Importance to Tradition
Hare Krishna,
The following excerpt has been drawn from the book “Sparks from a Divine Anvil” written by Sri R. Krishnaswamy Iyer (R.K).
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It is beyond any doubts that the saints of our land had great reverence for the tradition. An old gentleman one day paid his respects to His Holiness.
H.H. Your native Village?
G. ---– Village.
H.H. I see. You are very fortunate. Is it not the village of ---- Ghanapaati [I am very sorry I have forgotten both the names – R.K] (Ghanapaati is the honored title given to a Vedic scholar proficient in reciting the Veda mantras in a particular customary manner – Neel)?
G. There is no such Ghanapaati in my Village presently.
H.H. Cannot be. The person I referred to lived there six hundred years ago!
G. Is it so? I have not heard of him.
H.H. The answer of His Holiness naturally excited my curiosity. Famous authors and saints leave their sacred memory behind for centuries, but I had not thought it possible that a Ghanapaati who had mastered the Vedas to justify that title could be remembered six centuries later.
R.K. May I know who that Ghanapaati was? He seems to have been famous.
H.H. He was certainly famous as he had the boldness to criticize and correct Sri Vidyaranya.
R.K. When and why did he do it?
H.H. Sri Vidyaranya was a well-known master of all learning but had the humility to place his works before eminent scholars and get their approval before he published them. When he had written the commentary on the Sri Rudradhyaya in the Yajur Veda, he invited a large number of Vedic scholars and had his Veda Bhashya read out to them. In expounding the passage Namo Harikesaya, “Prostartion to Harikesa”, he had split up the word “Harikesa” into Hari-Ka-Isa (Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara) and interpreted the passage as a prostration to the Supreme Brahman who takes these three forms when associated with the three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. When the commentary was read out, this Ghanapaati strongly objected to it saying, “Is the Veda your personal property with which you can do as you like?” Sri Vidyaranya asked, “What have I done with it to deserve this remark?” The Ghanapaati replied, “It is not for you to split up the word Harikesa at your pleasure. You know that the accuracy of the text of the Veda is secured by the traditional safeguards of Pada, Krama, Jata and Ghana (different traditional ways of chanting the Veda Mantras. It takes a person few years to master the same – Neel). According to the Pada, the component words are only Hari and Kesa and not Hari, Ka and Isa as you have split up.” Sri Vidyaranya realized his mistake and corrected the commentary accordingly. “To Him who is Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara” had to be altered to “To Him who has the blue sky as the hair on His head”. This may not be more impressive or attractive meaning, but Sri Vidyaranya could not help adopting it in view of the traditional Pada text. This Ghanapaati thus had the unique merit of correcting the great master himself.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
I would like to conclude (for now) the teachings of Sri Chandrashekara Bharathi Mahasvami. I am sure that each of us would have imbibed inspiration and faith from Mahasvami’s teachings. We can always revisit and learn more about the Mahasvami in future.
Most of the contents presented in the series have been collected from the books mentioned below:
The Book Name , Language, Author/Compiler, and Should be Available at… details are as follows:
1.
Sparks From a Divine Anvil
English
Sri Jnananda Bharathi
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Giri Traders, Chennai
2.
Call of Jagadguru
English
Sri Jnananda Bharathi
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Giri Traders, Chennai
3.
The Saint of Sringeri
English
Sri Jnananda Bharathi
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Giri Traders, Chennai
4.
Avadhuta Guru
Kannada
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Shastri
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
5.
Sharada Peetada Maanikya (Kannada)
Kannada
Sri Ramachandra Rao
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Apart from the above, there are many other books about Acharya in Tamil, English and other languages.
The following websites have some useful information as well.
http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org
http://www.jagadgurus.org
http://www.srisharada.com
We will start with Kanchi Mahasvami’s life history and teachings in the next email.
Humble salutations to all.
Regards,
Neelakantan
The following excerpt has been drawn from the book “Sparks from a Divine Anvil” written by Sri R. Krishnaswamy Iyer (R.K).
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It is beyond any doubts that the saints of our land had great reverence for the tradition. An old gentleman one day paid his respects to His Holiness.
H.H. Your native Village?
G. ---– Village.
H.H. I see. You are very fortunate. Is it not the village of ---- Ghanapaati [I am very sorry I have forgotten both the names – R.K] (Ghanapaati is the honored title given to a Vedic scholar proficient in reciting the Veda mantras in a particular customary manner – Neel)?
G. There is no such Ghanapaati in my Village presently.
H.H. Cannot be. The person I referred to lived there six hundred years ago!
G. Is it so? I have not heard of him.
H.H. The answer of His Holiness naturally excited my curiosity. Famous authors and saints leave their sacred memory behind for centuries, but I had not thought it possible that a Ghanapaati who had mastered the Vedas to justify that title could be remembered six centuries later.
R.K. May I know who that Ghanapaati was? He seems to have been famous.
H.H. He was certainly famous as he had the boldness to criticize and correct Sri Vidyaranya.
R.K. When and why did he do it?
H.H. Sri Vidyaranya was a well-known master of all learning but had the humility to place his works before eminent scholars and get their approval before he published them. When he had written the commentary on the Sri Rudradhyaya in the Yajur Veda, he invited a large number of Vedic scholars and had his Veda Bhashya read out to them. In expounding the passage Namo Harikesaya, “Prostartion to Harikesa”, he had split up the word “Harikesa” into Hari-Ka-Isa (Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara) and interpreted the passage as a prostration to the Supreme Brahman who takes these three forms when associated with the three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. When the commentary was read out, this Ghanapaati strongly objected to it saying, “Is the Veda your personal property with which you can do as you like?” Sri Vidyaranya asked, “What have I done with it to deserve this remark?” The Ghanapaati replied, “It is not for you to split up the word Harikesa at your pleasure. You know that the accuracy of the text of the Veda is secured by the traditional safeguards of Pada, Krama, Jata and Ghana (different traditional ways of chanting the Veda Mantras. It takes a person few years to master the same – Neel). According to the Pada, the component words are only Hari and Kesa and not Hari, Ka and Isa as you have split up.” Sri Vidyaranya realized his mistake and corrected the commentary accordingly. “To Him who is Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara” had to be altered to “To Him who has the blue sky as the hair on His head”. This may not be more impressive or attractive meaning, but Sri Vidyaranya could not help adopting it in view of the traditional Pada text. This Ghanapaati thus had the unique merit of correcting the great master himself.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
I would like to conclude (for now) the teachings of Sri Chandrashekara Bharathi Mahasvami. I am sure that each of us would have imbibed inspiration and faith from Mahasvami’s teachings. We can always revisit and learn more about the Mahasvami in future.
Most of the contents presented in the series have been collected from the books mentioned below:
The Book Name , Language, Author/Compiler, and Should be Available at… details are as follows:
1.
Sparks From a Divine Anvil
English
Sri Jnananda Bharathi
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Giri Traders, Chennai
2.
Call of Jagadguru
English
Sri Jnananda Bharathi
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Giri Traders, Chennai
3.
The Saint of Sringeri
English
Sri Jnananda Bharathi
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Giri Traders, Chennai
4.
Avadhuta Guru
Kannada
Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Shastri
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
5.
Sharada Peetada Maanikya (Kannada)
Kannada
Sri Ramachandra Rao
Sankar Mutt, Bangalore
Apart from the above, there are many other books about Acharya in Tamil, English and other languages.
The following websites have some useful information as well.
http://www.sringerisharadapeetham.org
http://www.jagadgurus.org
http://www.srisharada.com
We will start with Kanchi Mahasvami’s life history and teachings in the next email.
Humble salutations to all.
Regards,
Neelakantan
posted by vedanta at 8:18 PM
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