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Celebration at Sakatapuram
Sri Krishnananda Theertha Swami being adorned with Swarnaratna kreetam. — Pic. by M.Moorthy.
THE JANMA Jayanthi celebrations of Sri Krishnananda Theertha Swami of Sakatapuram held in the city recently reflected the spirit of Margazhi. The Sakatapuram Srividya Peetam of the Sri Jagadguru Badari Sankaracharya Samasthanam literally bridges the north and the south of this country, as it traces its lineage to Thotakacharya, one of the foremost disciples of Adi Sankara.
The spiritual ministry of Adi Sankara was a defining moment in the history of Sanatana Dharma and he consolidated his mission in the sphere of practical religion by establishing Maths and Thotakacharya was the first pontiff of the Uttaramnaya Jyotish Peetam in Badrinath. About six centuries ago, Sri Satya Theertha of this lineage came to Sakatapuram which is situated in the sylvan environs of River Tungabadra in Chickmagalur district of Karnataka, about 25 km from Sringeri, and established a Math there to propagate the tradition. Sri Krishananda Theertha who adorns the Peetam now is the 33rd pontiff of this Math.
The idol of Lakshmi Narayana which the founding Acharya brought with him from Badari and installed there is the presiding deity and the idols of Venugopala Krishna, Raja Rajeshwari and Dattattreya are also worshipped in the Math.
The Sakatapuram Math's association with Chennai started in the year 1962 when at the request of devotees, Sri Sri Ramachandrananda Theertha, the predecessor of the present pontiff, set up a branch of the Math in East Tambaram and also built a temple for Raja Rajeswari. He became a guiding spirit to seekers by dint of his frequent visits to this centre over the years. Sri Krishananda Theertha continues the tradition of his Guru with great elan ever since he ascended the Peetam when he was 13 years old in 1981. His erudite scholarship in Sanskrit, Nyaya, Vedanta and Sastra is well matched by his tapas making him a living embodiment of both the precept and the practice of Sanatana Dharma.
The highlight of the 10-day function during which many rare Homams were performed was the Janma Jayanthi of Sri Krishnananda Swami which was celebrated according to the Math tradition. The Shakatapuram Math being a seat of Srividya, besides the customary Homams, Srividya Lalitha Mahayagam was performed on this day. The devotional fervour of the Asthikas assembled there reached a crescendo when the Swamiji ascended the Srividyaratna Simhasana to the auspicious notes of the nagaswaram and the melodious strains of the kriti ``Satyam Dharmam Santam, Sri Sakatapurathin Peetam...'' specially composed on him and sung by his devotees.
The Srikaryam of the Math, M. Chandramouleeshwaran, performed the Swarnapushpanjali to the chanting of the Vedas by Vedic scholars and also adorned him with a Svarnaratna Kreeta presented by his devotees on the occasion. The Srikaryam and the Minister of State for Youth Services, Cultural Activities and Sports (IC) of Gujarat Government, Ishwarbhai Dhanabai Makwana, were honoured for their services to the Math and Smt. Neela Ramakrishnan conferred the title ``Neela Saraswathi". Flautist N.Ramani and musicians O.S.Tyagarajan, Bombay Sisters, C.Saroja and C. Lalitha, and Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran were nominated as Asthana Vidwans of the Math.
SUDHAKSHINA RANGASWAMI
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