Dasasahitya Pitamaha - Sri Sripadarajaru

Around 100 kms from Bengaluru is a small town Mulabagilu...just 35kms away from Kolar and 30kms from Andhra border. On the outskirts of this town...right on the Tirupati Highway is Narasimha Teertha, the resting place of the greatest Madhwa saint, the initiator of Dasasahitya in Karnataka, Guru of Sri Vyasateertha, Sri Sripadaraja

Sri Sripadaraja is the 8th peethadipathi from Madhwacharya in the lineage of Sri Padmanabha Teertha, the direct  deciple and the first successor of Sri Madhwacharya . The mutt was initially known as Padmanabha Teertha mutt which later became famous as Sripadaraja Mutt after this great saint.

Early days:

Sri Sripadaraja was born as Lakshminarayana to Sheshappa and Giriamma in Abbur near Chennapatna taluk of Ramnagar district in the year 1406. His cousin was the great Brahmanya Teertha of Rajendra Teerthara mutt of Sosale which is now known as Vyasarayara mutt. His parents were pious couple.
At the age of 12  after his upanayana, he was once playing in the fields grazing the cattle. It was evening time and sun was about to set. Sri Swarnavarna Teertha swamiji  of Padmanabha Teerthara mutt was going towards Abbur to meet Sri Brahmanya teertha.He saw Lakshminarayana and asked him how far Abbur was..to which the boy replied..look at the setting sun and us. You can judge how far it is. The meaning was Abbur is so close that though the sun is setting, we are still in the fields and can get back to home within minutes.  Moved by the smartness of this young boy, swamiji approached his parents and asked them to give Lakshminarayana to the mutt. Parents agreed hesitantly and thus Lakshminarayana became Lakshminarayana Teertha. Thus a pole star (Dhruva Nakshatra) of Dwaita philosophy was born

Lakshminarayana teertha to Sripadaraja

Sri Lakshminarayana Teertha after getting initial education from Swarnavarna Teertha went to study under another great saint of the time Sri Vibhudendra teertha,who was heading what is now Sri Raghavendra Swamy matha.

Sri Vibhudendra Teertha trained Sri Lakshminarayana Teertha in all the shatras ,Vedas and Vedanta. The young saint soon became very famous among all the saints and pandits. Once Sri Vibhudendra Teertha held a conference of all saints on the banks of river Krishna at Koppara. The saints included even the Raghunatha Teertharu of Sri Uttaradi mutt. As all the saints debated and discussed on the philosophy, sri Lakshminarayana Teertha's arguments impressed all of them so much that the Raghunatha Teertha proclaimed that though we are all saints  (sripadaru) , you are a king among saints, which translates to SripadaRaja. All the saints together then named Him as SripadaRaja . Thus Lakshminarayana Teertharu became SripadaRaja 

Contribution to Kannada language

After few days, Sripadarajaru returned to Srirangam to be at side of his aging Guru. At Srirangam,  Rajaru observed the usage of Tamil in the temples by Srivaishnava yatis and pandits. The tamil language was given importance as equal as it was for Sanskrit and was widely used across the society. This was not case with Kannada and Telugu. The pandits felt  usage of any language other than sanskrit as below dignity. This made the Dwaita philosophy restricted only to few pandits . After Swarnavarna teertharu passed away,Rajaru became head of the mutt. 

Rajaru composed three poems Bhramara geeta,Venugita and Gopigita in kannada and brought in the practice of reciting them at Night seva along with Sanskrit Stotras. As Rajaru meditated, He composed many such songs in praise of Lord. This practice made common people from all sections of society to understand the principles of Dwaita philosophy and initiated the Bhakti movement. He himself used to sing these songs during the seva. More and more people joined this initiative and thus  a strong foundation for Dasasahitya was laid which was developed into big tree by His greatest desciple Sri Vyasarayaru , Sri Vadirajaru, Purandara dasaru,Kanakadasaru and many more. Hence he is aptly regarded as founding father of Dasasahitya- Dasasahitya Pitamaha

As one recites the Dasaparampara , Sripadarajaru occupies the first position. Had not been for Him, all of us would have been deprived of this great treasure of the Dwaita philosophy

He composed hundreds of Devaranamas which are full of affection towards Sri Hari. His pen name was Sri Ranga Vithala. Have listed few:

Itthange iruvenu Hariye, Hare venkata shailavallabha, kangalidyatako Kaveri Rangana nodada.

He composed the Madhwanama in Kannada , a translation of Sanskrit  Vayu stuti , which has enabled everyone to understand the three avatars of Vayu amd is believed to be as powerful as Vayustuti. 

Thus he brought back dignity to Kannada language and made it also as equal to Devabhasha. 

He also wrote grantha in sanskrit by name Vagvajra

Mulabagilu

Rajaru came to a place called Mulabagilu or Modalabagilu as was it known in those days. It was an important town in Chandragiri province of Vijayanagar empire. Outside the town was the place where the famed Sri Akshobhya teertha had a debate with Sri Vidyaranya on Tatvamasi and also where He had installed the Yoganarasimha near a tank called Narasimha Teertha. Rajaru selected this place and established a university where thousands of students were imparted vedic knowledge along with Bhagawata dharma.

An affectionate Guru

As  Sri Brahmanya teertha of Rajendra Teertha mutt was getting old, He left His successor, a young Sanyasi probably of 12 years old at the university of Sripadaraja for further studies. This young sanyasi was none other than Sri Vyasarayaru who later becomes the kulaguru of Vijayanagar empire. This was a begining of an everlasting Guru Shishya relationship. Rajaru had mastery over 64 skills . He imparted His vast knowledge to Vyasarayaru. Rajaru along with Brahmanya teertharu and Vyasarayaru travelled several places in the old Mysore region. Rajaru taught Sri Vyasarayaru the art of sculpting the Hanuman with 64 vital signs. The first such murti was installed together by the three yatis at Maddur, the famous Hole Anjaneya,as is known now. They together installed such Hanuman at Abbur and at Narasimha Teertha. Later Vyasarayaru went on to install 732 such Hanuman across Vijayanagar empire,which are very famous and considered to fulfill wishes of devotees .

Once when Vyasarayaru was meditating at Purushottama Guha at Abbur, a huge snake wrapped around him tightly. Rajaru spoke to snake in its own language and requested to leave him and thus saved Vyasarayaru.

Rajaru along with Vyasarayaru were once travelling to Pandharpur,when on the banks of River Bhima, they got two boxes. When Rajaru opened one, He found a Ranga Vithala vigraha,which He worshipped for his entire life and composed songs with pen name as Ranga Vithala. This moorthi is still present in the mutt even today.

He gave up another box out of affection to Vyasarayaru,which had a Gopalakrishna vigraha which Vyasarayaru continued to worship.

The chief of Chandragiri province Saluva Narasimha was angry at behavior of temple priest at Tirupati. The priest had at many occasions misued the money and was leading lavishly. After warning him several times the king went and confiscated  the property of the  priest and all adult members of his family. He put all of them in jail. But, in those days, this act against bhamins was considered as sin equal to brahmahatya. After this incident,the chief repented for his act and approached Rajaru for prayaschita. Rajaru agreed to it  and helped him absolving from the sin. Soon, blessed by Rajaru,  saluva Narasimha became the emperor of Vijayanagar . He was still worried as the worship at Tirumala had stopped since no adult male members were left in the priest's family. He requested Rajaru to take over the temple administration and worship. He declined the offer and asked his desciple Vyasarayaru to perform pooja. Thus Vyasarayaru got an opportunity of worshipping lord Venkateshwara for 12 long years. Such was his love for his desciple.

Vyasarayaru has composed Sripadaraja ashtaka and also many songs on him of which Mahime salade.. song depicts many incidents of Rajaru's life. He calls Rajaru as his Vidya guru -
 jynana vairagya bhaktyadi kalyana gunashalinaha |shri Lakshminarayana munim onde vidya gurun mama ||

Mahan Tapasvi

As said earlier he had knowledge of 64 skills, yet never used for personal gains 

A brahmin had a brahmahatya curse. He had travelled all places throughout the country to get it absolved but was in vain. He approached Rajaru and requested for help. Rajaru asked him to visit Him while performing the pooja of Gopinatha and RangaVithala. On the day when that brahmin arrived, Rajaru requested Lord to free the brahmin from.sin and sprinkled the holy water from the shanka,meant for abhisheka. Soon the brahmin was free from the curse. 

Few people in the mutt doubted this . In order to clear doubts about the power of shankodaka, Rajaru accepted the challenge of the pundits and sprinkled the holy water on a dark cloth turning it to white.

Rajaru  used to offer 64 varities of dishes to Lord as naivedya and never missed it. In order to test this, a king delayed the naivedya timings,while Rajaru was travelling in a forest. As Rajaru was thinking on how to arrange for offering, a wealthy man from a neighbor img village had a dream and came up with supplies in the forest where Rajaru was staying. He was very much pleased and happily offered the 64 dishes as naivedya.  It os believed that , just remembering of Sripadarajaru will a person get feast.

As few old people around Mulabagilu were unable to travel Kashi and bathe in Ganga, Sripadarajaru askes them to come over to Narasimha teertha. He sat fora japa and requested Godess Ganga to come and bless. Soon,  a fresh spring of water came up at that tank and people happily took a dip in the water.

All these incidents are recorded by Vyasarayaru. There are many incidents which can never be covered in a blog about Sripadarajaru

Last days

Sripadarajaru lead a life of 98 years serving Lord in different ways, imparting knowledge and blessing people. He selected the same Narasimha Teertha as his resting place and disappeared from the eyes of common people in the month of June in the year 1502 corresponding to Jyeshta Shudda Chaturdashi. 

However His presence is still felt at His brindavana

Many great saints visited His brindavana and had darshana of Rajaru . Sri Vyasarayaru describes the power of padodaka of Rajaru and the benefits of having darshana of His Brindavan.

Sri Vadirajaru composed a stotra on Sripadarajaru. Many dasaru like JagannathaDasaru have composed songs on Him and has told the benefits of reciting the Madhwanama composed by Rajaru.

Sripadaraja's bhakti about God can be felt just by listening to the songs he composed. His vairagya(detachments from materialistic desires) can be understood by reading His ugabhogas. His philosophy ical depth can be understood by His book Vagvajra.

"Maneyinda santosha kelavarige lokadolu

dhanadinda santosha kelavarige lokadolu
vaniteyinda santosha kelavarige lokadolu
tanayarinda santosha kelavarige lokadolu
initu santosha avaravarigagali ninna nenevo
santosha enagagali namma rangavittala ||"

Few people are pleased with property. Few with wealth.Few are pleased with woman, few with children. Bless them with their happiness and bless me with the pleasure of worshipping you always...O..RangaVithala

Today He sits right on the way to Tirupati as if to convey that He leads us to God's path. Hence  Sri Vyasarayaru very rightly says --
 "Tam vande Narasimha Teertha nilayam, Vyasarat pujitam. Dhyantam mansa Narasimha charanam Sripadaraja Gurum"

_ saultations to one who dwells in Narasimha Teertha, one who is worshipped by Vyasarayaru. One who always meditates the holy feet of Lord Narasimha, Sripadaraja Guru

Shri krishnarpana

References : Karnataka Bhakta Vijaya by Sri Belur Keshava dasaru