Kanchi – Kashi Sangamam

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Shankarite Institutions have been at the forefront of patronising and encouraging the publication of rare shastra granthas and scholars in all parts of the country. We have seen earlier about the publication of Shivarahasyam Manuscripts by the North and South Indian scholars in 1932 & 1934 and the interactions of Tarkaratna Panchanana Bhattacharya of Bengal in Kashi.

Another such account of Kanchi-Kashi Sambandha is the account of Mimamsakesari Vidyavachaspati Mahamahopadhyaya Padmabhusana Pandit P. N. Pattabhirama Shastriji. He was born in 1908 in Palasur village near Kanchipuram, initially educated at Tirupati and later in Varanasi under M.M. Chinnaswami Shastri. From there he went to Kashi and served at Banaras Hindu University. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya later recommended his appointment as Principal of Maharaja Sanskrit College, Jaipur. His dedicated mastery of the sastric tradition of Bharatam and his writings, lectures and editions on Mimamsa remain as evidence of his work.

The All-India Kashiraj Trust was established in 1951 and its silver jubilee was celebrated on 24th October 1981. The recods of the proceedings started with a mangalacharana by Shri Ganeshvara Dravid and Shri Pattabhirama Shastri read out a sandesha from Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Swamigal, the 68th Acharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham that was specially sent for the occasion. This is published in the summary of the activities of the Kashiraj Trust in 1982

Pt. Pattabhirama Shastri’s disciple Pt. Dr.Mandana Mishraji writes in his general editor’s preface of the edition of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Kendiya VidyaPith 1984 wries in his introduction to “Shabara Bhashya with the Tuptika Varttikabharana, Tantrashikhamani and Bhashya Sandarbha Yojini” says that it was only due to the anugraha of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Acharya that his guru Shri Pattabhirama Shastri was able to do this work and seeks their continued blessings for the good health and strength for Shastri to complete this work.

The Tuptika is written by Shri Venkateshvara Dikshita, the architect of the 72-mela system and the son of Advaita Vidyacharya Govinda Dikshitar. The relationship of the matrilineal side of this Govinda Dikshita family to the purvashrama families of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham is well-known. The Tantrashikhamani is written by Shri Rajachudamani Dikshita, the youngest son of Shri Ratnakheta Dikshitar and also a student of Shri Nilakantha Dikshitar. Rajachudamani Dikshita was a gifted writer of kavya and the author of Shankarabhyudaya, a literary work on Shankaracharya which traces his birth to His siddhi in Kanchipuram.

The story behind this publication is narrated by Pandit Pattabhirama Shastri in the introduction titled “Yatkinchit”. Shastriji says as follows:

“Once I went to Shahabad near the banks of Pampa river in Karnataka to have darshana of the “walking God”, Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Shricharana, of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham established by Shri Jagadguru Adishankaracharya with my spouse. My two daughters were also with me. Shricharana was getting ready to have his snana. Knowing that I had come, he beckoned me. All of us went towards Him. He asked me if I can stay there for 3-4 days and if I knew someone near by. I responded that I will stay as long as Shricharana wishes and that I will get to know someone who lives around the area. Then someone said they will make arrangements for my stay with family hear near the banks.”

Then a young man who they knew from Kolkata introduced himself to them and took them to his home for three days. Then for three days we had the fortune of darshana of Shricharana who was in the state of Kashtamauna for three days. On the fourth day having learnt that the Jagadguru completed His maunavrata and was speaking, we went. The Karunamurti looked at us and beckoned us. He asked us what our daily activities were and how many students were studying and what I was teaching and what I was publishing. Then he asked me why I had not yet edited and published the TupTika of Shri Venkateshvara Dikshita and the Tantrashikhamani of Shri Rajachudamani Dikshita.Then he detailed the lives of the two granthakarthas. When I replied that that the manuscripts of these two were not available to me in full, He said that manuscripts of these works will be available in the Tanjavur Sarasvati Mahal and Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Madras and in Mysore Oriental Library and you may try and obtain the copies. Publish whatever you can find.”

Three hours went by in this conversation and thus instructed. Then Shricharana was getting ready for His anushthana and we sought His permission to go back to Varanashi and then mentioned that Shricharana has given ajna to publish this work but I fear that I don’t have the kind of vaidushyam and am afraid at each step I take”. Shricharana raised His hand blessed me and said “You will have a long life and take up this work at the earliest and complete it!”

Then he details the accounts of how he collected the various manuscripts from different locations and also found a copy from the collection of his teacher Chinnaswami Dikshitar and with prayers to Shricharana he began the laghu tika that accompnies this text and how this was published with the assistance of his student Mandana Mishra.

Panditaraja Pattabhirama Shastri was also the editor of Advaita Grantha Kosha. In the year 1946, Shri Shankaracharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Mulamnaya Sarvajna Pitham expressed a desire that a comprehensive list of all manuscripts and books pertaining to Advaita be compiled and published. This was prepared by a disciple of Sri Ishtasiddhindra Saraswati Swami of the Upanishad Brahmendra Matha Kanchipuram and edited by Panditaraja Pattabhirama Shastri and was released in 1964.

Shivarahasyam – Kashi and Kanchi – Part 3

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Shivarahasyam also acquires great significance in the Gangadi Vijaya Yatra of 1934 of Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Shankaracharya Swamigal, the 68th Acharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Mulamnaya SarvajnaPitham.

When some scholars questioned the validity of the Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham, Shivarahasyam was considered as evidence and one of the important pramana granthas for the charitam of Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada.

The sixteenth adhyaya of the ninth amsha of this Shivarahasyam narrates the history of Shivabhaktas beginning with that of Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada. This text says that He incarnated 2000 years after the beginning of Kaliyuga.

Many granthas accept the pramanya of Shivarahasyam. Shivarahasyam is also quoted in nibandhanagranthas such as nirnayasindhu and the Advaitarajyalakshmi commentary of Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam.

Sadananda who wrote the Shankara Digvijaya Saram, a summary of Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam refers to both Shivarahasyam and Anandagiriyam and that he writes his text after examining them.

शैवे सूचितमादितो यतिवरैर्बद्धे पुरा ग्रन्थतो

ऽगाधे शङ्करदिग्जये निजधिया वीक्ष्याहमेवाततम् ।

सिद्धान्तं श्रुतिसद्गिरां किल ततो निष्कृष्य संक्षेपतः

कुर्वे स्वात्मविशुद्धये स्फुटममुं तत्सारमेवादरात् ॥

During the Gangadi Vijaya Yatra a large body of scholars and Panditas of Kashi gathered, headed by Tarkaratna Panchanana Bhattacharya, and weighed and examined all the pramanas. The body of scholars wholeheartedly accepted the validity of the Mulamnaya Sarvajna Pitha and its sthapana by Shri Bhagavatpada after carefully weighing all the textual evidence.

In the Shivarahasya, Shiva gives the five lingas to Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada and asks Him to take these lingas and worship them thrice a day. To this day, the Jagadgurus of the Kanchi Kamakoti Mulamnaya Sarvajna Pitham offer puja to Shri Chandramaulishvara three times a day.

The Shivarahasyam concludes that by worshipping these five lingas named Yoga, Bhoga, Vara, Siddhi ( Moksha) and Mukti in His digvijaya, Shri Bhagavatpada defeated scholars and then ascended the Sarvajna Peetham in Kanchipuram in the sannidhi of Shri Kamakshi Devi.

तद्योगभोगवरसिद्धिविमुक्तिनाम-लिङ्गार्चनाधिगत-दिग्विजयः प्रकामम्।

सर्वज्ञपीठमधिरुह्य विजित्य मिश्रान् काञ्च्यां शिवे तव पुरः स च सिद्धिमाप॥ ४६ ॥

In a publication from Shri Vallabharama Shaligrama Sanga Vedavidyalaya titled “Adishankara Pujakalpa” the preface by Purushottamashrama Swami in 1992 says that an old copy of Shivarahasyam was available in Kashi Naresha Pustakalaya and copy was with Panditaraja Rajeshvara Shastri Dravid. The tippani of this also contains extracts from Anandagiriya Shankara Vijaya from Shri Rama Taraka Matha Pustakalaya, thus establishing the pramanya and importance of these two granthas for both the Shankaracharitam and for Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Mulamnaya Sarvajna Pitham.

According to the Royal Modi records of the Tanjore Mahratta kingdom, it is documented that Maharaja Serfoji obtained a copy of the Shivarahasyam manuscript from Varanasi. This itihasa which is a valuable piece of ancient literature is also safeguarded in numerous libraries across Bharat.

During the later part of the 19th century, some books were published with the altered version of the shodasodhyaya, navamamsha of Shivarahasyam. However, the learned Pandits of Varanasi through their expertise, identified and removed those spurious alterations made in the original text of Shivarahasyam.

They successfully foiled the attempts made by the four math propagandists to diminish the eminence of Kanchi pitham and alter the sacred samadhi sthala of the Acharya in Kanchipuram, by comparing the modern publications with the original Shivarahasyam manuscripts preserved in Varanasi.

(3/3)

[Images: Shivarahasyam, 9th Amsha, 16th Chapter – Gangadi Tirtha Vijaya Yatra of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipati Jagadguru 1008 Shri Shankaracharya Swami, Published by Shri Madavram Sanda, Shri Jagannatha Shastri Bharadwaj and Shri Damodardas Khanna, Varanasi (1936). ]

ஸ்ரீசங்கராசார்யரும் காசி க்ஷேத்ரமும்

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(21.4.1988 அன்று தினமணி நாளிதழில் வெளியான கட்டுரை)ஸ்ரீசங்கராசார்யரும் காசி க்ஷேத்ரமும்

ஸ்ரீசங்கரபகவத்பாதர்கள் வாராணஸீ க்ஷேத்ரத்திற்கு விஜயம் செய்தபோது ஐந்து மடங்களை ஏற்படுத்த ஸங்கல்பம் ஏற்றனர் என்பது தொடர்பான வரலாற்றுத் தகவலுக்கு அடிப்படை ஆதாரம் துங்காச்சிருங்கேரி மடத்து அதிபர் உத்தரவின்படி 1735ஆம் ஆண்டு இயற்றப்பட்ட குருவம்ச காவ்யத்தில் காண்கிறது.

உண்மை இப்படியிருக்க, ஆம்னாய மடங்கள் நான்கு; ஆசார்யர்கள் நால்வர் மட்டுமே என்று குருவம்ச காவ்யம் இயற்றப்பட்டதற்குப் பிற்பாடு யாரோ அடையாளம் தெரியாத பண்டிதர் எழுதிவைத்த மடாம்னாய நூலைக் கொண்டு சாதிக்கச் சிலர் தொடர்ந்து முயன்று தோற்று வருவதும் நகைப்புக்குரியதே.

https://sankaramathas.blogspot.com/2015/03/21041988_29.html

Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada’s connection with Varanasi Kshetra … 1

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Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada had darshan of His Preceptor Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada at a place (cave) on the banks of the Narmada river.

Later, as per the wishes of Sri Govinda Bhagavatpada, Sri Sankaracharya crossed the forests of Central India and in due course reached the sacred mokshapuri of Varanasi where he stayed on for a pretty long time.

His illustrious commentaries on the Brahma-Sutras, the Upanisads, the BhagavadGita, the Vishnu – Sahasranama, the composition of the smaller pieces such as the Gangashtaka, the Manisha panchaka etc., are assigned to the period of His Stay at Kashi.

A verse in the Guruvamsa Kavya, remarks on the manuscript of this Kavya in the Annual report of the Mysore Archaeological Department for the year 1928 (Govt. Press, Bangalore) and an inscription in the Brahmendra Matha at Sivalaya Ghat in Varanasi clearly indicate Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada’s establishing religious institutions in the form of Mathas at important places which He visited or wherein He stayed for long.

The Guruvamsakavya speaks of the Acharya’s founding of *five mathas* at Varanasi, four for His principal disciples and one for Himself.

” वाराणसीं योगिवरोऽधिगम्य भुजैरिव श्रीहरिरेष शिष्यैः ।

सहात्मना पञ्चमठानमीषां प्रकल्प्य तस्थौ कतिचिद्दिनानि “II

-(Verse 23-Canto III).

On pages 15 to 20 of the Annual Report of the Mysore Archaeological Department mentioned above, the following remarks on the Guruvamsakavya are found:-

” It follows that the author was the contemporary of Somasekhara II (1714-1739) of Keladi when Sacchidananda Bharati (1705-1741) adorned the pontifical seat at Sringeri.

(Kashi) Lakshmana Sastri, the author, seems to have been a very good scholar and as he composed the work under the orders of Sachchidananda Bharati. It may be reasonably presumed that he faithfully copied all available traditional information about the successive teachers of Sringeri “.

On page 16 of this Report the founding of an important Matha at Varanasi by Sri Sankaracharya is noted-

” The author says that He (Sri Sankaracharya) set up five Mathas and mentions the names of Sringeri, Kanchi, Badri, Kashi and Jagannatha.”

The following inscription in the Brahmendra Matha in Varanasi (referred to earlier) points to a line of Acharyas belonging to Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada Parampara:—

” जगद्गुरो शंकरस्य पारम्पर्यक्रमागतः ।

शिष्यः सन्मार्गनिष्णातः चन्द्रशेखर नामकः ।

तस्य शिष्यो विश्वनाथयतीन्द्रो योगिनां वरः ।…”

(1/2)

Shivarahasyam – Kashi and Kanchi – Part 2

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The twentieth Chapter (Seventh Amsa) of the Shivarahasya speaks of the greatness of Kanchi and the Kotitirtha mahatmyam and Ekamreshvara and how praying to Shri Kamakshi and Ekamranatha removes all papas.

It is also noteworthy to add here that there is a Vishveshvara temple and a Muktimandapa on the banks of Sarvatirtha just as there is in Kashi.

Shiva says, “O Devi! Where Vegavati nadi flows, there is a city named Kanchipuri. There even Brahma and other devas always desire to live. My lingasvarupa named Ekamresha is there, the darshana of it removes all papas instantaneously”.

देवि काञ्चीपुरी काचिद्यत्र वेगवती नदी ।

तत्र वासमपेक्षन्ते नित्यं ब्रह्मादयः सुराः ॥

एकाम्रेशाभिधं लिङ्गं तत्रास्त्येकं मदात्मकम् ।

तद्दर्शनेन पापानि विनश्यन्ति क्षणादिव ॥

Vishnu details the story of a famine that lasted for many years.The Rshis went to Gautama and Gautam due to his tapobala created food. The Rshis then created a fake cow to eat the nivara dhanya and sent it to Gautama. Seeing the cow, Gautama Maharshi threw a blade of grass and the cow fell down and Gautama thought he had committed gohatya.

Later knowing the action of the Rshis, he cursed them that they will lose shraddha in the vedokta bhasma and rudraksha dharana, Somavara vrata, Shivaratra vrata and even faith in Kashivasa and lose Shivabhakti. The Rshis were crestfallen.

Vishnu then continues that all efforts must be taken not to attain this state of “ashaankaratva” and one must do Shivapuja. He further instructs Brahma to worship knowing that this devi of divine form the mother of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Indra as Kamakshi.

ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवेन्द्रादिजननी दिव्यविग्रहा ।

कामाक्षीति विचार्याब्जसम्भवैनां प्रपूजय ॥

Thus Shiva concludes that Brahma as instructed by Vishnu staying in Kanchipuram worshipped me, Ekamranatha with great effort.

महादेव उवाच

इत्युक्तो विष्णुना ब्रह्मा मामेवैकाम्रनायकम् ।

सम्पूज्यातिप्रयत्नेन काञ्चीवासं चकार ह ॥ (2/3)

Shivarahasyam – Kashi and Kanchi – Part 1/3

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Shivarahasyam is rightly called an itihasa ratnam and it imparts Shiva bhakti. It begins with Skanda expounding the efficacy of Shivabhakti to Jaigishavya muni.

This voluminous text has 18 parvas and around 1,00,000 slokas making it longer than the Mahabharata. The work is divided into 12 amsas and 1000 adhyayas/chapters. This voluminous work though existing in manuscript form was not printed by the Sarasvati Mahal until 1932 and Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal expressed anguish that the chances of this rare itihasa getting lost is inevitable. Then the Saraswati Mahal took efforts and printing the Shivarahasyam manuscript which was procured from Varanasi by the Maharaja of Tanjore.

  • The seventh amsha begins with the first chapter that contains a Shivasahasranama taught by Shiva Himself to Parvati. Subsequent adhayas in this amsha elaborate on the efficacy and greatness of Kashi. Bhagavan Shiva Himself says that Devendra and other devatas leave swarga with all its bhoga and come to Kashi seeking Mukti.

    स्वर्गभोगमपि त्यक्त्वा देवेन्द्राद्यमराः सदा ।
    काशीवासमपेक्षन्ते मुक्त्यर्थं सर्वसाधनैः ॥
  • Shiva then describes the layout of Kashi covering Panchakrosha – an area equivalent to five kroshas (equivalent to approximately 6.5 miles).
  • The third adhyaya details the importance of antargrha yatra / inner circuit of Vishvesha and the rules to be followed during antargrhayatra.
  • The fifth adhyaya talks of the qualifications to reside in Kashi and the vihitachara prescribed for those living in Kashi
  • The sixth adhyaya speaks of the greatness of Gnanavapi
  • The seventh chapter describes the grandeur of Muktimandapa
  • The eighth adhyaya describes the charitam of the five-year old balaka Dandapani and his intense tapas
  • The ninth adhyaya describes the stories of the Shivadvija in Kashi as told by Shiva and Vireshvara Charitam as described by Brahma.
  • The tenth adhya has a varnanam of the Pashupatakunda
  • The eleventh chapter describes the Vishnu doing Shiva Puja and aradhana in Omkareshvara Kshetra in the middle of Kashi, following the Shivastuti and Vishnu’s receiving the Sudarshana Chakra.
  • The twelfth adhyaya describes the Kedareshvara lingavaibhavam in Kashi.
  • The thirteenth chapter begins with the sages asking Suta Pauranika the qualifications for a person who resides in Kashi and Suta Pauranika detailing them.
  • The fourteenth chapter of the Shivarahasya consists of Shiva sending Nandikeshvara to see Skanda who is immersed in Shivayoga. Nandikeshvara then visits Kashi does abhisheka of Vishveshvara with water from the Manikarnika with water and milk. He then proceeds to see Skanda in Shrishailam and this chapter contains the greatness of Shrishailam and the charitam of Atri muni.
  • The fifteenth chapter talks of the procedure to do Shivapuja and the comparative benefits of doing Shivapuja in Vrddhachalam, Kanchi, Shrishailam, Kashi and the antargrha in Kashi.
  • The sixteenth,seventeenth and eighteenth, ninteenth chapters outline the shiva nama mahima and the things that are needed for Shiva Puja and the greatness of Shivabhakti. (1/3)

Shri Shankaracharya in Prayaga Kshetra

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तस्मात् प्राप प्रयागाख्यं स्थलं पुण्षविवर्धनम् ।

गङ्गायाः यमुनायाश्च सरस्वत्याश्च सङ्गमम् ॥

-Anandagiri Sankaravijaya, Prakarana 35

श्रितमुर्मुरमुद्धरंस्त्रिवेण्यां यतिराड् भट्टमघानि वो वितृष्णात् ॥

– Gururatnamalika

Madalapanji’s connection to Shri Shankara Bhagavadpada and His Five Mathas – 3

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Sectarian Conflict at Jagannath

According to the Madala Panji, the historical chronicles of the Jagannath temple, the images Shri Shnkaracharya a and Shri Padmapada were also placed on the Ratnasimhasana of Jagannatha and regularly worshipped until the reign of Raja Divyasimha Dova of Khurda (1787-1793 C.E).

However, at a later time, they were relocated from that position and unfortunately vandalized by members of another sect. Some say that the image of Bhairava, placed near the deity was removed by the person belonged to another sect who was in charge of Administration of the temple . The efforts made by local Advaita mathas to address this issue were not entirely successful, but they were able to partially maintain their rights within the temple.

Despite these sectarian conflicts, it is noteworthy that the royal dynasty of Odisha continued the tradition of granting access to the Shankaracharyas of the FIVE Mathas to reach the Ratna Simhasana of Shri Jagannath and perform worship in accordance with the established customs.

Sacred Honors to FIVE Shankara Mathas in Puri Jagannath Temple – 2

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Sacred Honors to FIVE Shankara Mathas in Puri Jagannath Temple… 2

In Puri, apart from the Govardhana Matha, there are four other Mathas: They are, Sankarananda Matha, Sivatirtha Matha, Gopala Tirtha Matha and Mahiprakasa Matha. The first three are supervised by dandi Sanyasis, while Mahiprakasa Matha is a Brahmacari Matha.

The Chamu Chitau – Royal Records

According to a historical record found in Chamu Chitau, Maharaja Bir Kishore Dev of Puri issued specific instructions regarding the privileges to be observed in the Jagannath Temple during the visit of the Shankaracarya of Govardhana Peetha. These instructions granted the Pandits of Govardhana Matha, Sankarananda Matha, Sivatirtha Matha, Gopalatirtha Matha, and the Brahmacharis of Mahiprakasa Matha the right to approach the Ratna Simhasana of Jagannath Purushottama Mahaprabhu.

On the 7th day of the Karkataka month, in the 14th year of his reign, Maharaja Bir Kishore Dev of Puri, Orissa, sent a communication to the Manager of the Purushottama (Jagannatha) temple. This letter provided detailed instructions regarding the honors to be accorded to the Acaryas of the FIVE Shankaracarya Mathas.

This correspondence briefly conveys the Maharaja’s order to the responsible officer in charge of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. This order directed the officer to make appropriate arrangements for the darshan of Sri Jagannatha when the Shankaracaryas of the FIVE Mathas visit Puri for darshan. This Ancient Royal Record underscores the Royal Honors given to the FIVE Shankaracharya Mathas, highlighting their importance.

The reason why the Orissa Royal House, Puri Jagannath Temple Authorities, and Pandits of Utkala Desha acknowledged all the FIVE Mathas instead of the four is a question that specifically awaits an answer from mathamnaya theorists.