Chandrashekhara Bharati III

The childhood days of Narasimha Sastri (as he was named by his parents) were passed in Sringeri.[1] He was an introvert and had little attraction for the objects of the world. He was lodged in the house of Srikanta Sastri, the then administrator of the Sringeri Matha. His parents performed the Choodakarma (a rite performed as one of the sixteen saṃskāras that enables one to go to school). He was then sent to the local Anglo-vernacular school run by the government.

His Brahmopadesha was performed when he was eight. He was regular in the performance of Sandhyavandanam three times a day, and Agnikarya, twice a day.

Narasimha, after his twelfth year, changed over to Sadvidya Sanjivini Pathasala in Sringeri under the express wishes of Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Swaminah, the then head of the matha. The Jagadguru kept a close watch over the progress of his ward.

The then Acharya of the Sringeri Matha had established in 1910 an institution of higher Vedantic training- Bharatiya Girvana Prouda Vidya Vardhini Shala in Bangalore. Narasimha Sastri was chosen to be a disciple at that institution. Narasimha Sastri moved to Bangalore in 1911 with his parents and plunged into his studies. Mahamahopadhyaya [3] Vellore Subrahmanya Sastri and Mimamsa Shiromani Vaidyanatha Sastri taught him Purva Mimamsa by texts such as the Bhatta Dipika.[1] Mahamahopadhyaya Virupaksha Sastri taught him Vedanta. Even in Bangalore there was no change in Narasimha's inwardness. He spent his free time in the peaceful environs of the Gavigangadhareshwara Temple in Gavipuram, Bangalore.[1]

In 1912, Acharya Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Swaminah decided to name Narasimha Sastri as his successor to the Sharada Peetham. A devotee, Rama Sastri, was entrusted with the task of personally carrying the Acharya's letter carrying the naming of his successor to the Peetham to Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Maharaja of Mysore. Before Narasimha could arrive in Sringeri, the Acharya had attained Videha Mukti. So, on April 7, 1912, Narasimha Sastri was initiated into Sannyasa by Sri Satyananda Sarasvati Mahaswami and given the yoga patta [4] of Chandrashekhara Bharati. He received the saffron robes, the sacred staff and the kamandalu (water pot) from the Mahaswami.[2] He was thus ordained in the dashanami tradition of Sri Adishankaracharya.[1]

In 1916, the Kumbhabhishekam (consecration) of the Sharada Temple in Sringeri was performed by Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswami. In 1924, he left Sringeri on his first Digvijayam (tour). He first reached Mysore and consecrated a temple at the house of his Guru. It was named Abhinava Shankaralaya. Then, from Mysore, the Mahaswami proceeded to Satyamangalam via Nanjanagud and Chamrajanagar. He then toured the southern parts of the Tamil country including Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari. He then toured Thiruvananthapuram and Kaladi in Travancore. At Kaladi, in 1927 he established a Vedanta Pathashala (an institution for higher studies in Vedanta). He then returned to Sringeri after visiting a few more places in Karnataka and Travancore.[1]

After returning to Sringeri, the Mahaswami assumed the Avadhuta Sthiti (the state of being an Avadhuta). He was absorbed in the inward bliss of the Atma. To enable himself to spend more time in meditation and contemplation of the Self, he named a successor to the Peetham: a boy named Srinivasa Sastri. On May 22, 1931, he initiated Srinivasa Sastri into Sannyasa and gave him the yoga patta of Abhinava Vidyatirtha. In 1938, he undertook a yatra (pilgrimage) to Bangalore, Mysore and Kaladi. After returning to Sringeri, he resumed his classes on Vedanta and wrote thought-provoking and erudite articles in Asthikamathasanjeevini,a journal published by the Matha.[1] He granted interviews to genuine seekers and gave darshan to the public.

After 1945, the Mahaswami gradually withdrew from all activities. However, his fame had spread far and wide. On August 24, 1954, the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, visited Sringeri to pay homage to the Jagadguru.[2] The President, a pious man having deep faith in the Hindu scriptures, discussed with the Mahaswami on Dharma and other allied subjects.[1]

On September 26, 1954 (the day of the Mahalaya Amavasya festival), the Mahaswami took a bath in the Tunga River, which ran in Sringeri. Afterwards, he sat in padmasana posture and attained Videha Mukti on the banks of the river. His body was discovered floating in the river. His assistant Ramaswami jumped in the water and with the help of Kehavachari brought the body to the shore. The Jagadguru's body was then interred [5] by Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha, his successor to the Sharada Peetham. His body was buried beside his Guru's samadhi (shrine) and a samadhi was constructed for him. A Shiva Linga was consecrated over it. It is worshipped today and is called Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Linga. After the videha mukti of Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswami, another shrine was constructed and the Mahaswami was buried there beside Chandrashekhara Bharati Mahaswami's shrine.