His Holiness Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji

Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji travelling is the twentieth head of the Kashi Matha Samsthan. In the purvashrama (before being initiated into sanyasa by the previous Swamiji), he was known as Shri Sadashiva Shenoy, son of Shri Ramadasa Shenoy, a trustee of Shri Venkataramana temple in Ernakulam. He was born at Ernakulam on 31st March, 1926. He completed his Pre-University education in Maharaja's College, Ernakulam and selected Natural Science, Physics and Chemistry as his main subjects. From an early age he had shown inclination towards a religious life. The noble traits of his character, his devotion to God, his desire to serve his fellow men, his honesty, his integrity and his love for Hindu Dharma were remarkable. When Shrimad Sukriteendra Tirtha Swamiji was camping at Ernakulam, this young boy attracted his attention. The Swamiji had the intuition to choose the right man and was divinely inspired to select this boy to be his fittest successor, later to head the Kashi Matha Samsthan. The father's consent was obtained for the transformation of the college student into a sanyasi, eventually to lead a sizeable portion of Vaishnava Goud Sarasvata Brahmana community in the righteous path of Vaishnava Dharma. The Guru-Swami took him to Mulki and on 24th May 1944 initiated him into sanyasa in the divine presence of Lord Venkataramana, Lord Narasimha and Lord Bindu Madhava in Mulki and renamed him as Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha, who then severed the family connections and took to his new duties earnestly and enthusiastically and led an austere life. He felt the need of equipping himself with all the knowledge of the Dharma Shastras. He mastered Sanskrit at the Bhuvanendra Sanskrit College, Karkala. The scholarly teachers of the college were appointed to impart the necessary education in Dharma Shastras. He was camping in Shrinivasa Ashrama in the College premises. In those days he was very fond of animals. There were many pets including a deer and a tiger cub in Shrinivasa Ashrama.

Endowed with excellent grasping power, wonderful memory and extraordinary intelligence and plenty of God's grace and Guru's blessings, he completed his study in a short time. The Brahma Sutra, The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads (Prasthana Traya) and other works were studied in great detail. He became a great scholar in Dwaita philosophy, as propounded by Shri Madhvacharya.

He learnt the methods of worshipping God according to Agama Shastra. He went with the Guru to various places and picked up his duties well. He sat at the feet of the Guru and learnt the traditions of the Kashi Matha.

After the Guru-Swami passed away in Kochi in 1949, he bore the loss with courage and took the reigns of the spiritual chariot of the followers of the Kashi Matha Samsthan in his able hands and has been leading the chariot since then.

He traveled widely from Kanya Kumari to Badrinath, meeting his disciples, exhorting them to lead a life of morality and religion, conducting the pujas to Shri Vyasa-Raghupati with unbounded devotion and single-pointed concentration and praying at all times for the welfare of the community. Kindness, compassion, generosity and breadth of vision are the strong traits of his way of work. He visited many places of pilgrimage including Nasik, Ujjain, Kurukshetra, Mathura, Ayodhya, Prayag, Kashi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Badri, Tirupati, Srirangam, Madurai, Palani, Kumbhakonam, Rameshwaram and Kanya Kumari.

Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji, like his predecessor Swamijis, performed many installation or reinstallation ceremonies in various temples. Thus he performed the third renovation/ reinstallation ceremony of Shri Venkataramana Temple, Kundapura on Vaishakha Shuddha Trayodashi of Vikari Samvatsara, Sh. Sh. 1881 (Wednesday, 20-5-1959). The reinstallation ceremony at Shri Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple at Hosdurg was performed by him on Chaitra Shuddha Navami, Sharvari Samvatsara, Sh. Sh. 1882 (Monday, 4th April, 1960). The installation of idol of Shri Venkataramana in Balaji Mandir, Kurla, Mumbai was performed by him on Tuesday, 20th March, 1973. Among the temples renovated and the idols reinstalled by the Swamiji are :
Shri Venkataramana Temple, Kasaragod, Shri Varadaraja Venkataramana Temple, Gurupura, Shri Krishna Temple, Mangalore etc. In addition, he installed various idols at different temples, such as Shri Venkataramana Temple at Konchadi, Shri Muralidhara Krishna at Kota, Shri Narasimha at Shri Ramanjaneya Temple, Vile Parle (Mumbai), Shri Narasimha at Shri Venkataramana Temple, Uppinangadi and Shri Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple at Mudabidri.

In order to mark the Golden Jubilee of the annual Bhajana Saptaha at Shri Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple, Kasaragod, it was decided to conduct a Yajna by writing Shri Ramo fai Rama fai fai Rama, 52 crore times. Special books were prepared for the purpose and members of the community residing in different parts of the country contributed their share by writing the divine name as many times as they could. The Yajna was conducted in a grand manner under the able direction of the Swamiji.

On another memorable occasion the Swamiji was responsible for conducting a Utsava in which the Lord of Tirupati was seated on golden Garuda. The Swamiji also participated in the divine procession, with the accompaniment of recitation of Vedas, instrumental music, singing of Bhajans etc.

The year 1963 was a red letter day not only in the history of Karkala but also in the history of Goud Sarasvata Brahmana community. It was in that year that the heads of the three Mathas Shrimad Dwarakanatha Tirtha Swamiji (Gokarna Partagali Jeevottam Matha), Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji (Kashi Matha) and Shrimad Sachhidananda Sarasvati Swamiji (Kailvalya Matha) observed their annual Chaturmasya Vrita in Shri Venkataramana Temple, Karkala. Perhaps such an event had never occurred in the history of these Mathas earlier.

Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji performed the Sahasra Kumbhabhisheka in Shri Venkataramana Temple, Karkala, in March 1969 and in Shri Lakshmi Venkatesh Temple, Udupi in May 1971.

The Swamiji founded two Matha Bhavans, one at Bhagamandala on the banks of the river Kaveri (in 1960) and another at Bandora in Goa (in 1972). Shri Bhuvanendra Balakashrama, Basrur will long be remembered as a worthy monument. Founded in 1965 under the auspices of the Kashi Matha, this institution is a bold venture, where some of our boys are trained to lead an ideal life. It started functioning by admitting fifteen students to whom Dharmic education is being imparted. Though the Matha had decided to bear all the expenses in connection with the running of the institution many donors from the community have come forward to defray part of the expenses. An executive committee has been formed under the overall guidance of the Swamiji to look after the affairs of the institution.

One of the major achievements of the Swamiji is the founding of Shri Kashi Matha Welfare Fund in Udupi. This concept was thought of in 1956, when the Swamiji was camping in Shri Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple, Udupi, for observing the Chaturmasya Vrita. With the noble idea of founding an organization, which would try to banish the social and economic ills afflicting the community, a meeting of the leaders of the community residing in South Kanara was convened in the temple on 26th August 1956. Three years later a draft constitution was approved by the community members, blessed by the Swamiji and the institution was registered on 6th June, 1959. This provided for a Direction Committee, consisting of twenty members (all nominated by the Swamiji) to implement the various activities outlined in the constitution. A few of the sixteen objectives listed in the constitution are given below :

1. To build up spiritual, religious, moral, educational, physical, cultural, social and economic life of the members of the Samaj.
2. To help deserving students in prosecuting their studies in Vedic religion or Shastras or in Arts, Commerce, Science and professional courses in school and colleges by giving them loans or scholarships, refundable with or without interest.
3. To provide homes for the poor and deserving children of the community, giving them free boarding at suitable centers.
4. To start, establish, construct, maintain or take over maternity homes, orphanages, relief centers etc. for helping and rehabilitating the sick for the eradication of beggary.
5. To publish and print booklets, books, pamphlets, magazines and other works on religious, social, economic or other subjects useful to the community members.
6. To renovate old temples of the community and to build or construct and manage new temples.
7. To give monetary help for the expenses of the marriages of the girls and the upanayanas of the boys of the absolutely poor members of the community and for cremation of the dead bodies and obsequies of the absolutely poor members of the community.

Among the various objectives adopted in the constitution, educational benefits to the youths of the community was chosen as the first field for implementing as advised by the Swamiji. The others would be taken up when the organization is able to have large resources at its disposal.

Under this scheme, each member of a household is expected to pay Rs.50 towards the membership fee either in a lump sum or in installments and execute a Nirdhara Patra (a sort of an oath). The Swamiji felt that a spiritually healthy, economically sound and educationally advanced community could be surest guarantee for the entire community.

The mode of contribution to the fund has been slightly modified since April ] 967. According to the modified scheme, annual subscription would be collected from the members (classified as A, Band C classes or ordinary members) besides donors, life members and patrons.

The Swamiji was responsible for the setting up of a publishing house, Bharatiya Samskritika Prakatanalaya, Mumbai in 197] with a suitable constitution with the aims and objects of publishing books and leaflets on the Vedic and Bharatiya culture and other allied activities. The management of the Prakashanalaya is being looked after by a committee of eleven members (all nominated by the Swamiji). The capital required for the publication of books is raised by donations. One book Shri Hanumad Ramayana in Kannada has been published in ]972.

Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji was given a sanad by the Government of Mysore in 1953. A copy of the same is reproduced below:

TRUE Copy
Court Stamp
Eight Annas

12-12-53 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MYSORE Read:

G. O. No. 1336 - 7/Muz. 246-36-4 Dated 30th March 1938 sanctioning the ordinary honors of Pallakki, Nagari, Patakaru and Tala to the Sri Swamigalu of Sri Kashi Matha, Banaras.

G. O. No. 17-24/Muz. 1-38-88 dated 5th June 1939 sanctioning the honors of Swethachatri, Ubhayasana and Talagalu to the Sri Swamigalu of Kashi Matha, Banaras.

Srimukhams dated 23rd December 1952 and 12th March 1953 from Sri Swamigalu of Kashi Matha, Banaras, requesting that a Rahadari permitting the Sri Swamigalu to use certain Royal, Special and Ordinary Honors and First Day's Bhiksha of Rs. 50, when he visits Bangalore city, may be granted.

Correspondence ending with letter No. M.I.M. 2. 625/52-53 dated 7-4-1953 from the Muzrai Commissioner in Mysore, recommending sanction to the grant of Royal and Special Honors and a first day's Bhiksha of Rs.50/- asked for by Sri Swamigalu of Sri Kashi Matha, Banaras.

ORDER NO. R. 13052-65/MUZ. 249-52-4 Dated THE 10/1211-1953, BANGALORE

Sri Kashi Matha, Banaras, is an ancient Matha having its branches in more than 13 important places like Allahabad, Rameshwaram and Travancore with a good number of disciples all over India. In view of the reverence and high esteem in which the Sri Swamigalu is held by the Sarasvata Brahmana community all over India and as the Matha has already been granted certain honors by this Government, sanction is accorded to the grant of the following

Royal and Special Honors to the Sri Swamigalu of the Matha, in addition to those already enjoyed by the Matha, and a First Day's Bhiksha of Rs.50/- on the occasion of the visit of the Sri Swamigalu to Bangalore. Royal Honors Special Honors

• 1 Hagalu Deevatige
• 5 Ubhaya Chamara
• 2 Makara Torana
• 6 Kavi Nishanigalu
• 3 Dhavala Shankha
• 4 Surepan
  

The Muzrai Commissioner is requested to issue the necessary Rahadari to the Sri Swamigalu, a copy of the same being sent to the Government for reference and record. Sd/-
(D,R. Chennarudrayya)
For Secretary to Government
Revenue Department
"COPY"

Sd/-
(D,R. Chennarudrayya)
For Secretary to Government
Revenue Department
(P.T.O.)

(Page 2)
Date of application 12-12-53
Number of words 368
Copying fees 0-8-0
Comparing fees 0-2-0
Copied by Sd/- (N. Narayana Shetty) 14-12-'53
Compared by Sd/ - (T. S. Ramachandran)
Copy read on 14-12-'53
Copy delivered on 14-12-'53

Necessary orders were issued (partly in Kannada and partly in English) to all the Taluk Amaldars in Mysore State by the Muzrai Commissioner in accordance with Order No. R-13052-651 Muz. 249- 52-4 of 10/12-11-1953, mentioned in the above Sanad. A free rendering of a copy of the orders is as follows -
No. R. Dis. M.I M.2 625-52-53.

From
The Office of Muzrai Commissioner, Mysore State .

For the information of the Amaldars of all Taluks in the Mysore State .

Whereas, Shree Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji, bearing the titles such as Shrimad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya etc. and the head of Shri Kashi (Banaras) Matha is traveling in Mysore State with the intention of propagating Dharma and to guide the Goud Sarasvata Brahmana community members on various religious matters, whenever the said Swamiji crosses the boundary and enters the area under your jurisdiction, do not prevent him from doing so. Arrangements should be made for supplying the provisions required by the Swamiji and his retinue, from whom the cost of the provisions should be recovered and paid to the merchants concerned. Further, the Swamiji and his retinue should be provided with a safe place and arrangements should be made to see that there is no danger from thieves and bandits during the nights. Due respect should be given to the Swamiji and his retinue.

The following honors are sanctioned by the Government of Mysore as per Order No. 13052-65-Muz. 249-52-4 dated 10th day of November 1953.

Royal Honors Special Honors

• 1 Hagalu Deevatige
• 1 Ubhaya Chamara
• 2 Makara Torana
• 2 Kavi Nishanigalu
• 3 Dhavala Shankha
• 3 Shweta Chatri
• 4 Surepan
  
  

Ordinary Honors

1. Ordinary Pallakki
2. 8 Sepoys
3. Ubhayasana
4. Camels
5. Nagari
6. Pipers
7. Pathakaru
8. Veda Ghoshakas
9. Talagala
10. Motor Car 1
11. Elephants
12. Bus 1
13. Horses

N.B. The Arms and Weapons, viz. one revolver, one pistol and two muzzle loading guns, one sword shown in the Rahadari granted to the head of (he Matha in March 1941 (No. C 1894-38 39 of the Muzrai Commissioner's Office) have been deleted, as per letter No. H. A. 3002-1 I-Pol. 63-53-4, dated 8th August 1953 of the Under Secretary to the Government of Mysore, Home Department, Bangalore. This Rahadari is issued under the authority of :

1. G. O. No. 1336-37-Muz. 246-36-4, dated 30-3-1938
2. G. O. No. 17-28-Muz. 1-38-88, dated 5-6-1939.
3. G. O. No. R 13052 Muz. 249-52-4, dated 10-11-1953.
   
   Bangalore Sd/-
   Dated 15-1-1954 G. N. Nagaraja Ran
   Muzrai Commissioner
   WD 1596-GpB-200-31-1-54
   

We conclude the book with a summary of the Pravachana given by Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji on the day he left Nasik for Haridwar.

Our Gurudev blessed us so that we might manage this Samsthan in a good way. The mercy of God made this possible all through the past fifty years. What constitutes a good or a bad act depend upon one's mental attitude. Whatever act done with a loving heart for the welfare of all living beings is an act of goodness.

Our Mahan Bharat is not just a land area. Is it possible to conceive of a country without its people? The people of this great land are noble and great. The task entrusted to us by our Gurudev is to perform puja to the Almighty and pass on the punya thus accrued to the society at large . As we are all mere tools in His hands, the credit for whatever has been achieved goes to God. There is no doubt about it.

The Samsthan exists for the sake of shishya-varga. It consists of the Swamiji, shishya-varga and purohitavarga. The Samsthan preaches good thoughts and blesses the shishya-varga. At present there is a need for harmony and coordination between the purohitas and yajamans. Any problem that arises should be solved through love and trust, and in the process nobody should be displeased.
Our Samaj has witnessed a lot of progress and prosperity. But we cannot claim the credit for it: it was achieved by the grace of God. During our period, we have observed that the shishya-varga did contribute in a big way to the Samsthan through Tanu-Mana-Dhana. We will always remember this. May the loving relationship between the Samsthan and shishya-varga ever continue! This is our ardent prayer.

Now, at this juncture of our departure we want to make it clear to our shishya-varga that we are happily departing, not with dukkha. However, there is no doubt that departure is painful. But then the ties between you and us will ever remain intact. For example, when a boy is in a distant land for education or profession, the bond of love between the parents and the son does not get weakened; on the other hand it gets intensified, though both are far apart. Similarly, when we are away in Haridwar, a far away place, let our bond of love remain intact. Had God given us enough physical strength, we would have continued as before. Body has become frail. This we have been experiencing for the last several years. But we never bothered about it while performing duties associated with the Samsthan. What worries us now is: will the physical conditions start bothering us in future? For instance, yesterday we performed more than hundred Pavamana abhisheka. Today also it was over a hundred. After the puja we have to give prasad to all sevadaris. This process takes several hours and too much physical exertion. Therefore both doctors and purohits began to repeatedly insist that the Swamiji may kindly reduce the physical exertion. We did not agree to do so, and continued to perform traditional duties as before. Last year once again health problem cropped up. Doctors observed our blood pressure going up and they came up with a suggestion that we should reduce talking to people. By that time, even we started experiencing too much physical exhaustion. Therefore, we thought it wise to pass on some duties to our capable successor preferably at a time when we are still in a position to carry on with the traditional duties.
Throughout the past decades we have been traveling all over the country performing Punarpratishtha, Sahasrakumbhabhisheka, renovation of temples and Mathas and so on. These performances left us not much time to do swadhyaya which we always loved to do. This is the time for us to intensify swadhyaya and become thorough in Dharma granthas. Moreover, God has given us another good taste - a taste to write kavya. We want to develop it and write a few compositions in Sanskrit. At Haridwar our establishment will be a small one; our pujas will be of a shorter duration and simple; we will also be leading a simple life without much paraphernalia. The Atma Sadhana done, charities made and the medical relief given - punya accruing there from will go to the Samaj. Even being at Haridwar we can earn punya for the sake of the welfare of the Samaj. Moreover our responsibility will be moderate. There is no doubt about all this.

You have given us love in abundance. Let God bless you all to keep that love ever bright.

May God bless you! We bless You! We will never forget your dedicated service! With God's love and Swamiji's love!

We conclude the book with a summary of the Pravachana given by Shrimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji on the day he left Nasik for Haridwar.

Our Gurudev blessed us so that we might manage this Samsthan in a good way. The mercy of God made this possible all through the past fifty years. What constitutes a good or a bad act depend upon one's mental attitude. Whatever act done with a loving heart for the welfare of all living beings is an act of goodness.

Our Mahan Bharat is not just a land area. Is it possible to conceive of a country without its people? The people of this great land are noble and great. The task entrusted to us by our Gurudev is to perform puja to the Almighty and pass on the punya thus accrued to the society at large . As we are all mere tools in His hands, the credit for whatever has been achieved goes to God. There is no doubt about it.

The Samsthan exists for the sake of shishya-varga. It consists of the Swamiji, shishya-varga and purohitavarga. The Samsthan preaches good thoughts and blesses the shishya-varga. At present there is a need for harmony and coordination between the purohitas and yajamans. Any problem that arises should be solved through love and trust, and in the process nobody should be displeased.
Our Samaj has witnessed a lot of progress and prosperity. But we cannot claim the credit for it: it was achieved by the grace of God. During our period, we have observed that the shishya-varga did contribute in a big way to the Samsthan through Tanu-Mana-Dhana. We will always remember this. May the loving relationship between the Samsthan and shishya-varga ever continue! This is our ardent prayer.

Now, at this juncture of our departure we want to make it clear to our shishya-varga that we are happily departing, not with dukkha. However, there is no doubt that departure is painful. But then the ties between you and us will ever remain intact. For example, when a boy is in a distant land for education or profession, the bond of love between the parents and the son does not get weakened; on the other hand it gets intensified, though both are far apart. Similarly, when we are away in Haridwar, a far away place, let our bond of love remain intact. Had God given us enough physical strength, we would have continued as before. Body has become frail. This we have been experiencing for the last several years. But we never bothered about it while performing duties associated with the Samsthan. What worries us now is: will the physical conditions start bothering us in future? For instance, yesterday we performed more than hundred Pavamana abhisheka. Today also it was over a hundred. After the puja we have to give prasad to all sevadaris. This process takes several hours and too much physical exertion. Therefore both doctors and purohits began to repeatedly insist that the Swamiji may kindly reduce the physical exertion. We did not agree to do so, and continued to perform traditional duties as before. Last year once again health problem cropped up. Doctors observed our blood pressure going up and they came up with a suggestion that we should reduce talking to people. By that time, even we started experiencing too much physical exhaustion. Therefore, we thought it wise to pass on some duties to our capable successor preferably at a time when we are still in a position to carry on with the traditional duties.
Throughout the past decades we have been traveling all over the country performing Punarpratishtha, Sahasrakumbhabhisheka, renovation of temples and Mathas and so on. These performances left us not much time to do swadhyaya which we always loved to do. This is the time for us to intensify swadhyaya and become thorough in Dharma granthas. Moreover, God has given us another good taste - a taste to write kavya. We want to develop it and write a few compositions in Sanskrit. At Haridwar our establishment will be a small one; our pujas will be of a shorter duration and simple; we will also be leading a simple life without much paraphernalia. The Atma Sadhana done, charities made and the medical relief given - punya accruing there from will go to the Samaj. Even being at Haridwar we can earn punya for the sake of the welfare of the Samaj. Moreover our responsibility will be moderate. There is no doubt about all this.

You have given us love in abundance. Let God bless you all to keep that love ever bright.
May God bless you! We bless You! We will never forget your dedicated service! With God's love and Swamiji's love!