Ashrama Name: Shri Chidanandaghanendra Sarasvati
Purvashrama Name: Padmanabha
Purvashrama Father’s Name: Annu Shankara
Years as Pithadhipati: 4
Siddhi: 3772 Prajotpatti Margashirsha Shukla Shashthi (CE 0671-Nov-16)
Other:
This Acharya used to practice a high form of Yoga known as Lambika Yoga. He used to take only dry leaves for food.
(It appears He had been in the company of His Acharya for a long time and very shortly (i.e. only after 4 years) after the Siddhi of the previous Acharya, this Acharya also left His physical form. Hence:)
During the time of the previous Acharya Shri Brahmanandaghanendra Sarasvati, one Kashmiri King by name Lalitaditya had conquered the regions of South Indian also, and coming to Kanchipuram, had submitted himself as a disciple to that previous Acharya.
After the Siddhi of the previous Acharya, this Acharya had the king make an Annadana Shala in Kashmir by the Purvashrama Name of His Guru, Jyeshtha Rudra. [This also coincides with “Jyeshtheshvara”, the name of the Shiva atop the Gopadri aka Shankaracharya Hill in Shrinagar – perhaps there is some historical connection.]
That Annadana Shala was very famous in that area in those days and was even praised of having made one thousand cookings of rice in one day to feed over a lakh people (perhaps during some major public festival where people congregate in mass numbers).
Likewise, during the conquering of the southern regions by Lalitaditya, the then Queen of Karnataka (presumably the King had already passed away) had lost her life. Her son was of young age and inexperienced. This Acharya, out of compassion for the boy, instructed Lalitaditya to put the boy on the throne of Karnataka with appropriate people for guidance and support.
श्रीसर्वज्ञसदाशिवबोधेन्द्रकृता पुण्यश्लोकमञ्जरी
अण्णु(कण्व)शङ्करनन्दनः पटुपद्मनाभसमाह्वयो
लम्बिकापथतत्परोऽप्यवलम्ब्य सद्गुरुशासनम्।
कामकोटिपदे स्थितः श्रितकामकोटिफलप्रदे
नित्यदत्तसहस्रभक्तम् अभूद् इदं पदभागसौ॥६१॥
सकरुणम् अपबन्धुं कन्नडेशीकुमारं
पुनरपि निजराज्ये स्थापयंस्तद्विजेत्रा।
अतिलघुतनुवृत्तिर्जीर्णपर्णात् स योगी
पदमनु चतुरोऽब्दानेव देवोऽध्यवात्सीत्॥६२॥
प्रजोत्पत्तौ मार्गशीर्षे सितषष्ठ्याम् अगाद् असौ।
पदं स्वं परमं सर्वशोकमोहविवर्जितम्॥६३॥
॥ श्रीसदाशिवेन्द्रसरस्वतीश्रीचरणविरचिता जगद्गुरु-रत्न-माला ॥
यमि-धीघन-चिद्विलास-साधू स-महादेव-समग्रबोध-बोधौ ।
भवभूति-कृतार्चनौ च वन्दे सुख-सद्-ब्रह्म-चिद्-उज्ज्वलौ घनेन्द्रौ ॥ ५६ ॥
॥ पञ्चषष्टितमैः पीठाधिपतिभिः श्रीमत्सुदर्शनमहादेवेन्द्रसरस्वतीश्रीचरणैः प्रणीतः श्री-काञ्ची-कामकोटि-पीठ-जगद्-गुरु-परम्परा-स्तवः ॥
(३२) चिदानन्दघनेन्द्राणां लम्बिका-योग-सेविनाम् ।
जीर्ण-पर्णाशिनां पादौ प्रपद्ये मनसा सदा ॥ ३६ ॥