Satajit Child Prodigy

Legend in the making Elayavilli Sriram Satajit, who celebrated his 12th Birthday on Thursday (March 2), has already presented over 500 Upanyasams

In December 2015, he became the youngest ever upanyasakar to present at the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni

'Satajit has remarkable memory power, a great retention capability and an extra ordinary art of reproduction' - Sanskrit Scholar and Grand Father Srinivasa Bhuvarahacharya Swamy  

On Friday (March 3) evening a day after his 12th birthday, Elayavilli Satajit (of Azhvaar Tirunagari Divya Desam) was at the Maasi Velli Garuda Utsavam at the Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam as part of the Ghosti presenting Nanmugan Thiruvanthathi. He was the odd boy out in the group of elderly Prabhandham Scholars of Srirangam. He was the cynosure of attention of the entire devotee crowd who watched in awe his rendering of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham leaving many watching in awe this prodigal talent. A week earlier he was seen at the Devapiran Sannidhi in Erettai Tirupathi for the Maasi Anusham utsavam.

His grand father U Ve Elayavilli Srinivasa Bhuvarahacharya Swamy is 84 years old and has been a great scholar in both the Sanskrit and the Tamil Vedantas and a renowned Upanyasakarta presenting sampradaya discourses for over five decades.  Notwithstanding his old age, in January this year he presented a Thiruppavai Upanyasam in Bangalore.

It was during his long 25 year stint as a Sanskrit Professor at St. Joseph’s College in Bangalore that Srinivasa Bhuvarahacharya Swamy began to spread the Vaishnava literature through Kalakshepams. He had become so popular by the time of his retirement in 1990 that the Bangaloreans had sought his upanyasams right through the year. The streak of high expectations from the people there led him to continue to reside in Bangalore for 15 years after his retirement during which time he began presenting discourses on all 7 days of the week.

He also travelled across the country to present discourses. On one such trip, he stayed back in Nagpur to present a Thiruppavai Upanyasam during the entire month of Margazhi.

Passing the baton to his grandson

Over the last 7 years, Bhuvarahacharya Swamy has been actively involved in passing on the huge wealth of knowledge to his grandson Satajit in whom he sees enormous potential.

He says that Satajit has been blessed with three essential ingredients that will make a truly special upanyasakar in the future. ‘Satajit has remarkable memory power, a great retention capability and an extra ordinary art of reproduction that is likely to keep the audience engaged through his discourses  and one that will create a lasting impact in the minds of the devotees.’ 

Satajit's father Elayavilli Sriram, a well versed scholar in Divya Prabhandham, has been presenting upanyasams across the country over the last decade but has kept a low profile and very few are aware of his devotional presentations. However, Satajit has already captured the minds of the devotee audience constantly leaving them awe struck with his vivid style of presentation.

First Upanyasam before he was 5 years old

Not yet five, Satajit had already begun presenting 15 minute lectures on Azhvaar Vaibhavam. He also has to his credit being the youngest child to deliver Tiruppavai discourses having started from the age of 6. 

In recent years, he has expanded his horizon to delivering lectures around Samprokshanam events and the annual Brahmotsavam celebrations at various Divya Desams including Thiruneermalai and Azhvaar Tirunagari. 

He has developed his own style of presentation and has captured the imagination of the audience with his unique story telling skills.

Rare Feat at Thiruvallikeni Parthasarathy Temple

With the month long Tiruppavai discourse in Margazhi (2015-16), 10 year old Satajit became the youngest ever upanyasakar to present at the Parthasarathy temple in Thiruvallikeni, a truly remarkable achievement.

On Vaikunta Ekadasi, in December 2015, he presented a LIVE commentary in All India Radio, Madras for 20 minutes and on Podhigai TV.

Like his grandfather, Satajit too has travelled across the country and even presented upanyasams in Mumbai and Kolkata. He has already had the senior well known upanyasakars take notice of his progress. Not surprisingly, awards have been pouring in from all corners, the most interesting among them being the title of “Sath Sampradaya Bala Bhaskaran” by All India Adhi Shiva Chariyargal Seva Sangam in Chennai. Such has been his narrative abilities that even the Saivite group recognised him for his discourses. Mudaliyandan Swami crowned him as the “Asthana Vidwan” of Mudaliyandan Sannidhi in Pettai near Poonamallee after listening to his lecture there.

To go along with his upanyasams, Satajit, who is currently in class seven at Kamalavati Higher Secondary School, Sahupuram (near Azhvaar Tirunagari), has also been brilliant in his academics topping the class in many of the subjects. His school saw the huge talent in him and has made special concessions so he could be away from the classes during the whole of margazhi for his annual upanyasam.

He has no notes in front of him. He has never had one while presenting. He has been blessed with such natural talent that he seems to reel out new interesting stories even from the most common historical subjects.

Like other boys his age, he too plays tennis ball cricket every day after his school and cycles around the streets of Azhvaar Tirunagari However, when it comes to addressing a gathering of ardent devotees looking for interesting stories, Satajit is already a legend in the making having presented several hundreds of upanyasams. And he has just touched 12.

If the right opportunities come his way in the next few years, he could well become a name to reckon with in the world of upanyasakartas.