Is there a better way?

Outlook India, November 30, 2004

In a country where religious institutions have become extremely powerful and have amassed hundreds of crores, and where the law almost never catches up with rich and influential people, the arrest of the Shankaracharya is a breath of fresh air.

Full story:

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20041130&fname=prashantt&sid=1

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Tuesday, November 30, 2004

New Delhi, November 30: The Kanchi Shankaracharya's statement to police during
interrogation in the Sankararaman murder case tantamounts to admission but
was not admissible in court as evidence, Prosecution lawyer K T S Tulsi said.

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=39021

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Tuesday, November 30, 2004

CHENNAI - The woman alleged to have links with the incarcerated Shankaracharya of Kanchi, Jayendra Saraswati, appeared before the Kanchipuram SP on Tuesday.

Full story:

http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=53803&cat=India

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Tuesday, November 30, 2004

By all accounts Adi Sankara's time was some where around 8th to 9th century AD. And of the four Maths that he established Kanchi is not one of them. Either the Mutt is less than 1100 years old or if it is 482 B.C. as is claimed in the news then it must not have been established by Adi Sankaracharya.

It is generally accepted as tradition that Adi Sankaracharya, the famous Advaita philosopher, founded four maths (monasteries) at Sringeri, Puri, Dwaraka and Badrinath; that he meditated under the Badri tree at Jyotir-pitha, and finally passed away near Kedarnath. None of the four recognized mathas claims jurisdiction over the other three.

However, the Kanchi math claims that Sankaracharya established a fifth math in Kanchi, with jurisdiction over the recognized four mathas; that Sankaracharya ascended a sarvagna-pitha not in Jyotispeeth, but at Kanchi, and that he passed away not in Kedarnath, but at Kanchipuram.

These and other such claims have been widely publicized by the followers of the Kanchi math with the direct participation of and encouragement from the heads of the Kanchi math, including the recently departed centenarian Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati and his successor Sri Jayendra Saraswati.

See The Real History of the Kanchi Mutt posted below.

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 29, 2004

By Thenali Raman
Sulekha Mumbai, November 18, 2004

While it would set a bad precedent to argue that the Acharya should be let go, even if he is guilty, saner minds would find subtler ways to handle such sensitive issues without this much media fanfare. If the Acharya is proved innocent, can anyone undo the damage done so far nationally and internationally?

Full story:

http://www.sulekha.com/expressions/articledesc.asp?cid=307424%20

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 29, 2004

The Hindustan Times, November 24

CHENNAI - A charge of attempted murder now slapped on Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, who is already in jail in a murder case, has shocked his followers.

A second arrest warrant was served on Tuesday on the 71-year-old pontiff in Vellore jail.

This relates to a murderous attack on a man in Chennai the police believe was carried out by the same gang that killed a prominent devotee of the Kancheepuram mutt in September who had turned against the Shankaracharya accusing him of wrongdoing.

Full story:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1119854,001301410000.htm

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 29, 2004

By Shobha Vasudevan

Rediff News, November 22, 2004

In the smutty power and revenge match between individuals, along with the arrested seer, a 2,500-year-old institution has also been sullied, an institution that has stood the test of time, of cultural invasions and of religious warfare.

The Shankaracharya is not a person, but a sacrosanct position of eminence in people's minds. After this episode, irrespective of its outcome, will the devotee still feel the sanctity of this position and this institution?

Will he not feel demoralised and despondent about his faith, against the overwhelming backdrop of scepticism? Will millions of our citizens with a beaten spirit, be able to place credence and hope in a leader again?

Shobha Vasudevan is a PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin.

Full comments:

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/22guest.htm

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 29, 2004

By Vir Sanghvi
Sulekha Mumbai, November 28, 2004

Even though it has been many days since the Shankaracharya of Kanchi was arrested — he was taken into custody on the night of November 11 — I have resisted writing about the issue for the most basic of all reasons: I know virtually nothing about the Shankaracharya and do not understand all the facts of the case in which he has been implicated.

But now that the arrest has become a national issue — even former President R Venkataraman participated in the dharna organised by the BJP in Delhi — perhaps the time has come to look at some of the questions raised by the arrest.

Full story:

http://web.mid-day.com/columns/vir_sanghvi/2004/november/98143.htm

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 29, 2004

The Hindustan Times, November 29, 2004

CHENNAI - The following is a chronology of the case against Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kancheepuram whose judicial remand was extended Friday until December 10.

Full report:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1127502,0008.htm

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 29, 2004

The Times of India, November 29, 2004

CHENNAI: The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham has denied reports that Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, prime accused in the A Shankararaman murder case, had confessed to his crime, even as it expressed hope that the pontiff would be released on bail on Monday.

Full story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/939382.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Sunday, November 28, 2004

The Times of India, November 22, 2004

KANCHEEPURAM: In the first judicial relief for the Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi since his arrest on November 11, a local court on Monday rejected the prosecution plea seeking extension of his police custody.

With the First Class Judicial Magistrate G Uthamaraj denying extension of police custody, the seer was sent to Vellore Central prison on judicial custody.

Full story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/931222.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 22, 2004

The Times of India, November 22, 2004

COIMBATORE: Disturbed over the arrest of Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, a Hindu Munnani activist on Monday committed suicide by consuming poison at Palladam, about 40 km from here.

Full story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/931043.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 22, 2004

VHP bandh evokes mixed response

The Times of India, November 22, 2004

NEW DELHI: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)'s daylong shutdown on Monday in support of Hindu pontiff Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi had mixed impact across the nation, ranging from forced blockades to plain indifference.

Full story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/930968.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Monday, November 22, 2004

From New Bangalore Online:

The shocking aspect about the list is the inclusion of three God-men. What message is one trying to convey by including these three gurus? One among the three has mastered the ‘art of selling’ god. The other sadhu is known for his magical skills. The remaining acharya, known for his dubious past is into high politicking trying to diffuse the much controversial Ayodhya dispute.

Read the full analysis:

Analysis:

http://tinyurl.com/6dkcj

Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Web Site:

http://www.kamakoti.org/index2.html

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004

So, lets look at the facts.

Swami Swroopanand says that the Swami Jayendra Saraswati of Kanchi is not considered to be a Shankaracharya.

According to Vidyasankar Sundaresan, quoting the Illustrated Weekly of India, "...on August 25, as speculation about the whereabouts of Jayendra Saraswati mounted, the Sankaracharya of Dwaraka, Swaroopananda Saraswati, camping at Pune for the Chaturmasya Vrata, while demanding a high level probe into the mystery, asserted: 'Sri Jayendra Saraswati cannot be regarded as a Sankaracharya at all, because the Kanchi math is not one of the four peethas constituted by Adi Sankaracharya. It is only a shakha (branch) of the Sringeri peetham.'"

Reference:

"The Strange Case of the South Indian Bigman"
Cover Story, 'The Illustrated Weekly of India'
by K. P. Sunil
September 13, 1987.

Other titles of interest:

"The Truth about the Kumbhakonam Math"
by Sri R. Krishnaswamy Aiyar and Sri K. R. Venkatraman
Sri Ramakrishna Press, Madurai, 1977.

"Kanchi Kamakoti Math - a Myth"
by Sri Varanasi Raj Gopal Sarma
Ganga Tunga Prakashan, Varanasi, 1987.

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004

According to Mr. Sundaresan, "...it is generally accepted as tradition that Adi Sankaracharya, the famous Advaita philosopher, founded four maths (monasteries) at Sringeri, Puri, Dwaraka and Badrinath; that he ascended the famous sarvagna-pitha in Kashmir, and finally passed away near Kedarnath. None of the four recognized mathas claims jurisdiction over the other three.

However, the Kanchi math claims that Sankaracharya established a fifth math in Kanchi, with jurisdiction over the recognized four mathas; that Sankaracharya ascended a sarvagna-pitha not in Kashmir, but at Kanchi, and that he passed away not in Kedarnath, but at Kanchi.

These and other such claims have been widely publicized by the followers of the Kanchi math with the direct participation of and encouragement from the heads of the Kanchi math, including the recently departed centenarian Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (C.S., for short) and his successor Sri Jayendra Saraswati (J.S.)."

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004

The Times of India, November 19, 2004

KANCHEEPURAM: Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi was sent to an all-woman police station here on Friday after a local court remanded him to three-day police custody.

Read the full story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/928659.cms

The Times of India full coverage: The Seer saga

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bydate/928449.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004

The Times of India, November 20, 2004

CHENNAI: Swami Jayendra Saraswathi, one of the four main Hindu pontiffs, was in a Tamil Nadu jail Friday after being arrested on charges of ordering the murder of a former employee of his hermitage in Kancheepuram.

The Shankaracharya, who has millions of followers in India and abroad, was arrested Thursday night at Mehmoobnagar in Andhra Pradesh after a prayer meeting and brought to a court in Kancheepuram, near Chennai.

The arrest - and the court order sentencing him to 15 days judicial custody - sent shock waves in Tamil Nadu and beyond. But even as his followers seethed in anger, there were others who applauded the government action.

Read the full story here:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/921199.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004

The Times of India, November 20, 2004

The Plot

The Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi has been accused of plotting and being an accomplice in the murder of Sankara Raman, a manager of the Vardharaja Perumal temple near Kancheepuram.

Raman was murdered at September 3, 2004 at about 5.30 a.m., allegedly by five criminals from Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Police had arrested 14 others in the same case earlier. They arrested Shankaracharya under IPC Section 120-B (conspiracy), 302 (murder) and 109 (abetment) on Friday morning.

The police has been making inquiries at the mutt in connection with murder. Earlier, a police constable attached to the mutt was suspended, though the police had stated that the suspension had nothing to do with the murder case.

Raman, once a devotee of the pontif, reportedly turned critical of the Sankaracharya and made several accusations about him, including those of financial irregularities.

Read the full story here:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/921255.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004

The Times of India, November 20, 2004

KANCHEEPURAM - Judicial magistrate G Uttamraja on Friday sent Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi to a three-day police custody.

Earlier in the day, the Shankaracharya was brought to the magistrate’s court in a police van the Vellore Central Jail at 10.30 am. The magistrate arrived at 11.25 am. The seer stood waiting for quite some time before he asked his counsel why the magistrate hadn’t arrived. He was told the magistrate was still working on his order. He then asked for permission to sit. The court clerk told him that he could.

Read the full article:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/928751.cms

# posted by Richard J. Williams @ Friday, November 19, 2004