[Chaturamnaya] His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati - 4

[S Jayanarayanan]

http://svbf.org/journal/vol8no1/2006_10_swamigal.pdf
 
 
Chosen Successor
----------------
 
The guru was in his 60th year and he had
graced the Peetham for 40 years One day, while
engaged in contemplation, it appeared to him that
a voice arose saying, "make room". He interpreted
it to mean, that he should nominate a successor
and bring him up properly in a manner suited to
the position he was to occupy, so that when the
time came he might not be taken unawares. The
guru sent for several horoscopes and had them
scrutinized. The search for a suitable nominee
took eight years At last he found a horoscope to
his satisfaction.
 
Sivaswami, son of Rama Sastri, was seven
years old at this time He was being brought up
and educated by his elder brother Lakshmi
Nrisimha Sastri Accompanied by his brother, he
came to pay his respects to the Swami. The guru
seated the boy by his side and asked him what he
wanted. The boy quoted a Sanskrit verse.
 
This was a prayer to Siva, peculiarly
appropriate to the occasion and in harmony with
the Upanishadic doctrine that the guru was God
Himself in human form. The boy wanted nothing
but steadfast devotion to the guru.
 
This prompt reply greatly pleased the
Swami, who had repeatedly prayed to God for a
worthy disciple and he now thought that prayer
had been heard.
 
The guru then intimated his wish to the
Maharaja, Krishna Raja Wodayar III, who sent for
Lakshmi Nrisimha Sastri, a pandit in his court,
and told him that his father, who had also been a
great court sadasya, had at his death, entrusted his
boys to the care and guardianship of the Maharaja
himself. Lakshmi Nrisimha Sastri had to yield.
 
Next morning, an auspicious day selected for
the sannyasa grahana of the boy--it was the sixth
tithi of Ashada light of Akshaya (1865)-- the
ceremonials connected with it were duly
performed, the guru himself initiating the
boy.
 
The rites were exacting and took up the
whole day. The boy was fatigued but he bravely
put up with everything. The guru taught
him the Mahavakya and named him
Sacchidananda Sivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati.
It was a long compound name; but the guru
wanted that the name of his guru Sacchidananda,
who was a great Yogi, should be given to the
initiate; the boy’s name as determined by his father
was originally Sivaswami and the pandits
assembled there were of the opinion that Siva, the
first part of the name given by the father, should
be added, the Maharaja, who was present
throughout the ceremonies, thought his guru’s
name—Nrisimha Bharati--should also be added.
The result of all this was a long name, rather
inconvenient for everyday use, but people were
content to call him the younger Swami and when
he became the sole occupant of the Peetham, he
was generally known as Abhinava Nrisimha
Bharati, after his predecessor.