Profile of Shankaracharya Swami Shantanand Saraswati

Shankaracharya Swami Shantanand Saraswati
A Brief Biography & Bibliography
with mention of the Jyotirmath succession disputes
- compiled by Paul Mason

Born on 16^th July 1913 (Vikrami 1970 Ashadha 13) at Achhati village in Basti district to a brahmin family.

He was 3^rd son of Lal Bihari Tiwari Tripathi. As a young man Shantanand was known as "Ram Ji".

Worked as book binder at Gita Press, Gorakhpur - allegedly worked for about 14 years in this capacity supporting a wife and child.

Student of Shri Swami Purnanand Tirth Ji Maharaj (Shri UDhiya Baba Ji Maharaj) in Vrindaban.

In 1948, at Jyotirmath, Ramji took darshan of Shankarcharya Swami Brahmanand Saraswati and was initiated by him a as sannyasi (swami) in January 1951, being given the name, Swami Shantanand Saraswati.

On Tuesday, 30 May 1961, eight years to the day after his master’s death, the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, Swami Shantanand Saraswati graced the teacher-training course with his presence and was received with all due ceremony. Arriving at the site where the new Academy was being built, he addressed the Maharishi and the gathered meditators:

'Rishikesh is a place where so many saints and sages meditated with a view to attaining Self-realisation. Every grain of sand is vibrating forth the holy influence of saints and sages who have inhabited this part of India since ages past.'

He commended the practice of the Maharishi’s meditation, describing it as a ‘master key to the knowledge of Vedanta’ and added, ‘There are other keys, but a master key is enough to open all the locks.’
from Page 58

His mission to spiritually regenerate the world seemed on the surface to be going well, but in reality a divisive undercurrent was already starting to make itself felt. At least two of his prominent followers, Leon Mclaren (1910-1994) and Dr Francis Roles (1901-1982), had became disaffected with the Movement and were already branching out on their own. Perhaps this had been their intention all along, for Dr Roles had been a follower of P.D. Ouspensky (1878-1947), who in turn had been a prominent disciple of Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (c1866–1949), a notable thinker of his time. It is claimed that Ouspensky had instructed Dr Roles to seek out a simple method of finding inner stillness and offer it to those living ordinary lives. Roles had discovered an unlikely and very useful ally in no less a personage than Swami Shantanand. The venerable Shankaracharya had given a clue to his breadth of vision in his address to the participants of the teacher-training course the previous year, in which he had alluded to the many keys or paths to illumination. In time Roles seized his opportunity and happily found the Shankaracharya willing to offer his group the spiritual guidance it sought.

Swami Shantanand stepped down as Shankaracharya on 28^th February 1980, in favour of Dandi Swami Vishnudevand Saraswati, a younger guru-bhaiee (fellow-disciple) of the same guru who had Willed him to be a future successor.

Brahmachari Satyanand, Swami Vasudevanand, Swami Shantanand Saraswati, unidentified swami, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Brahmachari Nandkishore & Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - Hardwar, 1980

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi & Shankaracharya Swami Vishnudevanand Saraswati
yagya at Vedic Science Course, Mens' Tent, Noida, Delhi, India, Divali celebration, Friday, November 7th 1980

Dandi Swami
Tales of meetings with Dandi Swami Narayananand Saraswati,
the Guru's Will, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
& the Shankaracharyas of Jyotir Math

'Dandi Swami' is a book celebrating the life of Dandi Swami Narayananand Saraswati and explores the lives of others from his lineage of thinkers. Dandi Swami Narayananand Saraswati was a contempory of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the man who popularised Transcendental Meditation. Both used to listen to the teachings of the same guru, Shankaracharya Swami Brahmanand Saraswati. When the guru died he left a Will empowering one of his disciples to take his place as Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, in the Himalayas. Not everyone was happy with the Will, and there have been disputes over succession ever since. It appears that Dandi Swami was offered the post of Shankaracharya but declined, preferring a life of seclusion.

'Dandi Swami' presents many quotations from Dandi Swami's teacher, Swami Shantanand, providing food for thought, and spiritual solace.

'Dandi Swami' includes selected quotations from Swami Brahmanand, a guru who had the ear of the first President of India.

'Dandi Swami' explores spiritual questions through the eyes of those that meet with Dandi Swami. Accounts of visitors such as Rob H van Dijk and Paul Mason offer glimpses into the life and beliefs of this humble hermit. An interview with David Sieveking offers futher insights into the retiring personality of Dandi Swami.

170 pages colour printed, 130 illustrations
ISBN 978-0-9562228-4-8
UK £12.99 US $18.99
available at online retailers and bookshops

So, after Swami Vishnudevanand's passing on 31st October 1989, Swami Shantanand Saraswati then anointed his disciple Dandi Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, on 14th November 1989, as Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath.

The अभिषेक abhishek of Dandi Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati,
being anointed Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, by Swami Shantanand Saraswati

After his retirement, Swami Shantanand was persuaded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to travel abroad and involve himself in promoting Maharishi's meditation technique (Transcendental Meditation, TM). In 1982 Swami Shantanand visited Hong Kong, China (Shanghai, Nanking, Beijing), Moscow and Seelisberg, Switzerland. Again, in March 1983, he travelled to Africa; visiting Kenya (Nairobi Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret) and Zambia (Lusaka and Livingstone).

[Any further information of these visits, including photographs etc, would be most welcome - premanandpaul@yahoo.co.uk ]

'Good Company' - His Holiness Shantanand Saraswati, Element, 1992
An Anthology of sayings, stories and answers to questions

'The Man Who Wanted to Meet God: Myths and Stories That Explain The Inexplicable' - His Holiness Shantanand Saraswati, Element, 1996

'Hamaare Gurudeva' - Dandi Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, 1983
Hindi biography of Swami Shantanand Saraswati
scan of book 15MB appx
NB An English translation has been undertaken & is likely to be published in the not too distant future.

'The Orange Book: A Method of Self Realisation - Study Society, 1981
Question and answers with HH Shantanand Saraswati in early 1970's

'Birth and Death' - The Study Society, 1993
A compilation of the sayings of His Holiness Shantanand Saraswati

'Prayer' - The Study Society, 2001
A compilation of the sayings of His Holiness Shantanand Saraswati on prayer

'Who Am I? What is my Soul?' - Study Society, 2005
Questions and answers taken from talks by His Holiness Shantanand Saraswati

'Darshan' - Frank Papentin
Photobook which contains some shots of Swami Shantanand at Rishikesh in 1961

All above English editions (other than 'Darshan') are available from Study Society at:-
www.studysociety.org

For Hindi books enquire at:-
Shri Shankaracharya Ashram,
Brahmanivas, 15, Alopibag,
Allahabad,
Uttar Pradesh, 211 006
India
&
Swami Vasudevanand Ashram,
Jyotir Math, Joshimath,
Uttaranchal, 246 443
India