Sri Srikantha Shastri of Sringeri

*THE SAINT OF SRINGERI*

 

*Episode 1 (20-07-2022)*

 

*11. A DEVOTED SERVANT*

 

Sri Srikantha Shastri who was the agent of the me to it in his 19th year and served it with great ability till his 62nd year. He was not only the administrator of its varied temporal concerns but had acquainted himself with the religious routine also of the Math so much so that, whenever the priests there or even His Holiness found it inconvenient to attend to the daily worship, Sri Shastri himself would step in to do it. His private worship was itself a very elaborate one. As he entered upon his official duties very early in his life, he had not the opportunity to become proficient in any particular Shastra but he easily acquainted himself with the main teachings of most of the Shastras and had acquired the competency to judge aright the merits of the several scholars who came to the Math. That he was a good hand in composing beautiful stanzas is clear from the collection of his compositions published under the name of "Guruprasada Mahimadarsha". He served under His Holiness Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Swamiji for about 24 years and under His Holiness Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Swamiji for about 19 years and during this long period of administration he carried out very many valuable improvements in the Math. It was only in 1931 when the present His Holiness Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swamiji was given Sannyasa by Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Swamiji that he was able to obtain permission of the latter to retire from service. Even afterwards, as there was none else of his wide experience of the affairs of the Math, he was being repeatedly consulted by his successors and very often by His Holiness Himself, in many matters concerning the traditions or the history of the Math. He took Apat Sannyasa in 1949 and passed away at Mysore in 1950. It may therefore be stated that his entire life was spent in the service of the Math.

 

It is scarcely necessary to point out that, to carry out efficiently the responsibilities of any high position, it will not do to be soft but it will be necessary to be very often stiff or at least seem to be stiff. Sri Shastri was eminently fitted by God for such a job. He had not only a very commanding personality but had a temperament and tone which would discourage all familiarity in those who came into contact with him. If any person happened to talk to His Holiness on any worldly subject, He would simply say "This is a secular matter; you may talk to Sri Shastrigal about it". Almost invariably that person would not have the courage to approach Sri Shastri or to broach the subject with him. Even when Sri Shastri was talking on any small matter, his tone would be ringing with command and power so much so that those who had no opportunity of moving with him at close quarters would easily mistake him over-bearing. 

 

*To be continued…*