Among many great sons of this nation who inspired many souls in academic and spiritual path by way of producing invaluable literary treasury in Sanskrit, Kavyakantha Ganapatimuni stands as a great mountain. He was a conglomeration of a Yogin, a scholar, a patriot and a polyglot. For many reasons, he is undoubtedly a historic man. His life is filled with all the necessary material for an epic with santa as primary sentiment. Like many child prodigy, Ganapatimuni too was endowed with rare poetic talent at a very tender age that he is said to have composed a short poem in Sanskrit within an hour, at the age of ten. The ten years old boy was also popular in his village as an intelligent boy with thorough knowledge of astrology.
Kavyakantha Ganapatimuni was born in Andhra Pradesh on 17th November, 1878. For many years he preferred to be silent. By the grace of their family deity when he opened his mouth, Goddess Sarasvati chose his intellect as her abode. He became a wandering scholar-yogin who happened to visit the scholarly assembly of Navadvipa Sanskrit pundits in the year 1900. Just by chance, he was forced to participate in the debate. Though he was neither prepared nor inclined to take part, circumstances led him to heated debate with equally historical Sanskrit scholar Ambikadattavyasa. To the surprise of all the scholars assembled there, Ganapatimuni won the most coveted title "kavyakantha' at the age of twenty one. With his rare talent of composing verses in Sanskrit extemporarily, he won the hearts of all the scholars there. This interesting incident in his life has made him popular as kavyakantha only.
He was a Sanyasin internally and a householder externally for the sake of his father. Even after marriage, he maintained the life of a sanyasin by devoting himself to penance for six months in a year. Remaining six months, he looked after his duties as a husband and father. He never belittled the value of marriage. Ha rather propagated a revolutionary view that a person can achieve the fruit of dharma only by entering into married life in a lawful manner.
Ganapatimuni was a staunch follower of Vedic dharma. He had great sages of yore for his ideal. He firmly believed, practiced and preached throughout his life rigorous penance alone makes one's life perfect. Wandering throughout India's southern and central region, he practiced penance at various holy places like Nashik, Bhuvaneshwar, Gokarna etc. to experience the results of rigorous penance. He attained the great talent of remembering an entire book even after looking at it once. He is stated to have told his disciples about his spiritual visions like physically meeting Parasurama, Bhuvanesvari and others. Towards the end of his life, he attained the great siddhi called suvarnasiddhi that an ordinary metal also turned into gold by his mere touch.
A historical incident in the life of Ganapatimuni was his meeting with Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. He found all gods, all holy places and all knowledge at the feet of this great saint of twentieth century. There was a divine relationship that many a time. Ramana Maharshi broke his silence to discuss some matters of spiritual interest, with Ganapatimuni in Sanskrit in verse form popularly known as Ramaņagita.
'श्रीकाव्यकण्ठचरितम्' इत्याख्यस्य महाकाव्यस्य रमणीयकाव्यसौष्ठवं, माधुर्य. लालित्यं, सहृदयानां हृद्ग्राह्यं वर्णनं, विषयदर्शनस्य विषदं, गेयं मधुरछन्दसा प्रयोग अद्वैतादिदर्शनपराभवं चाधीत्य कण्ठावरुद्धं सन् रमणीयतायाः पराकाष्ठां प्राप्नुवम्। युवकवेः पेन्नामधुसूदनस्य रचनाशक्त्या कालिदासादिक्रान्तदर्शिकवीनां रचनाशक्त्या सह तुलयितुं चेष्टते मे मनः। महाकाव्यमिदमेकविंशसर्गात्मकै सहस्रश्लोकैश्च बद्वैः 'काव्यकण्ठसाहस्री' इत्यप्याख्यायितुं शक्यते। महाकाव्येऽस्मिन् उपजाति-मालिनी-वसन्ततिलका-वंशस्थ-तोटक भुजङ्गप्रयात-शार्दूलविक्रीडित स्रग्धरा, मन्दाक्रान्ता-जलोद्धतगतिः शालिन्याद्येकादशवृत्तयः प्रयुक्ताः सन्ति ।
संसारेऽस्मिन् बहवः पण्डिताः विद्वांसः मुनयः साधकाश्च जन्म बभूवुः। तेषु सर्वेषु कश्चन आन्ध्रप्रदेशीयः सरस्वतेः वरपुत्रः साधकः संस्कारकः सिद्धमुनिः गणपतिमुनिः अन्यतमः आसीत्। तस्य जन्मवृत्तान्तमारभ्य शिक्षादीक्षाकर्मक्षेत्र-विदेहमुक्तत्वं च जीवनवृत्तान्तं सर्वाङ्गीणचरितं चित्रितं युवकविना मधुसूदनेन । कवेः मधुसूदनस्य गुरुः स एव काव्यकण्ठगणपतिमुनिरिति प्रथमसर्गदशमश्लोकाज्ज्ञायते.
गणपतिमुनिवर्यं काव्यकण्ठं हि बाल्याद् हृदयकमलमध्ये पूजयन्नस्मि भक्त्या। तदिह ललितपद्यैर्वर्यमेतच्चरित्रं कथयितुमहमीहे सारवित् सज्जनेभ्यः। इति।
मधुसूदनमहोदयः सुन्दरसरसश्लोकैः प्रथमं परब्रह्मणः स्वरूप तटस्थलक्षणमुक्त्वा वाग्देवीं च स्तुत्वा गुरुं वर्णयति य सर्वदा प्रेरयति, तमः नाशयति रक्षति तथा च जीवनदर्शनस्य परिचालनां करोति। एकदा गणपतिमुनिः काव्यपरीक्षणार्थं काशीं गतः। तत्र सभायां आत्मपरिचयरूपेण बालकस्सन्नपि वक्ति- 'गणपतिरिति कविकुलपतिरतिदक्षो दाक्षिणात्योऽहम्' इति। रमणमहर्षेः वर्णनावसरे तस्य स्वरूपं वर्णयति-
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