Amrita Mahotsava (120th Anniversary) of Sri Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Mahapathashala
One hundred and twenty years ago, in 1895, corresponding to the “Manmatha” year in the traditional Indian Almanac, the 33rd Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham at Sringeri, Sri Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji founded the Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Mahapathashala to foster and promote Vedic education. Since then, the Pathashala has been playing a vital role in preserving the hoary Vedic wisdom by producing many Vedic as well as Shastric scholars year after year.
With the blessings of the presiding Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, several Dharmic as well as cultural programmes were organized to celebrate the Amrita Mahotsava (120th Anniversary) of the Pathashala from the 24th to the 26th of January 2015.
On the morning of January 24 2015, Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam Jagadguru Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji and Sri Sri Sannidhanam Jagadguru Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji reached the northern banks of the Tunga river, had Darshan at Sri Sharadamba temple, graced the Poornahuti of the Ganapati Homa and came to the Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Sabha Bhavanam to inaugurate the Amrita Mahotsava. Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam lit a traditional lamp and offered garland to a silver lifesize Murti of 33rd Jagadguru of the Peetham and the founder of the Pathashala. This beautiful silver Murti was offered to the Jagadguru by the teachers, students and alumni of the Pathashala on the occasion of the Amrita Mahotsava. Then the inauguration function started with a Vedaghosha, prayer song and a welcome address by Vidwan M A Nagaraja Bhat, principal of the Pathashala. Then the Jagadguru released the special edition of the Annual journal “Sadvidya”.
The Jagadguru Mahaswamiji in His Anugraha Bhashanam remembered the year 1974 in which He was blessed with Sannyasa by His Guru Srimad Abhinava Vidya Tirtha Mahaswamiji and the event then had been followed by the Vajra Mahotsava of Sri Sadvidya Sanjeevini Pathashala the very next day. The Jagadguru said history has repeated as His Uttaradhikari Shishya Sweekara function had just been conducted the previous day and the Amrita Mahotsava of the Pathashala followed immediately. The Jagadguru then referred to the address of the Principal of the Pathashala who had expressed his curiosity to know the significance of the word “Amrita” in the term “Amrita Mahotsava” chosen by the Jagadguru for naming the 120th Anniversary Celebrations.
The Jagadguru went on to explain that the Pathashala having functioned for 120 years has Amarana Dharma, the property of immortality, the adjective of immortal – Amrita was indeed apt for the occasion. There are sayings from the Veda अमृतं तु विद्या (Knowledge is Nectar), विद्यया विन्दते अमृतम् (Immortality is attained through Knowledge). As such knowledge is being taught in the Pathashala, the word “Amrita” was indeed apt for the Celebrations.
The Jagadguru said that the three day programme was being organized with distinct events such as Kavi sammelana, Samskrita Ashtaavadhaana and Kannada Ashtaavadhaana. The Jagadguru said that these programs had been organized because while there are no scarcity for scholars, identifying and encouraging them was the need of the hour. The Jagadguru concluded the Anugraha Bhashanam with prayers at the Lotus Feet of His Parameshti Guru, Paramaguru, Guru and Goddess Sri Sharadamba for the long life of the Pathashala.
Thereafter, as part of Dharmic discourses, Dr. H.R. Vishwasa, Mangalore lectured in Sanskrit and Sri Sulibele Chakravarthi, Hosakote delivered his lecture in Kannada. In the evening around 4’O clock, Samskrita Kavi Goshthi took place in the divine presence of Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sri Sannidhanam. Scholars from various parts of the country read-out and elaborated on their beautiful poems. The Kavi Ghoshti concluded with the Jagadguru’s Anugraha Bhashanam in which the Jagadguru mentioned that a poem should not use complex words and should convey the meaning directly without the necessity of a commentary. This we see in every verse of great poets such as Kalidasa. The Jagadguru concluded the Bhashanam expressing happiness in listening to some beautiful poetic compositions on the day and prayed to Goddess Sharadamba to bless all the assembled scholars. The list of scholars who participated in the Ghoshti included Sri Umakanta Bhat (Melkote), Sri Shalaka Raghunatha Sharma (Rajahmundry), Sri Chirrarvuri Shrirama Sharma (Rajahmundry), Sri Vishnu Namboodiri (Payyanur), Sri Ganesha Ishwara Bhat (Sringeri), Sri Raghavendra Sampa (Sringeri), Sri Mahesh Kaktakar (Sringeri), Sri B R Sundara Kumar (Chennai) and Sri Subrahmanya Sharma.
To mark the 120th Anniversary, it was planned to honour 120 alumni of the Pathashala who have been rendering their service to the society in different ways. The first day event concluded by honouring around 50 alumni of the Pathashala in the presence of Sri Sannidhanam Jagadguru Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji.
The second day (25 Jan 2015, Sunday) being Lalita Panchami day, events started with Saraswati Homa. The Poornahuti of the Homa was graced by Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam. Dharmic Upanyasa was performed by Sri Pavagada Prakash Rao, Bangalore in Kannada and Sri B. Sundar Kumar, Chennai in Tamil. In the evening around 4 p.m., Kannada Ashtaavadhaanam was performed by eminent Shatavadhani Dr. R. Ganesh in the divine presence of Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sannidhanam. Everyone assembled enjoyed the entire session which took more than 3 hours. Sri Mahasannidhanam blessed all with an Anugraha Bhashanam and all the scholars comprising of the Shatavadhani and the Pricchakas (questioners) were honoured in the presence of Sri Sannidhanam. The second day of the event concluded by honouring around 40 alumni of the Pathashala in the presence of Sri Sri Sannidhanam Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji.
The third day of the Amrita Mahotsava (26 January 2015) started with a Rudra Homa and Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam graced the Purnahuti. In the morning, Dharmic Upanyasas were delivered by Sri M.L. Narasimhamurthy, Tirupati in Sanskrit, Sri Vasudeva Bhat, Mysore in Kannada and Sri B. Santosh Kumar Shastri, Hyderabad in Telugu. In the evening around 4:30 pm, Samskrita Ashtavadhanam was performed by Shatavadhani Sri Madugula Nagaphani Sharma, Hyderabad in the divine presence of Sri Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sri Sannidhanam. Then in the Valedictory function Hon. Sri B.N. Krishna, Retired Justice, Supreme Court of India took part as the chief guest and delivered his address. Talking on the greatness of the Pathashala, he expressed his happiness and offered prayers for the Pathashala to flourish forever. Then the Pathashala Pandits offered an Abhivandana Patram on the occasion of Amrita Mahotsava at the Lotus Feet of Jagadguru Mahaswamiji, honoured the Chief guest, and the CEO of Sringeri Math Dr. V R Gowrishankar. Then the Jagadguru released a book “Sri Madhaviya Sri Shankara Digvijaya SaraH” a beautiful compilation of shlokas culled out by Asthana Vidwan Sri Mahabaleshwara Bhat from the original biography “Sri Madhaviya Sri Shankara Digvijaya”.
In the Valedictory function, the Jagadguru blessed all the devotees assembled with an Anugraha Bhashanam. The Jagadguru said, “My Guru after blessing Me with Mantropadesha had expressed with great satisfaction that the Math will flourish in many ways during My reign. As per the saying – ऋषीणां पुनराद्यानां वाचमर्थोऽनुधावति (The words of Mahatmas become true), only because of His blessings, various developments have taken place in the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham. I have also been blessed to conduct the Centenary celebrations for the institutions opened by our Parameshti Guru and 33rd Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswamiji, such as those of Sri Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Mahapathashala in the year 1995, the Bangalore Shankara Math in 2007 and the Kalady Shankara Math in 2010. In addition to all these, conducting the 120th Anniversary of the Pathashala now is due to the sheer grace of Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji. If the Guru is pleased by our service, Shreyas ensues. If the Guru is displeased, He need not curse. His very displeasure will lead to our downfall.”
The Jagadguru also said that we all have to understand the greatness of Shrutis (Vedas) and Shastras since we have come in this Sanatana Dharma Parampara. We should not follow somebody who do not belong to this Parampara and loose our faith. The greatness of Dharma enunciated in the Vedas and Shastras is akin to the greatness of Sun and will never go down even after millennia. Just as the earth received sunlight thousands of years back, is receiving sunlight today and will receive it even after thousands of years, Dharma has been, is and will illumine and direct mankind for all time.
The four Amnaya Peethams were established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya with the only goal to spread the Dharma and protect the Vedas and Shastras. All the illustrious successors of Sri Adi Shankaracharya in the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham have been executing this duty very well. The efforts of the 33rd Jagadguru stand out as He established Pathashalas, began the practice of conducting Vidwat Sadas and published the entire works of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. Such efforts would last forever.
The Jagadguru expressed joy that Retired Justice Sri B N Srikrishna had come to the function as the Chief guest stating that he was a supreme court Judge of a kind, with such interest in Sanskrit with the ability to converse in a simple and appealing Sanskrit. His father Sri Narayanaswamy was an ardent disciple of Jagadguru Srimad Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswamiji and had arranged for all the facilities in Mumbai for the Chaturmasya more than forty years back. The Jagadguru expressed delight in beholding the Silver Murti of His Parameshti Guru, offered by the Principal, Superintendent, Teachers, Students and Alumni of the Pathashala. The Jagadguru said that the Murti would make the function to be remembered forever and keep inspiring the teachers and students of the Pathashala.
Finally, the remaining Pathashala Alumini were honoured in the presence of Sri Sri Sannidhanam Sri Sri Vidhushekhara Bharati Mahaswamiji and the Amrita Mahotsava concluded with a cultural programme (a Samskrita Drama and Kannada Drama) by the students of the Pathashala.