Autobiography of Ahdyatma Ratna Kumbakonam C N Guruswami Sarma- Chapter 21- Jagadguru

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

ADHYATMA RATNA KUMBAKONAM C N GURUSWAMI SARMA (1900-1968)

CHAPTER 21

JAGADGURU

During the short sojourn in the big city, an incident happened which can be stated as a land mark in my life. The great Acharya of Sringeri Mutt, Sri Narasimha Bharati Swami (Ref 1) was sojourning at Madura temple. Large concourse of people from near and far were teeming in thousands to the temple for witnessing the Puja and having  Dharshan of the great Man. I was dreaming that some benefit will accrue to me if I could have dharshan of the Great Man. My father was telling others often that he was our family Acharya why the Jagatguru  for all. As luck would have it one night my father took me also along with some notables of Madura to the temple to witness the Puja. With my recently tonsured head and the Dhoti above the knees, with Vibhuti besmeared in bold outline allover my body and a Yagnopavitham on a black background I was presented to the Acharya by my father. Involuntarily and without the least knowledge of what it all meant i started reciting परीक्ष्य लोकान (Ref 2) and other Acharya's slokas. The great man without the least reserve caught hold of my arm, out his right hand on my head and asked me to sit down by his side. As soon as the abhishekam to the deities was begun, I was reciting with a clarity of voice , not knowing if it was the correct thing to do or not , a number of upanishads and sukthams. All throught the function, my Guru was benevolently smiling at me and his large eyes were giving me a kind look. Theertham and prasadam were given and when I came into the prakara I found thousands sitting for  a meal. i was so hungry and more than that anxious to eat the prasad and I also sat and ate my full probably the "squarest meal" I have ever had had. Somehow, I missed my father when I got up but  soon some one came and took me to him and he was still standing there. Acharya was talking to him in sanskrit and Telugu. (Ref 3). I again prostrated and was given akshada, kumkum and some fruits and I left for the Lodge with my father late in the night. It was as I understand now,navarathri season and Pujas were held every night. People were thronging the place in huge numbers and it was difficult to jostle through the crowd and approach the Jagatguru. I iused to get up on a stone pillar and have a glimpse of His benign and beaming face over the heads of the thick crowd. I t was indeed a great fortune for me when one morning my father called me by his side and asked me to wear silk cloth after having bath and performing Sandhya and accompany him to visit the Acharya as He had ordained that I must be taken to Him. I had not even the ghost of an idea as to why I was summoned and for what purpose but I was so eager to meet Him whose sight seemed to pour calmness and happiness ito my mind. Soon we, my father and one or two of his friends and myself were there in the temple but it was not an open affair and the Acharya was sitting inside a room with some guards outside the room and an agent of the mutt, a very powerful looking man whose name I learnt to be one Srikantayya. My father and his friends were let into the room without any hindrance but I was stopped. The benevolent Acharya, saw me and signed me to come in and in a childish voice I protested that I should not be stopped when I was beckoned  inside and I rushed in and prostrated number of times at the feet of the Jagatguru. He smiled in a way which only He can. After some talk with the elders for a few mintutes, the Swami called me and whispered into my right ear  a great Mantra I knew nothing about or which deity it represented. When I was actually non-plussed, the swamiji said, "Don't worry, you go on repeating this mantra even when you are playing at marbles. Somebody will come and explain everything to you at a future time". (Ref 4) My father asked the Swamiji whether the "angas" were not necessary for the Mantra and he replied all such things are not needed for "that child". I again fell at his feet and a plate of fruits with a kashaya silk was given to me on a plate and I was ordained to wear it whenver I felt serious enough to sit and meditate on the Mantra continuously and when I had an occasion to perform the Puja to Devi (Ref 5). He wanted that I should observe closely how he was conducting the Puja to Sri Saradamba and I sat in front of him for more than an hour closely watching the Puja. Lastly he said that some few years later in  my life, every ritual connected with the Puja will be explained to me and I can do the puja as he was doing. A brat that I was then one doubt arose in my mind as it was supreme importance , namely as to who will present me another Kashaya if one that was then given to me should get torn and ready came the reply that I will always be supplied with a fresh one when the one I wore got worn out. With all doubts cleared, still knowing nothing, except that I had the greatest benediction in my life, I parted company with my Guru after getting his blessings again and came back to the Lodge with my father and to the usual routine. 

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Editor's note:
1. Sri Narasimha Bharati Swamiji also called Sri Sachidhanandha Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati swami was the 33rd Jagadguru of the Dakshinamnaya Sringeri Peetam from 1879 to 1912. He performed Kaladi yatra during 1907 to 1909 and he was performing Puja in Madurai Mennakshi Amman temple in 1908. Since my grandfather had undergone upanayanam which is normally done at the age of eight, we can determine the year of birth of my grandfather as 1900 and he was studying fifth standard at the age of 8.  
2. Mundakpopanishad has this famous mantra

The MundakaopaniShat has this famous mantra:

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायात् नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन । तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ (1.2.12) 

parIkShya lokAn karmachitAn brAhmaNo nirvedamAyAt nAstyakRRitaH kRRitena. Tadvi~jnAnArtham sa gurumevAbhigacChet samitpANiH shortriyam brahmaiShTham.

3. It is customary for Sankaracharyas of Sringeri to converse in Sanskrit and so it is not a surprise. However, switching over to Telugu means both swamiji and my grandfather's father knew it better than sanskrit and they could be comfortable in their intimate discussions. (Swamiji was born in 1858 and it means He was younger to my grandfather's father by a few years.). It is also possible to conclude that such a mastery over Telugu can only come if the previous generations have come from Telugu speaking area. It is my submission that my grandfather's ancestors came from Chetlur in Vijayanagar empire. They were probably invited by Maratha King Sarabhoji I and they came to Tanjore around 1700 CE..   

4. I have the knowledge of this incident which happened as foretold by Swami. This was related to me by my granfather himself. Some where in 1917 or 1918 when my grand father was in the Victoria Hostel and studying BA in Presidency College, Madras, a short person with diminutive figure and very old (குள்ளமான தோற்றம் ) came to see my grandfather. Obviously, he attracted no one's attention. Unmindful of the disdain of the people around, he sat there in the hostel room and performed Pranayama  several times at the end of which he started looking different. There was radiance in his face and he looked almost as if he had grown in size. He gave my grandfather a picture of Rajarajeswari and taught him several things about performing Puja. My grandfather started performing Puja to this picture and in the hostel several students used to bring cakes and biscuits as naivedyams. Devi probably took them in her stride. He performed Devi Puja from 1918 to 1968 the year he passed away after Dasara. This picture is still in our house.

5. It is difficult to explain the Kashaya being given. Except sanyasi, others are not allowed to wear Kashaya vastra according to scriptures. Even brahmacharis cannot wear the Kashayam. Then, why did the Swamiji present the kashayam?. There are many possibilities.One such possibility is Swamiji was looking for a successor as He was close to 50 when he visited Madurai. Was He preparing my grandfather to take up the responsibility in due course? Was he seeing him as one of the potentials and wanted to groom him?. Note this . He Himself did the upadesham though there were many learned pundits around. He established Himself as the direct Guru to my grandfather by this Upadesham. It is reported that Swamiji did hear the words "Make room" sometime in 1908 after 42 years in the throne, which meant that He had to look for a successor and train him before he could take Mahasamadhi. Selection process would involve several steps and examination of many aspects including horoscopes of candidates. These would have taken some time. But, would my grandfather have been in Sringeri Peetam if things had taken a different turn?. Did swamiji discuss with my grandfather's father this possibility and that is why He switched over to Telugu to maintain confidentiality?.We do not know. All that we know is Narasimha Bharati Swamiji did select His successor in 1912 just before His Mahasamadhi. He was Chandrasekara Bharati (original name Narasimha) who was a Gnani even before he came into sanyas and so probably did not need any training.  My grandfather also used to say that he was to be a "light on the hill but ended up as a light in the pot". (குன்றினில் ஏற்றிய விளக்குக்கு பதிலாக குடத்தில் ஏற்றிய விளக்காக ஆனேன்). It may mean different things to different people.

Our prayer to the great sage: 

sri Sachchidanandha Shivabhinavya  Nrsimha Bharatyabhidhanyathindraan

Vidyaanidhin Mantra nidhin sadhaatma nishtaan bhaje Maanava shambu roopaan. 

      

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