Sri Vidyakanta Tirtharu

Tirtha Sri Vidyakanta Tirtha was ordained the 28th Peethadhipati by Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtha. During a grand celebration organized by Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtha to mark the 360th Vardhanti of Vyasarajaru at Bannuru, he ordained Narasimhacharya of Shaunaka Gotra and a Shishya of Sri Srinatha Tirtha that had immense affection from the assemblage of pandits and commoners on the Vedanta Samrajya. The saint was a Purvashrama relative, stepbrother of Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtha and was also known as Naccappacharya.

The saint was a great scholar and his Shishyru, Sri Vidyanidhi Tirtha, describes him as being proficient in all 64 vidyas, Chatushashtikalayukta. Tradition records that the Saint was honored by Kings of Mysuru, Travancore, Cochi and Pudukottai. Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar donated a few villages to the Srimatha during the Saint’s period. Further, Srimatha’s main deity Sri Mula Gopalakrishna received the Vaijayantimala jewel as a gift during his time.

The Saint undertook a Sanchara up to Narmada Tira and participated in debates and came out with victorious commendations which were submitted to Sri Vyasarajaru at Navavrindavana by his Guru Sri Vidyavallabharu. There is a belief that while Guru Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtha was referred to as Abhinava Vyasarajaru, the saint, his Shishya was referred to as Abhinava Vijayindraru.

The Saint had written a commentary on Tarka Tandava of Sri Vyasarajaru and an Ashtaka on Sri Raghunatha Tirtha. Further, after Sri Vyasarajaru, he composed several devaranamas in Kannada with the ankita Vidyakanta, out of which only one has remained to date.

After twelve years as Peethadhipati, the saint anointed Sri Vidyanidhi Tirtha as the successor and attained Haripada. The saint’s Vrindavana happens to be the first of several Vrindavanas to have come up in the Srimatha’s environs in the Sosale village.