[Chaturamnaya] Life and Teachings of His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswamigal - 13

[S Jayanarayanan]

 (Continued from previous post)

http://svbf.org/journal/vol4no2/teachings.pdf

PART 6. THE MASTER AT WORK

The tasks awaiting the new Jagadguru were enormous. For example, the Mutt administration, which lay
in government hands, was far from satisfactory, and the financial status was precarious. Facilities
for the stay of devotees were very poor and extensive renovations were absolutely necessary.
Further, devotees all over the country were eagerly looking forward to the Acharya gracing their
cities. The Acharya set about solving these problems in his characteristic and inimitable style.

The call of the devotees was his first priority and so he set out in 1956 on his first south India
tour. Village by village, he went and graced devotees by the thousands. In many places facilities
for stay were inadequate but he did not mind.

On one occasion, he was scheduled to camp at a place called Lanka. River Godavari had to be crossed.
However due to incessant rain, there was a flood. It became imperative to make a halt. Notice was
too short to make the necessary arrangements. Much space was not available at the halting place and
all that could be managed was a moderate hut. The camp was set up and puja performed.

The Acharya was requested to sleep in that small chamber. It was raining cats and dogs outside.
The Acharya immediately realized that if he were to sleep within, the others would be inconvenienced.
So he ordered the Mutt staff to occupy the hut, and he himself spent the night sitting in the car.
This is also a pointer to the fact that the Acharya was more concerned with the comforts of others
than his own.

Dharmic Ideals

Relentlessly he drove himself to inculcate Dharmic ideals and spiritual values in the hearts of
those who saw or heard him. In his tours he gave Upanyasa (speech) by the thousands. In fact,
on his tours it was customary for him to give at least one Anugraha Bhashana at every halt.
His discourses covered a variety of topics. The main feature of these speeches was that it went
straight to the heart of the listener with its Dharmic content, couched in simple language.

He had an unusually open mind. Wherever he traveled he would be keenly observant. Whatever he
thought could be put to use to the advantage of the Mutt, he would learn and assimilate the
techniques, be it agriculture or building construction.

Thus, when in 1959, the Government handed over the administration of the Mutt to him, immediately he
initiated the construction of a new guesthouse at Sringeri. He repositioned some of the smaller
temples to make best use of the available land in the temple complex and renovated the Devi and
Ganapati shrines in the Malahanikaresvara temple.

(To be continued)
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