Chaturamnaya Peetha Sammelan
Jagadguru Shankaracharyas at the historic
Chaturamnaya Sammelan at the Shankarapuram Math, Bangalore
The city of Bangalore resembled Prayag on May 19 and 20 with the historic event of Chaturamnaya Peetha Sammelan being held at the Shankarapuram Math complex. Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal of the Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Swaroopananda Saraswati Maharaj of Dwaraka and Badari Peetham, and Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj of Puri Govardhan Peetham held a private meeting to discuss the sustenance and propagation of Sanatana Dharma and then inaugurated a Vedanta Vidwat Ghoshti. The three Jagadguru Shankaracharyas gave Anugraha Bhashanas to thousands of people on 19th and 20th May at the inaugural and concluding ceremony of the Vidwat Ghoshti.
The Sringeri Jagadguru Shankaracharya giving His Anugraha Bhashanam.
The Shankaracharyas of Dwaraka-Badari and Puri are to His right
At the concluding ceremony, the Jagadguru mentioned that Vedanta Vidwat Ghoshti has been held during the Sammelan because it is spiritual knowledge that has been described as the ultimate knowledge – Bhagavad Gita – “Adhyatma Vidya Vidyanam” (I am Self-Knowledge among various kinds of knowledge). The main obstacle for being established in the Self is ignorance (Ajnana) and Sri Adi Shankara at the outset writes the reason for penning His Bhashya as “Asya Anarthahetoh prahaanaaya” – for the removal of ignorance. This is because “Jnanam ajnanasya Nivartakam”. Self-Knowledge alone can remove ignorance and this Self-Knowledge can arise only through Vedanta. The Jagadguru pointed out that it is only Sri Adi Shankara who has commented upon the texts in accordance with their true import. Hence Sastraic deliberations on Vedanta and the Shankara Bhashyas are most apt to be held during such a historic occasion. Sri Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati Swamiji of Varanasi, Sri Sadanand Saraswati Swamiji of Dwaraka and Sri Shankara Bharati Swamiji of Yadathore Yoganandeshwara Saraswati Math were present.
On 20th evening thousands of women chanted Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada’s Soundarya Lahari Stotra in the presence of the Jagadguru Shankaracharyas of the Amnaya Peethams at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore. Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamigal blessed the gathering conveying that the beauty of the Slokas of this Stotra, describing the Divine Mother and composed by Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada, is inimitable. The Jagadguru lauded Sri Shankara Bharati Swamiji for organizing the entire programme.