a few scholars of tantra in Kasi

May 18, 2009

Dear members,

Profles of some of the great scholars & tantrics of Kasi:

1) Pundit Nilakanth

A great scholar of tantra shastra who lived in Kasi in 17th century. Wrote a

commentary on Mahabharata by name *bharata-bhava-pradipa*. Wrote tika & tatparya

called *anuparama* on Siva Tandava Stotra. The ancestors of Nilakanth were from

Maharashtra but migrated to Pithapuram at Coastal Andhra. Father's name is

Govinda Suri and mother's name is Phullambika. Belonged to the Gowtamasa Gotra.

Patronized by Anusimha, the king of Bikaner. Some of his works: Vedanta

Kautukam, Mantra Sarirakam, Sivadvaita Nirnayam, Mantra Bhagavata Tika, Nama

Mantra Rahasya Prakasika,

Kasi Khanda, Ganesh Gita Tika

2) Pundit Raghava Bhatt

Belonged to 15 century. Father migrated from Nashik to Kasi. Shri Raghava Bhatt

was born in Kasi. A great scholar of tantra, mimamsa and patanjali mahabhashya.

Wrote a commentary on *Sarada Tilaka* which is famous by the name *Padartha

Darshana*. The famous work is Rama Charitra and Malati Madhavam

3) Pundit Mahidhara

Belonged to 16 century. Also known by the name Mahidasa. Belonged to Srivatsa

Gotra. Hailed from Ramnagar, a small village near Kasi. Father's name is Punu

Bhatt. A great scholar in vaidika and tantrika vidya. Wrote bhashya on Sukla

Yajurveda called *Veda Dipa*, wrote a tika on Katyayana Srauta Sutras. In 1588

AD, wrote a wonderful book on Mantra Shastra alongwith commentary called *Mantra

Mahodadhi* and *Nauka*. Wrote a gloss on Yoga Vashishta. His son was Kallana

who wrote *Bala Tantra*, a work on ayurveda.

4) Vidyanandanatha

Purva Ashrama nama is Shri Srinivasa Bhatt who hailed from a village Ananthagram

near Kanchipuram. Walked all the way to Jalandhar in search of guru and met

Shri Satchidanandanatha (Shri Suduracharya) - of *Lalitha Archana Chandrika

fame*. Undergone Purna Diksha from Shri Satchidanandanatha and got the diksha

nama Shri Vidyanandanatha. Settled in Kasi and composed following works:

Bhairava Archana Parijata, Saubhagya Ratnakara, Saparya Krama Kalpavalli,Siva

Archana Chandrika. His grandson Shri Janardana based on the above works

composed a work called *Mantra chandrika*.

5) Shambhu Bhatt

Belonged to 16 century. Was a disciple of one the greatest mimasa scholars in

Kasi by name Khanda Deva. Khanda Deva was the author of *Bhatta Dipika*, which

is considered to be hard nut to crack among mimamsakas. Shri Shambhu Bhatt

wrote a commentary to Bhatta Dipika with the name *Prabhavali*. Took turiya

asrama and got yoga patta *Sankarananda Saraswati*.

with regards,

sriram

May 18, 2009

Sri Gurubhyon Namaha

Dear Sriram Garu

Can you list

some panditas and siddhas living currently, so that people like me can be make

use of it by seeing them when ever we get a chance, or can make a consious

effort to go and meet them , your help will be of immense help to me and others

Sri Kamakshi

Raghavender

________________________________

sriram <sriram_sapthasathi

Monday, May 18, 2009 7:46:06 PM

a few scholars of tantra in Kasi

Dear members,

Profles of some of the great scholars & tantrics of Kasi:

....

May 18, 2009

Dear raghavender,

My personal contacts with the scholars & upasakas are very less. It was my

gurunatha who used to meet such srividya upasakas at Dakshinamurthy Mutt, Kali

Mutt, Karapatri swami mutt etc. at Kasi. One such paramahamsa he met during the

last visit before his passing away is at Naimisharanya. During my leisure time,

i will list out some of the scholars. But as of now, i would like to mention

one of the greatest scholars of tarka and mimamsa who is 88 years old. He hails

from Bengal and is a descendant of Rupa Goswami who was one of the disciples of

Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

His name is Mahamahomadhyaya Tarka Kesari Mimamsa Bhaskara Nitya Golokavasi

Vyakarana Visarada Pundita Haridasa Sastry who is in Brindavana now. At the age

of 15, he has mastered two schools of Nyaya ie., Jagadeesha & Gadadhara Bhatta

Nyaya, did the purascharana of Gayatri Mahamantra. Had his education at

Navadwipa and Kasi. A great upasaka of Radha-Krishna from the lineage of Shri

Rupa Goswami (Does not have the least trace of the fanatism of ISKON....). He

has reached such a spiritual height in Krishna Bhakti, it is said that during

the nights, his subtle body goes to Goloka and participates in the *Nitya Rasa

Krida*. For almost 6 hours in the morning, Shri Haridasa Sastry does the

go-seva. Inspite of his great scholarship, Shri Sastry is very unassuming

filled with simplicity.

If by chance, you go to Brindavan, do meet Shri Haridas Maharaj, as he is

usually called there. He belongs to the direct lineage of Shri Rupa Goswami, a

stauch devotee of Radha-Krishna, one of the greatest scholars of vyakarana &

nyaya. Shri Bharati Tirtha had conferred him the title *Tarka Kesari*.

with regs,

sriram

, raghavender ganti <rganti9 wrote:

>

> Sri Gurubhyon Namaha

> Dear Sriram Garu

> Can you list

some panditas and siddhas living currently, so that people like me can be make

use of it by seeing them when ever we get a chance, or can make a consious

effort to go and meet them , your help will be of immense help to me and others

>

> Sri Kamakshi

> Raghavender

>

> ________________________________

> sriram <sriram_sapthasathi

>

> Monday, May 18, 2009 7:46:06 PM

> a few scholars of tantra in Kasi

>

> Dear members,

>

> Profles of some of the great scholars & tantrics of Kasi:

>

> ...

>

May 18, 2009

, " sriram " <sriram_sapthasathi

> 4) Vidyanandanatha

>

> Purva Ashrama nama is Shri Srinivasa Bhatt who hailed from a village

Ananthagram near Kanchipuram. Walked all the way to Jalandhar in search of guru

and met Shri Satchidanandanatha (Shri Suduracharya) -

My mother's family was initiated by a descendant of Shri Vidyanandanatha from

the line of the same Janardhan Gosvamin whom you mention. They produced many

scholars who were active in Rajasthan and Mathura. My friend mentioned that the

South Indian descendants of the founding member of this family named

Samarapungava Dikshita were great Vedic and Tantrik Pandits in Dravid. Funnily

he was telling me that his family had some relationship to the south Indian

branch and members of his family had received Tantrik diksha from them. It is

interesting that this one family was active all over the country in Shrividya

and other tantrik sadhanas. Another great Tantrik from this family was Pandit

Shivanand who a scholar on many topics. His descendants maintained the Anup

Sanskrit library in Bikaner. There was a Hindi booklet named Mathura Bhatta

parampara aur itihas that gives details about this family.

Rajita

May 19, 2009

Respected rajitha,

The only thing i can say in ecstasy is that blessed is your lineage and blessed

you are to have such parents. Your samskaras and knowledge stand testimony to

that.

with regs,

sriram

, " rajita_rajvasishth " <rajita_rajvasishth

wrote:

>

> , " sriram " <sriram_sapthasathi@>

> > 4) Vidyanandanatha

> >

> > Purva Ashrama nama is Shri Srinivasa Bhatt who hailed from a village

Ananthagram near Kanchipuram. Walked all the way to Jalandhar in search of guru

and met Shri Satchidanandanatha (Shri Suduracharya) -

>

> My mother's family was initiated by a descendant of Shri Vidyanandanatha from