In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some yatis, despite being fully eligible and part of the Shankara tradition, could not become heads of their guru mathas. Their names appear in legal and historical records of Shankarite institutions. Their claims for the gadi had led to long legal battles causing many hurdles including serious financial hardship to the duly installed Mathadhipatis. Some of them eventually established new Advaita mathas.
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Shri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha, disciple of Shri Trivikrama Tirtha of Dwaraka, stayed with Shri Vidyashankara Bharati at Kudli Sringeri in 1924. He was present on 01.12.1924 when the Kudli Acharya gave Sannyasa Diksha to his successor Shri Valukeshwara Bharati. Later, in 1925, Shri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha was anointed as the Peethadhipathi of the Puri Govardhana Matha.
Kalyan Upasana Anka Vol. 1 ( Hindi) 1968, Editor Hanuman Prasad Poddar Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
परंतु इस शताब्दीके प्रथम भागसे ही अकस्मात् प्राप्त हुए जिस किसी संन्यासीको गुरु बनानेका नया प्रचटन चल गया है। आधुनिक शिक्षित मनुष्य अनायास ही कुलगुरु और कुलमन्त्रका त्याग करके मनमाना आचरण कर रहे है। संन्यासीको तो अधिकार ही नहीं है कि वह गृहस्थ-कोया स्त्रीजनको दीक्षा प्रदान करे । ठीक उसी प्रकार जैसे कोई गृहस्थाश्रममें रहकर किसीको संन्यासको दोक्षा नहीं दे सकता ।
Since the early part of this century, a new trend has emerged of arbitrarily choosing any Sannyasi as a Guru. Many modern, educated people are giving up their Family Gurus and Traditional Mantras and acting as they please. A Sannyasi has no right to initiate a householder or a woman, just as a householder has no right to initiate anyone into Sannyasa. (Translated from Hindi original)
दीक्षा-रहस्य
Nowadays, a new practice has emerged of readily accepting any Sannyasi as a Guru.
A Sannyasi, in fact has no authority to give initiation (diksha) to a householder or to a woman.
From the Mysore Government orders relating to succession in several Mathas, it is clear that even when the Acharya was alive, nominating a disciple to succeed later required Government approval.
This approval was necessary in order to protect their properties, ensure smooth administration, maintain eligibility for tasdik and other royal grants and avoid disputes after succession. It also allowed the Government to check whether the chosen disciple was properly trained and was in line with the traditions of the Matha. This Statutory rule for succession in mathas was strictly followed since these were public and endowed institutions and not only because of vacancy.
Shri Vidyabhinava Valukeswara Bharati Swami of Kudli Sringeri Matha attained Mahasamadhi on 10.4.1936. Immediately the Mysore Government took over the management of the Matha and Shri Saccitananda Shankara Bharathi Swami was duly installed as His Successor.
In 1940, when the Government decided to hand over administration back to the young Swami, He did not rush to take charge. Instead, before taking over, in December 1940, He asked for an audit of the Matha’s internal affairs, properties inside and outside Mysore State and accounts by the Goverment department. He also sought continued Government support to protect the Kudli Matha’s assets and regular audit of its accounts in order to ensure transparency after His taking-over of the administration.
This is a landmark case of responsible and transparent succession for all Mathas.
Image: Shri Saccitananda Shankara Bharathi Swamigal of Shri Kudli Sringeri Shankaracharya Matha
The Mysore Government adopted a systematic approach to select a qualified successor to the Avani Peetham from its eligible disciples, strictly in line with the ancient traditions and customs of the Matha and in accordance with the Rules of the Muzrai Department governing succession.
Upon selection, the new Swamigalu was provided advanced religious education and training similar to the arrangements made for the young Swami of the Shivaganga Matha.
A committee of scholars and eminent persons periodically visited the Matha to observe his progress, and the Government further sought the guidance of Mahamahopadyaya Shri Virupaksha Shastri to assess and advise on his training.
This stands as a classic instance of the Maharaja of Mysore discharging his paramount duty to protect an ancient Matha and its parampara, without outsourcing the same to any other external denomination.
Traditionally, the Avani Sringeri Matha was treated as an Independent Religious Institution by the Mysore Government.
Official records of Avani Sringeri Matha reveal that it has followed its own lineage, cultural & religious tradition since ancient times and was never a branch of any other Matha. Even in 1927, the Government considered the succession to the Peetha only from among the disciples of Avani Sringeri Matha or its denomination.
This document also shows how the Mysore Maharaja consciously safeguarded the autonomy of the Avani Sringeri Matha by ensuring that the process of succession was not delegated to any other religious institution, thereby preventing any external Matha from asserting a permanent right of control or appointment over the successor.
Any attempt to label an independent Matha as a shakha or subordinate of another institution directly violates Article 26 of the Constitution of India, which protects the Independent Existence and Self-Governance of Religious Denominations.
