Puri Jagadguru

[Guest guest]

I posted the following question some ten days back or so, but no one responded.

So I´ll make another try. I am grateful for any help.

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Dear members,

 

Do anyone know if the present Puri Sankaracharya, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati,

is a disciple of the late Swami Hariharananda Saraswati (Karapatri Swami)? I

have been told that in the late 1970´s and early 1980´s one Swami Nischalananda

Saraswati visited (or rather stayed) in Vrindavan at the ashram of Swami

Akhandananda Saraswati, and this Nischalalanda was a disciple of Karapatri

Swami. I just want to know if this Nischalananda is identical with the Puri

Sankaracharya.

 

Best regards

Stig Lundgren

 

 

[Guest guest]

This excellent article by Sri Vidyasankar Sunderesan provides the

names of acharyas of Sringeri, Dwaraka, Jyotirmath and Puri. The

Site address for the article is:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgadkw/position/shank-jyot-ascii.html

 

I have gathered the following information after a quick research

through various web sites and newspaper articles in addtion to Sri

Vidyasankar's article.

 

The Puri Sankara math is historically connected with the famous

Jagannatha temple in Puri. It is also called the Govardhana math,

and has an important branch in Puri itself, called the Sankarananda

math. In the beginning of the century, the head was Sri Sankara

Madhusudana Tirtha. Sri Bharati Krsna Tirtha, who was then at

Dvaraka, took over as the Sankaracarya of Puri in 1925. In 1964, Sri

Niranjana Deva Tirtha, who was one of the nominees named in Sri

Bharati Krsna TirthaÕs will, was consecrated at the Puri seat by Sri

abhinava saccidAnanda Tirtha of Dvaraka. In 1992, he stepped down

after nominating Sri Niscalananda Sarasvati as his successor, who is

currently in charge at Puri.

Contact Address: Swami Niscalananda Sarasvati, Puri Govardhan Math,

Puri, Orissa 752 001, INDIA.

 

Jyotir Math Contact Address: Sri Sankaracharya Math, Joshimath,

Badrinath, Uttar Pradesh 246 443, INDIA.

 

The appointment of the Acharyas (with the title of Sankaracharya)

vary in the famous Sankara Maths such as Kanchi, Sringeri, Dwaraka,

Jyotir and Puri. Both Kanchi and Sringeri follow the vedic

tradition of selection process – young boys with good family lineage

are identified and selected and trained to become and assume the

role of the acharya after many years of training under the direct

supervision of the head acharya. In Dvaraka, Jyotir and Puri Maths

the successors are selected by pandits and trustees with

recommendation from the head acharyas.

For example, the Sringeri (also Kanchi with similar small numbers)

lineage names thirty-six successors to the Sankaracarya title, while

Dvaraka has about seventy. The Puri list of Sankaracaryas has more

than 140 names to date. The larger number of names in these two

lists is probably because many of the presiding Sankaracaryas have

been former grhasthas, who took charge at a comparatively older age

and consequently held charge for shorter periods. The line of the

Jyotirmath has many gaps in it, an unfortunate circumstance of

history.

>From the available information, I believe that your assumption

appear to be correct. Sri Karapatri Swami was a disciple of Sri

Brahmananda Saraswati, a former Sankaracharya of Jyotir Math. It

seems that the same panel of pandits have selected the Acharya for

Jyotir Math and Puri Math. Sri Karapatri was highly respected by

everyone and was actually offered the position of Sankararchaya of

Jyotir Math but he refused. I am not surprised that a disciple of

Sri Karapatri Swami - Swami Nischlananda Saraswati was selected as

the head of Puri Math. Please note that my statement is purely an

inference and I can't guarantee whether I am correct! I have

provided the contact address and please write to them and get

verification.

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandrn

 

advaitin, "Stig Lundgren" <slu@b...> wrote:

>

> Do anyone know if the present Puri Sankaracharya, Swami

Nischalananda Saraswati, is a disciple of the late Swami

Hariharananda Saraswati (Karapatri Swami)? I have been told that in

the late 1970´s and early 1980´s one Swami Nischalananda Saraswati

visited (or rather stayed) in Vrindavan at the ashram of Swami

Akhandananda Saraswati, and this Nischalalanda was a disciple of

Karapatri Swami. I just want to know if this Nischalananda is

identical with the Puri Sankaracharya.

>

> Best regards

> Stig Lundgren

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Ramaji,

 

Thanks a lot for taking your time searching the net for

information etc. Yes, I completely agree with your conclusions.

The thing is, a friend of mine lived at Swami Akhandananda Ashram

(Vrindavan) in the late seventies and early eighties, and there

he on many occasions met one Swami Nischalananda Saraswati who

was a disciple of Swami Karapatri. And now my friend (and I, of

course) are curious to know whether it is the same Nischalananda

as the present Puri jagadguru. Probably it is, particularly since

the Swami Nischalananda in Vrindavan held controversial

standpoints on cast-issues etc. similar to the Puri jagadguru.

 

However, if there are anyone who can shed some further light on

this, I would be grateful.

 

Warm regards

Stig Lundgren

 

 

 

 

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>From the available information, I believe that your assumption

appear to be correct. Sri Karapatri Swami was a disciple of Sri

Brahmananda Saraswati, a former Sankaracharya of Jyotir Math. It

seems that the same panel of pandits have selected the Acharya

for

Jyotir Math and Puri Math. Sri Karapatri was highly respected by

everyone and was actually offered the position of Sankararchaya

of

Jyotir Math but he refused. I am not surprised that a disciple of

Sri Karapatri Swami - Swami Nischlananda Saraswati was selected

as

the head of Puri Math. Please note that my statement is purely

an

inference and I can't guarantee whether I am correct! I have

provided the contact address and please write to them and get

verification.

 

regards,

 

Ram Chandrn

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