Sri Jayendra Swamigal: Dharmic services and the undeserving nation – B.R. Haran

“Feed the poor! Look after the needy! Educate the illiterate! Empower them to earn their daily wages and lead a life of dignity. Every morsel of food they eat from your efforts is your Bhiksha Vandanam to me.” – Sankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal

Blessed Triumvirate

Pujya Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamigal, who was revered by devotees as ‘Paramacharya’ and ‘Maha Periyava’, took charge of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham as the 68th peetadhipathi on 13 February 1907. Pujya Paramacharya was at the helm of affairs when the freedom movement was at its peak and also after we attained independence. He traversed the length and breadth of the country by palanquin as well as by foot spreading the glory of Sanatana Dharma. Pujya Paramacharya lived as an embodiment of simplicity, renunciation and asceticism.

Pujya Paramacharya took Subramanyam, who was born in a small village named Irul Neeki in Thanjavur district, as his disciple. After Subramanyam completed his Vedic studies and learning of dharma shastras, Paramacharya anointed him as his successor to the Peetham, giving him deeksha and the name Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamigal, on 22 March 1954. As 69th peetadhipathi, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal followed the footsteps of his Guru and joined him in all his yatrasand services. Since then His Holiness was reverentially addressed by devotees as ‘Pudhu Periyava’.

Pudhu Periyava took Sankaranarayanan, who was born in Periyapalayam village of Thiruvallur district, as his disciple and anointed him as his successor, the 70th peetadhipathi, to the Peetham with the fullest blessings of Pujya Maha Periyava on 29 May 1983, giving him the name Pujya Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamigal.

After that and until Maha Periyava attained siddhi on 8 January 1994, for almost 10 years, the Acharya Triumvirate served Sanatana Dharma and blessed millions of devotees, who reverentially worshipped them as Maha Periyava, Pudhu Periyava and Bala Periyava. It was a divine spectacle for the devotees to have darshan of all the three Acharyas at the same place and such a spectacle had happened only at Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

Pujya Periyava Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, who was at the helm of affairs for more than 60 years taking the Kanchi Matham to greater heights and spreading its services far and wide, attained siddhi on 28 March 2018 (Sukla Paksha Trayodhasi). Pujya Periyava’s Brindavana Pravesam happened just next to the Brindavanam of Pujya Paramacharya inside the Matham. Vedic chanting and bhajans were conducted for the next 13 days and the aradhana was performed on 13 March 2018.

Next only to Sri Adi Sankara

Pujya Periyava Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal had many special achievements to his credit which are second only to Sri Adi Sankara.

• Pujya Periyava has traversed the entire nation four times.
• He had visited and had darshan of 51 Shakti Peethams, 7 Mukti Stalams, 12 Jyotir Linga Kshetrams and bathed in all the 7 Punya Theerthams.
• He was the only Sankaracharya who had visited China, Nepal and Bangladesh as state guest with full honours.
• He consecrated the murti of Sri Adi Sankara at the entrance of Pasupathinath Temple, Nepal in 1974. As advised by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, King of Nepal constructed an arch at a place called Mirganj on Indo-Nepal border. It was named Sankar Dwar and the words “Welcome to Nepal the only Hindu Kingdom in the World” were inscribed on it. Pujya Periyava opened it in 1988.
• In the same visit (1988) he proceeded from Nepal to Kailash and Manasarovar on invitation from the government of China. Pujya Periyava was the only Sankaracharya who had visited Kailash and Manasarovar after Sri Adi Sankara. At a height of 14,000 feet, he consecrated two murtis of Sri Adi Sankara at the foot of the mountain, one at the place of commencement of parikrama and the other at the concluding place of parikrama. The day Periyava visited happened to be the auspicious Guru Poornima day and he performed Vyasa Puja after having a snaanam in the punya theertham Manasarovar.  After the pooja, while blessing those who had accompanied him, he said the 15 days delay in getting visa from China was ‘Bhagwat Sankalpam’, due to which he could perform Vyasa Puja at Manasarovar on the auspicious Guru Poornima, which also happened to be Guruwar (Thursday).
• In the year 2000, he visited Bangladesh as their guest and had darshan at Shakti Peet Dhakeshwari. Here again he became the only Sankaracharya visiting Dhakeshwar Temple after Sri Adi Sankara. Government of Bangladesh named the entrance of the temple as ‘Sankaracharya Gate’ and honoured him by erecting an arch in front of that temple and naming it ‘Jayendra Arch’.  
• In 2001, he visited Amarnath and offered silver and gold bilva leaves. He placed a Linga made of mercury on the ice avudaiyar and performed puja.
• Pujya Periyava started the tradition of performing puja on the banks of sacred Sindhu in Ladakh and it is being performed every year since then.
• He was instrumental in the construction of a temple for Devi Saraswathi in a place called Ramban between Jammu and Srinagar.
• During his Char Dham Yatra, Pujya Periyava offered spatika Lingam to Kedarnath. He had organised to inscribe Adi Sankara’s slokas on marble stones there and he had also placed portraits of Tamil Saivite Saint Thirugnana Sambandar’s Thevaram hymns. Pujya Periyava also visited Badrinath, Pancha Badris, Pancha Prayags, Rishikesh, Haridwar and other sacred places.

Jagathguru who served Yuga Dharma

Pujya Periyava’s Dharmic services are innumerable. He gained huge experiences and knowledge during his travels with his Guru Paramacharya. Taking into consideration the changing times and without compromising on traditions and Acharas, he changed the approach of the Matham slightly to serve Yuga Dharma. As a result the services and activities of the Matham expanded in various fields and reached the people in every nook and corner of the society.  

Now there are more than 40 branches of Kanchi Matham across the country.       

It is too difficult to describe Pujya Periyava’s innumerable and phenomenal service to Sanatana Dharma which will go on for pages and pages without ending. So, let us have a glimpse of them in a broader perspective classifying them under Veda Rakshanam, Temple Protection, Go Samrakshanam, Education, Health and Social Services.

Veda Rakshanam and Sanskrit and Tamil Development

• Pujya Periyava expanded the Matham’s Veda patashalas to more than 30 places across the country and the Matham runs them in Nepal too.
• Several Trusts such as Veda Rakshana Nidhi Trust, Veda Dharma Shastra Paripalana Sabha, Kalavai Brindavan Trust, etc., have been functioning to promote the study of Vedas. Students are provided good facilities including boarding and lodging to study Vedas. These trusts also conduct examinations and competitions thereby producing competent and talented Vedic pandits.
• Students who want to take Vaidheeka samskaras as profession are also provided with required training. Measures including monthly pension have also been taken for the welfare of elderly Vedic pandits.  
• Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal started a few more trusts like Advaita Sabha, Sri Adisankara Advaita Research Center, etc., to carry out research activities and spread Advaita philosophy. Dvaita and Vishishtadvaita scholars have also been invited to exchange views and they are honoured. He had also visited those mathams and created an environment of friendship, peace and harmony.
• Sri Swamigal founded organisations like Amarabharathi Pariksha Samithi which teach Sanskrit. Sanskrit is being taught through postal correspondence too. Language, grammar, literature, etc. are being taught. A magazine by name Samskrit Sri is also being run. Competitions are conducted for school students.
• Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal had initiated many activities for the development of Tamil language as well. Poets, litterateurs and scholars are recognised and honoured. Publication of books under various categories is undertaken. Primary school students are taught beginners’ literature like Athi Choodi and Konrai Vendan, etc. Higher school students are taught Shaivite and Vaishnavite hymns such as Thevaram, Thiruvembavai, Thiruppavai and Divya Prabhandam and competitions are conducted and prizes awarded.   

Temple Protection and Preservation of Temple Tradition

Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal was a strong advocate of temple protection. He was always campaigning for renovation of old and dilapidated temples rather than building new ones. He himself had organised renovation of hundreds of temples and involved the general public also in those activities thereby making them realise its importance. Pujya Swamiji had also consecrated thousands of temples across the country.

Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji also contributed a lot on behalf of Sankara Matham to various temples across the country. Some of the contributions are gold roof for vimana of Kanchi Kamakshi Temple and offered gold and silver chariots, diamond studded kunchitha patham for Chidambaram Nataraja, diamond crown, diamond garland, diamond yagnopaveetham, gold hastham and patham for Tirupathi Venkateswara, silver spear for Pazhani Murugan, pearl garland for Pillayarpatti Vinayaga, Huge wooden ratham for Kanchi Varadaraja Perumal, etc. He had constructed Kamakoteeswarar Temple in Kasi, Sri Adi Shankara Temple in Prayag and a keerti stamba for Sri Adi Sankara in his birth place Kaladi, Kerala.

Swamiji had organised to publish Raja Raja Chola’s epigraphic inscriptions as a book in the name of Sivapatha Sekara’s Inscriptions in Tamil, during the 1000th birth anniversary of the great Chola emperor.  

Sri Swamiji had started a shilpa patashala for the preservation and progress of Shilpa Shastra. Many students complete the course there and make a career out of it. Similarly, Sankara Matham also runs agama patashala for teaching Shivite Agamas.

For the preservation of temple traditions, Swamiji had been recognising and honouring Odhuvars, Upanyasakas, Nadhaswaram and Thavil Vidwans, Shivacharyas and village temple pujaris.

Pujya Swamiji was very concerned about the village temples and the welfare of village temple pujaris. He helped them a lot. During his yatras, he used to visit them and find out their grievances and requirements and do them the needful. He used to specifically meet the Harijan community and help them building their own temples. He used to give vigrahas for their temples. Swamiji organised puja training for village pujaris and initiated measures for their welfare as well.

There were lot of temples in Tamil Nadu which do not have resources for even lighting lamps. He formed a trust by name Kshetra Paripalana Sangam through which he made arrangements for oil lamps, two times puja and one time naivedyam (offering) in such temples.   

Pujya Swamiji emphasised the importance of nandavanams (gardens) in temples. He gave saplings of tulasi, vilvam and such plants to hundreds of temples. He also advised them to grow medicinal plants in temple nanadavanams so that the local community can be benefitted by them.         

Go Samrakshana

Go Samrakshana was very close to Pujya Periyava’s heart. He wanted each and every temple to have its own goshala. He strived hard to make it a reality and helped many temples to achieve it. He supported a lot of animal welfare organisations and animal activists to start goshalas. Swamiji wanted all varieties of cattle to be protected. He pleaded with every prime minister and party leaders to promulgate a ban on cow slaughter. During Prime Minister Vajpayee’s period, he even announced a fast unto death for a ban on cow slaughter, which made Vajpayee to form a cattle commission. Throughout his life he was campaigning for the welfare of cattle.   

Education

Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal’s contribution in the field of education is enormous.  Apart from opening Veda patashalas, Agama patashalas, etc., as said by Pujya Paramacharya, Swamiji had also established number of modern schools in the name of Sankara Vidyalaya. He wanted both dev bhakti and desh bhakti to be taught to the students simultaneously. He wanted value based education (including cultural and traditional values) to be imparted to students.

Apart from Sankara schools, Oriental schools are also being run in various towns and cities. They have classes up to the level of higher secondary (12th standard). Three CBSC schools in Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru have Vedic studies also and those students who study both Vedas and CBSE are provided with boarding and lodging facilities.

Schools for the differently abled students are run in Kanchipuram, Kalavai and Hardwar.

Industrial training institutes (ITI) are being run in Coimbatore and the most backward area Madhubani in Bihar.

The one which shines as a crown in his educational services is the establishment of Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Vishva Mahavidyalaya, a deemed university, which imparts Art, Science, Engineering and Information & Technology. A unique course by name Bachelor of Samskrit and Applied Sciences (BSAS) has also been introduced.

The huge campus holds Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi International Library and Research Center, wherein, research scholars conduct researches on Vedanta, Nyaya Shastra, Mantra Shastra, Jyodisha, Language, Literature, Grammar, etc. The library has more than 2 lakh books.

Digitalisation of old manuscripts, palm leaves and other types of inscriptions is also happening here. An ayurveda college is also run. The local community around the university is given training for growing medicinal plants and producing medicines from them. The earnings from the produce are fully spent for the welfare of those people only.

A 60 feet murthi of Sri Adi Sankara has been consecrated in the campus and the entire university resembles the ancient ghadikastanam for which the Pallava’s capital city was famous for.

Medical Service

Sri Jayendrar’s Guru Pujya Paramacharya started the Matham’s medical services with an Ayurvedic dispensary and a hospital for leprosy patients in Kumbakonam in the year 1916. However, the medical services carried out by Kanchi Matham expanded hugely after Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal started sharing the responsibility with his guru. With the blessings of his guru, Sri Swamiji reached out to the nook and corner of the country through hospitals and clinics.

• The first major initiative was adopting the sinking Child Trust Hospital in Chennai, converting it into a major hospital for children with all special facilities.
• He established the Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Hospital and Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences and both are functioning well. Hindu Mission Hospitals function in 17 places in Tamil Nadu and some of them are Ayurvedic hospitals.
• Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital in Chennai is creating history. Pujya Swamiji also established Kanchi Sankara Eye Society in Coimbatore. It was Swamiji who had paved the way for eye donation across the country by his steadfast campaigning.
• Considering the backwardness of Northeast India, Swamiji had established Sri Kanchi Sankara Health and Education Foundation in Guwahati. Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya functioning under its auspices is doing a great service for the people of Northeast.  
• Swamiji established a general hospital on the way to Badrinath in Himalayas.
• He opened Kanchi Sankara Medical Center at Lake Gardens, Kolkatta.
• Sankara Eye Hospital (12th in the country) was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Odisha in the presence of Pujya Swamiji in 2016.
• On behalf of Sankara Matham and as instructed by Swamiji, Eye screening camps are being conducted regularly at several places every year.

Social Services for Progress of the Needy

Pujya Swamiji was always concerned about the welfare of the poor and the needy and he had initiated a lot of services for them.

• In 1987, while he sat in penance in front of Bhagwan Venkateswara in Tirupati, he got a divine order and immediately on return from Tirupati, Swamiji started a movement called Jana Kalyan, which is carrying out several services, undertaking numerous projects.
• Self-employment training schemes have been organised for destitute women.
• Financial assistance, gold mangalyam, sarees and dress materials are provided for poor girls for their marriage. 
• Artificial legs and tricycles are given for differently abled persons.
• Poor Harijans are given lands to eke out a living on their own.  
• Sewing machines and iron boxes are given on self-employment schemes.
• Women self-help groups have been formed and are functioning well.
• Hostel with all facilities are being run for orphaned girls in Kanchipuram, Kalavai and Kalahasthi.
• Hostels for differently abled are also run in Kanchipuram and Haridwar.
• Homes for the aged are being run in several places in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.  
• Kanchi Moodoor Archakas Welfare Trust extends financial assistance to poor temple archakas and village temple pujaris. Monthly pension is given for aged Vedic pandits.
• Annadhanam (free meal) is a daily phenomenon in many places. Handful of rice (pidi arisi) scheme started by Pujya Paramacharya has been continuously going on.  
• Several helps are rendered during natural calamities like floods, tsunami, earthquake, etc. On Pujya Swamiji’s instructions, Kanchi Matham extended all possible helps to the victims of Gujarat earthquake. It adopted two villages, and completely built them afresh and brought them back to normalcy in all aspects.
• During Kargil war, financial support was provided for the families of deceased soldiers.  
• For the victims of 2004 tsunami, several helps including eye screening lamps and treatment were provided for the victims along coastal Tamil Nadu.  
• Pujya Swamiji always used to visit the places struck by natural calamities and talk to the victims, motivate and bless them and extend all possible helps to them.
• Many drinking water wells have been constructed under Jeevan Dhara Well Scheme in and around Kanchipuram.
• Samashti Upanayanam for poor boys is a regular service at various places. Kannikadana Trust has also been formed to conduct free marriages for poor girls.
• Funeral (cremation as per shastras) and other samskaras are undertaken for orphaned dead under the scheme by name Jeevatma Kainkaryam. Gnanavapi, a place to perform last religious rites for the dead, has been functioning in Chennai, Madurai, Salem, Kolkata and Mumbai. Vessels and other facilities are offered.

Dharma Rakshana

Pujya Swamiji spread the message “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshita” across the country throughout his life. He was always thinking of unity among Hindus and the growth of Hindu Dharma. He wanted our elders to teach our children and students the fundamentals and significant aspects of Hindu culture and religious traditions.

In order to spread Hindu Dharma, its culture and tradition, Swamiji founded an organisation by name Hindu Religious Board (Hindu Samaya Manram) and expanded it across the state with 375 branches. The board had separate wings for children, students and women. It undertook activities such as temple cleaning, cultural training classes, sloka competitions and summer vacation camps, etc.

Pujya Swamiji, with the blessings of Pujya Paramacharya, founded another organisation by name World Hindu Council in 1976, and organised a huge conference in Chennai in February 1976, with the noble objective of uniting the world Hindu community. 700 members of Hindu Religious Board and more than 1000 representatives of various Hindu organisations from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Fiji Islands and South Africa attended. Seminars and lectures on Five Tamil Kavyas, Saiva Siddhanta, Vishnu Bhakti, Hindu concepts in Tamil Sangam Literature and Hinduism in Epigraphy were organised. In the evenings, traditional village arts such as Villu Pattu, Karakattam and Bhajans were organised. An exhibition on Hindu Dharma was also arranged.

Again in April 1977, World Religion and Philosophy and Cultural Conference was organised in Madurai with the noble aim of creating religious harmony among world religions. Representatives of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Ancient Greek and Egyptian religions, Confucianism, Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Judaism and Jainism participated and shared their concepts and activities. Representatives from various Asian, European and African countries participated.

Religious Harmony

On one side, Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi was focusing on the growth of Hindu Dharma through Hindu Religious Board and its activities, and on the other side, he was striving hard to create harmony among world religions. He visited the mathams of other sampradayas like Dvaita, Visishtadvaita, etc., and struck a cordial relationship with them. He also participated in several interfaith dialogues and advised people to respect not only the indigenous Indic religions but also the Abrahamic religions.

However, he was of the strong opinion that religious conversion would spoil the harmony and that activities of one religion should not interfere in another religion’s activities. He was never hesitant in conveying this point whenever he participated in interfaith dialogues.

In the year 1981, when the Harijans of a small hamlet by name Meenakshipuram in Tirunelveli district were converted to Islam, the whole nation was shocked. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was very much concerned about the situation. However, without waiting for the governments to take steps, Pujya Swamiji rushed to Meenakshipuram, spoke to the local people, gave them the confidence, motivated them and stopped many from converting. He also spoke to the representatives of both the religions and prevented further worsening of situation and brought back normalcy.

Much before this incident and even after it, Pujya Swami always used to visit the localities of poor and downtrodden and meet them during his Vijay Yatras. He always focussed on eradication of untouchability and uniting Hindus and acted accordingly.  

Similarly, the dialogues and actions, which he had undertaken for resolving the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhumi issue, instilled faith and confidence in the minds of both the Hindu and Muslim sides. He sincerely and strongly believed that the issue could be resolved by talks and indulged in peace talks many times. Muslim organisation had great respect for him and cooperated with him. That a few more religious leaders are trying for dialogues now, even while the Supreme Court is seized of the issue, is mainly because of the strong base Swamiji had laid by his talks.

The fact that plenty of Muslims had come and paid their last respects after he attained siddhi, is proof enough for the reverence and respect he commanded among that community.

Along with his guru Pujya Paramacharya, Swamiji had seen and experienced the “anti-Hindu, Brahmin-bashing, anti-Hindu Gods” activities of Dravidian racist organisations. He has seen them resorting to violence in the name of rationalism and atheism. So, he had a very good understanding of Dravidian organisations, their ideology and activities. He also had understanding of many pseudo secular organisations and their adharmicactivities in the name of secularism. He was also aware of the fact that alien powers act behind these organisations funding and encouraging them with the motive of de-Hinduising this nation.  

All his activities and services had a larger objective of defeating these forces and he strongly believed that Hindu unity is the one and only weapon which could vanquish them. So, he strived hard for Hindu unity; he focused on inculcating and instilling spiritualism, patriotism, and cultural values among the Hindu masses. If his guru Pujya Paramacharya achieved huge success in the field of spiritualism and spiritual progress, Swamiji achieved the same in the field of social service and progress.

The painful nine years

As Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji continuously served in the fields of Religion, Spiritualism, Culture, Education, Health and Social progress through hundreds of organisations and trusts and took care of the needs of the people, especially the poor and downtrodden, the alien religious organisations found it very difficult to indulge in evangelisation, propagation of their religion and conversion of the poor and gullible. They conspired and indulged in bringing down the Kanchi Matham, by spreading canards and falsehoods with the help of conniving media and supportive government machinery. They schemed to destroy the Matham and Acharyas. A huge conspiracy was laid around them and ultimately a murder case was foisted on the Acharyas and Pujya Swamiji was arrested by the then Jayalalitha government on the auspicious occasion of Deepavali in 2004.

After almost two months of incarceration in prisons and immediately after Pujya Swamiji obtained bail in Supreme Court in January 2005, Jayalalitha government again struck by arresting Pujya Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal on 10 January 2005. The change of government at the center also aided such a heinous act against the 2500 years old institution.

Anti-Hindu forces celebrated the attack on Kanchi Acharyas. Right from the day of arrest, to the day of filing charge sheets, atheist, communal, separatist, pseudo secular and Dravidian racist forces joined the alien forces in spreading canards against the Matham and Acharyas. The print and electronic media went berserk and undertook a sustained venomous and vituperative campaign. Their only aim was to bring down the 2500 years old Hindu institution. Virulent propaganda and actions were unleashed to the extent that the glorious Matham started losing its sheen.  

Meanwhile, there were schemers and conspirators, who identified themselves with the institution but acted in self-interests against the Matham and Acharyas. They projected themselves as loyalists and supporters of the Matham for public consumption, but acted against the interests of Acharyas and Matham. They still masquerade as champions of Hindu causes, but destiny will expose them one day and they will have to suffer for their karma. Guru will pardon and guide prayaschitta for sins against God, but there is no pardon and prayaschitta for sins committed against guru. God alone will decide their destiny!  

Even the so-called Hindu organisations have not risen to the occasion in support of the grand old institution. They stopped after some token protest demonstrations in the beginning. For them, politics was more important than Dharma. They wanted political alliance and friendship with the very same parties and party heads which unleashed the asuric assault on the revered institution. On the whole, the entire nation failed the Acharyas and the Kanchi Matham.

Despite all these going against their favour, both the Acharyas bravely faced all the canards, campaigns and cases. There were indeed some sincere minds filled with utmost guru bhakti and they silently served the Matham and Acharyas as though they were sent by Bhagwan Ishwara. They stood behind the Acharyas like rocks and toiled day-in and day-out, forgetting their personal lives and daily routines and ensured that the daily activities of Matham continued without any hassles. They protected the institution. Those devotees who were weak and who did not have the strength to openly act in support of the Matham, indulged in continuous prarthana, chanting mantras and singing bhajans.

Ultimately the nine years of prayers and drops of tears from the devotees were answered by Ishwara. Justice was rendered in 2013 and Dharma triumphed. Worldwide Hindus were happy and relieved and thanked God.

Facing and tolerating all sorts of attacks silently, without showing even a glimpse of their sufferings in the open, respecting the law of the land and cooperating with the investigations, enquiries and judicial proceedings, continuing their religious, spiritual, cultural and social activities, the Acharyas have been blessing the devotees for nine years with a divine smile. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the spiritual power of the Acharyas was protecting the devotees and gave them the required strength to withstand the adharmic assault on the institution.

Only a brief account of Pujya Acharya’s services has been given here. While looking back at the enormous services of Acharya to the nation and the society, and the way the nation and society responded to the asuric assault on him by adharmic forces, one could only feel that, this nation doesn’t deserve him!   

However, those great human beings, who served the Acharyas and the Matham with utmost bhakti and dedication at the time of crisis and the painful nine years which followed, would certainly be blessed by Sri Tripurasundari Sameda Sri Chandramouleeswarar.

Pujya Periyava has attained siddhi. This nation, which is enjoying the fruits of his great services, would certainly understand and realise his greatness. Pujya Bala Periyava has taken the complete responsibility of the affairs of the great institution. Both Pujya Maha Periyava and Pujya Periyava would bless Pujya Bala Periyava to continue the dharmicactivities of the Matham.  It is the duty of the Hindu samaj to extend their support with utmost devotion and dedication. 

References

1. Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamiji: An Offering by P.R. Kannan, Navi Mumbai.
2. Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham at www.kamakoti.org.

» B.R. Haran is a senior journalist in Chennai. This article is his personal tribute to Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipathi Pujya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal who attained siddhi on 28 March 2018 at Kanchipuram. This article originally appeared in Uday India and Yuva Bharathi online magazines.