Shankaracharya of Kanchi Jayendra Saraswathi dies aged 82

Jayendra Saraswathi, the 69th Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, passed away on Wednesday in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram.

The 82-year-old senior seer was admitted to a hospital near the Mutt after he complained of breathing problems. He had been ailing for some time and even last month he was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for treatment. His body will be kept at the Mutt premises for the public to pay their respects till 7 am on Thursday after which he will be laid to rest at the premises itself.

As the news of the passing away of the senior seer spread, thousands of people have gathered at the Mutt to get a last glimpse of the seer and to pay their respects. The temples and commercial establishments in the temple town have been closed in respect of the deceased Mutt head.

Born Subramanyam Mahadeva Iyer on July 18, 1935, at Irulneeki in Tiruvarur district, he was given the title Sri Jayendra Saraswathi on March 22, 1954, by Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi who appointed him as his successor. He assumed charge as the Peetathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham on March 22, 1994, after the demise the senior pontiff.

Unlike his predecessor, Jayendra Sarawasthi led a high profile life and enjoyed a good rapport with many high-level politicians across the country. He also tried his hand in mediating the Ayodhya dispute unsuccessfully. During his tenure as a head of the Mutt, it expanded its services through its educational and medical institutions.

Jayendra Saraswathi was also got embroiled in controversies. On August 23, 1987, he mysteriously disappeared from the mutt abdicating the religious seat but to be traced in Talacauvery in Karnataka three days later. As the seat of the Math could not be left unoccupied, then senior seer anointed Vijayendra Saraswathi who is the chosen successor of Jayendra Saraswathi as the 70th Shankaracharya. On his return, he launched the movement `Jana Kalyan Jana Jagaran' with the twin objective of service to the people and awakening the masses but it failed to make any headway.

The arrest of Jayendra Saraswathi who is the head of the one of the oldest Mutt in the country, along with his junior Vijayendra, in connection with the murder of Sankararaman, manager of the Varadharajaperumal temple in Kancheepuram sent shockwaves across the country. Two seers and 22 other accused were acquitted by a Puducherry court in 2013 after the prosecution failed to prove the case. He was also acquitted in the one-time Mutt associate Radhakrishnan assault case as well in 2016.

Political commentator Sumanth Raman, in his Facebook post, said Jayendra Saraswathi leaves behind a mixed legacy. "His focus on starting educational institutions for poor students and his outreach programs for connecting with society were path-breaking for the mutt. The Sankara Raman case though indelibly marred his later years," he wrote.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, condoled the death of Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. Palaniswami, in a statement here, said he was saddened to know that Jayendra Saraswathi, the 69th pontiff of the Kanchi math, passed away this morning due to ill-health. He said apart from spiritual work, Jayendra Saraswathi was actively involved in social development activities.

DMK working president MK Stalin, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and DMDK founder president Vijayakanth also condoled the death of Jayendra Saraswathi.