Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c22.s3.14

v2.c22.s3.14

The heads of religious institutions were also known by their titles. In a grant dated Śaka 1450 (A. D. 1528-9) Sadāśiva Sarasvatī, disciple of Chandraśēkhara Sarasvatī, of the Śṛṅgēri Maṭha is called—*The great sage working for salvation*, the great saint and anchorite, whose body is besmeared with holy ashes, who wears a necklace of rudrāksha beads; who is high-souled and talented, who has practised the eight-fold path of the Yōga; who is compassionate to all beings, (but) is (himself) above the pair of opposites like heat and cold, which only give rise to pain; who is possessed of knowledge and freedom from attachment; also is master of himself, and the Guru, who is Śiva incarnate.¹ The birudus of Chandra-chūḍā Sarasvati, the head of the Kāmakōṭi-pīṭha of the Śāradā Maṭha of Conjeeveram,² are thus given in a record dated Śaka 1444 (A. D. 1522-3): The talented and high-souled saint, the disciple of Mahādēva Sarasvati, a devotee of Śiva, the famous commentator on all the śāstras, and an expert in māyavāda (the doctrine of māyā).³ According to a record dated in Śaka 1307, expired (A. D. 1385), the Jaina teachers of a school led by Simhanandin were called by the following titles: āchārya, ārya, guru, dēśika, muni and yōgindra.⁴