Sustenance of Sanatana Dharma
Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya having established the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham installed as its head, His most scholarly disciple, Sri Sureshwaracharya. Their lives are shining examples of Sannyasa Ashrama, of supreme dispassion and renunciation while being amidst a number of activities that uphold the tradition of Sanatana Dharma spread across the first three Ashramas – Brahmacharya, Grihastha and Vanaprastha. Over the centuries, the Sringeri Jagadgurus are renowned as the greatest upkeepers of the spirit of Sanatana Dharma. Followers of Sanatana Dharma throughout the world look up to the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri be it a matter of spiritual guidance, or philosophical in matters of Sringeri Jagadguru
Sri Sharada Peetham’s activities revolving around the sustenance of Sanatana Dharma derive inspiration from the lives of its Jagadguru Shankaracharyas and their exemplary and unflinching adherence to the principles laid down in the Shastras.
The importance of Dharma is declared in the Upanishads thus धर्मो विश्वस्य जगतः प्रतिष्ठा (Dharma is the firm foundation upon which the entire universe rests).
The Shastras declare वेदोऽखिलो धर्ममूलम् (the Vedas are the foundation of all Dharma)
For fostering the study of Vedas, Sri Sharada Peetham runs a number of Veda Pathashalas throughout India to sustain the .
Sri Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Pathashala was established in 1895 at Sringeri by Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji. The Peetham runs a number of Pathashalas throughout the country. Patashalas function in many of the branches of the Peetham (Sringeri Shankara Maths) including Bangalore, Mysore, Siddapura, Kalady, Srirangam, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Hyderabad, Narasaraopet, Rajahmundry, Madurai, Varanasi, Prayag, Indore,. The Peetham also monitors and supports the running of Pathashalas in Palghat , Madurai, Melmangalam, Rajapalayam. Vedas are taught to adults in various branch Maths of the Peetham located in metros such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan, Hyderabad, Vijayawada.
Vedic Sammelans (conferences) were held across the country under the auspices of Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri with the Blessings of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji. Every year, during the Shankara Jayanti festival, 200 scholars highly proficient in the extant Shakhas (recessions) of the four Vedas attend the function and are honoured in the presence of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya.
Over the past decade, the Peetham has felt the need to conduct Vedic Sammelans throughout the country to give a thrust to traditional education by conducting Veda Parayana, honouring proficient scholars and encouraging students to excel in their branch of study. The annual Sammelans are being held in Varanasi, New Delhi and Maharashtra for about 10 years now. In the recent years, the Peetham has also been organising Sammelans in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Uttar Pradesh. The Sammelans are achieving success in bringing together on a common platform Vedic scholars from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Haryana. Each year, these annual Sammelans honour about 2000 Vedic scholars.
Under the Veda Parayana scheme, the Peetham engages reputed Vedic scholars to perform Parayana of the Vedas. The Peetham also has a scheme to honour aged Vedic scholars and supports about 350 scholars with a monthly stipend.
The Pathashalas at Sringeri and Kalady also support higher learning in the Shastras. The Shastras taught here include Advaita Vedanta, Nyaya Shastra, Vyakarana Shastra, Mimamsa and Jyotishya.
The Peetham hosts a number of conferences called Vidwat Sadas wherein Shastra scholars participate to expound and deliberate on various intricate aspects of the Shastra.
The Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri is widely revered as the supreme authority in the Shastras. The annual Mahaganapati Vakyartha Vidwat Sabha conducted for about 12 days during the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival is unmatched in the scholarship of the discussions, that take place entirely in Sanskrit under the presidentship of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri. Invitation to this Sabha is extended to about 50 of the brightest of the scholars across the country. The scholars deliberate for about an hour on a chosen topic in one of the four Shastras – Advaita Vedanta, Mimama, Vyakarana or Nyaya. The Sringeri Jagadguru is present throughout the 4-hour session everyday and mediates the discussions and delivers verdicts.
A special 5-day Shastra conference is held at the birthplace (Janmabhoomi Kshetra) of Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya during Shankara Jayanti every year. The Saparikara Advaita Vedanta Sabha in Andhra Pradesh also invites scholars and holds deliberations in Vedanta.
Sri Sharada Peetham conducts a number of Yagas or sacrifices including Ati Rudra Mahayaga, Sahasrachandi Mahayaga, Maharudra Yaga, Shatachandi Yaga involving hundreds of Ritwiks with the primary intention of sustaining Dharma and the welfare of the world.
The Jagadgurus of the Peetham observe all religious festivals with great piety and conform to the practices set in the Dharma Shastras.
Sri Sharada Peetham lays great importance on preserving ancient temples and renovating dilapidated temples. Most of the Kumbhabhishekas performed by the Sringeri Jagadgurus are at ancient temples or renovated temples.
Services enabling followers to conduct various religious ceremonies are offered at Sringeri and important branch Maths.
Sri Sharada Peetham has been involved in the protection of Mother cow under the Go Samrakshana scheme.