Sringeri Sharada Peetham

Acharya: Sri Bharati Tirtha
Location Shringeri
Founder Adi Shankara
First Acharya Maṇḍana Miśra
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

Adi Shankara and Advaita Vedanta

The majority of members of Smartha community follow the Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Adi Shankara. Smarta and Advaita have become almost synonymous, though not all Advaitins are Smartas. Traditionally, Shankara (8th century) is regarded as the greatest teacher[1][2] and reformer of the Smartha.[3][2] According to Hiltebeitel, Shankara established the nondualist interpretation of the Upanishads as the touchstone of a revived smarta tradition.[4] The Sringeri Sharada monastery founded by Shankara in Karnataka is still the centre of the Smarta sect.[1][2]

Jagadgurus

See also: Jagadguru of Sringeri Sharada Peetham for the full list of Jagadgurus

The head of the matha or Guru Parampara ('teacher tradition', referring to monastic initiation) is venerated as Jagadguru. The head has so far been chosen by the prevailing pontiff usually from among his disciples usually chosen as a Brahmachari, educated in the Vedas and other required learning. Succession to the Śankāracharya title is through disciple selection by the existing Śankāracharya. The successor to the matha is usually named at a young age, from among the Vedic Brahmana community.

The Sringeri matha records its tradition from the 8th century onwards. The history of the Sringeri matha since the period of Sri Bharathi Tirtha (I) and Sri Vidyaranya (14th century) onwards has been documented. Most of the names from the Sringeri lineage up to Vidyaranya are also found in the Sri Guru Charitra, a 15th-century Marathi work by Gangadhara Saraswathi.

Sureshwaracharya, who was Maṇḍana Miśra in his purvashrama,[5][6] was installed here as the successor of Shankaracharya before the latter resumed his tour to found his three pithas at Puri, Dwaraka and Badrinath.

Vidushekara Bharathi Swamji has been appointed as Uttaradhikari of the Sringeri Sharadha Peetham by Sree Bharati Theertha Maha Swamigal on 23-Jan-2015.[7] The below table is about the last five Jagadgurus.[8]

NameYears as JagadguruPlace of BirthPurvashrama name[9]
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[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Doniger 1999, p. 1017.
  2. 1 2 3 Popular Prakashan 2000, p. 52.
  3. ↑ Rosen 2006, p. 166.
  4. ↑ Hiltebeitel 2013.
  5. ↑ Roodurmum 2002, p. 29.
  6. ↑ Kuppuswami Sastri 1984.
  7. ↑ http://www.sringeri.net
  8. ↑ See http://www.jagadgurus.org and http://www.sringeri.net for detailed biographies of the Jagadgurus
  9. ↑ Purvashrama name refers to the name of the Jagadguru before taking Sannyasa.
  10. ↑ Deccan Herald, Sringeri seer appoints successor

Sources

  • Kuppuswami Sastri, S. (1984), Brahmasiddhi, by Maṇḍanamiśra, with commentary by Śankhapāṇī. 2nd ed., Delhi, India: Sri Satguru Publications 
  • Roodurmum, Pulasth Soobah (2002), Bhāmatī and Vivaraṇa Schools of Advaita Vedānta: A Critical Approach, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited 
  • Sen, Surendranath (1930), Studies in Indian history, University of Calcutta 

External links

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