Pleased with the restraint exercised by Lord Indra during the Devasura war, the great sages bestowed upon him the name ‘Samyamindra’.
Shri Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji, the spiritual head of the Kashi Mutt and the 20th pontiff of the Gowda Saraswatha guru parampara, also chose the same name for his successor.
Selecting a name of one of the previous gurus was the custom, but Sudhindra Swamiji changed that practice by bestowing upon his successor-designate the monastic name ‘Samyamindra’.
Only the guru and the disciple know the spiritual secret behind that decision.
The character and nature of Swami Samyamindra Thirtha, who takes over as the head of the Kashi Mutt succeeding guru Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji, who attained Samadhi recently, can be described in two words: peace-loving and benevolent.
When the Thirumala Devaswom invited horoscopes from eligible candidates to be the main disciple (patta shishya) of the spiritual head, Umesh Mallan did not even seek the permission of his parents to submit his ‘Jataka’.
A native of North Paravur in Ernakulam district, Umesh was a second year B.Com student then.
The family members of Kannanparambil, his ancestral home, were closely associated with the Sri Venkatachalapathy Temple in the vicinity.
Born to Surendra Mallan, who was a technical officer with the Kochi-based Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, and Nindila, Umesh studied basic ‘shastras’ under the tutelage of grandfather Gopalakrishna Mallan.
The family of the little kid, who used to provide flowers and puja items to the temple, did not stop him when he decided to dedicate all of his life to a spiritual quest.
When the 19-year-old Umesh took the decision to give up comfort and material possessions to embark on a spiritual journey, his grandfather did shed a few tears.
When Umesh’s horoscope was accepted by the Devaswom, his parents said: “If it is the will of God, let it be”.
The horoscope of the boy born on September 12, 1982, indicated the Sanyasa Yoga as well as the Uthama Raja yoga.
Before setting out on this long journey of spiritual learning, he observed the vow of celibacy (Brahmacharya vrata) and went to meet his guru to perform Guru Pada Puja or the ritual of cleansing the master's feet.
He was initiated to ‘sanyasa’ at a ceremony held at the Shree Kashi Mutt in Haridwar on June 20, 2002.
Following the elaborate Shishya-Sweekara ceremony, he received the saffron robes, the sacred staff and the kamandalu from Shri Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji.
At the Shri Vyasashram in Sadhubela, near Haridwar, where the Ganges splits herself in seven currents to please seven hermits, he learnt all the philosophical tenets from his Guru Sudhindra Thirtha. Later, he was introduced to tantric pooja rituals, before mastering Rig Veda, Vedopanishads and Madhwa Siddhantha.
The current of knowledge was flowing as he went deeper into Tantra Shastra, Vedas and the Upanishads. His deep wisdom was combined with supreme spiritual splendour.
In January 2000, a grand function called the ‘Sudha Mangala’ which marks the completion of the learning of Shriman Nyaya Sudha, the magnum opus of Dvaita Philosophy, was held.
Swami Samyamindra describes himself as a humble disciple of his Guru. He believed that the position of Guru was above all forms of knowledge and titles.
He possessed guru bhakti (devotion to the master), detachment and all the virtues befitting an ascetic.
Shri Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji also had high hopes on his beloved disciple. He took his Shishya along with him when he went on a spiritual tour across the country to show the latter the path to self-realisation and spiritual awakening.
The Swami was content when he attained Samadhi that he could find an ideal disciple, to be anointed as his successor, to carry forth the Kashi Mutt's lineage without dilution.
This Kashi Mutt’s history spans a period of over four hundred and fifty years and it prides itself in having an unbroken line of spiritual gurus. All of them have been shining stars on the horizon of spirituality, guiding millions of devotees around the world.
When Swami Samyamindra takes charge of the sacred Mutt, it is a moment of pride for Keralites as well as lakhs of Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin community members across the world.
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