Starting my 2nd thread on Sringeri Parampara. This will cov…

The next Acharya was Nrisimha Bharati [1389-1408]. Harihara raya found a town for this Acharya - Narasimhapuram. Acharya helped the king by guiding him in political affairs. He also initiated the kind with mahamantras for spiritual development.

Subsequent Acharyas were
15-Puroshottama Bharati [1408 - 1448]
16-Shankara Bharati[1448 - 1455]
17-Chandrasekhara Bharati II [1455 - 1464]
18- Nrisimha Bharati II [1464 - 1479]
19-Puroshottama Bharati II [1479 - 1517]

20-Ramachandra Bharati [1517 - 1560]. Sadashiva Raya was emporer of Vijayanagara during this time.
21-Nrisimha Bharati III [1560 - 1573]
22-Nrisimha Bharati IV [1573 - 1576]
23-Nrisimha Bharati V [1576 - 1600]

24-Abhinava Nrisimha Bharati [1600-1623]. When he visited Malahanikareswara temple for first time he noticed there was no Vinayaka there so he took piece of turmeric and drew outline of Ganesha on a pillar and offered puja.

Since them, the image of Ganesha is slowly bulging out to fill the image Acharya drew, in the process hollowing out the pillar from back!! We can see this even now at Malahanikareswara temple at Sringeri. Acharya wrote bhashyam on Shiva Gita.

Some later acharys were: 25-Sacchidananda Bharati [1623 - 1663]
26-Nrisimha Bharati VI [1663 - 1706]
As you may have noticed there are a lot of Nrisimha Bharatis. That is because almost all the Jagadgurus of Sringeri were / are great Narasimha upaasakas.

27-Sacchidananda Bharati II [1706 - 1741]
28-Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati [1741 - 1767]
29-Nrisimha Bharati VII [1767 - 1770]
30-Sacchidananda Bharati III [1770 - 1814] He was the Acharya during Tippu's time.

31-Abhinava Sacchidananda Bharati II [1814 - 1817]

This marks the list of Acharyas about whom we don't have much information.

32-Sri Nrishima Bharati VIII [1817-1879] was the Jagadguru for major part of the 19th century. He was a great yogi.
He spent about 40 years in Vijaya Yatras.
He is credited with bringing order to the Sringeri Samsthanam.
He had conquered hunger and sleep.

The Sringeri Samsthanam that we see today is for major part built on the foundations of Sri Vriddha Nrisimha Bharati and His uttara-adhikari, Sri Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Mahaswamis.

When he was about 50 years he gave up normal food and began having only handful of boiled bitter gourd. That's all he ate once in afternoon and once at night!!
Rest of time he spent in medidation and pooja. His intense meditation on Narasimha made ppl in awe when they saw him.

Hence he was known as Ugra Narasimha Bharati.
He was also called Vruddha Narasimha Bharati.
Once Acharya was visiting Madura Meenakshi temple. One of His young disciple was prevented from entering the garbha gudi.

So Acharya brought two coconuts and transferred the Shakti of Ammavaru into the coconuts and declared to the astikas that it was enough to worship the coconuts from now on.
Ammavaru in the temple felt as though Her entire shakti left her.

The priests were deprived of the income for months and they repented for their mistake. They begged the Acharya to transfer the shakti back to Ammavaru. This incident is recorded in Madura Meenakshi temple history too.

Everyday at Sringeri Abhishekam is done to this Acharya's adhistanam with bhasma / vibhuti. It is said if one applies that Vibhuti to a person suffering from fever etc the pain / fever reduces within the hour.

I have personally experienced this with my elder kid and completely wholly believe that this is true. So everytime I have the bhagyam of going to Sringeri I try to get one or two packets of the Vibhuti.

One day when the Acharya was in deep meditation he heard a majestic female voice say "make space". He assumed it was order for him to nominate a successor. The Acharya sent for several horoscopes to be scrutinized. This process took 8 years. At last he found a suitable horoscope.

The boy was just 9 years old when he was made the uttara-adhikari [a.k.a Acharya's Shishya].
That boy was called Shivaswami in his purvasram. But when Urga Bharati Mahaswami gave him sanyasa he gave a boy a majestic patta [name]:

Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati. 33rd Acharya [1879-1912]. This was first time after Shankara that an Acharya had his purva asramam name in his sanyasa nanam. [Shivaswami - Shivabhinava]. This Acharya is considered avatar of Shankaracharya

It was during his time that Kalady was rediscovered and Shankaracharya's birth place found.
On the day the boy was given Sanyasa, the Guru asked the boy to lie down beside him and take rest. The Guru noticed the boy murmur in his sleep "sarvoham sarvoham" [I am all, i am all].

The Guru was mighty pleased with his choice of Shishya. He got the boy taught all shastras and trained him in taking care of Sringeri Samsthanam. 12 years later SSNB became Jagadguru.

SSNB started the Sadvidya Sanjivini at Sringeri in 1895 for Sanskrit studies. He taught advanced students prasthana triyam and Bhashyams.

He was instrumental in finding the actual birth place of Adi Shankaracharya at Kalady.

Ppl knew it was Kalady but did not know exactly so the Acharya undertook a tour of Kalady and did meditation there wherein he found out the place of Shankarachary's birth.
The Maharajah of Travancore brought lands known as Kalady Samketa and placed it at SSNB's disposal.

The Swami built the Shankaracharya and Sharadamba temples at Kalady under aegis of Sringeri math.
He installed the moorthis there himself! Another major work of SSNB was rebuilding Saradamba temple at Sringeri.

It was earlier a thatched hut but he got it rebuilt with polished granite. Though he did not live to see its completion.
He also built the Sringeri math at Bangalore. And started Bharatiya Girvana Praudha Vidya Patasala - dealing with advanced courses in nyana, tarka, mimansa etc

People flocked to him in crowds and waited at his doors for hours together just to get a glimpse. It was nothing but divine luster that shone in his face.
He was Srividya Upasaka par excellence.
It is said he could explain the 1st sloka of Soundryalahari in 100 different ways.

He was always perfectly impartial. Every one was equal in his eyes. Nothing but Bhakti could attract people to him. Rich or poor, high or low, everybody had to go through the portal of Bhakti. To hear of him was a pleasure. To see him was a privilege.

To speak to him was a real blessing.
It was during this time that a hotel was opened at Sringeri. That day the Acharya decided not to stay in Sringeri anymore and started going across Tungabhadra to Nrisimhavanam. The Acharyas from then on have been living at Nrisimhavanam only.

Once a person who did not believe in Shastras approached Swami and asked "what is use of shraadha ceremony? isnt it just superstition. Rice offered to our forefathers is still here yet we say forefathers have eaten it. How is this possible?".

Swamiji replied: "You are perfectly right in your doubt. I'll show u a parallel. For eg, a money order. if u go to a post office and fill the form out and give the money, money u gave is lying right there but the person whom u intended to benefit doesn't he get an equivalent?

While human agencies can do this for people at a distance is it impossible for divine agencies?"
Needless to say that person was transformed.

The Jagadguru resolved to nominate the devout celibate Sri Narasimha Sastry as successor-designate for the exalted peetham. The crestjewel of Sringeri -Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Mahaswami [1912-1954]. I will start another thread from here on. Hari OM.