Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal

The life history of Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal.

Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal, the Sage of Kanchi was an Indian Saint and spiritual leader. He is called Nadamadum Deivam which means “The walking God”.

Let us discuss this holy spiritual scholar’s early life.

Swaminathan was born in 1894 on 20th May, in a Kannadiga Smartha family in the village called Viluppuram in South Arcot District in Tamil Nadu. Saraswati was the second son of Subramaniya Sastrigal who was a District Education Officer. He was named Swaminathan, after the family deity, Lord Swaminatha. Swaminathan’s early education took place at the Arcot American Mission High School in Tindivanam. He was an extraordinary student and outshined in several subjects. He won a prize for his proficiency in the delivery of the “Holy Bible”. In the year 1905, his parents performed his Upanayanam, a Vedic tradition that qualifies a Brahmin boy to commence his Vedic studies under a finished teacher. That’s how smart this child was in his childhood.

Moving a head on his sainthood journey. At the time of his childhood, his father consulted an astrologer to study the child’s horoscope who, upon studying the son’s horoscope, got so stunned and said that he overpowered himself before the boy exclaiming that “One day the whole world will fall at this child’s feet”. In the year 1906, the 66th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham performed the annual Chaturmasyam which was a forty-day annual ritual performed by Hindu monks while remaining in one place, in a village in Tamil Nadu. This was Swaminathan’s first appearance to Math and its Acharya. Later, Swaminathan followed his father whenever he visited the Mutt due to which the Acharya was deeply impressed by the young boy’s enthusiasm.

In the month of February in 1907, Subramanya Sastrigal got informed by the Kanchi Kamakoti Math that Swaminathan’s first cousin was to be positioned as the 67th Peetathipathi. The supervising Acharya was then suffering from illness smallpox and had the sign that he might not live long. Therefore, he administered upadesa to his pupil Lakshminathan before he died. Sastrigal being away in Trichinopoly on duty arranged for the flight of Swaminathan with his mother to Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu. The boy and his mother started for Kalavai to reassure his aunt who, while also being a widow, had just given up her only son to be a monk. They traveled by train to Kanchipuram and stayed at the Sankara Math.

The 67th Acharya also lost his life, after managing for a short seven days as the head of the Math. Swaminathan was immediately introduced as the 68th head of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in the year 1907 on February 13. Swaminathan was given Sanyasa Asramam when he was 13 and was named Chandrasekharendra Saraswati. His “Pattabhishegam” as the 68th Peetathipathi of the famous Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam was performed on 9th May in 1907 at the Kumbakonam Math.

Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati spent several years in the study of the writings and dharma shastras and introduced himself with his role as the Head of the Math. He soon gained the admiration and respect of the devotees around him. He was simply the revered one of Maha-Periyava which means a great person to millions of devotees and conveys fondness, respect, and devotion.

Chandrashekarendra Saraswati was the head of the Mutt for about 87 years. During this period, the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitam gained new strength as an institution that developed Sankara’s teachings. The dedication, enthusiasm, and energy with which the Paramacharya practised what Sankara had taught are considered to be unique by his devotees. Throughout his life, he focused on activities that rejuvenated Veda adhyayana, the Dharma Sastras. “Veda rakshanam or to conserve the Vedas” was his very life-breath, and he mentioned this in most of his talks.

Providing support through Veda Patashalas, the schools teaching Vedic knowledge, through the Veda Rakshana Nidhi which he founded and admiring Vedic scholars, he had brought back the Vedic studies in India. He organized regular ‘conferences which included discussions on the arts and culture of Hindusim. He attained his moksha on January 8, 1994, and was replaced by H.H.Sri Jayendra Saraswati as the head of Math.

This was all about the great saint Shri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal, his early life, and his sainthood journey. Found our article informative? Check out our other articles on Famous Hindu Personalities.