FIRST murder, and now mayhem. After the messy legal battle involving Kanchi Shankar-acharya, Jayendra Saras-wati, another of Hinduism’s most revered math faces trouble. The five-decade-old battle for control over the Badrinath Peeth has just spiralled into criminal charges. The latest volley comes from Swami Vasudevanand, who claims to be the Shan-karacharya of the Peeth. On March 29, he lodged an FIR at Chamoli, accusing Dwarka Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand—another claimant to the Jyotirmath Peeth top job—of stealing valuables from the math’s Purnadevi temple. While the battle between Vasudevanand and Swaroopanand dates back to 1953, Madhavashram, a local, staked his claim to the Adi Shankaracharya-established Peeth a few years ago. To complicate matters, each of the three is supported by a separate political party. Pro-Congress Swami Swaroopanand famously blessed Sonia Gandhi during the Prayag Kumbh in 2001. Swami Vasudevanand is said to be close to the saffron brigade, including the BJP. Swami Madhavashram is backed by the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, a regional party. THOUGH the triangular tussle has been simmering for a while, matters came to a head on February 16, when the Congress state government declared a ‘‘lock-out’ at Jyotirmath, in an apparent bid to oust Swami Vasudevanand, de facto math in-charge. Even as rival claimants mobilised public support, a court reprieve and a BJP-led agitation saw Swami Vasudevanand reinstated on March 1. However, Swami Vasudevanand, who had acquired control of the Peeth in the interim, refused to hand over the reins. Swaroopanand’s critics also said he could not possibly head two Peeths. The matter went from the local court in Chamoli to the Supreme Court, even as Swami Swaroopanand built his own math near the Peeth. But the leading figures in the current dispute are clear that matters material do not interest them. ‘‘It is not property or wealth, but the prestige of heading Badrinath Peeth, which has guided the Hindu religion through centuries that is at stake,’’ Swami Vasudevanand said. It might seem ironical, then, that he should accuse Swami Swaroopanand of robbing a Peeth temple. But as the unfolding drama has proved time and again, logic and reason count for less than power and pelf. And so it is that Swami Madhavashram also claims to the real Shankaracharya of Badrinath, and has built his own abode near the Peeth. To bolster his claim, he flaunts a letter from the Kashi Vidut Parishad, a body of Hindu scholars, which states that a particular Peeth can have only one Shankaracharya. ‘‘Since I am not involved in any property disputes, I am the real Shankaracharya of the Peeth,’’ Swami Madhavashram insists. If only it were so simple.
