Shrimad Keshavendra Tirtha Swamiji and the Basrur Shri Kashi Math

Great lives spread an aura and fragrance which outlive their mortal stay. This is all the more true of sages and saints whose advent in our midst is with a purpose and a mission of cleansing the world of the mire in which we are steeped and leading us from the untruth to the truth, from darkness to light and from the ephemeral to the eternal. This is specially so in the case of a sadguru. In the absence of avatars in Kaliyuga, the Almighty sends His accredited emissaries to revive and sustain Dharma. Such a person is a sadguru-a Dharmaguru. The ultimate aim and purpose of human life is winning the grace of God. That can be achieved only with the guidance of the Guru. All our efforts without the blessings and guidance of the Guru will be futile. Without the Guru's grace and guidance, God's grace cannot be gained and there can be no fulfilment of human life. The Guru's position in the scheme of things is extremely high. He is considered as the mother while God is like the father. The Guru is the friend, philosopher and guide who leads us to God's grace and liberation. The Guru is to ensure that the disciples are on the right path and bring them back on the track if they go astray. A Guru is not just an individual but represents a principle and a position which serves as a guiding light. In modern times we have the yati parampara. There is the Dharma Peetha presided over by the Dharmaguru - Mathadisha whose charge is propagating religion and fostering spiritual knowledge. Shrimad Keshavendra Tirtha Swamiji, the second Pontiff of Shree Kashi Math Samsthan

whose 350th Punyathithi falls this year, is one such exemplar. Shrimad Yadavendra Tirtha Swamiji was the first yati and Mathadipathi of Shree Kashi Math Samsthan who was given sanyasa deeksha by the illustrious Shrimad Vijayendra Tirtha Swamiji. Shrimad Keshavendra Tirtha, the second yati in the Kashi Math Guru Parampara was the disciple and successor of Shrimad Yadavendra Tirtha. While no accurate details are available, Keshavendra Swamiji's birth is reckoned as in 1583. His purvashram name is believed to be Narayana Bhat. On Yadavendra Swamiji's Mahasamadhi in 1608, Keshavendra Tirtha Swamiji succeeded him as Mathadipathi and formally ascended the Peetha on Monday, 8 July 1608 - Shravana Shudha Dwitiya of Keelaka Samvatsara Sh. Sh. 1530. He had a long reign of about 62 years. God acts through and blesses the devotees through sages and saints. The supreme Lord. Veda Vyasa - Krishna Dwaipayana, Jnanadatha and Abhayadata - the giver of knowledge and fearlessness - chose to manifest Himself for the Goud Saraswath - Brahmana samaj through and to a

sadguru - Shrimad Keshavendra Swamiji. It is this Swamiji who was blessed with the idol of Lord Veda Vyasa when His Holiness was taking a holy bath at the Pancha Ganga Ghat! in Varanasi. It was a daily practice for Swamiji to take a holy dip in the Ganga at dawn. When we take a bath in any tirtha it is customary to take the earth from the river and apply it on our forehead. This practice is particularly important in the case of taking a dip in the Ganga as the river flows from the feet of Lord Vishnu. One day when Keshavendra Tirtha after the Ganga snan put his hand in the river he came upon a lump of sacred earth-sand and when Swamiji took it up and saw-lo and behold- there was in that lump a beautiful idol of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa. Swamiji had another holy dip in the Ganga with that idol on his head. Then His Holiness took it to the Math, installed it on the Simhasana and worshipped the Lord. Ever since then Lord Vyasa has been the main deity of worship and that idol adorns the centre stage on the Simhasana. In commemoration of Shrimad Keshavendra Tirtha being blessed with that deity at Varanasi, even now whenever Swamiji camps at the Moola Math in Varanasi it is customary for Swamiji to take a holy dip in the Ganga at Pancha Ganga Ghat with that idol of Lord Vyasa on the head. It is a graceful idol - the Lord sitting in Padmasana with matted hair, graciously beautiful face, intensely compassionate eyes. Chakra and sankha are embossed on the right and left shoulders respectively; the hands show the jnana mudra and abhaya mudra-bestowing knowledge and fearlessness. There is Srivatsalanchana on the right chest. There are earrings also. Keshavendra Swamiji has been described as a tall figure with wheat complexion, wide forehead, wide eyes and eyebrows and high nose. Swamiji was a pre-eminent scholar in all branches of knowledge-a Maha Pandita as also a person of great austerity-a Maha Tapasvi. His Holiness was indeed a Mahatma- the recipient of God's special grace. It is this Swamiji who gave the Ajna Patrika- 1620 Chattam for the Cochin Temple for performance of the daily poojas, festivals and other rituals and for the temple management allocating the work to the 22 families of priests (Vaidiks) and the management to the Grihastas. It is also said that Cochin was named Gosripur by Keshavendra Tirtha because of its prosperity and auspiciousness. It was not uncommon in those early days for a Swamiji to initiate two disciples. This was mainly for the reason that one Swamiji had to remain at Varanasi to protect the property and preserve the title as was the then prevailing requirement during the Muslim rule. His Holiness initiated two disciples- Shrimad Upendra Tirtha who succeeded him and became the third Mathadipathi and Shrimad Yadavendra Tirtha II who became the fourth Mathadipathi. Upendra Tirtha initiated a disciple and continued the Guru Parampara while Yadavendra Tirtha II did not take any Sishya. Keshavendra Tirtha was a contemporary of Sudhindra Tirtha and Raghavendra Tirtha of Kumbakonam Math. The first Shaka Math of the Samsthan is at Basrur formerly known as Vasupur which w a great centre of trade and commerce. It was established by Keshavendra Tirtha Swami. The land and the Math at Hemmady, the erstwhile Hemapur were donated to the Samsthan during Swamiji's time. Keshavendra Tirtha Swamiji attained Mukti in Basrur on Phalguna Banu Thrithiya of Saumya Samvatsara, Sh.Sh.1591-Sunday, 27 February, 1670. It is believed that Swamiji was about 87 years old then. The Vrindavana is situated there. It is this Swamiji's 350th Punyathithi Aradhana Mahothsava that is being observed and celebrated this year. It falls on Thursday, March 12, 2020. There is the Venkataramana temple at Basrur Math. Facing the Vrindavana of Keshavendra Swamiji is the Vrindavana of the 17th Guru- Shrimad Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swamiji. Basrur is calm and serene. The Math there is a sacred and powerful place sanctified by the presence of two venerable yatis, the temple and the Vrindavanas on either side exuding divinity and grace is a centre of pilgrimage. In Keshavendra Tirtha Swamiji's Vrindavana the idol of Mukhyaprana is Veera Maruti, well sculpted and fully bedecked with ornaments like the Vaijayanthi mala. The right hand is raised in abhayamudra assuring fearlessness to all. The left hand holds an uprooted tree instead of the gada-mace. The feet are slightly apart and the body is a little inclined from the waist upwards. The Prabhavali has a Keerti Mukha at the top. In Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swamij's Vrindavana it is a Dasa Maruti idol, sculpted simply and elegantly. He does not wear a crown or any ornaments but only a kaupina and stands with His hands in Samputanjali mudra as a dasa. The tail held in a graceful loop behind serves as a Prabhavali. People get cured of their ailments after taking the Prasad of the Basrur Shri Kashi Math. There is also the Bhuvanendra Balakashrama at Basrur started in 1965 by Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji and functioning under the Samsthan. This caters to the educational needs and well being of our GSB boys, providing free boarding and lodging as also regular schooling and religious and ethical teaching. Many old inmates of the Balakashrama have done well and attained high positions in life. Great is the fame, sanctity and grace of Keshavendra Tirtha Swamiji and the Vrindavana. May Swamiji's blessings be always with us as a guiding light. [Note: For the smooth flow of writing and reading, instead of mentioning His Holiness or Shrimad or Swamiji every time, the name and commonly used pronouns in English though singular have been sometimes employed.] V. Sudhish Pai Bangalore