Those who have followed the procedures in Homas,Sacrificial 🔥 Fires Ceremonies conducted would have noticed terms like Acharya,Hotar and Rikvik.While people can identify Acharya, not many people know about Ritvik.
Ritvik
The Vedic priest who officiates Vedic sacrifices or rituals known as Yajnas is known as Ritvik . Qualification as below.
Qualification
Well-versed in the Vedas.
Should have gained his knowledge the guru, in the guru-shishya tradition of learning.
Of good lineage.
He should have been leading a pure life.
Types of Rikviks
Hotar representing the Rig Veda
Adhvarya representing the Yajur Veda
Udgatar representing the Sama Veda
Brahma representing the Atharva Veda
Each one of these Ritviks has three assistants . Details.
Is there any reference to Spiritual Masters , Spiritual teachers in Sanatana Dharma?
Sanatana Dharma is personalized system of Living. It does not come under the concept of Religion as understood now.
Religion is usually defined as a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics., or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements; however, there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion
Sanatana Dharma does not assign specific cultural more or system of behaviour that is accepted as standard by the society which has the power to enforce it. ‘morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics‘. These morals , beliefs,worldviews Prophecies are not thrust upon the individual. The Spiritual quest and journey is entirely upto one who wants to pursue it. Sanatana Dharma,at best,says that the experiences of Seekers of Truth,Rishis,are expressed or revealed through the tools of Knowledge,The Vedas. What one selects as a spiritual path, is one’s personal decision. It is to be in accordance with his dispositions, Swabhav. Sri Krishna ,in The Bhagavad Gita,towards the close of it,informs Arjuna that he ( Krishna) had imparted to Arjuna ,through Bhagavad Gita, the Secret of Secrets,The Bhagavad Gita and it is left to Arjuna to choose what is best for him. No question of something being forced on anyone.
As to Beliefs,they are, again dependent on individual’s dispositions.Atheism ,Hedonism as practiced by Carvakas,Ajivakas ,who deny the existence of Soul, Vaiseshika are also a part of Sanatana Dharma. Same applies to Value Systems,that there is nothing inherently Sacred nor Sinful.’No punyam NaPaapam Sivoham Sivoham ‘ Nirvana Shatakam of Adi Shankaracharya.( A word of caution-this means that these have no relevance at the Transcendental level, and not at the practical level).As to places , Prophecies, Sanatana Dharma does not declare anything as such in Sabda pramana,The Vedas.Prophecies are found in Purans,which represent the ancient history of India and not in the other texts that are generally accepted,taken as the texts of Sanatana Dharma, namely ,in addition to Upanishads, Brahma Sutra and Bhagavad Gita.As noted earlier, same views on Ethics. They are not enforced.Taitttiya Upanishad in Siksha Valli, Bhrigu Valli, Narayana Valli and Anandavalli,while imparting the type of behavior one is to follow, says these are to be adhered to for evolving higher into spiritual life. But nobody is cursed tha one would be doomed to hell if one does not follow it.
Yes, Sanatana Dharma can be called as Religion in the sense that it talks of Transcendental Reality. Even here, One on his own.
Such being the approach of Sanatana Dharma,the answer to Spiritual Teacher presents itself.
Sanatana Dharma , Hinduism doesn’t provide room for a Spiritual Master or Spiritual Teacher.Though Sanatan Dharma provides for Guru, Acharya and Upadhyaya, they are not Spiritual Gurus, according to Sabda Pramana,Vedas. This, despite the two great Gurus, Dakshinamurthy and Krishna!
Guru is different from Spiritual Master. The meaning and scope of these two differ. Spiritual Master or Spiritual Teacher is , probably a term designed to describe people who spread the thoughts relating to things that are worldly. But the term Guru,Gnani,Rishi,Muni,Yogi,…all these belong to a higher level in the quest to enlightenment.
Hence, the concept of Spiritual Master or Spiritual Teacher does not find a place according to Vedic, Ithihasic or Puranic texts.In mu view , the terms Spiritual Master or Spiritual Teacher is used by people who follow some who espouse Sanatana Dharma concepts.
The Sri vaishavaites of some groupings follow the Swayam Acharya Sampradaya.
I have a close friend who is a Swayam Acharya.
Unfortunately, though he is a devout Iyengar,he was unable to say what it was excepting that he was following the Acharya of a Mutt.
When I checked with some of m other Iyengar friends, they also did not have the details.
I have referred some texts, the internet and am sharing the information.
Suggestions for improvement is welcome.
The earliest name the Puranas ascribe to those who worship Lord Vishnu is ‘Bhagavatha’
Later it was meant to include those who follow Pancharatra.
Please read my post on Pancharatra.
Bhagavatha means one who sings. praises the Glory of Bhagwan, here it refers only to Vishnu,
Technically this is incorrect as it refers any one who praises Bhagawan,
Please read my post on Bhagwan, God in Hinduism.
Equally incorrect to say that Ishwara refers only to Lord Shiva.
Iswara means personal God , that’s all.
Now to Swayam Acharya.
Later when many Devathas were being worshiped, to distinguish those who worship Vishnu, the term Vaishnava was coined.
As Vishnu is to be worshiped always along with Lakshmi, Sri, has been added.
Thus was born the term Sri Vaishnava.
Swayam Acharya means one who is an Acharya to himself.
In the earlier days, when Brahmins were following all the duties of a Brahmin, including Agnihotra, the tradition was handed over to the son.
Thus the father becomes the first Acharya.
In Upanayana, the Gayathri is first taught by the father.
In all cases Father is the first Acharya.
Sruthi says Pitru devo Bhava, Acharya Devo Bhava in this context.
“Swayam Acharya sampradayam:
In olden days, all the Vaishvaites were very orthodox, performing daily Agni Hothram in their houses. Therefore the father of the family himself was the Acharyan for the members of that family. He was initiating the members into Sri Vaishnava sampradayam by Samasrayanam process.
Matams and Munitrayam sampradayam:
Now a days, most of the family heads do not perform agni hotrams and follow the sampradayam very strictly. So for the purpose of Samasrayanam, we approach Matams. The matadhipathi/Swami/Acharya initiates us into sampradayam.
This term is used for Sri Vaishnavas who are descendants
of the original 74 disciples of Ramanuja, and who continue
to have association with learned members of their extended
family who administer the panca-samskAra (samASrayaNam)
and minister to their needs. Many of our most learned
acharyas came from "svayam-AchArya" families -- Desika,
Pillai Lokacharya, etc. This is because the concept of
a maTha and therefore a sampradAya based on the maTha
dates from the 14th century, much after Sri Ramanuja's
time.
Some notable svayam-AchArya families are Prativaadi Bhayankaram,
Tatacharya, Tirumalai Anandaanpillai, Nallaan Chakravarti, etc.
There are many scholars among these families even today,
as they have a strong sense of connection to the tradition
and maintain a certain level of scholarship.
Not all descendants of the 74 original disciples are still
considered "svayam AchArya". At some point, some of the
descendants drifted away from their traditional acharya or
did not have a strong scholar in their family, and consequently
became associated with some maTham or other swami. So there
will be Sri Vaishnavas who bear the appellation "Kidambi",
"Vangipuram", "Tatacharya", etc., who at one point belonged
to svayam AchArya purusha families, but who now follow
some other swami.
It should be pointed out that some people object to the
term "svayam AchArya purusha" (not the concept behind it)
with the feeling that only one person is truly a "svayam
AchArya", an acharya for himself -- the Lord.
Adi Shankaracharya is reported to have been born in Kalady,Kerala.
But to my knowledge there seems to be no reference of the birth place during Shankara’s Times or in his contemporary works.
Then how Kalady has been determined as the birth place of Shankaracharya?
This seems to be a controversial issue.
Sankara Keerthi Sthamba Mandapam.
"Further in case the kanchi mutt relied on chidambaram as adi
> sankara's birth place then why do they have a adi sankara sthupi at kaladi -
> it should have been at chidambaram. Also why are they celebrating the
> sankara jayanthi at kaladi instead of chidambaram ? Please forward facts
> instead of fiction."
>>Kaladi was unknown to the world until Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava
> Nrsimha Bharati Mahaswamigal, the 33rd Peetadhipathi of Sringeri Sharada
> Peetam, discovered it in 1910 and consecrated shrines for Sri Adi Shankara,
> Sri Sharadambal and Sri Aryambal there. Only in the latter part of the 1900s
> did the Kanchi Mutt construct the Keerthi Sthambam in Kaladi.
If kaladi was unknown to the world then from the time of birth of adi
sankara to the time of the 33rd acharya of sringeri peetam, all the previous
acharyas of the sringeri, dwarka, jyotir mutt, kanchi must have been
searching for a place called kaladi and then Lo! they were enlightened by
the 33rd acarya of the sringeri peetam.
"
While his achievements are eternal and unforgettable, his birthplace was forgotten by society for many centuries. In this film, we describe how Kalady was rediscovered by the 33rd Jagadguru of the Sri Sharada Peetham at Sringeri, Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Narasimha Bharati Mahaswamiji. This film takes you on a visual journey of Kalady from the time of Sri Shankara’s parents, his birth and the miraculous events of his childhood. It also chronicles a contemporary history of Kalady, including the various landmarks and temples associated with his life. The film contains fascinating interviews with ordinary people, former rulers and spiritual leaders who were all influenced by this great philosopher. Through beautiful and heart-stopping images of nature, people and temples, this film provides an unforgettable experience of what Sri Shankara’s life may have been like, and how he touched the lives of Kalady’s residents over the centuries.
Speaking in lucid Sanskrit, Jagadguru, Sri Bharati TirthaMahaswamiji, the current and 36th Acharya of DakshinamnayaSri Sharada Peetham at Sringeri, enlightens us about the life of Sri Shankaracharya and the rediscoverer of Kalady – the 33rd Jagadguru. The 33rd Jagadguru instituted the now internationally observed Shankara Jayanti celebrations and was instrumental in bringing about the first-ever publication of the complete works of Sri Shankaracharya.
This documentary is dedicated to this reveredMahaswamiji, the 33rd Jagadguru of Sringeri. It is solely due to his untiring efforts that the glory of Kalady and its special place in the legacy of Sri Shankaracharya has been preserved for the world.
Released in Kalady on May 18th 2010, during theCentenary Celebrations to mark the consecration of the temples for Sri Adi Shankaracharya and Goddess Sharada at Kalady.
The first one lived around 4th Century CE, while the latter in (Vikramaditya II )(733–746 CE)
2.The internal evidence of Shankaracharya’s works do not provide many a clue,exception being the one about Thirugnana Sambhandar, who, it is
agreed, is addressed by Shankaracharya as ‘Dravida Sisu’ in his Soundayalahari.
His references to Kumarila Bhatta and Mandana Misra are equally confusing to pin point the date.
Kumarilabhatta is dated approximately at roughly AD 700.
Mandana Misra at 800 AD;he was a student of Mandana Misra.
Thirugnana Sambhandar who is referred by Shankaracharya is dated 7th Century AD.
There is confusion here as , according to some reports, Appar, who was a contemporary of GnanaSambhandar, lived during the period of Raja Raja
Chozhan, who lived 985 and 1014 !
This is not correct as Raja Raja Chozhan found the ancient scripts of Appar, among many others with the help of Nambi Anadar Nambi.
Yet in his Magnum Opus, Ponniyin Selvan quotes Appar having met Kundavai, daughter of Raja Raja Chozhan.
3.Adi Shankaracharya scrupulously avoided any mention of his personal Life.
He always refers to himself as the Disciple of Govinda Bhagavadpaada, “Govindabhagavadpada Sishya’
4.That Shankaracharya is an Avatar of Shiva-this has obfuscated research with out bias.
With all these impediments there are two distinct views which seem credible.
788–820 CE: This is the mainstream scholarly opinion, placing Shankara in mid to late 8th century CE. These dates are based on records at the Śṛṅgeri Śāradā Pīṭha, which is the only matha to have maintained a relatively unbroken record of its Acharyas; starting with the third Acharya, one can with reasonable confidence date the others from the 8th century to the present. The Sringeri records state that Shankara was born in the 14th year of the reign of “VikramAditya”, but it is unclear as to which king this name refers. Though some researchers identify the name with Chandragupta II (4th century CE), modern scholarship accepts the VikramAditya as being from the Chalukya dynasty of Badami, most likely Vikramaditya II (733–746 CE), 8 t which would place him in the middle of the 8th century. Max Müller, Macdonnel, Pathok, Deussen and Radhakrishnan all accept the dates 788–820 CE. The date 788–820 is also among those considered acceptable by Swami Tapasyananda, though he raises a number of questions.
509–477 BCE: This dating, more than a millennium ahead of all others, is based on records of the heads of the Shankara Maṭhas at Dvaraka Pitha and Govardhana mathaand the fifth Peetham at Kanchi.However, the succession of acharyas at these two mathas were often disrupted by geopolitical realities and these records are not considered as reliable as the Sringeri chronology. Also, such an early date would be in conflict with much else in Indian chronology. According to these revisionist models, these are the actual dates, and it is other collateral dates, such as the date of Gautama Buddha (which serves as an anchor for modern academic history of India), that need to be moved back. However, such an early date is not consistent with the fact that Shankara quotes the Buddhist logician Dharmakirti, who finds mention in Xuanzang (7th century).[12] Also, his near-contemporary Kumārila Bhaṭṭa is usually dated c. 8th century CE. Most scholars feel that due to invasions and other discontinuities, the records of the Dwaraka and Govardhana mathas are not as reliable as those of Sringeri. Thus, while considerable debate exists, the pre-Christian Era dates are usually discounted, and the most likely period for Shankara is during the 8th century CE.
44–12 BCE: the commentator Anandagiri believed he was born at Chidambaram in 44 BCE and died in 12 BCE.
6th century CE: Telang placed him in this century. Sir R G Bandarkar believed he was born in 680 CE.
805–897: A D Venkiteswara not only places Shankara later than most, but also had the opinion that it would not have been possible for him to have achieved all the works apportioned to him, and has him live ninety two years.
On balance by relying on the records of Sringeri Sharada Peetham, where there no break in succession of the Acaharyas of Shankaracharya, the Date of
Shankaracharya may be taken at 8th Century CE.
*Anandagiri.
Trotakacharya (IASTTroṭakācārya) (c. 8th century CE) was a disciple of Ādi Śaṅkara, the Advaitaphilosopher. He was made the first Jagadguru (head) of the Jyotirmaṭha Pīthaṃ, the northern maṭha founded by Ādi Śaṅkara near Badrinath. He founded a maṭha by name Vadakke Matham in Thrissur, Kerala.
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