Sri Varadendra Theertharu

 

Sri Varadendra Theertha 24th Saint from Sri Madhwacharya, has created a milestone in the parampare with winning debates over opponents and establishing Dwaitha Siddhanta & Sri Madhwacharya parampare mutt in predominantly Adwaitha dominated Poona city by winning over their heart and support.

Period :1761-1785

Poorvashrama Name : Sri Balaramacharya

Ashrama Guru : Sri Vasudhendra Theertha

Ashrama Shishya : Sri Bhuvanendra Theertha

Aradhana : Ashada Shudha Shashti

Vrundavana Place : Pune

“SAPTAMO MATSAMO YOGI VARADENDRO BHAVISHYATI”, this was believed to be told by Sri Raghavendra theertharu himself, which means that the seventh saint, who adores the Mahasamsthana after Sri Rayaru would be equal to himself.

Sri Balaramacharya (Poorvashrama Name of Sri Varadendra Theertha) was son of Sri Vengugopal Acharya belong to Shastika Bigamudra manetana. Sri Venugopal Acharya had three sons and all of them became the peetadipathi’s  of Sri Raghavendra Mutt parampare one after other.

 

Sri Purushothama Acharya – Sri Vasudendra Theertha

Balarama Acharya – Sri Varadendra Theertha

Lakshminarayana Acharya – Sri Bhuvanendra Theertha

 

Sri Balaramacharya studied under the able guidance from Sri Vadeendra Theertha & became scholar of high standard . Sri Vasudhendra Theertha gave Ashrama to Sri Balaramacharya & named him as Sri Varadendra Theertha. Sri Varadendra Theertha was a great scholar and a very good articulator of difficult Vedic & shastric phrases.  He was well respected dwaitha Vedanta philosopher, teacher  & debator of that time. He was equally good in handling the administrative matters. Sri Mutt saw all round developments during his regime. Swamiji was very versatile and undertook a very quick tour across south India. During his tour, Somaraja, a Nayak had his desire fulfilled by gifting estates to Swamiji in Jaya Nama Samvatsara. Rulers namely Veeravenkata Tirumalaraya and Balasatjung Bahadur gifted Dhanapur and other villages as a gift to Swamiji and to the Mutt.

Vyasa & Dasa Sahitya Samana poshane by Sri Varadendra Theertha:

Sri Varadendra Theertharu taught to many students , later many of them became great scholars & Aparoksha jnani’s. He created a team of scholars to do tatva prachara across different locations. Sri Srinivasacharya (Sri Jagannatha dasaru), IG Acharya (Sri Vyasatatvagna theertha), Muddu Krishnacharya (Sri Subhodendra theertha) etc.

Sri Varadendra Theertharu like Sri Vyasarajaru gave equal importance to both Vyasa and Hari Dasa Sahitya, He re- started & established Dasa parampare which was almost stopped post Sri Purandara dasa period. It was during his period, which saw the convergence of some of the great dasaru & Aparoksha jnani’s like Sri Vijaya Dasaru, Sri Gopala Dasaru, Sri Jagannata Dasaru, Sri Pranesha Dasaru and many Hari dasaru. The importance given by the Swamiji to Hari Dasa Sahitya can be seen even today in numerous bhajana mandali’s in Lingsugur, under the name of Sri Varadendra Theertha. Sri Varadendra Theertha Sahitya Mandali is doing research on Dasa Sahitya and many books are being published under this banner. Swamiji himself has composed Tantrasara in kannada which shows his mastery over Dasa Sahitya as well. Sri Jagannata Dasaru was one of his dearest disciple  of Swamiji has composed Sri Varadendrapancharatna Malika, which explains the greatness of Varadendraru in promoting dasa Sahitya

Sri Varadendra Theertha and Pranesha Dasaru had a special bonding between them. The Mruthika Vrundavana of Sri Varadendra Theertha is installed at Sri Pranesh Dasaru’s residence in Lingsugur. Sri Varadendra Theertha during his visit to Lingasugur stayed at Pranesha Dasara residence. During his stay there, Pranesha Dasaru, composed a song on Varadendraru which goes like this “Hindina SukarmavEnu bandodaidavO Varadendra raaya banda namma mandirakkindu”. Pranesha Dasaru offered Bhiksha and a bunch of hay stack as gift to Swamiji, as requested by him. Swamiji asked Pranesha Dasaru to keep it in his possession and he would collect his gift whenever he requires it.

It is well known that Sri Satyabodha Theertha of Uttaradhi Mutt had cordial relationship with Sri Varadendra Theertha and had a great respect towards him for his scholarship.

During his tour Swamiji reached Pune city which was full of great scholars during that period, as  Balaji Bajirao Peshwa was at the helm of affair. In his court of scholars he had a great Adwaitha scholar named Sri Ramashastry who is considered as judge. When Sri Varadendra Theertha reached Pune Sri Ramashastry challenged swamiji for a scholarary debate, to which swamiji accepted. The debate began on the condition that, in the event of Ramashastry losing the debate, he has to cede to the Swamiji and if otherwise, Swamiji should relinquish all his titles. Couple of days before the debate, Sri Jayaramacharya (Poorvashrama son of Sri Vadeendra Theertha & Future Sri Dheerendra theertha) co-incidentally came to Pune to seek the blessings of Swamiji. Sri Jayaramacharya join in the debate to support swamiji and played a key role in discussion. Sri Varadendra Theertha finally established Sri Acharya’s tatvasiddantha. Sri Ramashastry accepted the victory of Sri Varadendra and  As agreed, Sri Ramashastry ceded his own house & all his wealth to Swamiji and went to Kashi. The same house became a sacred abode of Sri Moola Rama & recognized as Sri Varadendra mutt belong to Sri Raghavendra Swamy & Srimadacharya’s parampare. The people of Pune greatly admired the Swamiji and treated him with special honors.

 

Sri Varadendra Theertha gave Ashrama to his Poorvashrama brother, Sri Lakshminarayana Acharya and named as Sri Bhuvanendra Theertha. Sri Varadendra Theertha attained Hari Pada on AshADa shuddha Shrasti. Sri Bhuvanendra Theertha installed the Vrundavana of his Guru at the same house, which Sri Varadendra Theertha received from Sri Ramashastry after his victory. Later days Mruthika vrundavana of Raghavendra Theertharu was on top of Sri Varadendra Theertha Vrundavana .

 

After entering to his Vrundavana, Sri Varadendra Theertha came in Pranesha Vittala Dasa’s dream(Swapna) & instructed that ” he would come to Lingsuguru in the form of a Tulsi Plant below the Hay stack donated by him and he has to install his Vrundavana at that same place and his padukas would arrive from Pune on the same day”
Next day when Pranesha Dasaru cleared the Hay stack he saw the Tulsi Plant. He got “Purusha Shile” from Gulaganji Morade near Lingasuguru and made arrangements for a Vrundavana and the same was installed subsequently at Lingasuguru. The Vrundavana is now being worshipped by the Vamshikaru of Sri Pranesha Vittala Dasaru. Sri Varadesha Vittala Dasa has composed a song which depicts this incident.

 

His compositions :

1. Deva Pooja Paddathi (in Sanskrit)
2. Tantrasara (Kannada)

 

Contemporaries:

Sri Jagannatha Theertha (Sri Bhasyadeepikacharya), Sri Srinatha Thirtha & Sri Vidyanatha Thirtha  of Sri Vyasaraj Mutt

Sri Satyabhodha Theertha of Uttaradhi Mutt
Sri Vijaya Dasaru and his disciples
Sri Pranesha Dasaru and his disciples
Sri Gopala Dasaru and his disciples

Stotras on Sri Varadendra Theertha

 

Sri Varadendrapancharatna Malika by Sri Jagannata Dasaru
Sri Varadendra Guru Stotra by Sri Guru Jagannata dasaru
Sri Varadendrashtakam
Sri Varadendra Karavalamba Stotra by Sri Guru Jagannata dasaru
Sri Varadendra Vijaya

 

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vaadE vijayaSIlAya varadAya varArthinAM
vadAnya janasiMhAya varadEMdrAya tE namaH