Parijnanashram III
| Swami Parijñānāshram III | |
|---|---|
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| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Shaivism |
| Personal | |
| Born | Ravīndra Shankarnārāyan Shukla (Bhat) June 15, 1947 Shirali, Karnataka |
| Died | August 29, 1991 Bangalore, Karnataka |
| Guru | Swami Ānandāshram |
| Honors |
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Swami Parijnanashram III (Devanagari: परिञानाश्रम्, Pa.ri.jñā.nā.śram) (June 15, 1947 – August 29, 1991) was the tenth guru of the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. He succeeded his teacher Swami Ānandāshram in 1966 after the latter died.
Swami Parijñānāshram III was one who had a keen thirst for knowledge-be it Vedic or technical. His progressive outlook resulted in large scale development which gave the community and its head matha (Monastery) - The Chitrāpur Matha the financial stability it needed. He aimed at making the Chitrapur village a self-sustaining viable township with an agricultural, industrial and commercial life of its own with an underlying spiritual base. His progressive outlook also included compassion. Under his regime, several health-care facilities were developed. He was an animal lover and constructed deer parks, top quality cow-sheds and regularly visited and cared for the animals there.
He was a person who was highly interested in technical spheres of knowledge. He possessed a first grade Ham Radio license (Probably the first religious saint to possess such a license in India). Under His regime, a wireless station and an observatory post were established near Shirali. He kept a keen interest in archaeology and established an Archeology museum at Chitrapur. His sense of compassion was well known by people both within and outside the community. He would visit devotees in hospitals regularly irrespective of status or wealth.
This development oriented mindset was something that was usually never anticipated from a religious figure. This progressive outlook did not go well with certain orthodox members of society. Swami Parijñānāshram felt restrained by the lack of acceptance from certain sections of society and which finally resulted in His abdication of the post of the Head of Chitrapur Math (Mathādhipati) in 1979. He relinquished the title of the Head of the Community fully by 1981. After this, He travelled all across India and even went abroad (The first guru of the community to do so), before He settled down in a matha constructed under his regime, at Karla. He continued His service for the welfare of the people even though He was not Mathādhipati of the community. This allowed Him to extend His welfare programs to the down-trodden people irrespective of community, caste, creed or status.
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