Shantanand Saraswati
willytex
Thread: Shantanand Saraswati
Subject: Guru Dev's successor as Shankaracharya of the North.
Author: Willytex
Date: 01/26/2003
Available online for easy viewing:
http://willytex.home.texas.net/shantanad/shantannd.htm
Sri Swami Shantananda Saraswati was born 1897 in Achati village, India, in
the Basti district, the third son of Pandit Lal Bihari Tiwari. Swamiji
worked at the Geeta Press, Gorakhpur, from 1933 to 1939. In 1940 Swamiji
retired to the ashram of Uria Baba in Vrindaban where he remained for 14
years and studied. In 1951, he took "sanyas" from Shankaracharya Swami
Brahmananda Saraswati of Jyotish Peeth, Badrika, Himalayas.
Jyotirmath, sometimes called Joshimath, is located at am altitude of 6,000
ft and is considered one of the four great maths or monasteries that were
established by the great Adi guru Sri Shankaracharya in the eighth century.
According to tradition Adi Shankara attained enlightenment at Jyotirmath
while sitting under a Badari tree. There is also a small Shiva temple
commemorating this event and a small cave below the temple where Shankara
used to meditate.
On June 12, 1953, after the death of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, under the
terms of a will, Sri Swami Shantanand was made the Shankaracharya of Jyotish
Peeth.
Web links:
Sri Shantananda Saraswati:
http://www.inthelight.co.nz/spirit/gurus/shant002.htm
A History of the Work:
http://www.ouspensky.info/maclareneng.htm
Sankara Peeths in India:
http://www.lansingtemple.org/peeths.html
Shankara Guru Parampara:
http://www.svbf.org/sringeri/guruparampara.html
St. Martin College Encyclopaedia
http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/ascetic/TM.html
Louis Hughes - Dialogue Ireland
http://www.esatclear.ie/~dialogueireland/sp1.htm
Swami Shantanand and Anandamayi
http://www.anandamayi.org/pb/p55a.html
Appendix
From the Hinduism Today:
PASSED ON: Senior, retired, Shankaracharya of Jyotir Peeth, Swami Shantanand
Saraswati Ji Maharaj, age ninety, on December 7, 1997, in Allahabad, India.
Senior leaders of the VHP participated in final rites. Swami became
Shankaracharya in 1953 after the death of his guru, Brahmanand Saraswati.
Swami Basudevanand Saraswati is his successor.
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/1998/3/1998-3-22.html
From the Times of India:
The senior Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth, Swami Shantanand Saraswati Ji
Maharaj, died in Allahabad on Friday night at his Alopi Bagh Ashram. He was
90. The "jalsamadhi" of the Shankaracharya will be performed on Sunday at
Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The body has been
kept in the ashram to enable the public to pay their respects. Senior
leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, including Mr. Ashok Singhal,
dharmacharyas and disciples of the Shankaracharya are
arriving here to participate in the last rites of the Shankaracharya.
The Shankaracharya was born in Achati village of Basti district. He was the
third son of Pandit Lal Bihari Tiwari. After taking to "Vairagya" at 20, he
went to Geeta Press, Gorakhpur, and there he stayed from 1933 to 1939. After
that, he went to the ashram of Uria Baba in Vrindaban where he remained for
14 years and studied. In 1951, he took "sanyas" from Shankaracharya Swami
Brahmanand Saraswati of Jyotish Peeth.