Swami Govindanand Alleges Misuse Of Shankaracharya Title, Seeks Action Against Claimants

Swami Govindanand Saraswati, a disciple of the late Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Maharaj of Badri Jyotirmath Dwarka Sharda Peeth, has alleged that Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotish Peeth, Uttarakhand; Sadanand Saraswati of Jhoteshwar, Narsinghpur district, Madhya Pradesh; and Vidhushekhar Bharati of Sringeri, Karnataka, were misusing the name of Shri Shankaracharya, as the pontiffs of the main Hindu dharmapeeths are called.

Saraswati, who addressed members of the media in Mumbai on Tuesday, said  that the Supreme Court has prohibited Sadanand Saraswati and Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati from declaring themselves as Shankaracharyas.Furthermore, prominent organisations, including the Bharat Dharma Mahamandal and Kashi Vidwat Parishad, have refused to recognise them as Shankaracharyas, he added.

Saraswati alleged that the day after Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Maharaj passed away, Sadanand Saraswati got himself coronated as the Shankaracharya of Badri Jyotirmath, and Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati as the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharda Peeth. Vidhushekhar Bharati of Sringeri Peeth allegedly supported them. He claimed that they attempted to seize control of both peeths using fake wills and fraudulent letters.

Saraswati said that he filed a petition in the Supreme Court, which resulted in an order against Avimukteshwaranand and a stay on his coronation. He said that Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Maharaj, during his lifetime, had clearly stated that he had neither declared any successor nor appointed anyone as Shankaracharya for either the Jyotishpeeth or Dwarka Sharda Peeth. He also noted that the Shankaracharya tradition does not have a provision for succession through a will or the recognition of an heir.

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Saraswati said his opposition to the claims resulted in attempts on his life which left him injured. He urged the Maharashtra government to take action against Sadanand Saraswati, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, and Vidhushekhar Bharati.

Saraswati called for a CBI investigation on the assets allegedly acquired by the claimants and asked women devotees to stay away from them. He referred to the principles laid down by Adi Shankaracharya, who established the four dharmapeeths and the qualifications for becoming a Shankaracharya, as described in the text 'Mahamnaya Anushasanam'. He reiterated that no Shankaracharya can declare a successor based on a will.