Ashrama Name: Shri Gangadharendra Sarasvati (1)
Appellation Gishpati Gangadhara
Purvashrama Name: Subhadra
Purvashrama Father’s Name: Bhadragiri
Sannyasa: at age 12
Years as Pithadhipati: 12
Siddhi: 3429 Sarvadhari Chaitra Shukla Prathama (CE 0329-Feb-29) at age 24
Other:
Due to His high scholarship, intelligence and oratory skill, this Acharya was known as Gishpati (gir = speech, pati = master).
Shortly after this Acharya took Sannyasa, His Guru left to Agastyachalam (Kodagu) to subdue an Ugra Bhairava and attained siddhi there only. Not knowing this (that His Guru had attained siddhi) Shri Gangadhara left for Agastyachalam in search of His Guru. (Pleased by His guru-bhakti) Sage Agastya, (who as a chiranjivi still resides in those parts) came to Him in the form of an old brahmana, and informing Him of His Guru’s siddhi, gave Him the upadesha of Shrividya (which He should have got from His guru but apparently had not).
Returning to the Shrimatham at Kanchi, this Acharya totally dedicated Himself to the pursuance of Shrividya and the puja of the Yoga Linga Chandramaulishvara. By this He destroyed all ignorance and attained Brahma Jnana.
श्रीसर्वज्ञसदाशिवबोधेन्द्रकृता पुण्यश्लोकमञ्जरी
सूनुर्भद्रगिरेः सुभद्र इति यः काञ्च्य(कप्य?)न्वयो द्वादशे
वर्षे संयमम् आश्रितोऽनुचरिताद् आचार्यविद्याघनात्।
श्रीगङ्गाधरगीष्पतिः स च चतुर्विंशे वयस्यात्मवित्
श्रीविद्याशिवयोर्निरन्तरधृतेराप्नोत् पदं शाश्वतम्॥३०॥
सर्वधारिणि स सर्वधारकश्चित्रशक्तिरधिचैत्रम् अर्जुने।
अर्जुनः स्वयशसाऽऽदिमे दिनेऽनादिधाम महसा जगाम ह॥३१॥
॥ श्रीसदाशिवेन्द्रसरस्वतीश्रीचरणविरचिता जगद्गुरु-रत्न-माला ॥
गुरु-मार्ग-गवेषणात्त-वेलाचल-दृष्टाग्रज-शिष्ट-मन्त्र-लोलम् ।
हर-पूजन-पूतम् अस्त-मोहं वर-गङ्गाधर-गीष्पतिं श्रयेऽहम् ॥ ४३ ॥
॥ पञ्चषष्टितमैः पीठाधिपतिभिः श्रीमत्सुदर्शनमहादेवेन्द्रसरस्वतीश्रीचरणैः प्रणीतः श्री-काञ्ची-कामकोटि-पीठ-जगद्-गुरु-परम्परा-स्तवः ॥
(१५) आचार्य-पद-पाथोज-परिचर्या-परायणम् ।
गङ्गाधरं नमस्यामः सदा गङ्गाधरार्चकम् ॥ २३ ॥