire in 1911.
 
Throughout his life, his overflowing love for
his guru and Sharadambal were the streams
which influenced his every action. And it was
given to him to perform the Kumbhabhishekam
of both the temples of his guru and Sharadambal.
It was quite a stupendous achievement made
possible by the growing power of his penance.
For this happened within the first few years of
his pontiffship when he still had to establish firm
contact in the minds and hearts of devotees.
 
In a voice charged with devotion Sri
Chandrasekhara Bharati spoke in mellifluous
Sanskrit about the unique combination of the
place Sringeri, bursting with spiritual currents,
and worship of Sharada, the epitome of wisdom.
“Fortunate indeed is one who has Sharada as his
Upasana devata for she is the supreme giver of
boons. One is reminded of the Mahaswami’s
poetic outpourings on the supreme Sharada. In
one of his compositions, he ecstatically says, “Let
those who come for wealth worship Lakshmi
but for me, Sharada, you alone, are the refuge.”
 
The Poet
 
Who can access the stature of the Jagadguru’s
poetic genius? His was a muti-sided excellence.
He was young, full of devotional fervour for his
guru, for Sharadambal, and full of unsaid
concern for his mother’s plight when he wrote
his compositions. The Jagadguru’s compositions
number 36 and have been printed in Sanskrit
and Tamil in a beautiful work, titled Gururaja
Sukthi Malika, in two volumes, coming to about
400 pages.
 
The whole world is indebted to the Jagadguru
for his monumental prose work, the commentary
on Viveka Choodamani. This was a work dear to
his heart. He began this work early in 1940
during his second trip to Kaladi, as the inspiration
came in the birthplace of Adi Sankara whose
timeless work was being commented upon.
 
No one was better suited to this task for, in
his reverence for Adi Sankara, he was second to
none. Each verse was directly applicable to his
own Sadhana and siddhi of the state of jivanmukti.
Only a few verses remained to be commented
upon after some years, the verses from 516 to
581. When requested to complete them, he said,
 
“Whatever has to be said has already been
conveyed.”
 
 
(Continued in next post)