Jagadguru Abhinava Vidyatirtha
Mahaswami (born as Srinivasa Sastri 13 November 1917) was the 35th Jagadguru of
the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, which has been occupied by an unbroken lineage of
gurus stretching back to the Advaitic philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, who
established the Mutta for the propagation of Sanatana Dharma.
Childhood
He was born on 13 November 1917,
Deepavali day to Venkatalakshmi Ammal and Rama Sastry, a primary school teacher
in Bangalore. His sacred thread ceremony was performed at Sringeri Sharada
temple and he continued his vedic education at the Mutt. He slowly came under
the influence of his Guru, Sri Chandrasekara Bharathi.
Embracing Sanyasa
Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati III
announced his desire to appoint Srinivasa Sastry as the successor-designate
(i.e., as the 35th Jagadguru acharya) and give him Sanyasa. He was just 14
years old at that time. The Shishya
Sweekaram ceremony took place on the 22nd day of May, 1931 and the brahmachari received the saffron robes,
the sacred staff and the kamandalu
(water pot) from the acharya. The newly initiated sanyasi was given the Yogapatta Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha in
line with the Dashanami Sampradaya of Shri Adishankaracharya.
Reign as Jagadguru
Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha
Mahaswamigal was a vedanti par
excellence and an adept in Yoga as well. Under the tutelage of his Guru, he
attained self-realization before he even reached 20 years of age.
On 26 September 1954, Sri
Chandrasekhara Bharati shed his mortal coil. On 16 October 1954, Sri Abhinava
Vidya Tirtha took over as the 35th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Sringeri
Sharada Peetham.
He was an able administrator and
he is credited with bringing enormous changes in the functioning of the Mutt.
He constructed a guest house for visitors to the Mutt. He renovated the Ambal
and Ganapati shrines in the Sharada temple, converted a huge bamboo forest into
cultivable land, laid roads of access in Sringeri and introduced irrigation
facilities. He initiated the work of construction the bridge across the Tunga
river in Sringeri. Sharada Dhanvantari Hospital was constructed in Sringeri
during his tenure. He established the Jnanodaya school and inaugurated it in
April 1988.
In May 1979 he organized a
historic meeting of the heads of all the four Mutts established by Sri Adi
Sankara - Sringeri, Puri, Dwarka and JoshiMutt.
Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswami
shed his mortal coil on 21 September 1989. His Adhishtanam is located in Narasimha
Vana in Sringeri.
Legacy
Sri Vidyateertha foundation was established in 1991 in his honour. An educational scholarship programme - "Sri Abhinava Vidya Teertha scholarships" has also been established in his name.