Atma Bodhendra Saraswati

He was the 58th Pontiff of the Kanchi Matha from 1586 AD to 1638 AD. He was a native of Vridhachalam, Tamil Nadu. He was born in the year 1586. His pre-monastic name was Visvesvara. He toured south India extensively and stayed at Benares. He wrote a commentary on the Vedic Sri Rudram. It was Atma Bodhendhra who instructed the great Avadhuta Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra to write the Guru ratna Malika stotram on the Gurus of the Kanchi Mutt. For Sadasiva brahmendra saraswathi and Atma Bodendra Saraswathi, the common guru is 57th Pontiff of Kanchi Mutt, Sri Paramasivendra Saraswathi who attained siddhi at Tiruvengadu. Sri Atma Bondhendra Saraswathi Swamigal is the immediate guru of Sri Bagawannama Bodendra Saraswathi, the 59th pontiff of Sri Kanchi Mutt who attained siddhi at Govindapuram, near Kumbakonam.

Sri Atma Bodhendra Saraswathi attained Siddhi on the banks of the river Dakshina Pinakini, in 1638 AD. The Maha Samadhi of Sri Atma Bodhendra Saraswathi is located in Vadambalam, in villupuram district. The Adhistanam was discovered by His Holiness Pujyasri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi swamigal and was consecrated on 17 January 1927. The second Kumbabhishekam was performed on 17 January 1981.^[1]

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