Mahaperiyava was born on 20 May 1894. He was brought up in the central part of the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Villupuram, South Arcot District. His father was Subrahmanya Sastri, who was from a Kannada speaking Smartha Brahmin family that had migrated to Tamil Nadu generations earlier. Subrahmanya Sastri worked as a teacher having entered the educational service. His mother Mahalakshmi, was also a Kannada Brahmin who belonged to the village of Icchangudi near Tiruvaiyaru. Swaminathan was the second child of his parents.[1] Sadasiva Sastri was born on 3 October 1903 in Viluppuram, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu. Swaminathan's upanayanam was performed in Tindivanam in 1905 and during his upbringing, he was well versed with the Vedas and start doing poojas at the early stage of his life. In 1906, the Sixty-sixth Acharya of Kamakoti Pitha, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati was camping in Perumukkal, a small village near Tindivanam in observance of the Chaturmasya vrata. Subrahmanya Sastri went to take the blessings of the Acharya at that time. The Sixty-sixth Acharya attained Siddhi at Kalavai and Swaminathan's maternal cousin was installed as the sixty-seventh Acharya. The sixty-seventh Acharya had a fever and due to the unexpected turn of events, Swaminathan was installed as the Acharya. Swaminathan ascended the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham on 13 February 1907 as the sixty-eighth Acharya with the Sannyasa name Chandrasekhara Saraswati. As per the usual training given to the seers, he was well trained with the Vedas, puranas, various Hindu texts and ancient Indian literature. The Acharya was fifteen years old in 1909. For two years, he studied under the pandits of the Matha at Kumbakonam. Then from 1911 to 1914 he studied in Mahendramangalam, in a tiny village on the Northern bank of Akhanda Kaveri. The Acharya showed interest in subjects such as photography, mathematics and astronomy as well. He returned to Kumbakonam in 1914. The Matha was managed by the Court of War