Book Presentation
Divine Convergence
Short Description:
The booklet “The Divine Convergence” is about a great swami who was a disciple of Master C.V.V. in a very secret way. He was well known in India as a Shankaracharya and he wanted to leave his path when he met Master C.V.V. since his path was full of regulations. But Master C.V.V. told him that he was representing an institution which was thousands of years old and it would give a wrong example to others. In his next life, he could come to the path of Master C.V.V.
This information is meant for the circles of the WTT and not for larger circles.
Bengaluru 2016
By the grace of His Holiness Sri. Sri. Sri. Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami, fondly known to one and all as the Paramacharya of Kanchi:
His Holiness, Sri. Sri. Sri. Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami took birth on 20th May, 1894 in Villuppuram village in the then Madras State to the blessed couple, Sri. Subrahmanya Sastry and Smt. Mahalakshmamma. His father named him Swaminatha. Sri. Subrahmanya Sastry initiated Swaminatha into Gayatri through the Upanayana Samskara in the year 1905. Being an officer in district education department, he admitted Swaminatha in to English Education.
In 1906, young Swaminatha happened to meet for the first time, the 66th Acharya of the revered Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam (seat) during the latter’s Chaturmasya Deeksha (holy period of four months) in the town of Tindivanam when his father took him along to pay respects. It is believed that the moment the Acharya saw the young Swaminatha, he recognized him as the future pontiff of the Peetam. On that basis, he immediately gave deeksha (initiation) to Sri. Lakshminatha as the 67th pontiff and indicated that Swaminatha should succeed him as 68th pontiff.
Later when Sri. Lakshminatha, whose health suddenly deteriorated, realized the impending departure immediately called for Swaminatha to be brought to him as instructed by his preceptor earlier that Swaminatha should succeed him. While Swaminatha and his mother were rushing to see Sri. Lakshminatha, permission was obtained from Sri. Subrahmanya Sastry through wire as he was away on official duty at a far off place, to impart sanyasa (admission into the monk order) to Swaminatha and instate him as the successor. At that time, Swaminatha was 13 years old and was studying 8th standard. Thus, on 13th February, 1907 in the presence of his mother, Swaminatha was given the necessary deeksha to enable him to be the pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.
A few hours later, the existing Swami entered the state of Maha Samadhi, following which, on 9th May of year 1907, Swaminatha was rechristened as Sri. Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi and coronated as the 68th pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Given that the Swami was too young to manage the affairs of the mutt (monastery) at that time, other officials were taking care of the administrative responsibilities. He was then stationed in the Kanchi Mutt premises in the town of Kumbakonam for necessary learning in various branches of wisdom such as Veda and Vedangas under the guidance of pandits. The Swami, though many of the orthodox and traditional customs were not to his liking wing to his English education, was obliging and abiding reluctantly to the customary procedures of the mutt.
The Kanchi Mutt premises in Kumbakonam is in close vicinity of Master C.V.V.’s residence. As a part of being aware of the worldly happenings, the Swami was in the habit of reading the newspaper daily. In one of the occasions, in the year 1910, when Master C.V.V. announced the New Yoga to the world, the Swami happened to see a notice titled “Independence Declaration” in the newspaper. He followed closely the contents of the published article and found the objectives and principles of the New Yoga and the explanation thereof, very appropriate and appealing to his mental disposition.
From that day onwards, given the physical proximity of their places of residence, the Swami started to observe closely the movements and the programmes of Master C.V.V. and developed a favourable opinion of the Master. He wanted to speak with the Master at the right opportunity. The regulations of the mutt and the responsibility on him as the head of the Peetam were not allowing him to do so. However the urge to meet and speak with Master C.V.V. was only increasing with time.
One day in the year 1913, during the early hours, they crossed path when both of them came for bathing in river Kaveri at the Bhagavatha Ghat. When they encountered each other and when their eyes met, the Swami’s urge to have a conversation with the Master knew no bounds. He asked his followers and disciples for privacy and discussed with the Master in solitude.
The Swami with great respect spoke with the Master, “Mahatma (O Great Soul), the New Yoga propounded by you is very appealing to me, unlike the sanyasa and the responsibility of the mutt that is imparted to me. Like you are advocating, I am of the firm belief that the attainment of Brahman is very much possible through grihastashrama (family life). Hence, I request you to grace me by accepting me as your disciple.” When the Swami unhesitatingly stated thus, Master C.V.V. closed his eyes for some moments and being an omniscient one that he is, comprehended the future programme of the Swami and replied, “Swami, what you say is indeed true, but you are born into this world with a purpose. You have been sent with a Grand Plan in accordance to which, a multitude of humanity will have to be elevated through you. It is not appropriate for me to disturb the Plan ordained for you to lift up the humanity. I appreciate your faith in the New Yoga and your strong inclination to practice it. However, it is also my duty to fulfil your yearning, hence, along with my best wishes for your ordained programme in this life to help in the spiritual elevation of a large section of humanity, I will bestow an opportunity on you, to practice this Yoga in your next life.”
From that moment, the Swami took the words of the Master as the decision of Parabrahman and conducted his responsibilities with great conviction and sincerity. After the Master's departure from his physical body, the Swami used to invited Mother Venkamma and her family members to his presence and enquired about their well-being many times.
This incident was narrated by Smt. Kamalamma, the daughter of Master C.V.V. and Mother Venkamma, in Nagpur. The life and works of the Swami, Sri. Sri. Sri. Chandrasekharendra Saraswati have been immortalized in a book in Telugu called “Nadiche Devudu” (The Walking Divinity) by one of his foremost disciples, Sri Neelamraju Venkata Seshaiah. It can also be read in numerous biographical texts based on the Swami’s life. A great amount of detail can also be found in the lectures of Sri. Chaganti Koteshwara Rao on the Paramacharya. The Swami, fondly and vividly known as the Paramacharya (translated: The Great Teacher or The Teacher, Absolute) was felicitated with swarnabhishekam (ceremony) in the year of his birth centenary in the presence of the then prime minister of India, Sri. P.V. Narasimha Rao. In the same year, that is 1994, on January 8th, the Swami attained Maha Samadhi.
The Swami having purposefully lived long years of his life, has again taken birth to be a fulfilled being, practising in the path of New Yoga in accordance with the word given by Master C.V.V., who is verily the embodiment of Parabrahman. The followers firmly believe this is the truth. It is also believed this will be revealed in more detail at appropriate time in the near future.
Master C.V.V. Namaskarams