Sringeri Sharada Peetham

Acharya: Jagadguru Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahasannidhanam
Location Shringeri
Founder Adi Shankara
First Acharya Maṇḍana Miśra (Sureshwaracharya)
Formation 820 AD
Website http://www.sringeri.net/

Sringeri Sharada Peetha is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha or monastery established by Adi Shankara in 8th century AD. The matha is on the banks of the Tunga River in Chikkamagalur district, Karnataka, India, 105 kilometers from Mangaluru and 303 kilometers from the state capital, Bengaluru.

History

Sharada temple at Sringeri Sharada Peetha, Shringeri

Early history

Traditionally, Adi Shankara (8th century) is regarded as the greatest teacher and reformer of the Smartha.[1] According to Alf Hiltebeitel, Shankara established the nondualist interpretation of the Upanishads as the touchstone of a revived smartha tradition.[2] The Sringeri Sharada monastery founded by Shankara in Karnataka is still the centre of Smartha tradition .

Sankara is believed to have envisioned this place as the holiest where a sanke hooded as a umbrella to protect a frog from hot Sun during its labour. This was the first place where Sankara is believed to have established one of the four major mutts.[3]

As per Hindu legend, the place is associated with sage Rishyasringa, son of Vibhandankamuni. He did severe penance at this place, leading to the name Sringeri. The temple was renovated during the regime of Vijayanagara Empire during the 14-16th centuries and later during 1916.[3]

Sureshwaracharya, who was Maṇḍana Miśra in his purvashrama,[4][5] was installed as the successor of Shankaracharya before the latter resumed his tour to found his three pithas at Puri, Dwaraka and Badrinath.

Maratha sacking

During the Maratha–Mysore War in 1791, the Maratha Empire's army raided the temple and matha of Sringeri Shankaracharya, killing and wounding many, and plundering the monastery of all its valuable possessions.[6] The incumbent Shankaracharya petitioned Tipu Sultan for help. A bunch of about 30 letters written in Kannada, which were exchanged between Tipu Sultan's court and the Sringeri Shankaracharya were discovered in 1916 by the Director of Archaeology in Mysore. Tipu Sultan expressed his indignation and grief at the news of the raid:

"People who have sinned against such a holy place are sure to suffer the consequences of their misdeeds at no distant date in this Kali age in accordance with the verse: "Hasadbhih kriyate karma rudadbhir-anubhuyate" (People do [evil] deeds smilingly but suffer the consequences crying)."[7]

Tipu Sultan immediately ordered the Asaf of Bednur to supply the Swami with 200 rahatis (fanams) in cash and other gifts and articles. Tipu Sultan's interest in the Sringeri temple continued for many years, and he was still writing to the Swami in the 1790s.[8]

Modern history

Vidushekara Bharathi was appointed as Uttaradhikari of the Sringeri Sharadha Peetham by Bharati Thirtha on 23 January 2015.[9] The last five Jagadgurus were:

NameYears as JagadguruPlace of BirthPurvashrama name[10]
Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrusimha Bharati1872–1912MysoreShivaswami
Chandrasekhara Bharati III1912–1954SringeriNarasimha Sastri
Abhinava Vidyatirtha1954–1989BangaloreSrinivasa Sastri
Bharati Tirtha1989 – presentNarasaraopetTangirala Sitarama Anjaneyulu
Vidhushekhara Bharati 2015 - present Tirupathi Kuppa Venkateshwara Prasad Sharma[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rosen 2006, p. 166.
  2. ↑ Hiltebeitel 2002, p. 29.
  3. 1 2 Harshananda, Swami (2012). Hindu Pilgrim centres (2nd ed.). Bangalore, India: Ramakrishna Math. p. 135-8. ISBN 81-7907-053-0.
  4. ↑ Roodurmum 2002, p. 29.
  5. ↑ Kuppuswami Sastri 1984.
  6. ↑ Vikram Sampath. "Why we love to hate Tipu Sultan". www.livemint.com/.
  7. ↑ Annual Report of the Mysore Archaeological Department 1916 pp 10–11, 73–6
  8. ↑ Hasan, History of Tipu Sultan, p. 359
  9. ↑ http://www.sringeri.net
  10. ↑ Purvashrama name refers to the name of the Jagadguru before taking Sannyasa.
  11. ↑ Deccan Herald, Sringeri seer appoints successor

Sources

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