Jyotir Math

Uttarāmnāya Śrī Jyotish Pītham or JyotirMath is one amongst the four cardinal pīthams established by the Ādi Śaṅkara to preserve Hinduism and Advaita Vedānta, the doctrine of non-dualism. Located in the city of Joshimath, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, it is the uttarāmnāya matha or Northern Āmnāya Pītham, amongst the four Chaturamnay Peethams and in later period, Moolamnaya Sarvajna Peetham was declared as Moolamnay by disciples which is in Kalady, Kerala, birth place of Adi Shankara with the others being the Sringeri Śārada Pīṭhaṃ (Karnataka) in the South, Dvārakā Śāradā Pītham (Gujarat, Dwarka) in the West and Purī Govardhanmaṭha Pīṭhaṃ (Odisha, Puri) in the east. Its appointees bear the title of Shankaracharya. It is the headquarters of Giri, Parvata & Sagara sects of the Dasnami Sampradaya (monistic order). Their Vedantic mantra or Mahavakya is Ayamātmānam brahma (This Atman is supreme being) and as per the tradition initiated by Adi Shankara it holds authority over Atharva Veda. The head of the matha is called Shankaracharya, the title derives from Adi Shankara.

After its occupation by Svāmī Rāmakṛṣṇa Tīrtha in the 18th century, it was vacant for 165 years until the appointment of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati in 1941 by his highly famed, top learned & devout Saint disciple "Dharm Samrat - KarpatriJi Maharaj". Since Brahmananda's death in 1953, KarpatriJi had recommended Swami Krishna Bodhashram for the post as per most available information from living saints and Peeth Parishad headed by Puri peethadheeswar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati. The Allahabad (PrayagRaj) high court observed that Swami Shantanand had been made Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath Badrikashrama on June 12, 1953, by the then Shankaracharya Bramhanand Saraswati. But Swami Krishna Bodhashram was illegally appointed to the same post on June 25 that year. Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati had been appointed Caretaker shankaracharya of Joytirmath until a new shankaracharya is selected but Swami disciples and gurus who have been appointed, occupied or claimed to be the rightful occupant and leader of the monastery. This has led to multiple court cases and final settlement over the post is yet to be decided by the Court and consensus among dharmic leaders is yet to be established. Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court had made Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati as caretaker shankaracharya of Joytirmath until a new shankaracharya is selected by a dharm shabha. After his death one of his disciple Swami Avimukteshwaranand was crowned as Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath, evidence provided by secretary of earlier Shankaracharya and now Swami Avimukteshwaranand occupies the asharam built by Swaroopand Saraswati in the Jyotirmath city. However his coronation was stopped by Supreme Court of India after objection from Shankaracharya of Puri based on the Constitution under which Shankaracharya Mutt functions including appointments of new Shankaracharya. While another claimant Swami Vasudevanad Saraswati who is also a member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust occupies the historical asharam built by Late Shankaracharya Swami Brahmanand Saraswati in Jyotirmath city. October 2022 Judgment, Highcourt observed that Swami Vasudevanand is not appropriately qualified.

Deities worshipped in JyotirMath are Lord Narayana and Shakti-Purnagiri.

Background
Jyotir Math is the uttaramnaya matha or northern monastery, one of four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankara, the reviver of Vedic Sanatana Dharma. Shankara's four principal disciples, Padma-Pada, Hasta-Malaka, Suresvaracharya and Totakacharya were assigned to these four learning centers in the north, south, east and west of India. The subsequent leaders of each of these four monasteries have come to be known as Shankaracharyas, in honor of the math's founder, Adi Shankara. As such, they are the leaders of the Dasanami Saṃnyasins, who are considered to have custody of Advaita Vedānta These four principle seats of learning are located in Purī (Odisha), Shringeri (Karnataka) and Dwarka (Gujarat), with the northern (Uttaramnaya) monastery being located in the city of Jyotirmaṭh.

1900 to 1940
Jyotir Math was occupied by Swami Ramakrishna Tirtha in the 18th century, but the monastery was inactive for 165 years following his death. During that time, a number of Gurus made claim to the Shankaracharya title and lawsuits representing the claimants and their representatives date back to the 1900s. For a time, the head priest, Raval of the Badrinath Temple was thought by some to hold the Shankaracharya title there. However, the formal occupation of the Matha only officially began when the leaders of the other three Mathas convinced Brahmananda Saraswati to accept the position.

1941 to 1953
The appointment of Brahmananda in 1941 was made by a group of monks and pandits based in the city of Varanasi with the endorsement of Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha, the Shankaracharya of Puri and Swami Chandrashekhara Bharati the Shankaracharya of Sringeri. Respected supporters of religious institutions, such as the rulers of the Garhwal, Varanasi and Darbhanga, also endorsed Brahmananda, and their recognition helped overcome opposition from previous claimants to the title. Brahmandanda was also perceived by his supporters as the embodiment of the qualifications mentioned in Vedic texts, and this assisted in his unhindered ascension to the position at the age of 70.

Brahmananda was charged with reconstructing the temple and institution at Jyotir Math. Through the assistance of the local Deputy Commissioner and parties responsible for his nomination, Brahmananda reclaimed the surrounding land that had been encroached upon by local farmers. Under his leadership, a two-story, 30-room building was constructed to serve as the Peeth Bhawan of Jyotir Math. He also supervised the final construction of the Shrine of Purnagiri Devi about 100 yards in front of the new monastery, which "the Darbhanga ruler" had begun, but not completed, just prior to his death. Brahmananda's leadership was instrumental in re-establishing the Jyotir Math as "an important centre of traditional advaita teaching in northern India", and the monastery was visited by the president of India, Rajendra Prasad in December 1952.

1954 to present
After the death of Brahmananda in 1953, Swami Hariharananda Saraswati, a now deceased disciple of Brahmananda, was offered the title but refused to accept it. Later, it was revealed that five months before his death, Brahamananda had made a will and registered it with the District Registrar in Allahabad. The will named his disciple, Swami Shantanand Saraswati as his successor and Swami Dwarakeshananda Saraswati, Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati and Swami Paramatmananda Saraswati as alternate choices. As a result, Swami Shantanand Saraswati assumed the Shankarcharya-ship, but his authority was disputed by several of Brahmananda's disciples and followers who did not feel that Shantanand met the requirements described in the Mahanushasana texts. Meanwhile, others claimed that Brahmananda's death was due to poisoning, and that his will was not authentic, causing civil lawsuits to be filed by concerned parties.

Relevant organizations involved in reviving Jyotir Math, including a committee of pundits from Varanasi, proposed Swami Krishnabodha Ashrama as the Shankaracharya, despite Shantanand's claim and occupation of Jyotir Math. Ashrama died in 1973 and nominated his disciple Swaroopananda Saraswati, a disciple of Brahmananda, who had taken Swami Krishnabodha Ashrama as his guru after Brahmananda's death, as his successor. However, because Shantananda still occupied the Jyotir Math ashram built by Brahmananda, Swaroopananda took residence in a nearby building or ashram, said to be located near the former cave of Adi Shankara disciple, Totakacharya.

During his tenure, Shantanand was "supportive" of another Brahamananda disciple, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and "often appeared with him in public". However, in 1980, Shantananda vacated the Shankarcharya position in favour of Swami Vishnudevananda Saraswati, an additional disciple that was named in Brahmananda's will as an alternate choice for the Shankaracharya-ship. Author Williamson writes that Shantanand was removed by the other Shankarcharya's due to his "incompetence" and speculates that his relationship with the Maharishi may have been a contributing factor. However, Shantanand's successor, Vishnudevananda, also spoke well of the Maharishi and publicly demonstrated his support by presiding over one of the Maharishi's publicized events in New Delhi in July 1986. Vishnudevananda died in 1989 and Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati succeeded him. Former Shankaracharya, Shantanand, then died in 1997.

Another claimant is Madhava Ashrama, who disputes the lineage of Vasudevananda and Swaroopananda and who was appointed leader of Jyotir Math in the 1960s. He contends that Swaroopananda cannot accept the title of Shankaracharya for both the western and northern mathas, in which case the title reverts to a subsequent disciple of Krishnabodha Ashrama. Madhava Ashrama was reportedly appointed leader of Jyotir Math under the auspices of Niranjana Deva Tirtha, who was the Shankarcharya of Puri at that time. However his appointment by made void and null by Allahabad High Court judgement.

These events have resulted in three separate lineages at Jyotir Math, despite Swaroopananda being endorsed by other Adi Shankara mathas. These lineages include Swaroopananda Saraswati, the leader of the Dwarka Math in the West, and Madhava Ashrama (both disciples of Krishnabodha Ashrama), as well as Vasudevananda Saraswati, who occupies the monastery built by Brahmananda in 1941.

A Sept. 23, 2017, court ruling held that both Shankaracharyas should step down and be replaced by another Swami within 3 months, noting that Swami Shantanand had been made Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath Badrikashram on June 12, 1953, by the then Shankaracharya, but that Swami Krishna Bodhashrama was illegally appointed to the same post on June 25 that year. In the meantime, Swaroopananda was appointed caretaker by the ruling judge; a successor was not appointed then.

After the death of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, who was the Shankracharya of Dwarka Sharada Math, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati was made the Shankaracharya of Jyotirmath. His coronation was endorsed by Sringeri and Dwarka peeth shankaracharyas. In October 2022, Supreme Court stopped his coronation as the new shankaracharya after an affidavit was filed by Puri Shankaracharya. However many akharas including Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad and sadhus have not accepted his appointment as the new shankaracharya.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand took diksha from Swami Swaroopananda in 2006. Ever since, he had been supervising all religious and other activities of Uttarakhand-based Jyotir Math. He became the 46th shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth. As a frequent visitor to Uttarakhand for years, Swami Avimukteshwaranand has cordial relations with all akhadas and ashrams, especially in Haridwar.

Ever since his appointment, Swami Avimukteshwaranand has been in the centre of controversies for making claims and allegations against political parties, specially against Bharatiya Janata Party and in favour of Indian National Congress. In 2024, he fielded a candidate against Narendra Modi in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.

Swami Govindananda Saraswati Maharaj of the Jyotirmath Trust, said that Varanasi court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him and the case is pending in the Supreme Court. Swami Govindananda Saraswati Maharaj further said that Congress was supporting Avimukteshwaranand by addressing him as shankaracharya in a letter from Priyanka Gandhi. These statements came after Avimukteshwaranand's political comments in support of Uddhav Thackeray, which recieved heavy backlash from other seers.