Kashi Math

Kashi Math is a spiritual organisation followed by some Goud Saraswat Brahmins. It is one of the 24 mathas of the Dvaita order. With its headquarters in Brahma Ghat, Varanasi, Kashi Math has followers all over the Konkan belt, prominently in Udupi, Mangalore, Kochi, Alappuzha and other parts of Kerala and Karnataka.

Deities

The principal deities of Kashi Math are charaprathishta (“moving installation") idols of Vyasa, Rama and Narasimha, who are also collectively known as the Vyasa Raghupathi Narasimha.^[1]

Gurus

The Kashi Math follows the Guru-shishya tradition where the Guru of the Math initiates a shishya to succeed him upon his death.^[2] Shri Samyamindra Thirtha Swamiji is the current head (Mathadipathi) of the Kashi Math.^[3] He is the 21st successive person called the swamiji of guru parampara.

The heads of the math have been:^[4]

Internal strife

On 7 July 1989, in accordance with the guru-shishya tradition, the then guru, Sudhindra Thirtha, initiated a follower into sanyasa so that in due course they would succeed him as the 21st guru.^[5] For reasons not fully known, serious differences between Sudhindra Tirtha and his appointed successor, Raghavendra Tirtha, became apparent around 2000–2001 amidst concerns about insubordination and integrity. On 19 July 2000, the mathadipathi removed Raghavendra Tirtha from his position of successor by making use of an earlier communication from November 1999 which had requested relief from the tutelage.^[6] This removal necessitated the initiation of a new shishya to succeed Sudindra Thirtha and this was done on 20 June 2002 when Samyamindra Thirtha was initiated.^[5]

Thereafter the tussle among the pontiffs turned into a dispute over the control of the Kashi Math and the ownership of its relics. Those relics included about 234 pieces of jewelry and silver articles, as well as 27 idols including the main idol of Vyasa Raghupathi. Raghavendra Tirtha had possession of these items but was ordered by Court in Tirupathi to give them to Sudhindra Tirtha. The Court upheld the status of the senior pontiff and the mathadhipathi, accepted the junior’s abdication and directed him to return all belongings of the math and refrain from interfering in its affairs.

A petition seeking a stay on the order was dismissed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The Supreme Court of India also confirmed the same on 2 December 2009 and upheld the High Court order recognizing Sudhendra Tirtha as mathadipadi.^[7][8][9]

After months of defying various court orders, Raghavendra Tirtha absconded with the relics and was arrested at Kadapa in October 2011.^[10][11]

Thereafter in November 2011, the 'parikaras' were handed over to Sudhindra Tirtha.^[12] Guru Swamiji Sudhindra Thirtha died (attained mukthi) on 17 January 2016 at Vyasahram, Haridwar.^[13] Samyamindra Thirtha is the present Madathipathi (Head) of Kashi Math who took charge on 28 January 2016 after death of his Guru.^[14] He is currently holding the 'parikaras' and offering the daily pujas.

Samadhi

Vrindavan

According to a custom followed in the Kashi Math, after Swamiji passes away, the mortal remains of the departed Swamiji are buried in the earth after suitably embalming the body with preservatives - salt, camphor, heaps of Tulsi leaves etc. - usually in the Math premises or in temples associated with the Math. Subsequently, a memorial structure is constructed over the site and an idol of Lord Hanuman is installed. A sacred Tulsi plant is then planted in front of the idol, the underlying principle being that the soul of the departed Swamiji reaches Lord Hari (supposed to have his divine presence near a Tulsi plant), through Mukhya Prana (Hanuman). The entire place is known as the Vrindavana or Samadhi of the Swamiji. Arrangements are made for the daily pujas in the Vrindavana and the Punya Tithi (death anniversary) of the Swamiji is duly celebrated with special pujas and prayers and Abhishekam to the Hanuman idol for his blessing to the Matha Samsthan and its followers.^[15] Sudhindra Thirtha is the last swamiji who attained Samadhi and his Vrindavan is constructed at Haridwar Vyasahram.^[16]

Jala Samadhi

According to a custom followed in the Kashi Matha Samsthan, whenever a Swamiji attained samadhi at Kashi, a Vrindavana was not constructed as in other places. The mortal remains of the Swamiji would be placed in a box made of rock slabs and lowered into the holy river Ganga, who was born of Lord Vishnu's toe.^[17]

Among Kashi Math pontiffs Upendra Thirtha (1) Swamiji, Raghavendra Thirtha Swamiji & Upendra Thirtha (2) Swamiji had attained Jala Samadhi.

Jeeva Samadhi

Jeeva Samadhi is the tomb of a Hindu Spiritual Guru or a saint. It is believed that the saint's life force still exists in the tomb and prayers are offered to it.

In this concept, by spiritual practices, life is not allowed to go out of the body. The seed cells in the body never get damaged. Such a person stops the functions of the body after completion of his or her mission by his or her own will. Gnani will fix his or her mind with the Almighty and stop functioning. The body is then buried. That body will never decay whether it is thousand or ten thousand years, because the magnetic force in the body itself acts as a life force in the body. As "unseen masters" or "invisible helpers" they guide the human race to wisdom.

It is believed that this force remains forever and the time limit for the Samadhi status depends upon the saint's bio-magnetic strength, which may vary in terms of hundreds of years. Until then, the soul in samadhi stage will continue to bless the devotees. The place around such Jeeva Samadhi has very high spiritual magnetic force. It can be sensed by the gnana aspirant. If these places are maintained properly, they become energy banks supplying the needful.

Madhavendra Thirtha Swamiji who was the seventh head of the Kashi Matha Samsthan, who founded the Kashi Matha premises in Walkeshwar, where ultimately he entered Jeevanta Samadhi. His Vrindavana is in the Matha premises in Bombay. A few stars shine in the spiritual firmament of India, the stars which have entered Samadhi while still alive. Madhavendra Thirtha Swamiji the only swamiji in the history of kashi math who had attained Jeevanta Samadhi.

See also

• Gokarna Math (Vaishnava math)
• Shri Gaudapadacharya Math (Smarta Tradition math)
• Chitrapur Math (Smarta Tradition math)

References

External links

• www.kashimath.org
• www.kashimath.in
• Basheer, K. P. M. (26 July 2000). "Raghavendra Swamy not to accept 'removal'". The Hindu. Retrieved 2015-04-30.