[Advaita-l] Remembering the Mahatma HH Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswaminah

[V Subrahmanian]

Today is Mahalaya Amavasya. Followers of Sankara Sampradaya remember this
day as the mukti day of a great personage, one of the greatest this planet
had the privilege to host for 62 years.
We reproduce the last part of my elaborate article on Sri Chandrasekhara
Bharati Mahaswami of Sringeri which was published in ‘The Mountain Path’,
the quarterly magazine of Sri Ramanasramam in its June 2001 issue. I have
also posted the artist Maniam Selvan’s beautiful line drawing of the great
Sage done for my article.

THE LAST YEARS

It was 1952. The Sringeri math authorities and Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati's
devotees planned to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of the Swami in a grand
manner. The Swami firmly turned down their request. He could not bring
himself to allow an event that celebrated his body which he considered to
be false. The Swami finally agreed, for the only reason that Ati Rudra and
Sahasra Chandi homas which were beneficial to the world at large would be
performed on the occasion. The yagnas were conducted in April 1953, months
after the Swami's actual birthday; the Swami did not take part in them. He
did not stir from his retreat at Narasimha Vana, but he gave darshan to the
thousands of devotees who had assembled for the yagnas.

In the year 1954, the Swami was his usual self and more accessible to
devotees. He also participated in the Vinayaka sadas held on the occasion
of Vinayaka Chaturthi — something which he had never done for a long time.
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati was particularly genial and gracious with
everyone during the year 1954. People were surprised, as they witnessed the
Swami call each of his attendants and the math staff and enquire of their
welfare and of their family. With kindness and solicitude he spoke to
devotees and blessed them. When a devotee, C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer, wrote to him
as to when he could have his darshan, the Swami wrote back saying he could
come immediately, certainly before Mahalaya Amavasya, which in that year
fell on 26 September.

On 25 September, he handed over the books in his possession to the
librarian and spoke to all devotees who sought his presence. In the evening
he stood before the Samadhi of his Guru, the great Sivabhinava Narasimha
Bharati for sometime. He ate a frugal meal that evening and retired for the
night but did not sleep. Every now and then he got up and went round his
Guru's Samadhi several times and repeated slokas from Sadasiva Brahmendra's
poem, Atma Vidya Vilasa and chanted other stotras.

On 26 September, 1954, well before dawn, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati started
for the river Tunga for his bath. His attendant reminded him that hot water
was ready for his bath. It was dark and rainy. The Swami said, "Today is a
punya divasa (holy day) being Mahalaya Amavasya. Let us bathe in the
river", and unmindful of the cold and drizzle, went down to the river. The
attendant rushed behind with clothes for the Swami.

Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati descended the steps and went into the river. The
attendant had begun washing clothes with his back turned to the Swami. The
Swami had a dip in the cool waters of the Tunga and sat on a stone slab for
his pranayama. The next minute the attendant heard a loud thud and splash
of water. Turning round he saw the Swami's body, in padmasana, floating
downstream. Stunned, he screamed for help, dived into the water, went after
the body and caught hold of it. Swimming against the water current with the
Swami's body, the attendant repeatedly screamed for help. Presently another
assistant who had rushed from the quarters jumped into the water and helped
to bring the body to the river bank. It was a quarter past four in the
morning.

The junior Swami, Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha, math authorities, staff,
devotees, all came. Doctors who examined the Swami found not a drop of
water inside the body of that Maha Yogi. The face was calm and serene with
that ineffable peace reigning. It was icha marana. Sri Chandrasekhara
Bharati had of his own accord left his mortal coil. His body was taken in
procession through the streets of Sri

ngeri. Thousands of devotees rushed to Sringeri on hearing the stunning
news and paid their tearful homage to Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati. His body
was interred at Narasimha Vana next to the Samadhi of his illustrious Guru,
Sri Narasimha Bharati. A Samadhi was built and a marble statue was made and
consecrated in 1963.

Thus ended a glorious physical chapter in the history of Sanatana Dharma.
But not before, this phenomenon showed the world the way to live in this
world, the way to attain happiness and peace. Not before this phenomenon
poured its grace on countless devotees, transforming their lives for good.
......................................

Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati said that the path of dharma was broad enough to
accommodate various beliefs and there was absolutely no necessity to
quarrel about the relative merits and demerits of the various paths or
faiths. What was important was the practical realisation of the truth. The
catholicity, broadmindedness and practical convictions of Sri
Chandrasekhara Bharati are brought out in a conversation with a European
gentleman, an excerpt of which is given here:

European: Your Holiness, I have been studying your religion for many years
now and am fascinated by its various aspects. I wonder if I could convert
to Hinduism and if Your Holiness could initiate me!

Swami: Have you studied the aspects of your own religion thoroughly?

European: I am afraid not, but I have, to a certain extent, tried to follow
the precepts of Christianity. Unfortunately, I have not been able to meet a
genuine spiritual master of Christianity so that I can clarify my doubts.

Swami: In the first place, every human being can be said to belong to
Sanatana Dharma or what is today called Hinduism, because of the fact that
most of the tenets of other religions are contained in Sanatana Dharma.
However, God must have had a purpose in causing you to be born in a
particular religion. I also cannot accept your opinion that there do not
exist genuine spiritual masters belonging to your own religion. It is not
necessary for you to convert to Hinduism in order to realise the truth. Go
back and devote your time to study of Christianity in depth. Also, if you
sincerely search for spiritual masters within your own religion you will
definitely find them and they will solve your doubts in no time.

European: Your Holiness, I am amazed at your catholicity and I do not know
how to thank you, but now I go back, determined to live the life of a
better Christian.
………………………………..
Once a few disciples were waiting for the Swami to teach them Adi
Shankara's bhashyas. The Swami was then engaged in Sri Chakra puja. He was
so engrossed in it that he did not notice the passage of time nor the
presence of his disciples waiting for him. A devotee who was observing all
this thought to himself, "How can His Holiness find pleasure in
mechanically offering flowers to the Goddess and how can it be superior to
the charm and depth of Shankara's bhashyas"
Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati came out after the puja and while offering
prasadam to the devotee said, "One of the holy names of Mother Goddess is
मिथ्या जगदाधिष्ठान mithyA jagadAdhiSthAna (substratum on which the illusory
universe is seen). Do the bhashyas contain anything more than this?"
…………………………………..
A similar incident told to us by violinist R.K.Shriramkumar.

Once, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati was engaged in Sri Chakra puja. He had
just then come out of a very long stint in Antarmukha. A devotee on seeing
the Swami meticulously offering flowers to the Mother Goddess, thought to
himself, “Swami is a pure Advaitin, a Jnani. Why does he engage himself in
chanting the Lalitha Sahasranama and in doing puja?” After the puja, the
Swami gave prasadam to the few devotees who were present. When this
particular devotee, who had this doubt came to get the prasadam, the Maha
Swami began chanting the Lalitha Sahasranama, all of those names being
purely Advaitic in content (like nityamuktA nirvikArA niSprapanchA
nirAshrayA etc). After reciting 40 or 50 namas, the Swami asked the devote

e, “Is this Advaita in the Lalitha Sahasranama enough or do you want more?”

Sriguro paahi