26.02.

2018 || Shreevidyaakhandmahayog ||

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Shrividyamahayog - a historical survey

Shreevidyaakhandmahayog is a spiritual discipline originated from Lord Shri

Dakshinamurty (Lord Shiva in the role of Vishwamahaguru, the preceptor of the whole
Cosmos) to bring the highest spiritual realization for the most ardent spiritual aspirant.
The spiritual tradition of Shreevidyamahayoga is also known by other various names
such as - Shreevidyaakhandmahayoga, Shreebrahmavidyaakhandyoga, and Mahayoga.
Shreevidya, the supreme Consciousness, is also known as Chit-Shakti, the divine
energy of Parabrahman, the cosmic formless nameless Absolute. Just as the heat is the
intrinsic energy of fire and the light is the intrinsic energy of the Sun, so too
Shreevidya is the intrinsic energy of Brahman. Hence, this energy is also called
Shreebrahmavidya. Shreevidyaakhandmahayoga as a spiritual discipline guides and
leads the sadhaka, the spiritual aspirant to realize the Parabrahman through the light of
Shreevidya or Shreebrahmavidya. Lord Shri Dakshinamurty

The spiritual tradition of Shreevidyamahayoga rooted in the ancient Vedas advocates an all-inclusive
synthetic view of spiritual life and discipline, harmonizing otherwise apparently divergent opposite view
points about them. As it is clear from its theoretical and practical disciplinary structure,
Shreevidyaakhandmahayoga sets before the spiritual aspirant the ideal of synthetic Divine that includes and
transcends the characteristic features such as immanence and transcendence, Divine incarnated in a divine
form and formless divinity, divine personality and impersonal divinity, a cosmic all-pervasive Being
apparently transforming itself into perceptible plurality of the universe and at the same time abides in it
unchangeably as its supreme inner divine controller, which may appear opposite and contradictory to a
logically thinking intellect. Therefore, it is not surprising that Shreevidyaakhandmahayoga as a practical
spiritual discipline is also comprehensive and of an integral nature including and synthesizing in its widest
application apparently opposite and divergent methods of reaching towards the highest spiritual reality. The
traditional ways of Karma and Bhakti, different yogic methods such as Rajayoga, Hatayoga, Layayoga and
Mantrayoga, setting aside their conflicting nature get themselves synthetically harmonised in
Shreeviyaakhandmahayoga, leading ultimately towards perfect realization of the synthetic Divine at the
levels of acosmic and formless Brahman, the omniscient, the omnipotent and omnipresent cosmic Godhead,
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the Paramatman and His incarnations in divine forms at different times and at different levels of the universe
as Divine persons - the level of Bhagawan. It is this supreme fullest realization called in this spiritual
tradition Shreevidya that gives to the initiated spiritual aspirant in his sadhaka stage successively and in his
perfected siddha stage simultaneously a direct awareness of his blissful proximity (Sameepya) with the
Divine person-Bhagawan, his similarity (Sadrushya) with the supreme cosmic Godhead - Paramatman as an
aspect of Divine Godhead, participating in His divine nature, and his non-dual identity with acosmic
formless Absolute, the supreme Brahman. These three aspects of the supreme spiritual realisation-
Shreevidya, pertaining to the three main aspects of the Integral Divine - Bhagawan, the Divine person,
Paramatman, the supreme cosmic Godhead and Parabrahman, an acomsic formless and nameless Absolute -
are traditionally called Apara Vidya, Parapara Vidya, and Para Vidya respectively.

There are four main branches of yoga - Rajayoga, Hatayoga, Layayoga, and Mantrayoga. Each of these
branches of yoga focuses on a particular aspect of human personality to utilize it for spiritual realization.
Rajayoga prominently lays its stress on the Mind and recommends the sadhaka various meditative techniques
which are useful in controlling the mind that results ultimately in spiritual realization. Hatayoga primarily
emphasizes the Prana --- the vital energy in the body and recommends various breathing and physical
exercises including body postures aimed at controlling the Prana or the vital energy that results in the control
of mind, thus indirectly leading the sadhaka to spiritual realization. Mantrayoga mainly deals with "Vac" or
Vani, the power of speech and vocalization and recommends the sadhaka various recitation techniques
(Japaprakriya) that involve the recitation of the mystic mantras, the word or words empowered with divine
energy. The recitation of such mantras, if done properly, under the guidance of expert Mantrayogins helps the
sadhaka to unite and assimilate the "Vac", the vocal energy with "Manas" the mind, the power of thought
which, in turn, leads to spiritual realization. Layayoga focuses on the Ego-aspect of human personality,
guides the sadhaka to purify his/her Ego recommending various purification techniques such as meditative
exercises which may include recitation of mantras which, in turn, aim to purify the individual ego as much as
possible to assimilate or dissolve it in the supreme consciousness or Brahman.

The spiritual discipline of Shreevidyaakhandmahayoga is a happy blending, a harmonious synthesis of all

these four main branches of yoga. It utilizes disciplinary practical techniques involved in each of these yogas
in its practical approach but does not limit spiritual practice to only a particular method or methods
recommended in that particular branch and therein lies the significance of the words, "Maha" and "Akhand"
which are attached to this discipline of yoga as its adjectives. Shreevidyayoga or Shreebrahmavidyayoga is
Mahayoga or supreme yoga, in a sense, that it implies in its wider practical application all these four main
branches of yoga without exclusive insistence upon any of them at the cost of negating the remaining yoga
techniques and for the same reason it is aptly called Akhandmahayoga just because it takes into
consideration the spiritual importance of all aspects of human personality from the most gross physical body,
subtle vital energy or prana, mind, intellect up to the subtlest among them Ahankar or ego and emphasizes to
utilize each one of them to gain complete spiritual realization. Human personality is akhand, a harmonious
whole in which no part should be treated as useless and unimportant in spiritual pursuit. On the other hand, a
sadhaka should try to utilize and divinise through appropriate sadhana each and every aspect of his
personality from the most gross physical body to the subtlest ego aiming to divinise the whole of his
personality which will ultimately result in complete spiritual realization of the three most important divine
states --

1. Sameepya - His blissful proximity with the divine person---Bhagawan.

2. Sadrushya - His similarity with the supreme cosmic Godhead, the Paramatman or Ishwara through his
total participation in five main Aishwaric i.e.divine qualities which are:
a.Sarvadnyatva - Omniscience
b. Sarvashaktimatva - Omnipotence
c. Sarvavyapakatva - Omnipresence
d. Nityatrupti - Desireless and unending fulfillment
e. Paramswatantrya - the Absolute freedom in will, knowledge and action.
These are the five main characteristics of the supreme Godhead.
3. Sayujya - the state of non-dual identity with acosmic formless Absolute Brahman. In this last state, the "I"
is lost and the experience of union with formless Brahman is achieved.

The sadhaka of Shreevidyaakhandmahayoga should aspire to realize all of these main spiritual states. In
other words, he should realize his relation of Sameepya, the blissful proximity with personal Bhagawan, his
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magnificent celestial divine similarity with Paramatman, the cosmic Godhead and his relation of non-dual
identity, Sayujya with acosmic Absolute Parabrahman. It is the realization of all these three states which is
the highest spiritual ideal set before the sadhaka of Sreevidyamahayoga.

Shreevidya is a happy blending, a harmonious whole of all these three main aspects of complete spiritual
realization. The ascetic goal of non-physical bliss attainable through a total negation of the sensuous
pleasures and the hedonistic goal of enjoyment of sensuous pleasures as the highest attainment lose their
mutual conflicts and get themselves perfectly harmonized in the highest spiritual consummation attained by
the sadhaka of Shreevidyamahayoga. The ldeal of Bhoga, the physical enjoyment in the material realm, and
Moksha, the bliss in the realm of the liberated spirit, lose their mutual conflicts and get themselves perfectly
harmonized in the highest consummation realized by the sadhaka of Shreevidyamahayoga through an
integrated spiritual practice that happily harmonises and balances otherwise conflicting tendencies working
in human being such as attachment to the physical well being and at the same time aspiring to realize non-
physical values, interest leading to active participation in social processes and in social role performances
aiming at collective well being at the levels of different human collective systems such as family, society,
state and nation and its exact opposite a complete and final surrender to trans-social, non-collective single
Divine that demands from the spiritual seeker an attitude of total indifference to the well being of such
collective human systems, however exalted and highest such an ideal of collective well being may appear
from varied social, moral and religious standpoints.

The Guru who initiates a disciple into the spiritual discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga has a paramount place
in this tradition. Even a divine incarnation in a human form born upon earth to fulfill his divine mission has
to be initiated by a Guru in Shreevidyamahayoga. Thus, the tradition is passed on over the ages from the
Guru to his disciple. This is called "Guru-shishya" tradition. As it is stated earlier, Lord Dakshinamurty
Paramshiva, the world-peceptor, Adi Jagatguru, initiated Lord Dattatreya, an incarnation of Mahavishnu born
to great Vedic sage, Atri and his wife Anasuya into Shreevidyamahayoga. Lord Dattatreya on the direction of
Lord Dakshinamurty accepted the role of Pradhan Acharya (the Pedagogue) of this spiritual tradition. In this
role, Lord Dattatreya initiated Lord Parashuram, the sixth among the ten main incarnations of Lord Vishnu
born to the great Vedic sage Jamadgni and his wife Renuka. He is also known as Bhargavaram as he was
born in the ancestral line originated from Bhrugu, one of the main seven Vedic sages. Bhagawan Parashuram
initiated his disciple Sumedha Haritayana into Shreevidya. Thus over several generations and through
lengthy epochs the spirituaal tradition of Shreevidyamahayoga was passed on from Guru to shishya, the
disciple.

Shri Adishankar Bhagavadpada alias
Shankaracharya
About twenty five centuries ago, the revered Shri Adishankar Bhagavadpada, an
incarnation of Lord Dakshinamurty, born to Shivaguru and Aryamba, a pious
Brahmin couple involved in severe austerities surrendering their lives to the
services of Lord Paramshiva, came to earth with the sole purpose of revival of
Sanatana Dharma through his scholarly writings, discourses, friendly debates
with his ideological opponents, through his austerities and the high moral
standards reflected through his behaviour. Sage Adishankar Bhagavadpada,
commonly known as Acharya Shankar regenerated spiritual fervor among the
then society. It was Acharya Shankar who was mainly responsible to bring almost
the whole of Indian society of his time into the main fold of Sanatana Vedic
Dharma from which the then Indian society had been deviated and swayed away
due to certain reasons. Adishankar Bhagavadpada is now-a-days known as one of
the foremost exponents of Advaita doctrine -- the non-dualistic interpretation of
the Vedanta. The celebrated Dnyanmarga, the path of knowledge, the highest and
ultimate path that leads to the realization of formless Absolute Brahman is firmly
rooted in Shankaracharya's non-dualistic teaching.

Hence, Shankaracharya is widely known as the foremost advocate of spiritual discipline of Dnyanmarga, the
path of knowledge. But somehow, this fact has overshadowed other equally important aspects of
preceptorship of Shri Acharya Shankar. In this connection, one must take into consideration that in addition
to being a great ascetic and a mystic having undergone very profound experience of non-dual formless
Absolute Brahman, Acharya Shankar was also a Bhakta, a devotee of supreme Divine Mother,
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Lalitatripursundari Kamakshi -- the presiding deity of Kanchikamkotipeetham established by Acharya

Shankar himself in Kanchipuram, a city which is now-a-days a part of the present day Tamilnadu. Acharya
Shankar, a great Shreevidyopasaka and a yogi of a very high order, practised all the main forms of yoga that
constitute the comprehensive disciplinary system of Shreevidya as mentioned earlier. Acharaya Shankar got
initiated into Shreevidya from his Guru Acharya Govindpada. The occult tradition of Shreevidyamahayoga
has preserved the secret truth which is orally known to the initiates through their Gurus that Acharya
Govindpada with advanced practice of Shreevidyamahayoga divinized and immortalized his physical body
and is still present secretly in physical form upon the earth. He was, in turn, initiated into Shreevidya by his
Guru Acharya Gaudapada, a celebrated author of Gaudapadkarika. In addition to being an exponent of pre-
Shankarite Advaitism, Acharya Gaudapada was also a practioner and preceptor of Shreevidyamahayoga. His
Shreevidyaratnasutra and Subhagodayastuti expound his teaching connected to Shreevidya. Acharya,
Gaudapada himself was initiated into Shreeviyamahayoga through a line of Guru-shishya tradition that had
originated from Lord Daskhinamurty down to Lord Parashuram and Sumedha Haritayana. Adishankar
Bhagavadpada thus being one of the highest Shreevidyamahayogins, also did a pioneering work in the field
of Shreevidyamahayoga. His celebrated hymn Saundaryalahari, a poetic composition revealing and
explaining the secrets of Shreevidya, is one of the authoritative texts of Shreevidyamahayoga. His
commentary upon Lalitatrishati, Prapanchasarsangrah, an independent treatise written by him pertaining to
Tantric spiritual practices and commented upon by his disciple, Padmapada, are a testimony of his pioneering
works in the spiritual discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga.

It is a well known fact that Acharya Shankar revived and rebuilt the structure of Sanatana Dharma upon a
very strong foundation of the Vedanta by writing very illuminating commentaries on Upanishads,
Bhrahmasutra of sage Badarayana and Shrimadbhagavatgita which are popularly known among the
traditional Vedantic scholars as the Vedanta Prasthantrayi i.e. three main authoritative texts of ancient
Vedantic doctrine. But somehow, it is overlooked through a lengthy passage of two thousand years since the
advent of Acharya Shankar on this earth that his contribution to the revival of Sanatana Dharma through
Tantric-Agamic side was not less important. Though Shreevidyamahayoga, like all other various spiritual
disciplines, has its origin in the Vedas, it was developed and spread through Tantric-Agamic tradition also.
Acharya Shankar successfully harmonized the Vedic and the Agamic traditions by accepting and assimilating
everything inherent in both of these traditions which was useful for the spiritual upliftment of all human
beings. The result of his highly successful attempt in this direction was his formulation of Shreevidya in its
revised and improved form called "Samayamat" which is clearly stated in his celebrated hymn
Saundaryalahari. In this connection, one can not overlook his another equally important contribution for the
revival and resurgence of Sanatana Dharma. In Acharya's times, the Vedic way of life involving the
performance of Vedic rituals was confined only to men belonging to three upper castes or Varnas i.e.
Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya respectively. While the Vedantic way of life involving the renunciation of
all Vedic rituals was confined only to ascetics who used to renounce the householder's duties that involved
scrupulous performance of Vedic rituals. The ascetics were expected to concentrate fully on the study of
monistic Vedanta and meditate on the non-dual truth to realize it through one's own personal experience. In
short, the monistic Vedantic way of life was confined to Yatis i.e. ascetics only. The majority of the people
constituting the largest population which covered all shudras and women of all castes remained outside the
Vedic and Vedantic way of spiritual life. This limitation present in the then structure of Sanatana Dharma
was successfully removed by Acharya Shankar by opening the gates of Shreevidyamahayoga to all human
beings irrespective of castes and sex differences. Acharya Shankar not only opened the discipline of
Shreevidyamahayoga to men and women belonging all Varnas and Ashramas but also established an
institution of preceptors to systematically propagate the theoretical and practical aspects of Mahayoga to all
deserving aspirants throughout Bharatvarsha.

Shreevidyarnavatantra , one of the most important treatises related to the teaching and practice of
Shreevidya, is written by a sage called Vidyaranya --- a great authority in the field of Vedic-Agamic sadhana-
but different from the well known Vidyaranyaswami of Vijaynagar and the author of celebrated Vedantic text
entitled Panchdashi and other Vedantic treatises. Sage Vidyaranya in the introductory chapter of
Shreevidyarnavatantra, has given a detailed account of how Acharya Shankar had planned to effectively
propagate the spiritual discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga throughout all parts of Baharatvarsha. Sage
Vidyaranya has further stated that Acharya Shankar selected out of his innumerable disciples fourteen
yogins, five of which were ascetics and remaining nine were married householders - Grahsthas. He appointed
them as preceptors to propagate Shreevidyamahayoga. Shankar, Padmapada, Bodha, Girvana and
Anandteerth were the first five ascetics among those fourteen preceptors. Acharya Shankar appointed them
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in the mutts and their various branches established by him at the four corners of Bharatvarsha. It was the
recommended duties of these ascetic-preceptors to systematically teach the theoretical and practical aspects
of Shreevidya to the pontiffs of those mutts and their followers also. The remaining nine preceptors were
married householders. Shreevidyarnavatantra features the names of the remaining nine preceptors as follows:
1. Sunder 2.Vishnu Sharma 3. Lakshman 4. Mllikarjun 5.Trivikram 6. Shridhar 7. Kapardhi 8. Keshav 9.
Damodar. These nine married-householder-yogins were appointed by Acharya Shankar to propagate
Shreevidyamahayoga among the masses that included the majority of shudras and women and also those
men belonging to three upper castes who somehow due to this or that reason had lost their connection with
Vedic way of spiritual life. Thus, Shreevidyamahayoga began to spread throughout all parts of Bharatvarsha
through the able preceptorship of all these fourteen preceptors and their followers by the way of Guru-
shishya tradition.

In the last quarter of the 17th and the second half of the 18th century A.D., there
appeared one of the greatest Shreevidyamahayogins named Bhaskarraya Bharati
in the Guru-shishya line that started from Vishnu Sharma, one of the nine
married-householder preceptors. Bhaskarraya was a Maharastrian Deshastha
Brahmin born to Ghambirraya and his wife Konmamba. Gambhirraya was a great
scholar working as a court pundit in the royal court of Bhahamani King Adilshah
of Vijapur, now-a-days a district place situated in modern Karnataka. A young
Bhaskarraya underwent the studies in Vedas and Agamas under the guidance and
supervision of his own father and a scholarly sage named Narsimvhadhvari.
Bhaskarraya got himself initiated into Shreevidyamahayoga from Shivadatta
Shukla of Surat in Gujarat. After his full initiation into Shreevidya, he was given
a Diksha name, Bhasuranandnath by his Guru, Shivadatta Shukla who was
himself known by his Diksha name, Prakashanandnath. Bhaskarraya was
cordially invited by the Maratha king, Vyankoji Bhosale of Tanjavur, the son
Shahaji Bhosale and the step-brother of Ch. Shivaji Maharaj to his court and was
Shree Bhaskarraya Bharati alias
offered by him a village named Bhaskarrajpuram lying on the northern bank of
Bhasuranandnath
the river Kaveri in Tamilnadu.

Bhaskarchrya lived to a ripe old age and left his mortal body at the famous Madhyarjun Kshetra which is
now-a days known as Tiruvidaimarudur in Tamilnadu on the main line of South Indian railway. The life and
works of sage Bhaskarraya Bharati dazzlingly exemplify his multidimensional scholarship and rigorous
tapsya done through an arduous practice of Shreevidyamahayoga. Being an author of more than forty two
Sanskrit treatises, sage Bhaskarraya not only expounded in clear-cut language the principles of
Shreevidyamahayoga but also through his prolonged and continuous tours throughout all parts of India, his
contacts and discussions with the then pundits and yogins belonging to various spiritual and religious sects
which were prevalent in India at his time, giving spiritual and religious discourses before common public and
influencing kings and chieftains who were the rulers of different parts of India, he tried to inculcate and
permeate Shreevidyamahayoga into the very depths of Indian society. His contribution to the propagation of
Shreevidyamahayoga among Indian people can justifiably be compared with that of Acharya Shankar.

Among innumerable disciples of Bhaskarraya, there was an ascetic called Swayamprakash who was a
resident of Banaras. He initiated Martand Dixit into Shreevidya. Martand Dixit originally hailed from
Murgod, a small village which is now in modern Karnataka. After getting initiated into Shreevidya by ascetic
Swayamprakashswami, Martand Dixit performed tapasya, austerities in the kshetras (holy places of
pilgrimage) namely, Deverhippergi in Karnataka and Akashchidambar in Tamilnadu. Through his severe
austerities, the pious Martand Dixit propitiated Divine Lord Paramshiva Chidambareshwar and received a
divine boon from the Lord that Lord Chidambar himself will incarnate in the form of his son. Having
received the boon, Martand Dixit returned to his village, Murgod and resumed his routine duties as a
household Brahmin. In due course, his wife gave birth to a male child in whose form Lord Chidambar
himself got incarnated as savior of mankind. Hence, the child was also named as Chidambar.

Having undergone the Upanayana sanskar, the child Chidambar started studying
the Vedas and shastras under the guidance of his own father. Initiated into
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Shreevidyamahayoga by his father, Shri Chidambar underwent all the stages of

Shreevidya discipline and after the completion of his sadhana, he was given a
Diksha name, Purnanandnath. The life of Shri Chidambar alias Purnanandnath
comprising fifty-seven years was full of superhuman miracles such as healing the
sick simply by touch or sight, the total control of the physical nature, mind
reading, raising the dead and giving it a lengthy life, remaining present physically
in different places simultaneously, fulfilling the wishes of the devotees though
blessings, feeding thousands of people with food meant for a very limited number
of people, say for just ten to fifteens, were some of the innumerable miraculous
acts performed from time to time by Shri Chidambar. He was widely accepted
and revered as an incarnation of Lord Paramshiva Nateshwar in human form. He
was devoutly called by the masses Bhagawan Chidambarmahaswami. Shri
Chidambar came to light as Chidambarmahaswami in the second half of the 18th
century and the first quarter of the 19th century.
Lord Shri Chidambar Dixit MahaSwami alias
ShriPurnanandnath

He was a contemporary of Bajirao the second, the last Peshwa ruler of Pune. The tradition of
Shreevidyamahayoga was handed over by Shri Chidambarmahaswami to his disciples, among which
Rajaram Maharaj was the most prominent and spiritually advanced yogi. One of the pioneering works of Shri
Rajaram Maharaj was his compostion of the biography of Bhagawan Shri Chidambarmahaswami in poetic
form in Marathi written in the famous Abhanga metre. Had this biography not been written by Shri Rajaram
Maharaj, the miraculous divine life and the spiritual teaching of Bhagawan Shri Chidambarmahaswami
would have been lost in the dark caves of the past and would have been rendered utterly unavailable to future
generations. The tradition of Shreevidyamahayoga continued through a line of Guru-shishya tradition even
after the end of the earthly life of Sri Chidambarmahaswami who left this world in 1815 A.D.

In the second half of the 19th century there appeared in the Guru-shishya tradition handed down by Shree
Chidambermahaswami one great Shreevidyamahayogin named Balshastri Bhat who hailed from Indore,
Madhya Pradesh. Balshastri Bhat, a profound Vedic scholar and an expert in all branches of Vedic
knowledge, was a great tapswi who used to perform the daily vedic ritual of Agihotra very scrupulously till
the end of his life.

Shri Balshatri Bhat initiated Shri Chintamani Pratham into Shreevidya who
hailed from Chaul, a small village situated at the western coast of Arabian
Sea in district Raigad, Maharastra. Shri Chintamani Pratham was a high
adept in Shreevidya and a devout Ganapati Upasak who, in turn, initiated
Pundit Ishwarshastri Dixit from Sangli, Maharastra. Pandit Shri
Ishwarshatri, born in 1910, belonged to the anscestral lineage of Lord Shri
Chidambarmahaswami through his mother's side. He was an erudite Vedic
scholar and a profound Vaiyakarni - a scholar in the field of Vedic grammar
founded by sages Panini, Katyayana and Patanjali. Well-versed in Jyotisha
and Ayurveda, he was a scrupolous and regular performer of daily
Agnihotra and the top of all a highly advanced Shreevidyamahayogin. He
left his mortal coil in 1988. Thus, the line of Shreeviydamahayogins
originated from Shri Vishnu Sharma came down uninterruptedly up to
Pundit Ishwarshastri Dixit.
Shri Chintamani Shastri Ganesh Pratham

As it has already been mentioned Acharya Adishankar Bhagavadpada had appointed Padmapada and others
as ascetic-monk preceptors to propagate the principles and the practice of Shreevidyamahaqyoga among his
ascetic disciples and the followers enthroned upon the various peethas and mutts and their branches
established by him. Under their able preceptorship, the practice of Shreevidya continued among the pontiffs
of those mutts through Guru-shishya tradition. Even at present the same practice of Shreevidya is being
continued very devoutly among all the mutts established by Adishankar. Kancikamkotipeetham, one of the
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most influential, active and highly authoritative institutions established by Acharya Adishankar was adored
by the advent of one of the greatest modern sages Late His Holiness Chandrashekharendra Saraswati, the
68th pontiff of the celebrated Kanchikamkotipeetham.

Born in1894, brought to and enthroned upon Knachikamkotipeetham in1907,

Chandrashekharendra Saraswati was a multidimensional personality. A rigorous
ascetic, a scholar of all Vedic branches of knowledge, well-versed in Vedic and
non-vedic branches of Indian philosophy, a knower of many languages, a prolific
speaker, a Sanatana Dharma pracharak, doing his dharma yatras on foot
throughout India almost for three times in his life and an ardent devotee of
Shreevidya Tripursundari, Kamakshi and a Jivanmuktadnyani, a liberated soul,
perfectly established in the supreme realization of Parabrahman, all these
characteristic features rolled into one single personality of His Holiness
Chandrashekharendra Saraswati made him virtually an object of devout worship
in the eyes of the public for whom he was a Sanchari Dev, a walking God upon
the earth. It is unnecessary to say that he was one of the greatest
Shreevidyamahayogins of all times.
Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati

Shri Gurudev Shriniwasji Shamrao Katkar also known among his disciples as Shri Shriniwas Siddhacharya,
one of the modern preceptors in Shreevidyamahayoga tradition came into contact in his early thirtees with H.
H. Shri Chandrashekhrendra Saraswati in 1975. H. H. the Parmacharya Shri Chandrashekhrendra Sarswati
blessed him with Vedha diksha throwing his divine graceful glance upon Shriniwasji when he met H. H. for
the first time in a temple in Kalavai, a small village near Kanchipuram. Blessed and initiated by H.H.the
Paramacharya, Shriniwasji began his Shreevidyamahayoga sadhana under his guidance in its initial stages.

In the year 1980, when his sadhana had taken a very crucial turn, H. H. the
Paramacharya Shrichandrashekharendra Saraswati directed Shriniwasji to
approach another great Shreevidyamahayogin named Pundit Shri
Ishwarshastri Dixit to receive advanced stages in Shreevidyamahayoga
discipline.As it is earlier stated, Late Shri Ishwarshastri Dixit was living at that
time in Sangli, a district place in Maharashtra. As per the direction of H.H. the
Paramacharya, Gurudev Shriniwasji began his Shreevidyamahayog sadhana
under the guidance of Pundit Shri Ishwarshastri through initiation into
advanced stages of Shreevidya sadhana that culminated in his Purnabhisheka
performed upon him by Mahayogi Shri Ishwarshastri Dixit. From then
onwards, Shriniwasji was bestowed with the official status of Siddhacharya
i.e. the highest preceptor authorized to initiate deserving people in the
discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga as per their adhikar or spiritual capacity.
Thus, Shreevidyamahayoga tradition that had been popularly propagated by
fourteen preceptors appointed by Jagatguru Acharya Adishankar Bhagavadpad
is still alive with Shrigurudev Shriniwasji Siddhacharya. It is interesting note
Pandit Shree Ishwarshastri Dikshit
that Shrigurudev Shriniwasji has been blessed by his two illustrious mahayogi
Gurus of which one,

His Holiness Shri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati, the Paramacharya the 68th

pontiff of Kanchikamkotipeetham had been a Shreevidyamahayogin in the line of
ascetic preceptors which was started at the behest of Acharya Adishankar by sage
Padmapada and others - the five ascetic preceptors while the second Guru of
Shrigurudev Shriniwaji Siddhacharya, late Pandit Shri Ishwarshastri Dixit had
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been one of the highest Shreevidyamahayogins in the line of Guru-shishya

tradition which was started at the behest of Acharya Adishankar by sage Vishnu
Sharma and others --- the nine married householder yogins. With the blessings of
his two illustrious Gurus, Shrigurudev Shriniwasji Siddhacharya alias Shriniwasji
Shamrao Katkar is now-a-days involved in his personal studies, sadhana giving
guidance to eligible seekers in the spiritual discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga.
The "Guru-shishya" tradition that followed right from Lord Paramshiva Shri
Dakshinamoorty to the current preceptor of Shrividyaakhandmahayog Mahayogi
Shri Shriniwas Siddhacharya is illustrated in the following tree diagram.

Mahayogi Shri Shriniwas Siddhacharya

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The Spiritual Line of Five world Preceptors --- Vishwamahagurus

The paramount significance of five world preceptors - Vishwamahagurus in the discipline of

Shreevidyamahayoga is one of the characteristic features of this spiritual tradition. These five world
preceptors are: Lord Shri Dakshinamurty Paramshiva, Lord Shri Dattatreya, Lord Shri Parshuram, Bhagawan
Shri Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Bhagawan Shri Chidambarmahaswami. Every spiritual aspirant brought into
the fold of Shreevidyamahayoga through an initiation from Shri Shriniwasji has to pay his worshipful
devotion to all of these five Vishwamahagurus in adition to his own Guru to gain the blessings of them to
progress himself in the path of Shreevidyamahayoga. Without receiving the blessings of these world
teachers, it is just impossible to progress in this path of Shreevidya even though one has undergone all those
initiatory processes under the guidance of the worthy Guru. Hence, it is very necessary to bring out the
spiritual significance of the line of Vishwamahagurus before those who are desirous to get themselves
included in this tradition through initiation.

It is a well-known fact among the sadhakas belonging to Shreevidyamahayoga tradition that there were in all
twelve great sages flourished in ancient epochs and eons who were initiators of Shreeviyda. The occult
tradition of Shreevidya has recorded their names in the following shloka:

MANUSH CHANDRA KUBERASHCHA LOPAMUDRA CH MANMATHAHA

AGASTIRAGNIHI SURYASCHA VISHNUHU SKANDHAHA SHIVASHTATHA
KRODHBHATTARAKA SHCHAPI DVADASHAITE UPASAKAHA

The names of these great sages appear as per the shloka: 1.Vaivswat Manu 2. Chandra 3. Kuber 4.
Lopamudra 5.Manmath or Kamdeva 6. Agasti 7. Agni 8. Surya 9. Vishnu 10. Skandh 11. Shiva 12.
Krodhbhattarak or Durwasa.

These were twelve great sages who were founder-initiators of the discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga. Many
of these sages are famous Gods in Hindu pantheon while sage Durwasa and sage Agasti and his wife
Lopamudra belonged to the class of human beings. Despite being independent initiators in their own line of
Shreevidya, almost all of them were vitally connected with two main foremost Acharyas --- Lord Vishnu and
Lord Shiva.

The occult tradition of Shreevidya records that in a distant ancient epoch Lord Vishnu
incarnated in the form of sage Hayagriva propagated the discipline of
Shreevidyamahayoga among divine heavenly Gods, immortal siddhas and mortal
human beings upon earth. The same occult tradition records that in a similar distant
and ancient epoch Lord Paramshiva incarnated on the earth in the kshetra
Akashchidambar, now-a-days in Tamilnadu India in the form of Anandbhairava
Nateshwar or Nataraj and propagated the discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga among
the deserving aspirants. The names of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva in the list of twelve
founder sages above really refer to Lord Hayagriva as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu
and Lord Anandbhairava as an incarnation of Lord Shiva respectively.
Sage Hayagriva

The remaining ten sages in the list above are directly or indirectly connected with one
of the two sages, Lord Hayagriva and Lord Anandbhairava in receiving their blessings
and guidance, e.g. while sage Agasti and his wife Lopamudra had their preceptorial
connection with sage Hayagriva. Sage Manmath or Kamdeva, Skandh or Shadanan-
Kartikeya and Kuber had their preceptorial connection with the Lord Ananadbhairava
Nataraj.

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Lord Anandbhairava
Nateshwar or Nataraj

Then appeared at the beginning of the present Vaivaswat manwantar the greatest
incarnation of Lord Paramshiva in the form of Lord Dakshinamurty in the
Mahakailas region in the Himalayas. Lord Dakshinamurty accepted everything that
was useful and advisable from the standpoind of spiritual upliftment from the
traditions established by Lord Hayagriva and Lord Anandbhairava, reformed them
and set before the deserving aspiring sages the discipline of Shreevidyamahayoga in
its revised form. It is now clear that though there are twelve founder-preceptor sages
in the field of Shreevidya, the three among them, Lord Hayagriva Lord
Anandbhairva and Lord Dakshinamurty have a pre-eminent place as founder
Acharyas in this tradition.
Lord Dakshinamurty

The occult tradition then records that Lord Shri Dakshinamurty Paramshiva handed
over the secrets of Shreevidyamahayoga to Lord Dattatreya who, in turn, handed it
down to his disciple, Lord Bhargava Jamadgnya Parashuram who himself was the
sixth incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu. Lord Dakshinamurty composed Dakshinamurty
Sanhita, a treatise related to Shreevidya. Lord Dattatreya also wrote Dattasanhita, a
treatise containing some twenty thousand shlokas, explaining the thereortical and
practical aspects of Shreevidyamahayoga.The same treatise was abridged by his
disciple Lord Parashuram in the form of Parashuram Kalpasutra which was, it is said,
composed of fifty khandas or sections. Sumedha Haritayana, one of the principal
shishyas of Lord Parshuram studied the posthumous volume of kalpasutra and abriged
it again into ten sections. He also composed Tripurarahasya into three sections
1. Dnyan khand
Lord Dattatreya 2. Mahatmya khand
3.Charya khand.

These sections preserve the theoretical and practical secrets of Shreevidya handed
down to Lord Parshuram from his Guru Lord Dattatreya.
The credit of formulating the ancient Shreevidya in its theoretical and practical aspects
and putting it before the deserving public in its revised from goes to these main
Acharyas, Lord Shri Dakshinamurty, Lord Shri Dattatreya and Lord Shri Parashuram.
Hence it is obligatory to each and every sadhaka of Shreevidya to pay his devout
respects to these world-teachers - Vishwamahagurus.

Lord Parshuram

In the modern times i.e. in the 13th century A.D., Lord Hayagriva-Vishnu incarnated
in the form of Dnyaneshwar or Dnyandeva in Apegoan in Nagar district, Maharashtra,
spent almost the whole of his life in Alandi near modern Pune in Maharashtra. He has
written a poetic commentary entitled Dnyaneshwari or Bhavarthdeepika on
Bhagavadgita. He was also one of the pioneering saints who led the devotional
Warkari movement which emphasizes the supreme importance of devotion to Lord
Pandurang, Vitthal, one of the satvic forms of Lord Vishnu. However, the occult
tradition of Shreevidya records that though Dnyaneshwar was outwardly a popular
saint propagating the path of devotion to Lord Pandurang among the masses, he
himself was one of the greatest Shreevidyamahayogins. His another small treatise
entitled Aubhavamruta or Amrutanubhava is related to the theme of "Shiva-Shakti
Dnyaneshwar Maharaj
Samarasya", an important tenet of Shreevidyamahayoga which he received from the
tradition of Navanathas and Kashmir Shaivism, both of which were vitally connected
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to sage Durwasa, one of the twelve founder-preceptors of Shreevidya. Sage

Dnyaneshwar Maharaj attained Sanjiwan Mahasamadhisiddhi at the tender age of
twenty in Alandi in Shalivahan Shaka1212.

The advent of Bhagawan Shri Chidambarmahaswami has already been sufficiently

narrated. In this connection, it is sufficient to note that the ancient divine Acharya Lord
Anandbhairava Nateshwar got himself incarnated in the form of Lord Shri
Chidambarmahaswami and propagated and continued the tradition of
Shreevidyamahayoga among the deserving aspirants in recent times. On the basis of
personal experience of the present day Shreevidyamahayoga sadhakas, it can be said
that the ancient divine sages Lord Shri Anandbhairava Nateshwar and Lord Shri
Hayagriva incarnated as Lord Shri Chidambaemahaswami and Shri Dnyaneshwar
Maharaj respectively in the modern times, are still spreading their blessings among the
deserving followers of Shreevidya tradition by inspiring them to realize the highest
and the perfect goal of Shreevidyamahayoga discipline - the realization of Divine
Sachchidanand in its triple-aspects as Bhagawan, Paramatman and Parabrahaman
through one's own first hand indubitable personal spiritual experience which is none Shri Chidambar Mahaswami
else but Shreevidya, Chit-Shakti.

Therefore, the sadhakas of Shreevidyamahayoga initiated by Shri Grudev Shriniwasji Siddhacharya devoutly
worship Lord Dakshinamurty, Lord Dattatreya, Lord Parashuram, Lord Hayagriva-Vishnu in his incarnated
form as Lord Dnyaneshwar and Lord Anandbhairava Nateshwar in his incarnated form as Lord
Chidambarmahaswami as the five Vishwamahagurus.

Their worship leads the sadhak uninterruptedly to higher and higher levels in his sadhana which ultimately
culminates in obtaining the light of Shreevidya in one's own heartspace -- Rhidayakash where the sadhaka
realizes that Shreevidya is Bhagavati and inseperable Chit-Shakti of Sachchidanand Bhagawan bestowing
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upon the sadhak a blissful realization of his inseperable proximity-Sameepya with him. The sadhak realizes
the same Shreevidya as inseperable Chit-Shakti of Sachchidanand Pramatman imparting the sadhaka the
realization of his magnificent similarity with the supreme Godhead, Paramatman. The sadhak also realizes
the same Shreevidya as Brahmi or Brahma-vidya, inseperable Vidya-Shakti of Parabrahman shedding on the
sadhak the light of his ever-abiding eternal identity with the supreme Absolute Parabrahman. In this ultimate
stage, the sadhaka realizes the basic non-duality -- Advaita of apparent universe and of innumerable
individual Jivas, conscious souls with formless nameless Sachchidanand Parabrahman. Here in this ultimate
stage, the enlightened sadhak proclaims, "Swatmaiv Devata Prokta Lalita Vishwavigraha" which means Chit-
Shakti Lalitamahatripursundari is none else but his innermost divine self who is shining before him in
infinite names and forms which the unrealized ignorant people mistakenly perceive as inert unconscious
universe infected with various imperfections just as a person weak in eye-sight may in a dim-light mistake
rope as serpent.

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