SRI VYASARAYA TIRTHA...
Birth of Yatiraja
Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha, follower of Sri Madwa's Dvaita School of philosophy, was
born around the year 1460 A.D. He was born of Sri Rallanna sumati of Strotriya,
Kashyapa gothra family and Akkamma at Bannur, a village north of Sosale in
Mysore District of Karnataka with the blessings of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha the
pontiff of Sri Purvadi mutt. The father gave him the name Yatiraja.
The young Yatiraja was left under the care of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha. He was
performed upanayana at the age of seven and was being taught all aspects of
vedanta at the Purvadi mutt. Sri Brahmanya Tirtha was contemplating to initiate
Sri Yatiraja into sanyasa impressed by his attainments. At the same time under
the divine direction Sri Yatiraja offered to become an ascetic. Thereafter Sri
Brahmanya Tirtha gave him sanyasa and named him Vyasa Tirtha. Sri Vyasa Tirtha
should have been around sixteen years of age then.
Yatiraja becomes Vyasa Tirtha
After Sri Brahmanaya Tirtha, Sri Vyasa Tirtha bacame the head of the Sri Purvadi
mutt in the year 1476. Sri Vyasa Tirtha had his further studies in philosophy at
Kanchi and also under Sri Sripadaraja Tirtha at Mulabagal. Under the direction
of Sri Sripadaraja Tirtha, the Saluva king Narasimha honored Sri Vyasa Tirtha
and made him Rajaguru. Thereafter he came to be known as Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha.
Vyasa Tirtha becomes Vyasaraja Tirtha
He went to Tirupathi in 1486, after being requested by the king Sri Saluva
Narasimha to become the custodian of the Temple. He had performed puja to Lord
Venkateshwara for about twelve years. There was change of guard in the
Vijanagara Samrajya, but he remained the Rajaguru. Sri Krishnadevaja ascent the
throne in 1509, who worshipped Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha.
Sri Krishnadevaraya came under the Kuhu Yoga, a combination of planets as per
the astrology, which can kill the king. The Rajaguru had then taken over the
reign of the Vijayanagara. On a particular day a serpent entered the court and
Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha threw his saffron upper garment on it and it got burnt to
ashes thereby saving the king from the clutches of death. He returned the reign
back to Sri Krishnadevraja, after warding off the evil effect of the planets
thus.
Works of Sri Vayasaraja Tirtha
Sri Vayasaraja Tirtha had left behind a rich treasure of works on Sri Madhva
Siddhantha. He had not only done scholarly works but also left many
compositions, which are revered and rendered by the common people today. He is
one of the eight saint-composers {Sri Sri Padharaja[Rangavittala], Sri
Vyasaraja[Krishna Vittala], Sri Vathiraja[Hayavadana], Sri Purandaradasa, Sri
Kanakadasa, Sri Nelayathi[Kasava], Sri Vijayadasa[Vijaya Vittala], Sri
Gopaladasa, Sri Jaganathadasa}. Through his compositions (considered divine),
which is full of love for the SriHari, he spread SriHari Bhakthi. Sri
Purandaradasa and Sri Kanakadasa are disciples of Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha.
Followers of Sri Vayasaraja Tirtha
Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha had not only left behind the treasure of his work, he had
given us illustrious saints like Sri Vijayindra Tirtha and great saint composers
like Sri Purandaradasa, Sri Kanakadasa, and Sri Haridasa. Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha
had also constructed several Temples, including 732 Hanuman temples spreading
all over south.
Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha regarded as the incarnation of Baktha Prahlada, the honored
Scholar, Rajaguru, Saint Composer, Bhakta of SriHari, Dasa of Mukhya prana(Sri
Hanuman) shed his mortal coils on 8th of March 1539 and left for the heavenly
abode only to re-incarnate as Sri Raghavendra Swamy.
His Brindavana is at Navavrindavana on river Tungabhadra, very close to Hampi.
|| Hari sarvothamaha Vayu jeevothmaha ||
||Mukhya Praanantargata Sitapati Sri Ramachandra preeyataam||