Shri Parijnanashram Trayodashi – Shloka 2
A Website Committee presentation for the Parijñānalaharī Mahotsavaḥ (15 June 2026 to 12 October 2027)
(Written by Smt. Chandrimā Kalbāg, sourced from the Sunbeam archives, Swarṇasmruti, with research assistance from ChitrāpurGPT and inputs from Shrī Chaitanya Gulvāḍy, Shrī Kris͟hṇānand Maṅkīkar and Smt. Shailajā Gāṅguly)
Shrī Parijñānāshram Trayodashī is a lyrical stotra of 13 shloka-s which unfolds before us the life of H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī III. Our Parama Guru Swāmījī not only led the samāja on the spiritual path, but also initiated numerous social welfare programmes. It offers salutations to the Sthitaprajña (The One with a steady and unwavering mind) Guru dedicated to our samāja. Chanting this divine stotra daily bestows upon us the Benevolence of our Parama Guru and our Guruparamparā.
Our revered Parama Guru undertook the rigorous life of a Sannyāsī, at the tender age of 12 years. When most children bask in the warmth of their parents’ love and indulgence, He was selected by our Parames͟ht͟hi Guru, H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī, and He readily agreed to become the Shis͟hya Swāmījī, destined to guide our samāja as the Mat͟hādhipati of Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h. Our Shaṅkaranārāyaṇa Gītam proclaims ‘धर्मरक्षण सिद्धये वरचरममाश्रममाश्रितम्’, meaning, ‘He resorted to the fourth āshrama (sannyāsa) for the preservation of Dharma.
In the second of this series of thirteen articles, we will highlight His inspiring life, dedicated to the welfare and betterment of devotees and the community. We humbly bow down in limitless gratitude to our Divine Parama Guru to seek His Blessings.
Shloka 2 - Our Parama Guru Swāmījī as the Ideal Upāsaka
The Shrī Chitrāpur Guruparamparā began in 1708. Persecuted by the locals, intimidated by the Nagar King, the seniors of our samāja performed Gāyatrī Purashcharaṇa. Miraculously, on Ratha Saptamī day, our Ādi Guru, H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī (I) appeared at Koṭitīrtha, in Gokarṇa. Since then, Ratha Saptamī has been observed as Guru Prāpti Divasa. The Guruparamparā has been shining upon the samāja like the Sun, ever since.
In keeping with this tradition, the ninth Mat͟hādhipati of Shrī Chitrāpur Guruparamparā, H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī, heeded the pleas of the samāja and with the grace of Shrī Bhavānīshaṅkar Deva, was inspired to accept a Shis͟hya. Kumāra Ravīndra Shukla was identified as the One who could ably fulfil this responsibility. On Ratha Saptamī,1st March 1959, Kumāra Ravīndra Shukla was ordained as ‘H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram (III) Shis͟hya Swāmījī’ in a grand ceremony attended by over 10,000 overjoyed sādhaka-s, at Mumbaī. After the ceremonies, They left for Shirālī.
Upon reaching Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h at Shirālī, amidst a joyous welcome, H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī introduced Shis͟hya Swāmījī to Shrī Bhavānīshaṅkar Deva Sannidhi, Nandī, Hoḍi Samādhi and the sequence of offering Dhūl̃bheṭ. Thus began Shis͟hya Swāmījī's education. Distinguished teachers like Shrī Hebbār Shāstrī and Shrī Shrīnivās Shāstrī were appointed for the Shis͟hya's lessons: Sanskrit Grammar, study of the scriptures, Veda-Vedānta, Nyāya, Upāsanā and Anus͟ht͟hāna. H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī Himself taught Shis͟hya Swāmījī how to perform pūjā, the meaning and significance of the mantra-s and upachāra-s and Blessed Him with the Bīja mantra.
The halcyon days passed with His education and spiritual practices interspersed with play-time with the local children. The seven years under the tutelage of H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī were the happiest period for H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī III and inspired His every action. Guru Maulī’s benign smile and soft voice, watchful eyes and benevolent guidance spurred Shis͟hya Swāmījī’s japa, tapa, anus͟ht͟hāna and spiritual progress.
Each day began at 3.30 a.m. and sometimes continued through the night. Shis͟hya Swāmījī would meditate upon the Praṇava Mantra (Oṁ) with complete concentration. His rigorous regimen and strict discipline continued whether He was in Shirālī, at the Baṅgalore Mat͟h or elsewhere.
Such was His brilliance, that when He was just 14 years of age, Devī Rājarājeshwarī Blessed Him with a vision. Early one morning, after His Sandhyāvandanam and anus͟ht͟hāna, the resplendent Devī showered Her Anugraha upon Him by placing Her Hand on His head in the varada mudrā, becoming antardhāna (disappearing) thereafter. He later described the Devī as, “Indescribably beautiful and youthful, like a 16-year-old.”
In this state of trance, still unsteady due to the elevated state, He rushed to His Guru to inform Him first. Extremely pleased, H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī blessed Him softly, “Child, you are a Devī Upāsaka. Delve deeper!” Guru Swāmījī thus encouraged Shis͟hya Swāmījī to continue His studies and anus͟ht͟hāna.
Shis͟hya Swāmījī ardently wished to be initiated into Devī Upāsanā. H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī said that the time had not yet come for such difficult and subtle practices. He predicted that when the time was right, the One destined to initiate Him into Devī Upāsanā would appear.
In the meantime, Shis͟hya Swāmījī excelled in every aspect of His sādhanā and soon acquired numerous Siddhi-s. He materialised bhasma, kuṅkuma and flowers at the Lotus Feet of His Guru, humbly saying that the abilities acquired were due to His Guru’s Blessings. Though pleased with His Shis͟hya's progress, H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī gently advised Him saying, “There are greater treasures of knowledge to be discovered. Sannyāsī-s on this spiritual path should not get carried away by such siddhi-s.” Shis͟hya Swāmījī never performed a ‘miracle’ like this again in deference to His Guru's Upadesha.
After H.H. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī took Mahāsamādhi, on a visit to Kāshī, H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī III was approached by a Satpurus͟ha, Shrī Shāmbhavīpriya. The latter asked H.H. Swāmījī if He wanted to be initiated into Devī Upāsanā. Shrī Shāmbhavīpriya performed the initiation in the middle of the Gaṅgā river, when H.H. Swāmījī replied affirmatively.
Shrī Vidyā Upāsanā is a complex and sūks͟hma upāsanā to be performed by highly evolved, qualified sādhaka-s only after being initiated into it by a competent Guru, and never to be attempted by oneself without such initiation. It begins with the Shrī Mahāgaṇapati Mantra followed by Shrī Bālā Tripurasundarī Mantra, Pañchadashāks͟harī Mantra, S͟hoḍashī Mantra and detailed Navāvaraṇa pūjā of the Shrī Chakra with Kuṅkumārchanā. H.H. Swāmījī used to be immersed for hours in japa, homa, intricate pūjā-s and ārādhanā to propitiate the Divine Mother.
Later, H.H. Swāmījī’s Upāsanā became even more subtle. He worshipped the seven chakra-s in the body symbolizing all Existence and Nature as Ahaṅgraha Upāsanā. He experienced Ādishakti in every aspect of Nature - in the breeze, trees and every living being.
During Shāradīya Navarātri, H.H. Swāmījī would perform the special Devī Saptashatī Pārāyaṇa, observe Mauna (Silence), subsist on a strict liquid diet consisting of tender coconut water and fruit juices, for all the nine days of Navarātri and then end the vrata on Vijayādashamī. If in Mumbaī, on Durgā As͟hṭamī, H.H. Swāmījī would visit Shrī Mahālaks͟hmī Temple at 3.30 a.m.
In December 2006, at Khār Mat͟h, in a Swādhyāya, H.H. Shrīmat Sadyojāt Shaṅkarāshram Swāmījī has elucidated H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram (III) Swāmījī’s Shrī Vidyā Upāsanā based on the second verse of Shrī Parijñānāshram Trayodashī . The gist of it is “In a beautiful garden one can safely wander and freely ponder. Similarly, H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram (III) Swāmījī could blissfully explore Shrī Vidyā Upāsanā. To such a Guru we bow down in obeisance. This is not the gross physical arena, therefore accessing such a divine plane is possible only for one who has complete self-control, detachment and renunciation. Shrī Rājarājeshwarī Devī is considered to be at the highest level. Therefore, it is supremely difficult to reach Her, even after practicing the intricate and subtle Upāsanā. The Devatā-s surrounding Her must be propitiated before they allow the Upāsaka to pass through. If the pūjā is not performed properly, or if there are any shortcomings, the Āvaraṇa (surrounding) Devatā-s are disturbed and the person who is attempting the Upāsanā has to bear the consequences. The connection with the Devī is not established and Her Anugraha is withheld. Therefore, before starting the Shrī Vidyā Upāsanā, the sādhaka must be protected with the preliminary Gaṇapati Mantra and Bālā mantra. Thus, we pay obeisance to the Guru who, being one with the Devī, works for the betterment of His devotees.)
Our Parama Guru Swāmījī could enjoy the exquisite garden of Shrī Vidyā Upāsanā, like a promenading peacock in the meadow blissfully unaware of its own beauty and grace.
In 1976, in His Ᾱshīrvachana at Baṅgalore, H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī III declared: "If we look upon Her as the Divine Mother and surrender ourselves to Her, placing ourselves at Her Feet, She sheds Her veil of Māyā and reveals Herself to us as Ādishakti Herself and liberates us from the coils of a mortal existence."
Such was our Parama Guru’s nis͟ht͟hā in the Devī that He wanted His Samadhi to be consecrated in the Devī Durgāparameshwarī temple, Kārlā, such that its level would not be higher than that of the Devī's Sannidhi).
In Shirālī, at the end of the Guru Jyoti Padayātrā, His Pādukā-s were ceremoniously consecrated at the Shrī Guru Pādukā Sannidhi by H.H. Shrīmat Sadyojāt Shaṅkarāshram Swāmījī. The Devī was so dear to our Parama Guru, that the Shrī Chakra, a symbol of the beloved Devī whom He worshipped devotedly, along with the Jñāna Jyoti and Divya Jyoti have been placed within
Kumāra Ravīndra Shukla, the carefree child, became H.H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī III, the eminent tenth Mat͟hādhipati of Shrī Chitrāpur Mat͟h, a revered institution with distinguished members in its samāja. His achievements and accomplishments benefited the whole community, but very few knew the long hours of arduous efforts, determination and dedication that our Parama Guru devoted, smiling with compassion and humour. H.H. Swāmījī taught us life lessons through His actions.
With intense sādhanā, our beloved Parama Guru Swāmījī acquired the Highest Knowledge and Siddhi-s, not for Himself, but only for the upliftment of the samāja.
Shrī Gurucharaṇāravindārpaṇam Astu
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(15 Oct 2026}