Jayendra Saraswathi

Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal (born Subrahmanyam Mahadeva Iyer; 18 July 1935 – 28 February 2018) was the 69th Shankaracharya Guru and head or pontiff (Pïțhādhipati) of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal was born as Subrahmanyam to Mahadeva Iyer and Saraswathi Ammal on 18 July 1935.

He completed schooling at Irulneeki primary school and at a middle school at nearby Adichapuram village.

Then he shifted to a veda pathasala at Thiruvanaikoil in Trichy.

He visited the village on holidays and used to play normal games such as marbles and 'killi-thandu' like other children of his age.

Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi selected him as his successor, when Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal was only 19 years old.

Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal was head of the mutt established by Adi Shankaracharya in 482 BCE.

He had His spiritual tutelage from 'Maha Periyava' and travelled the length and breadth of the country with His guru.

He delivered religious discourse besides involving Himself in various spiritual and social activities as well.

Under His guidance, the mutt started several schools and hospitals.

The Mahaswamigal ensured that the Mutt involved itself in various social activities.

Thanks to His efforts, the mutt today runs several schools, eye clinics and hospitals.

He also managed to establish a direct connect with the people.

Although the mutt is primarily a religious organisation, the Mahaswamigal, whose character was underpinned by a strident social consciousness, had both the conviction and courage to steer the mutt into territories into which it had not ventured before.

The Mahaswamigal found strength from His own inner conviction and the need for both the mutt and the Hindu religion to reach out to the poor and downtrodden.

Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer was nominated by his predecessor, Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, as his successor and was given the pontifical title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on 22 March 1954.

Sri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal succeeded Mahaperiyava Chandrashekara Saraswati Swamigal in 1960, a fact not many people know.

He conducted all the activities of the mutt with the oversight of his Guru out of reverence.

He was still strong on religious practices and their understanding — it was one of the reasons He was handpicked as the 69th pontiff of Kanchi mutt when He was just 19 years of age.

It took enormous amount of courage for Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal to renounce the world including His parents at the age of 19 in order to become true spiritual guru.

He travelled with His senior initially and then, lead many more yatras across India barefoot to spread awareness on Sanatana Dharma.

But He could make the two unlike poles reside comfortably within him.

And that is because He was also a Jagadguru of vision, who had a grasp of His own destiny.

The previous Kanchi mutt head, Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal had a profile and presence that combined religious benevolence and spiritual sensitivity but He rarely spoke in public.

But Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal liked to get involved in the current affairs of India, public life and liked to meet people across castes.

Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal had observed three unique qualities in His shishya (student) Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal : Jan Akarshanam, Dhan Akarshanam and Jal Akarshanam and hence chose Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal as His successor.

Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal had the ability to attract people anywhere such that people used to call him to places where there was drought.

He had the unique power of attracting rains anywhere.

So people used to have great faith in Him.

Any public project inaugurated by the Kanchi seer used to taste success.

He clearly understood the changing pulse of the socio-political, cultural-religious fabric of the country.

His successor was anointed by the then Senior Pontiff Mahaperiyava during his lifetime in the early 1980s.

In the 1980s, he was able to spot the churn and realized the need for both the mutt and its head to have a different profile other than being a sentinel of religious rites and rituals.

It is this belief that made him openly take on the Hindu-baiter and former chief minister M Karunandihi on the language issue, by asserting that 'Sanskrit was his father tongue and Tamil his mother tongue'.

It is considered a bravura explanation.

Unlike His predecessors in Kanchi Sankara Mutt, Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal was involved in both spiritual and public life and was known for the efforts for a solution in the Ayodhya issue during the erstwhile period of Prime Minister AB Vajpayee, but it failed to fructify.

Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal chose to bring warring factions into table and wrote a series of letters to All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and the Vishwa Hindu Parishadh (VHP) to work out a solution.

He was instrumental in the Kanchi Math expanding directly into people's service.

Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Mahaswamigal visited Manasarovar and Kailash in 1998 and became the only Shankaracharya to do so after the Adi Shankara.

There he installed the idol of Adi Shankara.