Brahmasri K P Shankara Shastrigal
Sri K P Shankara Shastrigal was born in the divine city of Kaladi in Kerala. His
elder brother Sri Narayana Shastrigal was a scholar par excellence and a great
Srividya Upasaka. He spent his last few days in the holy city of Kashi. He was
a great devotee of Sri Parameshwara. It is said that when he passed away, a
Bana Linga was found on his body. Coming from a family of such stalwarts,
Sri Shankara Shastrigal studied Veda, Vedanta, Mimamsa, Tarka and other
branches of learning from the masters in the respective fields. He was the
foremost disciple of Sri Hanagal Virupaksha Shastrigal under whom he learnt
and mastered Tarka. He was initiated into Srividya by Sri Valukeshwara
Bharati Mahaswamigal and Sri Vidyabhinava Valukeshwara Bharati
Mahaswamigal(The Acharya of Koodali Shankara Matham) and Sri
Vidyabhinava Valukeshwara Bharati Mahaswamigal (Acharya of the same
Matham, famously known as Hanagal Virupaksha Shastrigal in his
Purvashrama). Sri Shastrigal also received Mahamantropadesham from the
celebrated Jivanmukta, Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswamigal of
Sringeri. His disciples are numerous like the stars in the sky. His approach to
Srividya is based totally on the Vedas and Upanishads. He has not only taught
and guided innumerable number of Sadhakas but also the Peethadhipatis of
various monastries. He has shunned various practices that have crept into the
system of Srividya in the name of Kaula Tantra and clarified the actual path, as
taught originally by Acharya Bhagavatpada. He belongs to the illustrious
Dakshinamurti Sampradaya. Acharyas of Sringeri held him in a very high
regard. He was the Asthana Vidwan of both Sringeri and Kanchi Kamakoti
Peethas. His written works include Varivasya Rahasya Bhashyam, Tripura
Mahimna Stotra Bhashyam, Shodasha Samskara Vidhi etc. He has also
composed various hymns on Sri Rajarajeshwari. Most Mathams affiliated to
Sringeri Sharada Peetham follow his guidelines for Srividya Upasana. The
honours and rewards that have come his way are many. `Asthana Vidwan' of
Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, he has received a gold medal from the president
of India, Sri Shankar dayal Sharma. He has also received top honours from the
late Maharaja of Mysore. He has served as the Principal of Sanskrit College in
Kaladi and as a professor in other reputed institutions across the country. He
has also been the Ashthana Vidwan of various other Shakha Mutts of Sringeri
like the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Swarnavalli etc.
A few words regarding the Srividya Sampradaya of Sringeri would be quite
relevant here. It is well known that Sri Adi Shankaracharya instructed all the
four Amnaya Peethas to worship Sri Mahatripurasundari in Srichakra and Sri
Chandramoulishwara. This practice continues to the present day without
interruption. It was already mentioned that the Acharyas of Sringeri were great
Srividya Upasakas. Sri Vidyaranya, who is the author of the great encyclopedia
of Srividya, Srividyarnava Tantra, was a Shankaracharya of the illustrious
Sharada Peetham of Sringeri. However, a special person deserves mention here.
Sri Satyanandanatha was a great Jivanmukta and Siddha born in the Andhra
Desha. Nothing much is known about his parents, year of birth or even his age.
He is said to have been initiated by a thousand year old great Avadhoota Sri
Paramanandanatha. Some senior Srividya Upasakas I spoke to describe his
name to be Prakashanandanatha. He is said to be belonging to Sri
Dakshinamurti Sampradaya. But his Guru is said to be Sri Dattatreya himself.
Sri Satyanandanatha was immersed in eternal bliss in a cave and appeared in
Sringeri one fine day after receiving a Yogic invitation from Sri Narasimha
Bharati Mahaswamigal. As per his instructions, Sri Satyanandanatha instructed
a few scholars of Sringeri, including Sri Viroopaksha Shastrigal in Srividya.
The present Srividya Paddhati followed in Sringeri is according to his
teachings. Senior Upasakas of Sri Satyanandanatha’s lineage are still present in
Benaras, Bengal, Chennai and Andhra. His chief disciple was Sri
Jnananandanatha (Simhambhattula Ramamoorty Shastrigal), the author of the
great Srividya hymn `Sharada Chatusshati'. There is said to be a cave in Andhra
(Kashmir according to Sri Ramachandran of Guhananda Mandali) in which the
great guru Sri Satyanandantha is still present, absorbed in eternal bliss. He was
more or less a contemporary Saint of Sri Guhanandanatha. Sri Narayana
Bharati (Brahmasri Chidanandanatha's late grand son) once mentioned that
probably they were both Saha-Shishyas. I am fortunate to have a Srichakra
Meru with me (given by Sri C P Ramaswamy Iyer’s family) that is said to have
been worshipped by Sri Satyanandanatha for years and later by Sri Narasimha
Bharati Swamigal. I was even told that it was handed over to him by his guru
and is thousands of years old.
Salutations to Sri Rajarajeshwari Parabhattarika, who has graced us in the form
of Shankara Traya - Adi Guru Dakshinamurti, Sri Shankara
Bhagavatpadacharya and our beloved Guru Brahmasri Shankara Shastrigal.
Namaami Shankara Trayam!
