Shenbakkam

Shenbakkam is located very close to Vellore in Tamil Nadu. When traveling from Chennai to Vellore, one will come across a railway bridge after getting down from the bridge, take the service lane and take a right turn. The road is known as Pillaiyar Koil Street and at the third crossing one can see the signboard that the road will lead to the Navabrindavan.

This place is on the banks of the River Pallaru. This place was once called Swayambakkam since Lord Ganesha appeared here as Swayambu and later became Shenbakkam. It is also said that the original name of the village was Shenbagavanam as it was full of fragrant Shenbaga trees.

Glory of Shenbakkam

Sri Madhvacharya has visited this kshetra.

Sri Vyasaraja, the previous incarnation of Sri Raghavendra has installed a Mukyaprana diety here.

Sri Raghavendra, has stayed here and meditated for fourteen days.

Guru Sri Raghavendra Mutt

But today Shenbakkam is known for the Swayambu Vinayakar Temple and Sri Raghavendra Mutt which is housed in Nava Brindhavan. Eight saints belonging to the Dwitha philosophy found by Sri Madwacharya had chosen to take Jeevabrindhavan [last resting place] here. The ninth one is Mirthika Brindhavan of Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy. Thus total of nine Brindavan are housed here and hence named ‘Nava Brindhavan”. Readers may kindly note this ‘Nav Brindhavan” is different from the one that is on the banks of Thungabhatra and is more popular. To distinguish these two places, this place is called “Dhakshina Nava Brindhavan”. “Dhakshina Nava Brindhavan”.

Dhakshina Nava Brindhavan

The nine Brindavan of this place are of the following saints:
1. Sri Vidyapati Tritahru of Sri Uttrati matt
2. Sri Sathyadirajaru of Uttrati mutt
3. Sanyasi shisya Sri Kesava wodeyaru
4. Sanyasi shisya Sri Govinda Madhava wodeyaru
5. Sanyasi shisya Sri Boovaraha wodeyaru
6. Sanyasi shisya Sri Raghunatha wodeyaru
7. Sri Sripathi Tirtharu of Vyasaraja Mutt
8. Sri Kambaluru Ramachachandra Tirtha of Vyasaraja Mutt
9. Mrithika Brindhavan of Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

Vellore Fort was built by Chinna Bommi Nayak and Thimma Reddy Nayak, subordinate Chieftains under Sadasiva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1566 AD. Vellore Fort gained strategic prominence following the re-establishment of Vijayanagar rule with Chandragiri as their fourth capital after the Talikota battle.

Sri Vidyapati Tritahru of Sri Uttrati matt

He was second in line to Sri Raghotama Theertha whose Jeevabrindavana is in Tirukoilur. He was well-versed in the Dwitha philosophy and known for his scholarly debates.

Mukti : Jeshta Bagula serva ekadesi.

Sri Sathyadirajaru of Uttrati Mutt

Sri Sathyadirajaru was a powerful and great debater, orator, and scholar. He defeated many opponents in polemical debates and offered all the gifts in the form of Gold, and precious gems to his Guru.

It was the will of Sri Hari that he had to depart this mortal world and take his moola roopa, that's why he had the privilege of worshiping Sri Rama for ten days before he could attain Hari-pada.

The saint who made the Vellore fort a reality that was crumbling down by suggesting in a dream that Brindavan-like structures should be interspersed amidst the fort walls.*

The saint who had as his ashrama gurugalu Sri Vidyapathigalu and the number of saint shishyas-four of them attained Brindavan in the same complex as wodeyars.

Mukti: Ashata Suddha Navami

Four Wodeyars

Holy men who take sanyasa and assist their guru as disciples without any kamyam are called ‘pidi sanyasi’ and are given the title ‘Wodeyars’. Four such saints 'Jeeva Brindavan' is also found in this complex. Their names are:

1. Sanyasi shisya Sri Kesava wodeyaru
2. Sanyasi shisya Sri Govinda Madhava wodeyaru
3. Sanyasi shisya Sri Boovaraha wodeyaru
4. Sanyasi shisya Sri Raghunatha wodeyaru

Sri Sripathi Tirtharu of Vyasaraja Mutt

He is sixteenth in the lineage of Sri Vyasaraja Mutt, and his period is between 1598 and 1612. During his period these places were gifted to the mutt by the then rulers. He had observed chaturmasa vritha in this kshetra.

Moksha: Ashada suddha Dwadesi sthira varam.

Sri Kambaluru Ramachachandra Tirtha of Vyasaraja Mutt [Sosale]

He is the second disciple in succession to the famous Sri Lakshmikantha Tirtha of Penukonda (the second and reputed to have been a student of the great Vyasaraja himself) and the fifth after Sri Vyasaraja. He succeeded Sri 108 Sripathi Tirtha in 1612 AD and reigned for 20 years till 1632 AD.

He has been a great and accepted pundit in Dwitha philosophy and was respected by one and all of his time for his scholarliness. Some miracles had happened in his life showing that he has the blessings of Sri Hari. Once, he had gone to Tirupati for the darshan of Lord Srinivasa. Due to the huge crowd and the visit of some privileged persons, he was not able to have his darshan even after waiting for a long time and had to return disappointed. He composed a sloka “Aishwarya madamatthosi idaaneem maam upekshyase, vadeenaam kalahe praapthe ahameva gathisthava” and wrote it on the route being taken by the Utsava Murthy. The sloka means “Oh, Srinivasa, You are now conceited due to your wealth and hence ignore me. But when you become the subject of discussion amongst disputants, only I have to defend you.” The Lord immediately instructed the Mahanth to allow his special devotee in and gave him darshan. Such was his staunch faith in Sri Hari.

Once during his travels, some people opposed to him and unable to defeat him in debate had arranged to kill him by dropping a big stone on his head as his entourage passed by. Though they attempted as planned, Sri Kambaluru Ramachandra Tirtha, who realised the attempt, ordered the stone: “Antharaale Thista” – Stay, where you are, in mid-air - The stone did not fall and hurt the great ascetic. Subsequently, he ordered the disciples to carry the stone with him and finally ordered it to be placed on his Brindavana. Even today one can see the stone placed on his Brindhavan at Shenbakkam. This incident showed that in addition to his great qualities as a learned scholar, he was also an Aparoksha Jnani and had the different siddhis attained by Yogic practices and Meditation on the Supreme Being.

Mukti: Markazissha Sukla Trithigai

*This miracle is attributed to both Sri Sathyadirajaru of Uttrati Mutt as well as Sri Kambaluru Ramachachandra Tirtha of Vyasaraja Mutt [Sosale], which is a matter of debate.

Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy

Kindly see our Hanumath Devotee section for brief biography of Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy. Mirthika Brindhavan of Sri Guru Raghavendra was installed here by “Sri Guru Raghavendra Brindhavana Sewa Samiti, Vellore.” Today with the help and generous contribution from the people of Vellore the Brindhavan of great saints of Dwitha philosophy are maintained in this kshetra. At the divine direction of Sri Guru Raghavendra, this kshetra was back to its old glory.

Sri Mukhyaprana Devaru installed by Sri Vyasaraja Swami

Just adjacent to this complex the Sri Mukhyaprana deity [Sri Hanuman] installed by Sri Vayasaraja Swami in a separate sannidhi is present. Sri Anjaneya deity is about three to four feet high in this kshetra. The east-facing Sri Anjaneya is giving darshan to the devotees through His direct ‘kataksham’, a rare phenomenon of Sri Vyasaraja pradeshta. He is seen holding a ‘sowgandhika’ flower in His left hand. With the raised right hand in ‘abhya’ mudra He is initiating fearlessness on the devotee. His sika tide neatly is hanging on the right side just through the right shoulder.

Glory of this kshetra

Sri Madhvacharya the founder of Dwitha philosophy visited this kshetra. Sri Vyasaraja, a previous incarnation of Sri Raghavendra had installed a Mukhyaprana deity in this kshetra. Pujya Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy stayed in this kshetra for fourteen days, therefore it is believed Sri Kambaluru Ramachandra Tirtha could have met Guru Sri Raghavendra at this kshetra.

 

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SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST
THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE

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Ed [December 2014]
Updates: [Jan 2025]

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