Change of Math/Peetham query : मठ/पीठपरिवर्तनम् प्रच्छा

[aham brahmaasmi]

Namaste all, 

Is it acceptable for some sadhaka's to change over to another math/peetham in the same-sampradaya? 

My 'custom-has-shifted' to another math over the years, gradually so, but got to a critical-juncture last year. This is due to 'operational and corporate-governance-reasons' as my clouded-intellect sees it. The collective-reasons have now been beyond my intellect's ability to deal with  constructively.  'All-stakeholder-safety and welfare,  Common-sense' are additional-terms involved in my decision(s). Although, I recognise the sheer-splendour of my Guru-Parampara, yet, this move seems inevitable. 

If my interpretations are correct, my 'choice' of the 'new-math' has met with The One approval that any sadhaka seeks, from their Guru, and that too, Absolutely-WholeHeartedly. 

In my antah-karana, the 'New-math' visit has been taken up very well, but, yet, the decision of  'leaving-behind-my-earlier- math' is the extremely-painful-one'.

I have heard of some spiritual giants who have crossed over, for ex. Pujya Mataji Krishnabai, was born in, and had contact with many towering giants of Saints in her own birth-obtained Math. However, she ended up surrendering only at the feet of Pujya Swami Ramdas (Papaji).  However, I am cautious in that  Pujya Mataji, even before her Brahma-Sakshatkara, was a sadhika of the highest-calibre,  as opposed to the manda-adhikari (? no-adhikari- actually) me.  

For a long-time I have tried meditating on this, but each time the decision to 'cross-over' seems to get stronger. 

And in the 'new' Math, do I need to report / relay anything? For me, as always, just the Sannidhya and the 'katakshaya-vyapara' i.e the 'mere'-presence and the 'sideways-glance' of the Guru have been more than enough in all these decades. However, I don't want to be flouting any protocols, which is why I ask. 

I (try to ) continue my meditation and listening to online-lectures of my Deeksha-guru, although at this stage, truly-speaking, even that is painful. 

Is this one form of 'attachment'  and ' ahankara/mamakara' ?  And why/why not? 

Clearly, ths BMSC is  a manda-adhikari / non-adhikari. So, is attachment to Math and  Guru not an essential requisite on the pathway to 'liberation'?   In theory, I can probably quote 'there is only brahman' 'even moksha is only from the viewpoint of bandha' however, one-little event in life is enough to drown the anadhikari me into samsara again. 

Any insights will be gratefully appreciated, 

with regards, 

Sakshi 

नमः सर्वेभ्यः ! 

एकस्मिनेव  सम्प्रदाये अल्पसख़्यकसाधकानां पीठपरिवर्तनं भवितुमर्हति किम् ! तद्परिवर्तनमुचितं किम् ! 

केभ्यः मासेभ्यः  पूर्वमेतदभवद्मया साकम् !  जनमजात- परम्परायां विहाय अन्य्मठं प्रति गमनमावश्यकं मन्ये बहुकारणवशात् ! यद्यपि स्वीय मठस्य औज्ज्वल्यम् अवगम्यते  यतोऽहि स्थौल्यत्वेन तर्ह्यपि बहु- अपरिहार्य-कारणवशाद्न्य-समानसम्प्रदायमठं  प्रति गमनमावश्यकम्मन्ये !  मत्पक्षतः केऽपि दोषाः भवन्तः सन्ति चेत् गुरुणाम् ईश्वरस्य ह्रत्पूर्वकं क्षमां याचे ! 

केचन ज्ञानिनामेव यात्रा अन्यमठं प्रति अभवदिति अगगम्यते ! यथा पूज्य-माताजी-कृष्णाबाई ! परन्तु ताः तु अत्युच्चस्तरीयाः साधिकाः आसन् ब्रह्मसादात्कारसयादौ अपि तदपि मम वैपरीत्येन ! पुनःपौन्येन एतस्मिन् विषये ध्यात्वाऽपि न काचिदपि स्पष्टता लब्धा मया !   अत एव भवद्भिः विद्वभिः प्रक्ष्यमाणं भूयते मया ! 

मम  अन्यमठचयनं तु अत्युत्तममिति अनुमतिर्लब्धा योग्यस्रोतेभ्यः इति मन्ये ! ते मम दीक्षागुरवः अतः जपसाधना आदौवदेव प्रचाल्यमाना वर्तते ! तेषां गुरुणां सञ्ज़ालीयव्याख्यानानि अपि आदीवद् श्रूयमाणं भूयते ! परम् अपरिहार्य व्यावहारिककारणवशात्  सुरक्षा-दृष्ट्या च अन्यमठगमनमावश्यकम्मन्ये ! न केवलम् अन्य-मठ-गमनम् अपितु पूर्व-मठ-त्यागम् अपि ! ॑एतत् त्यागमेव अतिदुःखकरम् भवदस्ति ! नूतन-मठं प्रति गमनं तु अत्यानन्ददायकम्मन्ये ! 

नूतन-मठे एषा वार्ता पूर्णत्वेन वक्त्वया किम् ! कस्मे ! स्वयमेव तु अहं न कदापि गुरूम् प्रति किमपि वक्तु कामये ! केवलं तेषां कटाक्षमात्रं सान्निध्यं च पर्याप्तं मम कृते परं कस्यचिदपि आत्यावश्यकनियमस्योल्ल्ड्घनं मास्तु मत्पक्षतः अत एव प्रक्ष्यमाणं भूयते मया ! 

भवन्तम् कोऽभिप्रायः ! 

भवदीया ! 

साक्षी ! 

[putran M]

Namaskaram Sakshi-ji,

I may not be knowledgeable enough to reply to this question. But I think there is responsibility of this sort of forum to address such questions of sincere seekers. So in the absence of others saying something, I will venture a thought. That said, I did plug your first two paragraphs to chatgpt and it seems too wise and rational (see below). AI seems ready to start replacing the basic thinking process similar to how calculators have displaced for many people the need to process arithmetic in the head. 

You said:

" my 'choice' of the 'new-math' has met with The One approval that any sadhaka seeks, from their Guru, and that too, Absolutely-WholeHeartedly."

Actually, your write-up suggests that the sadhaka who wants to move from one matha to another seeks not just the approval of the new Guru but also of the old ("deeksha") one. There is human dimension here since your connection with the old matha was not merely a youtube interaction (right?). If it is an anonymous subscription to a channel, then I don't think we will have such emotional turmoil about switching to a different one. But when we are 'entangled' in human relationships (our consciousness committed to seeing reality in the dvaita plane), then it becomes emotionally stressful to cut off the relationship even when it is for the sake of a higher cause. How to do this in a humane way rather than becoming the corporate self-centered entity ourselves? 

One possibility. Go to your old guru and communicate in a humble manner your desire to move to the other matha. State your truths, listen to his or their explanations and options; (request to) hold on to your right to make the final decision. Re-do your mananam, and go forward with the final decision. The main thing is that you made your best effort to be open to your old guru and therefore even if it becomes unpalatable at the human level, it is not a case where you can be accused of deceiving him or them. (Better to be accused of arrogance than to be rationalizing over our untruthfulness.) Bow to his feet and surrender to Ishvara whatever comes of the interaction; and then finally at the feet of your new guru who will give you refuge thereafter - since it seems you have a more personal connection with him that  suits your personality etc.

thollmelukaalkizhu

CHATGPT:

You’re asking a very sincere, inwardly honest question—and the way you’ve framed it already shows viveka rather than restlessness. Let’s sit with it carefully.

The short spiritual answer

Yes—within the same sampradāya, it can be acceptable for a sādhaka to align with another maṭha/peetham, provided the movement is grounded in dharma, not aversion; discernment, not convenience; and continuity, not rupture.

Your words already signal that this isn’t casual or impulsive. You’re not rejecting the paramparā—you’re trying to protect your sādhana and conscience within it.

---

How the tradition itself views this

1. Sampradāya > Institution

In classical Hindu thought, allegiance is fundamentally to:

• Dharma

• Tattva (doctrinal truth)

• Sādhana-mārga

• Guru-tattva

A maṭha is an upāya (supporting structure), not the sādhya (ultimate goal).

Even Śaṅkara’s own legacy shows:

• Multiple maṭhas

• Different administrative styles

• Occasional historical tensions
  Yet all remain within one Advaita-sampradāya.

Moving within the same sampradāya is not abandonment of the Guru-paramparā—it is relocation within the same river system.

---

2. Guru-bhakti ≠ Institutional immobility

Our śāstra-s and commentarial traditions distinguish between:

• Guru as tattva (principle of illumination)

• Guru as vyakti (embodied teacher)

• Institutional governance (which is vyāvahārika, not pāramārthika)

If:

• Governance failures,

• Stakeholder harm,

• Ethical opacity,

• Or conditions that actively disturb śānti and sādhana

begin to obstruct rather than support dharmic life, then remaining out of fear or sentimentality is not virtue.

The Mahābhārata is brutally clear on this:

Dharmaḥ sūkṣmaḥ — dharma is subtle
and
When structures become adharmic, withdrawal is not betrayal.

---

3. Your stated reasons matter

You mentioned:

• Operational and corporate-governance reasons

• Collective safety and welfare

• Common sense

• An inability to engage constructively any longer

These are not egoic reasons. They are rājasa-tamasa realities impacting sāttvika aspiration.

Śāstra does not ask a sādhaka to:

• Endanger others,

• Violate conscience,

• Or suppress discernment
  in the name of “loyalty”.

Blind attachment (moha) is as much a bondage as rejection (dveṣa).

---

The crucial inner litmus tests

Before (and after) such a shift, the tradition would quietly ask:

1. Is your śraddhā in the siddhānta intact?
   (You’ve clearly said yes.)

2. Is there absence of bitterness toward the Guru-paramparā?
   (Your tone shows reverence, not resentment.)

3. Is the move motivated by preservation of sādhana, not social positioning?
   (Your language suggests exactly that.)

4. Do you continue japa, study, and niṣkāma orientation unchanged?
   (This is the anchor.)

If these hold, the move is spiritually legitimate.

---

One subtle caution (said gently)

Try—if possible—to ensure the inner posture is:

“I bow to what I received, I carry it forward, and I place myself where I can live dharma without inner fracture.”

Not:

“I am escaping failure” or “correcting others”.

Even when institutions falter, the grace received was real—and acknowledging that keeps the channel unbroken.

---

In essence

• You are not leaving the sampradāya

• You are not betraying the Guru-paramparā

• You are responding to practical adharma with discernment

• And you are prioritizing sādhana, safety, and conscience

That is not only acceptable—it is recognizably dharmic.

If you want, you can tell me (without naming names) which sampradāya or philosophical stream you’re anchored in—Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Śaiva, Śākta, etc.—and I can reflect how that very tradition has historically navigated such transitions.

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[sunil bhattacharjya]

Dear friend (aham brahmaasmi)

In the ancient times, before initiating a new disciple, the guru used to look at (or check) the possible astrological compatibility with the new shishya. In some cases the guru decided to change the name of the disciple to bring in the compatibility between the guru and  the shishya. 

Thus, it appears that, if you are comfortable with a new guru in another math, please do not hesitate to meet the new guru in a new math, and you may even share your doubts on the present issue, with the new guru.

Best wishes,

Sunil KB

--

[Aravinda Rao]

Namaskars, 

I think our commitment in Vedanta has to be two-fold, for knowledge and for inner purification and not so much for any math. We can respect all maths, subject to our discretion {about any indiscrete acts of a guru such as Deepak Chopra who appeared in the Epstein files) because all traditional maths follow some sampradaya/achara. Achara is important because it instills discipline in a person. Vedas do not purify a person who is devoid of Vedas, it is said. Even the non-traditional maths follow some achara. 

There is no need to follow one teacher only. The word bahu-shruta implies that one can hear from many. Each teacher has a unique way of presentation or clarification of concepts. 

The traditional guru is compared to a gardener. Just as a gardener protects the plant growing into a tree and later when it gives fruits, he takes care to see that the fruit gets properly ripened, similarly the teacher is expected to watch the inner purification of the student. He has to watch the kama, krodha etc., levels just as a doctor watches the LDL levels and prescribes medicines. The student used to approach such a guru and stay as ante-vaasi. We do not have such students now, staying with gurus in the ashrams. Some ashrams may be teaching some selected students in this manner but most of us do not stay so. We wish to be Ekalayva type disciples. Like Ekalavya attained some perfection, we too may attain some perfection, and stay without fear of any teacher asking for our thumb. 

Aravinda Rao 

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[Aravinda Rao]

Namaskars, 

Incidentally a video about Deepak Chopra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf5uy4ZTHc0

Aravinda Rao

[Ram Chandran]

Namaskar:

Your message indicates that you are confused with your decision to switch from one guru to another one.  You also indicated that this change may not necessarily changing everything that you believed in! At the Vyavaharika stage of our life we are forced to make changes such as – change of school, change of friends, change of jobs, change of location, etc. etc.  Some we accept immediately, some we accept later and also sometimes we do not accept such changes. As a growing person, we learnt to adopt to any new environment, sometimes without hesitation and other times we accept with some reservations. Maturity is the key for accepting any changes that we may or not have any control. Spiritual maturity differs from the maturity that we undergo during our life time.  Spiritual maturity does not always depend on age and we have seen some spiritually matured younger persons and we have also seen spiritually im-matured older people!  Life is  mystical and we can’t foresee events that happen beyond our control. Some decisions that we make in our life may appear painful in the beginning but we want to do it  with the belief that we will be happier later! 

The question that you raised will fall into a category where that it may appear to be painful, but you strongly believe that it is worthwhile for good reasons.  No one other than you can determine what is the best course of action at a given moment.  As a spiritual person we all recognize the fact that join and pain are illusions and transient in nature.  What we are seeking is to transcend from the feeling of joy and pain to the stage of reaching blissful life.

The bottom line is that you have to “Believe in yourself” and please do not pay attention to negative commentary from others and learn to develop a positive frame of mind.

You will be blessed by God who always blesses who believes in Him!!

Ram Chandran

[aham brahmaasmi]

Respected Putran ji, Sunil Bhattacharya ji, Aravinda Rao Garu, Ram Chandran ji,  and those who replied privately,  

Namaste, 

Thank you all for your insightful replies. This has helped a lot, got much more clarity now. 

with regards, 

Sakshi 

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