[Advaita-l] JAGADGURU SRI CHANDRASEKHARA BHARATI MAHASWAMI – MYSTIC AND SEER - 1

[S Jayanarayanan]

 (Book condensation from Tattvaloka, July 1999, Volume XXII No. 2 )
 
http://www.svbf.org/journal/vol5no1-2/mystic.pdf
 
Sacred  Sringeri  –  I
 
Sringeri is a breathtakingly beautiful place
with river Tunga flowing amidst a rich
background of forests and mountains. Valmiki
Ramayana portrays the character of sage
Vibhandaka who lived here. He was the very
essence of austerity and renunciation. His son
Rishyasringa, after whom the place is named,
was equally outstanding in knowledge and
penance.
 
When Adi Sankara came to the south of the
Vindhyas  in  search  of  a  centre  for  the
propagation of the Sanatana Dharma, he was
struck by the spiritual enchantment of the place.
He chose it as one of the four centres of scriptural
and dharmic wisdom established by him. He also
stayed in Sringeri itself for 12 years writing his
commentaries on the scriptural texts.
 
The principal deity, Sharadambal, the
Goddess of Learning, is a focus of a mighty
spiritual force. Sharadambal, by all legendary
accounts, is a deity of Kashmir who was brought
down to the south of India by Adi Sankara. He
installed an idol made of sandalwood on a Sri
Chakra drawn by himself. Traditionally, it is
regarded that the deity embodies Cit, or the
consciousness aspect of the Self.
 
Adi Sankara also built four guardian temples
on the surrounding hillocks—Kalabhairava in the
east, Anjaneya in the west, Durga in the south
and Kali in the north—to protect the place from
dangers, diseases and forces of evil. The other
landmark is the Vidya Sankara temple built by
Sri Vidyaranya.
 
 
(Continued in next post)