Kashi Mutt
Encyclopedia
Kashi Math is one of the four spiritual schools followed by the Goud Saraswat Brahmins. Members of the Goud Saraswat community predominantly live along the west coast of India, from Mumbai
in the north to Kerala
in the south. Other Maths followed by Goud Saraswat Brahmins are Gokarna Math (Vaishnava
), Shri Gaudapadacharya Math (Smartist
) and Chitrapur Math
(Smarta). It is one of the 24 matha
s of the Dvaita
order. Headquartered in Brahma Ghat, Varanasi
, Kashi Math has followers all over the Konkan belt, prominently in Udupi, Mangalore
, Kochi
, Alappuzha
and other parts of Kerala
and Karnataka
.
Before the Kashi Math was established, most Vaishnava Gowd Saraswat Brahmins were followers of the Shri Kavindra Math of Madhvacharya
. During the 15th century, Sri Ramachandra Tirtha of Moola Math (Jagadguru Sriman Madhwacharya Moola Maha Samsthana) initiated two shishya
s as sannyasin
s: Vibhudendra Tirtha and Vidyanidhi Tirtha. The latter started a new math called Uttaradi Math and became head of the same, while Sri Vibhudendra Tirtha continued the Parampara of Sri Ramachandra Tirtha, the main parampara of Sriman Madhwacharya, now named Sri Raghavendra Math (Mantralaya) after Sri Raghavendra of Mantralaya. Due to their proximity to South Kanara and Kerala.
Later, when Surendra Tirtha became the head of the Math at Kumbhakonam (Mula Matha), one of his disciples, Vijayindra Tirtha undertook a Chaturmasya (a religious event lasting four months) at Kochi in 1539–1540. Here, he selected Sri Hanumantha Bhaktha and was given deeksha as Yadavendra Tirtha. Yadavendra Tirtha went on to become head of the new Kashi Math at Varanasi established in 1542 AD. Kumbhakonam Math gave two idols of Vyasa
and Rama
(Raghupati) to Shrimat Yadavendra Tirtha along with the rights to guide the Gowd Saraswats.Many others still believe that this Math was formed after it split away from the Pejavara
Math at Udupi initiated by Shimad Ananda Theertharu (Madhwacharya).
The headquarters is located in Varanasi (Shri Kashi Math, 22/86 Brahma Ghat, Varanasi-221001).
Shri Kashi Math are followers of the Dwaita school of Vaishnavite philosophy founded by Maadhwacharya, but subtle differences exist between the Maadhwa Siddantha followed by Sri Kashi Math and the main-line Maadhwa followers.
GSB Temples
Other Links
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
in the north to Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in the south. Other Maths followed by Goud Saraswat Brahmins are Gokarna Math (Vaishnava
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
), Shri Gaudapadacharya Math (Smartist
Smartism
Smarta Sampradaya is a liberal or nonsectarian denomination of the Vedic Hindu religion which accept all the major Hindu deities as forms of the one Brahman, in contrast to Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism, the other three major Hindu sects, which revere Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti,...
) and Chitrapur Math
Chitrapur Math
Chitrapur Math is the central Math for the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin sect. This Math is located in Shirali in North Kanara area of Karnataka and has been there since 1757. The other Maths of this community are located in Gokarn, Karla, Mangalore and Mallapur...
(Smarta). It is one of the 24 matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
s of the Dvaita
Dvaita
Dvaita is a school of Vedanta founded by Shri Madhvacharya....
order. Headquartered in Brahma Ghat, Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, Kashi Math has followers all over the Konkan belt, prominently in Udupi, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
, Alappuzha
Alappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
and other parts of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.
History
The Kashi Math was founded in the year 1542 AD.Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
. During the 15th century, Sri Ramachandra Tirtha of Moola Math (Jagadguru Sriman Madhwacharya Moola Maha Samsthana) initiated two shishya
Guru-shishya tradition
The guru-shishya tradition, lineage, or parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is the tradition of spiritual relationship and mentoring where teachings are transmitted from a guru...
s as sannyasin
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
s: Vibhudendra Tirtha and Vidyanidhi Tirtha. The latter started a new math called Uttaradi Math and became head of the same, while Sri Vibhudendra Tirtha continued the Parampara of Sri Ramachandra Tirtha, the main parampara of Sriman Madhwacharya, now named Sri Raghavendra Math (Mantralaya) after Sri Raghavendra of Mantralaya. Due to their proximity to South Kanara and Kerala.
Later, when Surendra Tirtha became the head of the Math at Kumbhakonam (Mula Matha), one of his disciples, Vijayindra Tirtha undertook a Chaturmasya (a religious event lasting four months) at Kochi in 1539–1540. Here, he selected Sri Hanumantha Bhaktha and was given deeksha as Yadavendra Tirtha. Yadavendra Tirtha went on to become head of the new Kashi Math at Varanasi established in 1542 AD. Kumbhakonam Math gave two idols of Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
and Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
(Raghupati) to Shrimat Yadavendra Tirtha along with the rights to guide the Gowd Saraswats.Many others still believe that this Math was formed after it split away from the Pejavara
Pejavara
Pejavara is a village located in the Mangalore taluk of Dakshina Kannada, formerly known as South Canara or South Kanara, district of Karnataka, India. It houses one of the eight ashta mathas established by Madhvacharya, the Dvaita philosopher. It also houses a branch of the Krishnapura matha,...
Math at Udupi initiated by Shimad Ananda Theertharu (Madhwacharya).
Branches (Ashrams)
The Math has branches and establishments at Prayag, Bhatkal, Basrur, Hemmady, Bantwal, Dahisar (Mumbai), Panambur (Suratkal), Freshwater, Rameshwaram, Karkala, Kota, Nayampalli which is near Udupi, Bhagamandala (Kodagu), Bandora (Goa), Walkeshwar which is also one of the oldest maths near the Banaganga Tank), Ambalamugal (Kochi-Kerala), Pallipuram (near Cherai, on Vypeen Islands, Kerala), Shirva(Manchakal), Naravi (near Belthangady), Alleppey (Kerala), Konchady, Hangarakatte, Tirumala (Tirupathi), Bangalore, Nashik, Vashi ( New Mumbai), Cochin, Calicut, Nagpur and many more places across India.The headquarters is located in Varanasi (Shri Kashi Math, 22/86 Brahma Ghat, Varanasi-221001).
Deities
The Mathadhipathi (head of the Math) is supposed to offer daily prayers to the charaprathishta (literally, a moving installation) idols of Lord Shri Veda Vyasa and Lord Shri Rama (Raghupati) also popularly known as Shri Vyasaraghupati.Bhagavan Vedavyas
The great MaharshiBhagavan Vedavyasa was an incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu.The avatara of Vedavyasa took place with dual purpose of giving 'Jana and Abhaya'to the human race on the earth.He showered grace on the world by classifying the vedas and writing the puranas,the Mahabharatha and the Brahmasutras.These, Mahaparopakaras, done by Vedavyasa in the interest of humanity is worthy of worship by the whole world. He is the spiritual teacher of the world.His contribution for the welfare of the mankind is so immence that one person cannot do it in several births that He has done in His life time,which is supernatural indeed.It is our duty to honour and worship Him ans as such the GSB community is a blessed society in this world.We owe for this blessings to the Great lineage of Vaishnava Guruparambara of Shri Kashi math The 20th Madhadhipathi of the Kashimath H. H. Sudhindra Theertha is ta great scholar of the Vedas and ancient scriptures endowed with the simplicity of the GOD_possessed swamiji has sought to preserve protect and propagate the vedic heritage through His discourses over several years and the institutions founded by Him.His illustrious predecessor Mahaswami H.H. Sukrateendra Thirtha died in 1949.Thereafter Shrimad Sudhindrathirtha swamiji has been guiding the Samsthan and its devotees by travelling the width and breadth of India and beyond the Himalayas in Nepal by word and deed.There has not been a single day when the pujas to the presiding deities of Shri Vedavyasa and Shri Raghupathi [Lord Sreeram] were missed.Shri Vyasashram at Haridwar on the bank of sacred Ganga which was built in 1988 as monument to Lord Vedavyasa was dedicated by swamiji for the welfare of the whole world.In 1998 at Kalpi near Kanpur{U.P] the birth place of Vedavyasa a beautiful temple has been built to symbolise and propagate the universal philosophy of Shri Vedavyasa.There is no one higher than Guru.The GSB community truly believe that GOD himself comes to us in the form of GURU and H.H Sudhindra theerthaSwamiji is believed to be living GOD to His true followers.Guru System
The Kashi Math follows a "Guru" system, wherein the head of the Math appoints a "shishya", who succeeds the Guru. According to the Math's tradition, the shishya should be unmarried, and is selected at a very young age.Shri Kashi Math are followers of the Dwaita school of Vaishnavite philosophy founded by Maadhwacharya, but subtle differences exist between the Maadhwa Siddantha followed by Sri Kashi Math and the main-line Maadhwa followers.
Guru Parampara
- Yadavendra Tirtha
- Keshavendra Tirtha
- Upendra Tirtha
- Yadavendra Tirtha II
- Raghavendra Tirtha
- Devendra Tirtha
- Madhavendra Tirtha
- Jnaneendra Tirtha
- Yadavendra Tirtha III
- Upendra Tirtha II
- Rajendra Tirtha
- Surindra Tirtha
- Vishnu Tirtha
- Vibhudendra Tirtha
- Sumateendra Tirtha
- Vasudendra Tirtha
- Bhuvanendra Tirtha
- Varadendra Tirtha
- Sukrateendra Tirtha
- Sudhindra Tirtha
- Goorpur GanapahiTirtha
The Mathadhipathi
The spiritual head, or the mathadhipathi is also the administrative head of the math and its properties. As a math specific to the Gowd Saraswat Brahmins (sometimes spelt "Gouda Saraswat Brahimins"), the mathadhipathis seldom mingle with members of other communities. The mathadhipathi is not a mere spiritual head of the community. In the past, the mathadhipathi exercised powers over secular matters of the community too. There have been occasions when the mathadhipathi has excommunicated members for violation of his edicts. The current Mathadhipathi of Sri Kashi Math Samsthan is H.H. Srimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji. H. H. Srimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji gave "Shishyathwa" to H. H. Srimad Ragavendra Thirtha in 1989.On July 19 2000, H.H. Srimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji divested Sri Raghavendra Teertha Swamiji of all the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the Math, and adopted Sri Samyameendra Thirtha as his successor on June 2, 2000.External links
Kashi Math WebsitesGSB Temples
- www.tdtemple.org
- Venkataramana Temple, Mangalore - Photos, Videos
- Cochin Tirumala Dewaswam
- Purakkad Sree Venu Gopala Devaswom
- Chendamangalam Sree Venogopala KrishnaSwamy Dewasthan
Other Links