A Living Flame

[When His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswami completed fifty years of his accession to Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham “Triveni” offered her loving homage to him. Sri K. Ramakotiswara Rau, the Founder-Editor, paid his tribute through the columns of “Triveni” (April 1957). It is reproduced hereunder.
–Editor]

The public of India, and especially of the South, recently celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the accession of His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati to the Gadi of Sri Kamakoti Peetam of Kanchi. His Holiness was a lad of thirteen when his pontificate commenced. Five decades have passed, since then, and each decade has meant added lustre to this ancient seat of spiritual power and beneficence. All over India, and in many foreign lands the name of the Acharya Swami is deeply reverenced, and whenever the Peetam is mentioned there is an outpouring of rare devotion. As an embodiment of the traditional culture of India, and a discerning admirer of the nobler aspects of every other culture, the Acharya Swami has been a Light to all aspiring souls.

It is pleasant to recall that the Acharya Swami was one of the earliest to recognize the literary gifts of the late K. S. Venkataramani. Venkataramani included a fine sketch of the Acharya Swami in his delightful ‘Paper Boats’; When Venkataramani published his great novel of contemporary Indian life, ‘Murugan the Tiller’, the Acharya Swami attached such significance to the novel that he purchased several hundred copies of the book and sent them to the Members of the ‘British Parliament and to leading writers and thinkers. In later years, the Acharya Swami presented an inscribed ivory shield and embroidered shawls to Venkataramani who always cherished them as his choicest treasures. This is but a single instance out of many gracious tokens of the Acharya Swami’s patronage of creative endeavour in many spheres.

‘Triveni’ offers loving homage to the Acharya Swami on this great occasion and trusts that the Samskrita University proposed to be reared his honour will soon be inaugurated. Sri Chandrasekharan’s tribute to the Acharya Swami published in this number of the journal is a gem of rare quality and worthy of the Living Flame which sheds its Light from Kanchi.