Samadhi of Bodhendra Saraswathi, Govindapuram,
Thanjavur
The Samadhi or tomb of Sri Bodhendra Saraswathi, the 60th Shankaracharya of Kanchi
matha is located in the
town of Govindapuram in Thanjavur district, Tamilnadu and is an important Hindu pilgrimage
destination.
History
Bodhendra Saraswathi, the 17th-century pontiff of the
Kanchi matha reached Govindapuram during the course of his wanderings in the
Cauvery delta. He was attracted by the beauty of the place and decided to
attain Samadhi or salvation at the spot.
One morning, in the Purattasi (September-October) month of the year 1692,
Bodhendra Saraswathi attained Jeeva Samadhi sitting in a yogic state. He attained Videha
Mukthi at Govindapuram on
Full Moon day in the month of Proshtapada of the cyclic year Prajotpatti (1692
AD).
Sri Sri Bodhendra Saraswathi Swamigal
Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra Saraswathi Swamigal alias Sri
Bodhendral was born in Mandana Miśra Agraharam at Kanchi as the son of Kesava Panduranga. Sri
Bodhendral's former name was Purushothama. It was Sri Bodhendral who stressed
the efficacy of devotion as a means to liberation in this Kali
Yugam. Sri Bodhendral therefore
undertook the Nama Siddhantha, or establishing the supreme efficacy of reciting
the names of Bhagavan in many of his writings, chiefly in Namamritha
Rasayana and Namamritha Rasodhaya.
Sri Bodhendral's mission of Nama Siddhantha was pursued
with equal vigor by Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval of Tiruvisainallur and by
Sathguru Swamigal of Marudanallur. It was the Nama Siddhanta of Sri Bodhendral that was
ultimately responsible for the evolution of Bhajana Sampradhaya as an
institution in the religious life of the Hindu community in South
India. Sri Bodhendral performed
Tatanka Pratishtha at Jambukeswaram and while returning to Kanchi.
Bodhendra Saraswathi was a 17th-century Hindu pontiff and the 60th Jagathguru (head)
of the Kanchi matha, Kanchipuram, Tamil
Nadu, India. He spent his later life in Govindapuram.
Early life
Bodhendra was born to a Brahmin couple, Kesavapanduranga Yogi and Suguna in the
beginning of 17th century (in the year 1610) at Kanchipuram, which was then headquarters of Kanchi
matha. The couple did not have
children for a long time and believed that they were blessed by the devotion to
Viswakendra Saraswati (Athmabodhar), the 59th Jagathguru of the Kanchi
Matha. The child was named Purushothama
by Viswakendra Saraswati.
Seeing the extraordinary qualities and immense
potentialities of the child, to render incalculable good to humanity, Sri
Viswakendra Saraswati requested his parents to hand over the child to the Kanchi
Matha with the pious hope
of making the child succeed him. The parents willingly gave the child to the
mutt. The child attained extra ordinary mastery over Shruti and the Smriti. It gradually dawned on him that Nama
sankeerthanam (chanting of Lord
Rama's name) would fetter the cycles of death and birth
in Kali Yuga. He chanted Rama Nama (the name of Lord
Rama) one lakh times every day.
Initiation of Sainthood
Athmabodhar instructed Bodhendra Saraswati to proceed
to Kanchipuram after obtaining
Lakshmi Sreedhar's Bhagawan Nama Koumundhi from the author himself at
Jagannatha Kshetram (Puri
Jagannath), and to compose a lakh
of Bhagawan Nama Slokas (sacred texts on lord) on the basis
of Bhagawan Nama Koumundhi. The above-mentioned mandate of his guru (teacher) gave
him a golden opportunity to pour out his devotion to Lord
Rama and to vindicate the efficacy of Rama
Nama (name of Lord Rama).
Govindapuram
Bodhendra Saraswathi, during the course of his
wanderings in the Cauvery delta was attracted by the beauty of the place
and decided to attain Samadhi or salvation at the spot. One morning, in the Purattasi (September–October) month
of the year 1692, Bodhendra Saraswathi attained Jeeva Samadhi sitting
in a yogic state. He attained Videha
Mukthi at Govindapuram on
Full Moon day in the month of Proshtapada of the cyclic year Prajotpatti (1692
AD). The Samadhi of Bodhendra
Saraswathi is maintained by
the Kanchi matha.
Sanctity
A tomb was constructed by Bodhendra's disciples over his
body and yearly aaradhanas are conducted at his tomb.
Connectivity
Govindapuram is a village in the Thiruvidaimarudur taluk of Thanjavur district in Tamil
Nadu, India. It is situated at a distance of 7 kilometres
from Kumbakonam and 27 kilometres from Mayiladuthurai and 1 kilometer from Thiruvidaimarudur.
Nearest Railway Station is located at Kumbakonam &
Thanjavur. Nearest Airport is located at Trichy.
