Vasudhendra Theertharu

Sri Vasudhendra Theertha is 22^nd saint who adorned the sarvajna peetha after Sri Madhvacharya and 6^th after Sri Raghavendra Theertha. Here is his brief introduction.

Poorvasharama Name :  Sri Purushottamacharya
Ashrama Gururagalu : Sri Vadeendra Theertharu
Ashrama Sishyaru : Sri Varadendra Theertharu
Period:  1750 – 1761
Aradhana : Ashweeja Krishna, Saptami
Brindavana Place: Kenchangudda, Sirguppa Taluk, Bellary dist.

Venugopalacharya, the poorvashrama younger brother of Sri Vadeendra Theertharu had three sons, Purushothamacharya was the eldest, Balaramacharya and Lakshminarayanacharya were his younger brothers. All the three brothers went on to adore the sarvajna peetha as the heads of the Moola Mahasamsthana and were named Sri Vasudhendra Theertha, Sri Varadendra Theertha and Sri Bhuvanendra Theertha respectively. Sri Vadeendra Theertharu gave sanyasashrama to Sri Vasudhendra Theertha in 1746. Sri Vasudhendra Theertharu used to accompany his Guru during sanchara and learnt lot of shastras under him.

Vasudhendra Theertharu

Vasudhendra Theertha didn’t do much of sanchara during his period and used to stay in Mantralaya by performing japa, holding discourses and conducting paata to his sishyas. As his charma shloka says, Srigalu was very well versed in all the 4 vedas and a great ascetic. It was during his period that all the documents related to the village of Mantralaya were executed by Nawab Sabdaljung Bahadur, the administrator of Adoni. During his regime the manyaas at Kritigiri had gone into the hands of the Sarkar (British) and the saint spoke to the authorities and restored it to Sri Matha. A palegar by name Ramabhoopala gifted a village called Somanahalli to Srigalu during his regime.

Works of Sri Vasudhendra Theertha :

Below are the three works of Srigalu which are currently available to us

Tippani to Tantrasara Sangraha
Vyakhyana to GurugunaSthavana &
Gurustotra Dandaka

Gurustotra Danadaka is a unique work which outlines the greatness of all the yatis’s right from Sri Madhvacharyaru upto his Guru Sri Vadeendra Theertharu in few verses.

Sri Madhvam Padmanabham Narahari munipam Madhava Akshobya Theeerthou |
Vande Sri MadhJayaryam munivaramatha Vidyadhirajam Kavindram||
Vageesham Ramachandram  shruthaguna Vibhudhendram Jitamitra varyam|
Raksha Shikshika dakshou Raghu(Nandana) tanaya Surendrou Jayeendra Sudheendram||
Sreshtam Sri Raghavendram skalaguna nidhim dheerayogendra theertham|
Surindram sadgunadyam Raghupathi charana dhyanadoothaghasangham||
Sri RamaVyasapoojamitamathi Sumatheendrabdhi samyameendram|
Bhaktya prasthoumyUpendram Guruvaramapi me prouda Vadeendravaryam||

Sri Vasudhendra Theertha gave ashrama to Balaramacharyaru and named him as Sri Varadeendra Theertharu. Vasudhendra Theertha attained Haripada on Ashweeja Krishna Saptami at Kenchangudda, a very picturesque place on the banks of TungaBhadra River, near Sirguppa in Bellary district. His sishya Sri Varadeendra Theertharu installed an Avataratraya Pranadevara Vigraha opposite to his Guru’s Brindavana. The uniqueness of this is idol, Hanuman is wearing the ornaments given to him by goddess Sita and on his right hand he his holding a Linga(Rudra devaru). Kenchangudda is also a very historical place; the currencies (nanyas) which were used during the Vijaynagar period were printed in this very place.

Charma Shloka of Sri Vasudhendra Theertharu

ವಸುಧಾತಲವಿಖ್ಯಾತಂವೈರಾಗ್ಯಾದಿಗುಣಾರ್ಣವಮ್|
ವೇದವೇದಾಂಗಚತುರಂ ವಸುಧೇಂದ್ರಗುರುಂ ಭಜೇ||

వసుధాతల విఖ్యాతం వైరాగ్యాది గుణార్ణవమ్ |
వేదవేదాంగచతురం వసుధేంద్ర గురుం భజే ||

वसुदातलविख्य्यातंवैराग्यादिगुणार्णवम्
वॆदवॆदांगचतुरं वसुधॆंद्रगुरुं भजॆ

vasudhAtalaviKyAtaM vairAgyAdiguNArNavaM|
vEdavEdAMgacaturaM vasudhEMdraguruM bhajE ||