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How Pujya Swamy Dayananda Saraswathi saved the 2500 year Puja Tradition of the Kanchi Mutt

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Sri. M.V.R.Sastry, the then editor of Andhrabhoomi had informed that both Kanchi Acharyas are to be arrested tonight.

An evening of 11th November 2004. Diwali Eve, Celebrated as Naraka Chaturdasi in South. There was immense joy in the sky. Sounds of firecrackers bursting filled the air, Diyas were out glowing in the courtyard, Children rushed out into the streets to enjoy the fireworks, with their adults in tow exhibiting a childlike enthusiasm.

The ring of the telephone was subdued only by the sound of the crackers. It was around 6 P.M. when Sri. M.V.R.Sastry, the then Editor of Andhra Bhoomi (Deccan Chronicle group), Hyderabad called me. What he told me drove away all the happiness of celebrating the biggest festival of the Hindus.

I reproduce from memory the telephonic conversation:

“Badri garu, Are you aware of what is happening in Mahabubnagar”?

“No Sir”

“ Both the Kanchi Sankaracharyas are likely to get arrested. My man in Mahbubnagar just called me”

Did I hear it right? Sankaracharyas getting arrested. Both? I asked him to repeat what he said and he did.

“Something needs to be done”

I asked him if it was Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy who is doing this. He told me that it is not YSR but the Tamil Nadu Police under J.Jayalalithaa!

Why would someone like J.J. think of arresting the Acharyas? There was no time to think of all that.

I told him that I will immediately bring this to the notice of H.H. Pujya Swamy Dayananda Saraswathi, convenor of The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha and seek His guidance.

I hung the phone and immediately tried to reach Pujya Swamiji on the mobile number that I usually contact Him. I could not establish contact as the mobile was switched off.

My next step was to reach someone who could help me reach Pujya Swamiji. Instantly, Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam came to my mind. I rushed to her house in Adyar, my driving occasionally interrupted by a flowerpot going off on the road.

Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam and her nephew Sri Kannan Balakrishnan were at home. She received me warmly thinking that I had come to wish them all a Happy Diwali. But when she noticed the concern on my face, she asked: “Anything wrong?”

“Everything is wrong,” I blurted out with tears in my eyes.

I told her what I heard from Sri M.V.R.Sastry and said that Pujya Swamiji’s mobile is switched off and I could not reach Him.

“Pujya Swamiji is in Australia. I have the number where He currently is.”

She made the call.

“Swamiji, Badriji has brought a devastating news. I will give the phone to him to explain”

“Swamiji, I have received news from Sri M.V.R. Sastry, Editor of Andhrabhoomi that both Kanchi Acharyas are to be arrested tonight. Sastry ji has a very high credibility and I trust his news”

Pujya Swamiji was shocked… Aiyayo… Ennappa Sollara? (What are you saying?)

“Swamiji, as of now we do not know the reason. Sastry ji said it was not YSR. It was T.N.Police under Jayalalithaa. But we need to somehow stop this”

Pujya Swamiji said: “Yes. But I am in Australia right now. What is it that I can do from here?”

I looked at Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam who was also hearing this conversation on the speaker. Just behind her was the magnificent picture of Kanchi Mahaswami and my eyes were fixed on him for just a moment.

Then it struck me like a thunderbolt.

“Swamyji, Jayalalithaa would never undertake to arrest the Acharyas without performing a Devaprasnam. Her go to man in these matters is Parappanamgadi Unnikrishna Panikkar. If Swamiji can talk to him and put this off so you could come and talk to Jayalalithaa on return from Australia, that would be the best thing to do now. At any cost, the uninterrupted tradition of Chandramouleeswarar Puja cannot be broken Swamiji”.

“Nee Angaye Iruppa… Naan Pesittu solrane” (You remain there, I will talk to him and get back)

The arrest still had not taken place. We desperately started switching News Channels to check if there is any Breaking News or Scroll. There was none.

Pujya Swamiji called back and said: “You are right. They approached Panikkar and performed a Devaprasnam to check if the arrest would harm her Chief Ministership. He told them that no harm would come to their power. Prasnam revealed both Acharyas have KarAgruha Vasam. I asked him to talk to the CM and put it off until I return to meet her in person. Unnikrishna Panikkar said that she has made up her mind and will not listen”

At that moment Swamiji told Unnikrishna Panikkar that “We don’t know why she is doing such a heinous thing. But is it possible that you convince her that ONE of the Acharyas should remain to continue the hoary tradition of the puja?”

Pujya Swamiji told me that Panikkar had promised him to talk to Jayalalithaa on this and do as ordained by Him.

And twenty minutes later, we had the scroll on the TV, breaking the news.

H.H. Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamiji was not arrested along with His guru, H.H, Sri. Jayendra Saraswathi Sankaracharya Swamiji.

The hoary tradition of the Puja continued.

(I brought my Historic telephone conversation with Pujya Swamy Dayananda Saraswathi and His subsequent actions to the notice of both the Acharyas long after they were absolved by the Court. Sri. Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji confirmed that He heard about it from Pujya Dayananda Saraswathi Swamiji Himself. I received Their Paripoorna Anugraham.)

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

S V Badri

S. V. Badri was former VP-Marketing of a Bayer Organization. A Gaurakshak, Anti-conversion field activist involved in the renovation of Mandirs in Dalit Colonies of Tamil Nadu. One of the founding members of Temple Worshippers Society, Chennai. Currently, lives in Mumbai.

View Comments

  • I regard and respectfully bow my head to the 68th Pontiff of Kanchi Mutt Pujya Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal, popularly known as Kanchi Maha Swamigal or Kanchi Maha Periyava, as a true Sanyaasi and incarnation of God.

  • This is utter crap! I’m not saying this just as a public, or Sri Matam follows/devotee or the one who knows a lot more than the others on this episode but from the simple fact that if JJ had been in that state of mind to listen to whatever was requested, she wouldn’t have even come to this decision! There maybe some elements of truth in this article about the first half of the story but that was heavily twisted to bring excitement on the whole story at the later half as if for us to believe JJ & the astrologer as Holy persons! Crap! Look at how the Astrologer’s prediction that nothing will happen to JJ power, maybe that’s true but JJ & her clan got much worse than that including SK & Framekumar! Where was his prediction? A true astrologer faithful to Dharma & Sastras wouldn’t have even entertained this at all at the first place! Had he even entertained, he should have warned JJ about the final end for her! The Great Almighty & The Great Divinity will save Sri Matam from not only politicians like JJ but mischievous persons who are bringing this now, & not before 28 Feb 2018, why? They’ve no guts to face HH! Simple answer! The Same Almighty & Divinity which prevented Iyer ji from posting Sri Matam Photo instead came some Other Photo will protect Sri Matam from all mischiefs! No twisting please!

    Iyer ji: at our mutually convenient leisure either in USA or in India either in person or over the phone, I’ll disprove it to your satisfaction. I don’t want to comment here & drag this into different directions! Thank you & Namaste! ?

    • Sri Guruvayurappan Sir, each and every word in the article is true and there is no necessity for Sri Badriji to bring any kind of excitement and he has not twisted anything here. And he has not sung paeans for either Jayalalitha or the astrologer in the article. He has detailed what has exactly happened.

      Of course, all true devotees knew very well that JJ would attain such a nasty fate like that police officer and the other writer. And many others who were a part of that conspiracy will also attain similar fate only.

      Sri Badriji is not a mischievous person as you think. I am extremely sorry to say that you are mistaken. There may be valid reasons for writing this article now. Why he wrote and what made him to write can be known when you discuss with Sri Sree Iyer.

      Publishing of Sringeri Acharya’s photo was a mistake by PGurus and the same has been conveyed to them to rectify and they have rectified.

      To my knowledge, there is not even an iota of falsehood in the article for you to disprove Sir. Everything is a fact.

      In fact, Badriji had done many more during the crisis, which you will come to know one day.

      May Pujya Paramacharya, Pujya Sri Jeyendra Periyava and Pujya Periyava Bless us all!

      Thank you; Namaskarams.

    • The wrong picture was put by mistake and has since been corrected. PGurus encourages all viewpoints and we publish comments as long as they are within the guidelines of our site. Keep them coming...

  • Namaskarams Sri Haran ji and Sri Badri ji

    At that time Pujya Swamiji was in Australia , and conducting a retreat in Yeerinbool, one hour drive from Sydney.

    I also attended that retreat and we three ladies allocated the task to look after Pujya swamiji's Biksha , preparing food.

    when the phone came , I was standing very close to Pujya Swamiji and serving food . His secretary gave the phone to him as soon as he heard the news , swamiji did not eat
    washed his hand , and we heard that he wanted to talk to Previous President Venkatraman ji .

    After noon swamiji finished the retreat, and canelled all the Australia programme instructing his secretary to
    look for next avilable flight.

    All the devotees in the retreat including me was crying, did not understand or comprehend why any one
    could arrest our Sankaracharyar ????

    Thought just to share with you after reading this
    reg
    Mrs Akila Ramarathinam

    • Thank you Akilaji for your kind response corroborating Badriji's article. May Acharyas bless you!

    • Thank you Akila ji. That phone call was the one I referred to in the article. Made from Padma Subramanyam ji's residence. Pujya Swamiji has done so many things very silently. ?

  • I was born in 1995, and from 2004 to 2016 till mahamham , I was in the feel that kanchi mattam was wrong. sonia and jayalaitha did a great sin for our entire feelings, which I understood later after reading Pranab autobiography, where he mentions that sonia wanted it badly to happen. She will suffer the most along with her next generation to come. I have greatest reverence for kanchi mutt from last year, I will never ever even get away with these propoganda's.

    • Hmm....
      People get misled.. easily with the media and its versions.
      Thank god people now know of the media and its bad side.
      sonia is the greatest harm to our country and Chandramouleshwarar has been preparing India to save it from rome n vatican. Awareness has to be created among all sections of Hindus, against these evils.

  • Very moving account Badriji. Pranams. May Acharyas Bless you with a long healthy life to serve Hindu Samaj!

  • You have put the Sringeri Shankaracharya photo instead of Kanchi Swamigal. Please change it immediately.

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