 3rd newly built Jyotir Math entrance gate | |
| Formation | 8th century CE (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Adi Shankara |
| Type | Hindu monastic institution |
| Purpose | To preserve and propagate Advaita Vedanta philosophy |
| Headquarters | Jyotirmath,Joshimath,Uttarakhand, India |
| Location |
|
First Shankaracharya | Totakacharya |
Current Shankaracharya | Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati |
Uttarāmnāya Śrī Jyotish Pītham orJyotirMath is one amongst the four cardinalpīthams established by theĀdi Śaṅkara 1200 years ago to preserveHinduism andAdvaita Vedānta, the doctrine ofnon-dualism. Located in the city ofJoshimath,Chamoli district,Uttarakhand,India, it is the uttarāmnāyamatha or Northern Āmnāya Pītham, amongst the four Chaturamnay Peethams -Kalady Kerala, birthplace ofAdi Shankara with the others being theSringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ (Karnataka) in the South,Dvārakā Śāradā Pītham (Gujarat, Dwarka) in the West andPurī Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ (Odisha,Puri) in theeast. Its appointees bear the title of Shankaracharya.[1] It is the headquarters of Giri, Parvata & Sagara sects of the Dasnami Sampradaya (monisticorder). TheirVedantic mantra orMahavakya isAyamātmānam brahma (This Atman is supreme being) and as per the tradition initiated by Adi Shankara it holds authority overAtharva Veda. The head of the matha is calledShankaracharya, the title derives fromAdi Shankara.
Deities worshipped in JyotirMath are LordNarayana and Shakti-Purnagiri.[2]
Jyotir Math is theuttaramnayamatha or northern monastery, one of four cardinal institutions established byAdi Shankara , the reviver of VedicSanatana Dharma.[1] Shankara's four principal disciples,Padma-Pada,Hasta-Malaka,Suresvaracharya andTotakacharya were assigned to these four learning centers in the north, south, east and west of India.[3] The subsequent leaders of each of these four monasteries have come to be known as Shankaracharyas, in honor of the math's founder, Adi Shankara.[4] As such, they are the leaders of the Dasanami Saṃnyasins, who are considered to have custody of Advaita Vedānta[4] These four principle seats of learning are located in Purī (Odisha), Sringeri (Karnataka) and Dwarka (Gujarat), with[4] the northern (Uttaramnaya) monastery being located in the city of Jyotirmaṭh.[4]
Jyotir Math was occupied by Swami Ramakrishna Tirtha in the 18th century, but the monastery was inactive for 165 years following his death. During that time, a number of Gurus made claim to the Shankaracharya title and lawsuits representing the claimants and their representatives date back to the 1900s.[4] For a time, the head priest, Raval of the Badrinath Temple was thought by some to hold the Shankaracharya title there. However, the formal occupation of the Matha only officially began when the leaders of the other three Mathas convincedBrahmananda Saraswati to accept the position.[3]
The appointment of Swami Sri Brahmananda Saraswati Ji on 11 May 1941 was made by a group of monks and pandits BDM Bharat Dharma Mahamandal based in the city ofVaranasi[5] with the endorsement of Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha, the Shankaracharya of Puri and Swami Chandrashekhara Bharati the Shankaracharya of Sringeri.[4] Respected supporters of religious institutions, such as the rulers of the Garhwal, Varanasi and Darbhanga, also endorsed Brahmananda, and their recognition helped overcome opposition from previous claimants to the title. Brahmandanda was also perceived by his supporters as the embodiment of the qualifications mentioned in Vedic texts, and this assisted in his unhindered ascension to the position at the age of 70.[1][4]
Brahmananda was charged with reconstructing the temple and institution at Jyotir Math.[1] Through the assistance of the local Deputy Commissioner and parties responsible for his nomination, Brahmananda reclaimed the surrounding land that had been encroached upon by local farmers. Under his leadership, a two-story, 30-room building was constructed ( New 2nd Math) to serve as the Peeth Bhawan of Jyotir Math. He also supervised the final construction of the Shrine of Purnagiri Devi about 100 yards in front of the new monastery, which "the Darbhanga ruler" had begun, but not completed, just prior to his brahmaleena 20 May 1953 .[1][6] Brahmananda's leadership was instrumental in re-establishing the Jyotir Math as "an important centre of traditional advaita teaching in northern India",[5] and the monastery was visited by the president of India,Rajendra Prasad in December 1952.[1]
After the Brahmaleena of Swami Sri Brahmananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj in 1953,Swami Hariharananda Saraswati, a now deceased disciple of Brahmananda, was offered the title but refused to accept it.[4] Later, it was claimed that five months before his death, Brahamananda had made awill and registered it with the District Registrar inAllahabad.[7] The will named his disciple, 1) Sri Ramji Tripathi - SwamiShantanand Saraswati as his successor and Dwaraka Prasad Sastry - 2) Swami Dwarakeshananda Saraswati, 3) Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati and 4) Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati as alternate choices.[4] As a result, SwamiShantanand Saraswati assumed the Shankarcharya-ship, but his authority was disputed by other 3 Shankaracharya's Puri, Dwaraka, Sringeri and several of Swami Sri Brahmananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj's disciples and followers who did not feel that Shantanand met the requirements described in the 2500 Yrs Adi Shankarachaya Mathamnaya Mahanushasana texts.[4] the Law of 4 Amnaya Peeths, Meanwhile, others claimed that Brahmananda's death was due to poisoning, and later it was found that the so-called "Will" ( 18th Dec 1952 ) was not authentic and fake, forgery, causing civil lawsuits to be filed by concerned parties.[4] successor to the office of Shankaracharya had to be chosen by a body "Maneeshas according to "MathamnayaMahanushasanam" not through a "Will" in "MathamnayaMahanushasan no where it is mentioned the concept of will, there should be some principals to be followed according to tradition, when there is no system of Will in Adi Shankarachaya Parampara how Swami Sri Brahmananda Saraswati writes a Will in faviour of any person ?, this it self proved that the claimed will is fake and fabricated, forgery, other 3 Shankaracharya's did not recognize alleaged "Will"
Relevant organizations involved in reviving Jyotir Math, including a committee of pundits from Varanasi,[5] BDM proposed Swami Krishnabodha Ashrama Ji Maharaj as the Shankaracharya, despite Shantanand's claim and occupation of Jyotir Math on (25 June 1953). Ashrama attained Brahmasiddhi in 10 Sept 1973[5] and nominated Sri Brahmananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj's deekshita Shishya disciple Swami SriSwaroopananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj, who had taken Swami Krishnabodha Ashrama as his guru after Swami Sri Brahmananda Saraswati Swamiji Maharaj's Siddhi death, as his successor. However, because Shantananda still occupied the Jyotir Math ashram built by Swami Sri Brahmananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj, then Swami Sri Swaroopananda Saraswati Ji Maharaj took new land and Built new Ashram in a nearby the 2nd Ashram built bySri Brahmananda Saraswati ji Maharaj, said to be located near the former cave of Adi Shankara disciple, Totakacharya.[5]
