Bhaskara Prakasha Ashram's cornerstone is the Sri Vidya Peetham in Chennai, India.

The Peetham has a

rare temple of Goddess Maha Shodashi. The temple also houses the Samadhi of our Guru Sri
Vimarshananda Nathendra Saraswathi Maha Swamigal.

Bhaskara Prakasha Ashram's members are Sri Vidya Upasakas who are well versed in the Vedas and the
tantric practices of Sri Vidya Upasana. Sri Chakra Puja is performed at the lotus feet of Goddess Maha
Shodashi every day at the Ashram. The Ashram also hosts and conducts hundreds of religious activities
every year including Sahasra Chandi Homam, Shata Chandi Homam, Sri Vidya Navavarna Homam, Rudra-
Abhishekam, Devi Mahatmyam Parayanam, Veda Parayanam and Suvasini Pooja.

Guru Parampara

|| Sri Guruh Sarva Karana Bhootha Shakthih || The Guru is the divine Adi
Parashakthi

Sri Bhasurananda Natha

Sri Subrahmanya Poundarika Bahu Somayaji Sri Kameswarananda Natha Brahmananda Thirtha
Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyavarya Sri Sri Ramananda Nathendra Saraswati Swamigal
Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyavarya Sri Sri Prakashananda Nathendra Saraswati Swamigal
Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyavarya Sri Sri Vimarshananda Nathendra Saraswati Swamigal

Sri Bhaskararaya (Bhaskararaya Makhin) (16901785) was a great Devi Upasaka. One of the greatest
masters and exponent of Sri Vidya, he is revered as an incarnation of Devi Herself. Three of his books are
the holy triad of the worship of Devi: Varivasya Rahasya, along with his own commentary Prakasha,
Setubandha, his commentary on Devi Mahatmyam called Guptavati is the most critical and authoritative
commentary on the text till date.

In the Guru-Shishya parampara of Sri Bhaskararaya came Sri Prakashananda Natha Saraswathi, who
authored the Yathi Dharma Pradeepika, a guide for Sanyasis' dharma. He initiated his son, our Guru Sri
Vimarshananda Nathendra Saraswathi Maha Swamigal (1902-1996) into Sri Vidya Upasana. At a very
young age, Shi Maha Swamigal taught Vedas, Tantras and Agamas at Pathashalas in Madurai, India and
performed the great Vedic Yagna called the Soma Yagam. He renounced his material life and took
Sanyasa in 1982. He upheld the splendid traditions and spiritual practices established by Sri
Bhaskararaya.
The prana pratishtha for the first ever Vigraha made for Goddess Maha Shodashi was performed by Sri
Maha Swamigal in 1994 in Bhaskara Prakasha Ashram, Chennai. Our Guru attained Mukthi on Mahalaya
Amavasya day in 1996 and his Samadhi is consecrated below Goddess Maha Shodashi at Bhaskara
Prakasha Ashram. He continues to guide all his devotees through his Sookshma Sharira (spiritual body).

Bhaskararaya (Bhskararya Makhin) (16901785) is widely considered an authority on all questions

pertaining to the worship of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism. The worship of Shakti involves many
hidden meanings of mantras and coded passages. It is said that these meanings were revealed to
Bhaskararaya by the Goddess Herself. His works number more than 40 and range from Vedanta to poems
of devotion and from Indian logic and Sanskrit grammar to the science of Tantra. The lineage of the
succeeding Gurus is unbroken and is now present all over India and even abroad.
Three of his books are considered to be the holy triad on the worship of the Mother Goddess through
what are considered her most secret mantras:
Varivasya Rahasya, is a commentary on Sri Vidya mantra and worship. The Varivasya Rahasya contains
167 lokas numbered consecutively. It has an accompanying commentary entitled "Praka", also by
Bhaskararaya.
Setubandha is a technical treatise on Tantric practice. It is his magnum opus. It is a commentary on a
portion of the Vmakevara-tantra dealing with the external and internal worship of r Tripurasundar.
This work was completed either in 1733 AD or in 1741 AD.
Lalitsahasranmabhsya is a commentary (bhsya) on Lalita sahasranama. This work was completed in
1728 AD.
His Khadyota ("Firefly") commentary on the Ganesha Sahasranama is considered authoritative by
Ganapatya.

Early life

Bhaskararaya was born in Bhaga in Maharashtra, India. His father was a great scholar who initiated his
son in scholarly traditions at an early age. He was taken to Kashi (Benares) and put under the tutelage of
a renowned Pundit. He was initiated into the Sri Vidya Mantra Upasana by Guru Shiva Dutta Shukla of
Surat. A disciple king of his (Maratha king Serfoji I of Thanjavur) invited him to the South and gave him a
whole village on the banks of the Cauvery river. Here he learnt Gauda tarka shastra under his guru
Gangadhara Vajapeyi who was staying at Thiruvalangadu. The guru stayed in one bank of Kaveri and
Bhaskararaya made the village on the opposite bank his headquarters for the rest of his life - in order to
stay close to his guru. It later came to be known as Bhaskararajapuram. During his stay there and the
nearby town of Madhyarjunam claims of his spiritual and psychic greatness began through purported
miracles.

Miracles attributed to Bhaskararaya

It is said that an ochre or saffron-robed sannyasi was once passing his (Bhaskararaya's) house while he
was sitting in the portico. The sannyasi felt hurt that the householder did not rise and make a prostration
to him as every householder was obliged to do so on seeing a sannyasi. Later on a suitable occasion he
brought the matter in public and censured Bhaskararaya. The latter immediately conducted a daring
experiment in the presence of all. He pulled out the danda (holy stick) which the renunciate was holding,
put it on the floor, and made a full-length prostration to that stick. Lo and behold, the stick was
immediately consumed in flames. Bhaskara Raya said that this was what would have happened to the
sannyasi if he had prostrated to him.
On another occasion Bhaskararaya invited some pundits to his house for a participation in a yajna. There
they opened a debate with him and asked him intricate questions about mantra and tantra. Being an
adept in these he shot back all the answers without the least hesitation. One witness to this drama,
a sannyasinamed Kumkumanandaswami cautioned the challengers and declared, "Bhaskara Raya cannot
be defeated in debate or by questions. It is the goddess Herself standing on his shoulders who is
answering all your questions. I am able to see her standing on his
shoulders!" Kumkumanandaswami himself was a great devotee mystic and ritual worshipper of the
Goddess. He was so much full of "Devi-consciousness" that it is said even sacred ash thrown on his body
immediately transformed into saffron (kumkumam) - hence his name. The pundits wanted to put to test
this declaration of the Swami. They asked Bhaskararaya what looked like an impossible question- "The
Lalitha-sahasranama mentions the Goddess as being served by sixty-four crores of goddesses called
yoginis. Can you name each one of them, their origin and their qualities?" Bhaskararaya answered their
question without hesitation describing the names, origin and specific attributes of each one of the
yoginis, prompting the pundits to accept defeat and call off the debate.

Anyone with name "Bhaskara" are termed to be very dear to Ca Goddess, especially Goddess
Saraswathi & Lakshmi. Brahmanas with name combination of 'Kundalini representation (phaNi)' termed
to be auspicious. In South Indian region many name their male children as "phaNi" , it is said in Puranas
that almost all Hindu Gods & Goddesses have 'Kundalini' (represented as ' divine serpant ' ) as an
umbrella protection. Famous Lord Venkateswara also have 'phaNi' tied to both his hand muscles!,
another representation of Shakti ( divine power). In Jainism, Bhagawan Parshvanath rests on Lakshan
Sign - Nag (Serpent).