Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, Badrikashram: The Whole Thing – The Real Thing (Chapter: 07)

Excerpt from the book: The Whole Thing – The Real Thing: A brief biography of Shri Gurudeva
Chapter Number: 01
Author: Prem C. Pasricha (sometimes credited as Rameswar Tiwar)
Subject: His Holiness Jagadguru Bhagwan Shankaracharya Shrimad Swami Brahmanand Saraswati Maharaj
Length of Book: 75 Pages
Content: Explores his teachings, spiritual journey, and his role as the source of Maharishi’s core meditation ideas.

About fifteen hundred years ago, Shrimad Adi Shankaracharya had given a new dimension to the observance of Vedic religion. The knowledge of the Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita came again before the people in its crystalline form. It was the beginning of new ethical era in the history of Indian civilization.

In order to ensure a continuous moral awakening of society, Acharya Shankar had set up four major Shankaracharya seats in four of the well known Hindu centers of learning, situated in four parts of the Indian subcontinent. The northern seat of Jyotirmath had lain vacant for the last one hundred and sixty five years, when in 1940 there was a move by the Indian religious federation, supported by many princely states, to find a suitable person to restore glory to this venerable seat. According to tradition it could be filled only by someone born in a chaste and renowned Brahmin family, someone linked by the Guru-disciple chain to one of the Shankaracharya Maths. He had to be Dandi Swami who had entered the ascetic order in accordance with the traditional rites. He had to be learned, upright, intelligent, intellectual, well-versed in the Vedas, respecting the caste system and upholding the principle of Advaita or Cosmic Oneness. He had to be desire less and fully self controlled, expert in propagating the techniques of yoga or union with the Divine. Such a one was indeed Maharaj Shri, now seventy years old. But would he agree to relinquish the quietitude that he loved so much and shoulder the responsibility of administering and restoring the pristine glory of the Shankaracharya institution?

When many people from walks of life prevailed upon him, reluctantly he agreed to proposal. Preparations were afoot for the investiture. Invitations were issued to delegates from all over India to come and attend the ceremonies at varanasi, which were to form part of the deliberations of the Ninth All India Sanatan Dharma Sammelan.

But two days before the D-day, Maharaj Shri disappeared. Simply disappeared! Hoping, perhaps, that the big show would go on without im and some other person would be instituted in his stead, he remained for many days in his hide out.

There was a hue and cry over his vanishing trick. Rumours were set afloat. Some were in favour of appointing another person as Shankaracharya but Swami Gyanandji Maharaj, a respected leader, advocated a calm and unruffled appraisal of the situation and a postponement of the conference. Through a flurry of last minute telegrams and trunk calls, the meet was adjourned indefinitely while a search began to locate the whereabouts of Maharaj Shri.

Twenty-one days later, Maharaj Shri of his own accord reappeared in Varanasi. The news of his arrival spread like wild fire and within an hour, at about 11 p.m., a group of erudite persons approached him and reiterated the request the he should accept the proposal of being the head of the Jyotirmath as he alone was capable of reviving the holy spirit of this Shankaracharya seat that had remained vacant for 165 years.