Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha

Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Swaminah (born Srinivasa Sastri; 1917 – 1989) was the Jagadguru Shankaracharya (ecumenical pontiff) of one of the most important Hindu Advaita Mathas in India, the Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham. A "matha" is a seminary and monastery for followers of the Hindu religion.

Srinivasa Sastri was born in Basavanagudi, Bangalore to Venkatalakshamma and Rama Sastry on November 13, 1917. The family was an extremely pious and poor Telugu-speaking smartha brahmin family belonging to the Mulukanadu subcaste. Even as a young boy, Srinivasa Sastri exhibited extreme dispassion, a hallmark of great ascetics. When offered the opportunity to stay in Sringeri and study the Hindu scriptures under the tutelage of the then Jagadguru, Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati, he quickly accepted and settled without ado into a life of austerity and scholarship.

Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati eventually announced that Sri Srinivasa Sastri would succeed him as the next Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Sringeri. The sacred initiation ceremony was held on May 22 1931. The Acharya named his holy successor designate "Abhinava Vidyateertha". Srinivasa Sastri was only thirteen years old at the time of his initiation into Sannyasa (Asceticism).

From then until his mukti in 1989, Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Swaminah navigated the affairs of the Sringeri Matha with sagacity and immense dignity. Under his supervision, the activities of the "Matha" expanded all over India. Apart from offering spiritual guidance to the throngs of the faithful, he also expanded the charitable actions of the mutt, including the construction of a state-of-the-art medical facility, the "Sharada Dhanavantari Charitable Hospital", to serve the population of Sringeri and surrounding areas.

The Jivanmukta(One who is liberated while alive) Sri Abhinava Vidyateertha Swaminah attained videhamukti on 21 September 1989. His Adhishtana stands in the "Narasimha Vanam" at Sringeri.

External links

* [http://www.jagadgurus.org/home.asp?acharyalcode=AVT Jagadgurus]
* [http://www.sringeri.net Sringeri Sharada Peetham]
* [http://www.sankaracharya.org About Sankarcharya and His Parampara] ]