(This article appeared in July -Sep 2023 issue of Dilip magazine)
Jagadguru Paramashivendra Saraswati Shankaracharya Swamigal was the 57th Acharya of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Mulamnaya Sarvajna Pitham. Born near the banks of Tungabhadra riverin Pampa saras, Karnataka, He was given the purvashrama nama Sivaramakrishna. He took sannyasa from Shri Sarvajna Sadashiva Bodhendra Saraswati Swamigal and adorned the Kamakoti Pitham for forty seven years, until 4686 Parthiva Shravana Shukla Dashami. (Source: Punyashlokamanjari Parishishtam).He lived most of His life in the Tanjavur region and His adhishtanam is located in Shwetaranyam (Thiruvenkadu). That His Vidyaguru was Abhinava Narayanendra Saraswati as understood from the guruvandanam at the beginning of His granthas and the colophon at the end. The area was also the center of great intellectual spiritual and artistic activity and home to many scholars who received His anugraham, such as Shri Ramabhadra Dikshita, Nalladhvari, Venkatakrishna Dikshitar, Tirumala makhi / Tirumala Dikshita and Shri Sadashivendra Saraswati. It was here that young Sadashiva Brahmendra was given the jnanopadesha from Paramashivendral to adopt maunam.Shri Paramashivendra Sarasvati Swamigal was also known by the appellation Shri Narayana Paramashivendra Saraswati or Shri Rama Sarasvati – owing to His Tatparya Prakashika commentary on the Shivagita which is in the form of a dialog between Shiva and Rama. Shri S. Krishnamurthi says in the “Shivagita and Saivasiddhanta” that around 2500 manuscripts were preserved in the Kumbhakonam branch of Kanchi matham and the Shiva Gita had the most number of manuscripts there. Tyagaraja Shastri, a shishya of Swamigal wrote a Tamil translation and this manuscript is from the 16th century.
Shri Vishvadhika Atmabodhendra Saraswati who succeeded Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati had requested Shri Sadashivendra Saraswati to write the Gururatnamalika. This work pays homage to the guruparampara of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Shri Sadashiva Brahmam pays homage to Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal as follows:
हृदये स पदं सदा विधत्तां सदयं मे प्रणुदन् प्रमादवत्ताम् ।निगमान्त-गुरुः परः शिवात्मा सुगमः साधुततेर्यमी प्रशात्मा ॥ ८५ ॥
यदुदीक्षण-लेशतो जनानां विदुरद्वैतमतिं द्वितां धुनानाम् ।तमहं परमाञ्चितं शिवेन्द्रं शमवन्तं शरणं श्रये यमीन्द्रम् ॥ ८६ ॥
May Paramashivendra’s holy feet remain forever in my heart. He is my Vedanta guru and He has controlled senses. He is easily approachable to sadhus, and compassionately removed my errors. I surrender to the feet of the dispassionate Paramashivendra, greatest among yatis, through whose tiny bit of grace, the duality in the minds of people is removed. Similarly, Shri Sadashivendra Saraswati (Sadashiva Brahmendra) salutes Him in the navamanimala, saying that it is on account of Swamigal that He received this pure jewel of Brahmavidya.The works of Swamigal in the Saraswati Mahal Library, the many aitihyas and local anecdotes from the Tanjavur/Kumbhakonam area, colophons and manuscripts preserved in the Tanjavur Saraswati Mahal and the guru parampara works of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Pitham all reveal to us about these two yogindras – Shri Paramashivendra and Shri Sadashiva Brahmendra bound by this sacred gurushishya bandha. The kashaya vastram from the adhishtanam of Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal is offered to Shri Sadashiva Brahmendra. Like the Adhishthanam of Shri Sadashiva Brahmendra at Nerur, there is a vilvavrksha in Shvetaranyam, where the sannidhya of Shri Sadashiva Brahmam is ever-present.
It is also a well-attested and accepted fact that yogis in Bharatadesha who are steeped in samadhi have lived long lifespans that are beyond the normal human comprehension, but quite characteristic of many great yogindras of Bharatadesha. It is therefore important for students of tradition, to approach history with a healthy respect to oral traditions and the yogic states and achievements of practitioners.
The granthas of Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal:Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal has written the following works: 1.Daharavidya Prakashika 2. Shivagita Tatparya Prakashika 3. Bhutirudraksha Mahatmyam 4. Vedasara Shiva Sahasranama Vyakhya 5. Vedanta namaratna Sahasram (Svarupanusandhanam) published during the shashtipurti of Pithadipatyam of Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Swamigal 6. Tyagaraja Mahatmyam 7. Shloka grantha Subrahmanya Bhujangam published as part of the Adyar Library Stotra samucchaya Series.
Based on a perfunctory examination of the above granthas, it might appear that the Acharya wrote many sangrahagranthas compiling anthologies citing numerous works. However, a deeper investigation of these texts reveals to us the hrdaya of the great yogindra.We are able to understand that some of these sangrahagranthas were likely created as as supporting texts. Then the centrality of Daharavidya Prakashika among these works and the ekavakyata of Swamigal also becomes amply clear. The value and importance of Sutasamhita for Vedantins can also be understood from the profuse number of quotations in Swamigal and His Shishyas works. The prerana or motivation for the Daharavidyaprakashika being written down comes from the colophon that says that this text Daharavidyaprakashika was written as per the request of Trayambakaraya Makhi, Shri Ramendra and Shri. Varadarajaएषा त्रयम्बकमखिनश्श्रीरामेन्द्रस्य वरदाराजस्य । शङ्करनारायणमखिवरस्य चाभ्यर्थनवशाद्रचिता ॥ Daharopasana is one of the many upasanas outlined in the Upanishads where the upasaka meditates on the Brahman in the daharakasha – the tiny space in the hrdaya. The upasana is mentioned in the Upanishads and Daharadhikaranam of the Brahma Sutra Bhashya but neither details the practical aspects of this upasana. Hence, the focus of this text is from Dahara Upasana centered around its practice from the perspective of an upasaka.Sruti vakyas from four upanishads namely – Chandogya, Brhadaranyaka, Taittiriya and Kaivalya Upanishads are examined and compared. It is also noteworthy here that there exists a Kaivalyopanishad Vyakhya of Shri Sadashiva Brahmendra in manuscript form and sangraha of Sutasamhita indicating their close collaboration. Swamigal reconciles the statements in various texts in order to understand the dhyeya svarupa of the form ie the murti that one must meditate in the Daharakasha – namely the form of Shiva with Amba – Sa-amba. This he does by analysing which characteristics mentioned in variety of sources and identifying which ones outline the actual form of the murti to be meditated. In addition to the Sruti Vakyas, numerous supporting statements from the Puranas, Upapuranas are also supplied. Swamigal quotes from the itihasaratnam Shivarahasyam which has been considered one of the fundamental pramana granthas of Shri Shankara Charitam. Several puranas and upapuranas are quoted as also the works of advaita acharyas such as the Atmarpana Stuti of Shrimad Appayya Dikshitendra and Vaiyasikanyayamala of Shri Vidyaranya Swaminaha.
Daharavidya Prakashika and Tyagaraja Mahatmyam/Dashapurana Sangraham:
The text further elaborates on the method and approach to be followed when doing this dahara upasana and how the upasaka attains the state of Vishnu and then does the upasana of Sambamurti situated in the hrdayakasha. Vishnu meditating on the Samba murti of Shiva as Umasahaya immediately brings to mind the famous Sapta Vithanka Kshetras where Muchukunda brought Tyagesha to the earth from Devendra.Devendra tells Muchukunda that this murti was once worshipped by himself desirous of progeny meditating on the nrttamurti who is Umasahita accompanied by the voiceless silent ajapa mantra. It may be perhaps surmised that it was within this context that Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal’s Dashapurana sangraham was compiled. The text is a compilation from Skanda and various other puranas that explain Vishnu’s upasana of Shiva in the Daharakasha. Some of these verses are shown in the Daharavidya Prakashika as purana pramana to explain how the upasana needs to be done. Shivagita Tatparya Prakashika, Vedasara Shiva sahasranama and Bhutirudraksha mahatmyam:
Shri Swamigal being the Yogindra that He was, also writes about the preliminaries of preparation and the requirements and adhikara for the upasana. This includes bhasma dharana. The Shiva Sahasranama is also part of the Shiva Gita where Shiva reveals to Rama of how bhasmadharana is to be done and what names of Shiva have to be uttered. Swamigal has also written the Shivagita Tatparya Prakashika the uttarabhaga of Padma Purana which details the upadesha of Shiva to Shrirama on atmajana. Similarly, Bhutirudraksha mahatmyam is a compilation from various puranas and agamas on bhuti and rudraksha dharana. Thus some of these texts can also be situated within the context of aggregating information needed for Daharopasana and in aid of DaharavidyaPrakashika.
The Vedantanamaratnasahasram is a large and extensive work edited by Thethiyur Subrahmanya Shastrigal and published by the Tanjavur Saraswati Mahal Library. Its name Svarupanusandhanam or meditation on the self reveals to us the purpose of this grantha. It begins with a long prose introduction, and which details the various namas outlined in the Upanishads arranged in akaraadikrama.
Shishyas:
In addition to those previously mentioned we also find that Tirumalamakhi the dauhitra of Govinda Dikshita (the family which bequeathed several acharyaratnams of Kamakoti Pitham) who wrote the Shankarabhyudaya kavyam (not to be confused with the Kavya by the same name written by Rajachudamani Dikshitar) mentions the name of Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal at the end of each chapter. Tirumalamakhi is also part of the Acharya Sambhavana Lekha mala regarding the offer of agrasambhavana to acharyas of Kamakoti Pitham along with many famous signatories from Kandramanikkam and other villages. Nalladhvari from Kandaramanikkam Village salutes Swamigal “भुवनात् भूतानुभावं परमशिवेन्द्रं भजामि गुरुम्” in the advaitarasamanjari Vyakhya. Venkatakrishna Dikshita in the Kusalava Vijaya nataka refers to Him as “the guru who taught Brahmavidya”.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, we will remember Shri Paramashivendra Saraswati Swamigal through the following memorable verse of Sri Sadashivendra Saraswati’s Navamani mala. व्याकुर्वति सति यस्मिन्न् ईशानः स्वाधिकारशैथिल्यात् ।प्रापद् वट-तरु-मूलं परमशिवेन्द्रं तम् आभजे सततम् ॥ ६ ॥He goes to the extent of saying that on account of Swamigal’s skill in vyakhyana, Shiva undertook silence and went to the foot of the Vatavrksha since His position was now taken up.