BRAHMASRI
TUMMALAPALLI
RAMALINGESWARA RAO GARU

Tummalapalli Ramalingeswara Rao (1921 – 1991) was one of the greatest Telugu men of letters. He was an accomplished poet, a master novelist, an authority on Mantra Shastra, a literary critic of deep insight and erudition, a prolific writer, an outstanding exponent of tradition, a profound thinker and an acknowledged genius of multi dimensions. To him, tradition is not something fixed and absolute but a tidal movement of knowledge, experience and expression. His poetry, novels and literary criticism stand up to this enunciation. He had authored a large number of books in Telugu, English and Sanskrit. He was given the honorifics Aarsha vidya vaachaspati, Srividya Ratnakara and Sarvatantra Swatantra by Sri Sringeri Jagadguru Mahasamsthanam and other Literary and cultural organisations in Chennai for his remarkable contributions to the field of Telugu literature and Mantra Sastra. He has published several articles and essays with the pen name Sadasivananda natha in leading Telugu daily and weekly magazines. After the demise of his wife in 1986, he embraced Sanyasa and the ceremony took place in the august presence of His Holiness Sringeri Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswami in November 1988 at Sringeri. The newly initiated Sanyasi was given the monastic name Adwayananda Bharati. As a Parivrajaka (sanayasi), he continued to contribute to the cause of Indian philosophy, religion and Mantra Sastra. He composed and authored the popular commentary on Sri Lalitha Trisathinama Bhashyanuvadamu and Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada Grandhamala. On the occasion of his first Chaturmasya vrathadeeksha in Hyderabad, his followers and disciples felicitated him. Sri Adwayananda Bharati Swami Trust was established in 1989 in his honor to organize seminars and bring out publications for propagating and fostering the traditional spiritual and cultural values and heritage of India. The Trust has published several works of Adwayananda Bharati Swami and of Ramalingeswara Rao. Adwayananda Bharati Swami shed his mortal coil on 16 October 1991 (on the day of Durgashtami during Navarathri) at Hyderabad.