The Sage of Kanchi

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Namami Sankaraachaaryam, sarvalokaika Poojitham

 

With permission blessings and grace from HH Swamy Vijeyendra

Saraswathi garu of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Paramacharya and

miracles

 

The Sage of Kanchi

R. Venkataraman

(Former President of India)

Half way through the Satabdi Celebrations, the Mahaswami Sri

Chandrasekharendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham chose to

leave his mortal coil. I use the word chose deliberately as the

Mahaswami has become a Jivan Muktha, one who had attained salvation

even during his life time.

Adi Sankara in his Bhaja Govindam said " From association with the

pure and the good, comes non-attachment (Renunciation);

From non-attachment comes non-delusion;

From non-delusion comes stillness of mind (Peace);

When there is peace of mind;

There is realisation of the ultimate

Reality even during life time.

 

While the positive effect of non-attachment to material life and

pleasures have been brought out in Bhaja Govindam, the negative

results of attachment is described in the Bhagavat Gita.

The Lord Krishna says,

Brooding over material objects;

Man develops attachment to them;

Attachment breeds desire;

From desire springs anger;

Anger begets delusion, confused mind

Delusion drives out reason.

When reason deserts, man perishes.

The Sage of Kanchi had reached that supreme state, described in

chapter 18 verse 50 of Bhagavat Gita namely.

He whose mind is unattached to anything;

Who has subdued his self;

From whom desire has disappeared;

 

He by his renunciation attains the Supreme State of freedom from

action.

 

His conquest over the mind, body and the senses was so complete that

people saw in him a halo rather than a body or person. He radiated

light, exuded benevolence, and taught us the path without teaching.

If ever one saw divinity in human form, it was in the Mahaswami of

Kanchi, In his presence, the affluent and underprivileged, the robust

and the weak, the scholar and the illiterate, the saint and the

sinner, Hindus and other religionists, felt elevated and ennobled,

and subconsciously realised the place of finer instincts in the human

frame.

 

The Mahaswami had, by his austerity and devotion, acquired a mastery

of the Vedas and other holy scriptures. He was often found in

discussions in depth with pandits and scholars from all over India.

He held a large number of `Sadas' where eminent scholars participated

in analysing the esoterics of our ancient scriptures.

He was regarded as the greatest Jnani of his times.

 

Apart from the scriptures, the Mahaswami was a master of other arts

and sciences, like archaeology, temple architecture, numismatics,

sculpture, music, dance and folk arts. He used to hold conferences

and Workshops on all these items and honour experts in each field.

His discussions with great philosophers, astute politicians, erudite

scientists, and a number of intellectuals from India and abroad

impressed ever one of them and they were amazed at his knowledge and

approach to the problems. They always felt greatly enlightened and

benefited by these talks. Nothing is more illustrative than the

remark that Gandhiji made after his talks with the Paramacharya that

the conversation with the Sage was more than a feast and he did not

want any other food.

 

Like Adi Sankara, the Mahaswami was a true Advaitin in thought, word

and deed. He saw the spark of `Atman' in every being and perceived

the Supreme being in every being. As stated in Isa Upanishad.

" Yasthu Sarvani bhutani

Aathmany eva anupasyathi

Sarva bhuteshu cha aathmaanam

Tatho na vijugupsate. "

" He who sees all beings in his own self

And sees his own self in all beings.

He does not hate anyone thereafter. "

 

He once told his disciples who wanted to kill a scorpion which

dropped near the Saint that it was also another jivan (life) and

should not be disturbed. He saw `aatman' in every being, human or

other.

 

For over seventy years he traveled on foot to distant places and

remote villages exhorting the people to observe the path of Dharma.

If each one observed the righteous conduct, there would be peace and

harmony in society and the world. For the salvation of the soul, the

sage asserted one must perform his duties to the supreme Lord as well

as to the world. It is these duties that constitute what is called

Dharma.

 

Once speaking at a large mixed audience of Hindus, Muslims and

Christian, His Holiness Mahaswami exhorted each to follow his

religion honestly, faithfully and diligently since every religion

preached morality and the finer sentiments of life.

For over eighty years, the Mahaswami gave discourses in all parts of

India and in the nooks and corners of Tamil Nadu on a wide range of

subjects. These have been collected in six volumes under the

title " Voice Divine " Humanity is indebted to Sri Ra. Ganapathi for

collecting and editing those discourses.

This book is a universal scripture. It contains eternal truths which

apply to all countries, in all climes and to all people irrespective

of differences in race, religions, language, customs and traditions.

It enunciates the fundamental unity of life and the principles that

should inform human behaviour. These have been culled from the

ancient scriptures and presented in very simple, easily intelligible

even to illiterates, with homely smiles and household examples.

He appealed to all religionists to follow the tenets of their

religion honestly, faithfully and diligently, since each and every

religion preached kindness, compassion, love charity and morality.

People following different religions used to throng to hear him, to

receive His blessing and his benevolent grace. The stream of people,

Hindus, Muslims, Christians, nuns, priests, the less-privileged

sections who passed in queues to pay their last reverence to the

Mahaswami was an unforgettable sight. Once a Muslim poet wanted to

read some verses he had composed before the Mahaswami. When his wish

was granted, he chanted the verses with emotion and tears filled his

eyes. He said that he saw `Allah' in the sage.

Likewise Albert Franklin, former Consul of the U.S.A. in Madras, said

that he was `Jesus' in the Paramacharya.

 

The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham is the most ancient institution started

by Adi Sankara himself. There has been an unbroken chain of 70

Acharyas in the Peetham since its inception. Eminent scholars and

sages have, in the past, shed light and luster on the Peetham. The

68th Acharya the Mahaswami Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal

was the brightest diadem in the lustrous chain of Peethadhipatis. He

was a reincarnation of Adi Sankara and was regarded all over the

world as a living divinity. People used to pour into his

compassionate ears all their problems from petty admission to

scholars to proformed problems of life and death, and would feel that

they got relief by his grace.

 

The spirit of Mahaswami pervades the Kanchi Math. Even today, people

pray for relief at the Brindavan as if the Mahaswami still sits

there. May the grace of the Mahaswami ever abide with us.

For over 80 years the Paramacharya is the lamp leading humanity on

the path of Dharma. He offers solace to millions of suffering men and

women with His benediction. The greatest living scholar in Sastras

and the scriptures, He interprets true Hinduism to the World and

tries to remove the dross that had settled on it. He is the best

advocate of communal and religious harmony, faithfully and

diligently.

- R. Venkataraman,

Former President of India.