Chandrasekhanrendra Saraswati Swamigal
Kanchi Paramacharya is the best Acharya, who is a great 20th century saint, and he is still remembered and worshipped by several thousands of his devotees. Most of the Hindus used to worship mainly the three saints, Shirdi Saibaba, Guru Raghavendra Swamy and Kanchi Paramacharya.
While Shirdi Saibaba is considered to be an incarnation of Guru Dattatreya, Guru Raghavendra Swamy is considered to be an aspect of Lord Brahma, Kanchi Paramcharya is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. In a famous Stotram, which was written in praise of Paramacharya, he is praised as “SHIVA ROOPA SWAROOPANE”, the one who contains the aspect of Lord Shiva, Paramacharya is also known as “KANCHI MAMUNI, the great sage of Kacheepuram, “KANCHI MAHASWAMI”, the great saint of Kancheepuram, Paramacharya is also known as “PARABRAHMAM”, which means the ultimate Brahman, “SANTA SWAROOPA”, the one who contains soft nature, “MAHAPERIYAVA”, the senior most saintly person.
During his period, small children would fondly call him as “UMMACHI THATHA”, blessed grandfather, “JAGADGURU”, the universal Guru, Acharya, the spiritual Guru, and also he is called by various other names by his devotees. Paramacharya considered Guru Ramana, as the supreme form of Lord Shiva, and he redirected some of the foreigners who visited his Ashram, to visit the Holy Ashram of Guru Ramana Bhagavan. Since Kanchi Paramacharya belonged to Kannada speaking Smarta family, he kept great faith on Guru Raghavendra Swamy, and he used to worship the great Guru as a form of Lord Vishnu.
In Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, a Samadhi shrine is dedicated for the great guru, who lived a pure, pious and a disciplined life from his childhood. After becoming a pontiff in the Holy Kanchi Mutt, he ate only simple food, and he never allowed any luxuries or comforts to enter into his life. Due to his utmost devotion on Lord Shiva, Ma Shakti used to take the form of a small girl (BALA TRIPURA SUNDARI), and used to fondly sit on the lap of Paramacharya during the time of performance of Shiva Puja by him.
Though we have great Gurus, famous deities, minor deities, guardian gods, Kula Devata, Ishta Devata and demi gods in our Hinduism, still a certain portion of people are being converted into other religions, after hearing about the false preaches of other religious people.
Our holy Hinduism is a sweet one, and no one can shake it. As per the holy work Sri Raghavendra Vijayam, it was mentioned that the Goddess of Education and Arts, Ma Saraswathi had appeared before Venkatanatha(Guru Raghavendra), and forced him to embrace the sainthood on the footsteps of Guru Madhwacharya. She also said to him, that, “in course of time, worship of Hindu deities would be reduced tremendously, and I would never allow it to happen, and in order to make it strong, you have to sit on the seat of the Pontiff, and with your holy works, you have to convey about the sweetness of the “SANATANA DHARMA” and about the significance of Lord Vishnu, amongst the masses”.
“OM SRI KANCHI PARAMAGURU NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR