Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtharu

Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtharu was ordained the 27th Pitadhipati (1798-1812) by Sri Vidyapati Tirtha. Divan Purnaih from Mysuru Samasthana approached and solicited the saint’s blessings to continue running the Kingdom since Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar was just four years old. As desired by the saint, he also moved the headquarters from Kumbhakona to Mysuru and built a Matha at Sosale situated at the banks of the sacred river Kaveri.

The Saint first visited Abbur to take the blessings of Sri Brahmanya Tirtharu and Sri Purushottama Tirtha. This was during the reign of Sri Lakshminatha Tirtha the reigning pontiff of Sri Kundapura Vyasaraja Matha. After receiving the blessings of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha, the two ascetics ascended the cave Purushottama Guha, to get the blessings of Sri Purushottama Tirtha in person (after observing the tradition of three continuous days of prayer and fasting!).

Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtha organized a grand celebration to mark the 360th Vardhanti of Vyasarajaru at Bannuru. On this occasion, he ordained Narasimhacharya of Saunaka Gotra and a Shishya of Sri Srinatha Tirtha who had immense affection from the assemblage of pandits and commoners on the Vedanta Samrajya and then named him as Sri Vidyakanta Tirtha.

The Saint was a sign of renunciation. He used to take rest for the night in front of the Vrindavana of his gurus, Seshachandrikacharyaru and Srinatha Tirtharu , located right at the confluence of the rivers Kapila and Kaveri in the open and without any shelter!

The Saint’s dear student Divan Purnaiyah, moved by His Guru’s personality, offered significant gifts, Mantapa, vessels etc. made of gold and precious stones and prayed :

This prophecy was supposed to have occurred around 1807 AD, approximately seventy years before the well-documented famine of Mysuru State during the British rule. As was foretold above, sixth in line from the saint is Sri Vidyasindhu Tirtharu , who is also known locally as Akki-Bele Swamigalu, used this wealth to feed one and all during this period of distress. It is recorded that the Mantapa was used two days later for Samasthana Puja and during the succeeding Grantha Puja, there was a shower of gold from the heavens!

After undertaking a tour of South India, the Saint met his Shishya Vidyakantaru and submitted the latter’s victory commendations to Sri Vyasarajaru at Navavrindavana. At Srirangapattana, the three Yatis, Sri Vidyavallabharu, Sri Vidyakantaru along with Sri Sujanendra Tirtharu of Sri Raghavendra Swami Matha observed Chaturmasya and they conducted Patha on Vyasatraya: Vidyavallabharu on Chandrika, Sujanendra Tirtharu on Nyayamruta and Vidyakantaru on Tarka Tandava. The Saint had special blessings from Sri Vadirajaru whose worship is still in vogue in the Srimatha.

It is also known from tradition that the Saint had observed one of his Chaturmasya at Travancore state at the behest of his student Divan Keshavaraja who had built a Matha for him. The saint is supposed to have conducted an exposition of Acharya Madhva’s Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Tikariya’s Tattvaprakashika and Vyasaraja’s Tatparya Chandrika.

The various compositions of the saint are: Shloka on Nartana Gopala, Krishnashtaka on Purushottama Tirtharu , and Vyakhyana (commentary) on Tatparya Chandrika as well as Shesha Tatparya Chandrika, but are not available today.