Bidarahalli Srinivasa Teertharu (HonnaLi) Sunday. 6th Sept 2009

[Guest guest]

Sri Srinivasa Thirtha [1590-1640] (HonnaLi) Punya Dina

 

 

6th September, Sunday ,

DWITHEEYAAM

[ ShraadhDha Tithi Dwiteeyam]

 

Tithi :

Dwiteeyayaam (21.45)IST

Vaara :

Ravi vaasara

Nakshatra :

Uttara Bhadrapada (3.50)IST

Yoga :

Shoola

KaraNa :

Taitila

 

Sri Srinivasa Thirtha [1590-1640]

(HonnaLi)Punya Dina

Disciple of Sri Yadavarya.

(1) First

about Bidarahalli KShEtra- What

according to Sri Vadirajaru :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*BidharahaLLi Ashwaththa NaaraayaNa:

 

from Theertha PraBhanda Page 84-88.

 

Maa Yaahi

Pushkara mahee

maThavaa

Prayaagam

Kaasheem Gayaam

Badharikaashramamapya

saadhyam

Sethu cha

Raaghavakrutham

vara Thunga Bhadhraa

Theera

Sthapippaalaham

Harimehi

sidhdhai.

 

It says that with great difficulty one

could perform yatra to Kashi ,Gaya, Badri, and

Rameshwar etc. Instead of going there, one could go to Thungabhadra rier

at Bidhara haLLi , where NaarayaNa as propagated in “Purusha sooktha” is sitting

under the Peepal tree and would get the

same Phala as going to Pushkar etc

 

One could see Lord NaaraayaNa as enumerated

in Gita ( Chapter 11, sloka 16 Aneka Baahudhara vakranEthram, Chapter 11, sloka

23,Bahubaahurapaadham, Chapter10,, sloka

26, Ashwaththaha Sarva VrikshaaNaam)

 

 

*BidharahaLLi Someshwara :Theertha PraBhanda Page 88-89

 

 

Someshwaraaya sitha Bhoothivikaswaraaya

Prema Pravudhdha girijaa HridhiBhaaswaraaya

Thumgolla sathpavanapaavitha vamshapalli

Maangalya hethu charithaaya Nama shivaaya.

 

Theertha Prabhanda

 

This Bidharahalli is in Mundargi taluk of

Dharwar District. About 20 miles from

this place is BidarahaLLi. where Thunga Bhadra river flows. There is a

VeNugopala temple in that village called “VeNupalli” which later became

BidharahaLLi.

 

Here

we have AshwathanaarayaNa temple and VisNu Paadha. Also Someshwara

temple. There is a “Katte’ called

Yadavaryara Katte also. Here only Sri Srinivaasa theertha of BidharahaLLi lived

.. His vrindavanam is here.

 

Sri Vaadiraajar offers prayer to Someshwara

that he may shower “ Mangala” to the Bidharahalli Graamavaasi. . The

panchakshari mantra, “namah

Shivaaya” inscribed in Padma is said to be ManagaLa pradha,.

 

 

 

(2) Near Nejam, there is a small village called”

Bidarahalli”.

 

A pundit, who was well versed in Madhwa

Shaastra lived there.

Though

he was in Grihastashram, got the title, THIRTHA from Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

A great

TippaNikara of * Bidarahalli

Kshetra.

 

At Bidarahalli

Raghavendra met Srinivasacharya who was

a unique householder. The glosses that he had written were already well known.

Sri Raghavendra examined his works and was filled with admiration for

Srinivasacharya, who, though being a householder,dedicated himself completely

to the spreading of knowledge and learning. Raghavendra Swami bestowed upon him

the name Srinivasa Tirtha, as a mark of his high learning.

After Samsthana Pooja, Sri Raghavendra asked

Srinivasa theertha to sit by his

side for “ Theertha- Prasaadha”

 

Srinivasa tirtha belonged to Sri Uttaradhi

Mutt. It was Vratha time.

Sri Raghavendra had accepted for the use of

“Mustard’ during vratha kaala as a gesture to the offering of great

Kanakadaasa..

 

Srinivasatheertha expressed hesitation to take

the “ Soup- SAARU ” which had “mustard” in it, in order to maintain

Vratha Niyama.

 

He thought by so doing there would be no ”

Vratha Banga”.

 

Raghavendra ordered that food items , which did not contain mustard

alone, should be served to him.

 

He

took “Phala Mantrakshate” from

Raghavendra and came to his place.

 

Sri Yaadavarya observing him asked him as to what had happened. He

collected the “ Mantrakshate:” sent for him. SrinivasaCharya observed that the

mantrakshate, he got from Raghavendra had turned to black colour, whereas the

Mantrakashate meant for Sri Yadavarya was still in the Red colour.

 

After hearing the story, Sri Yadavarya felt unhappy

for the firm decision taken by his shishya.

Next day Srinivasa Theerta went to

Sri Raghavendra and prostrated before him offering apology for his

behaviour.

 

Sri Raghavendra said

 

“ Amma GurugaLu maththe Illige.

Nimmanu

KaLuhidhare? Banniri

Bomman ayyana Theertha NaivedyagaLa

numbuvake

Namma jotheyali kuLithu Bhujisiri

Summane Shramavaaythu harihari !

UmmaLisidhiri Dharma Sookshmavanarithu

varthipudhu !

 

He sat with Sri Raghevendra and had the “

soup “- “Saaru”, Took Phala Mantraakshate and met his Guru. Seeing him, the

Guru said “ Do you realise now the greatness of Sri Raghavendra.

 

He is called ‘ KshmaasurEmdra, How great:

kind he is : see his Nigrahaanugraha Shakthi” he said. –Pages 36-38

( Mantralaya PraBhugaLu-by Sri J H B Acharya, Malleshwaram, Pages: 143 ; Price: Rs 2-00)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) What Vidwan GuNachar, Head , Vidya PeeTa Mantralayam say:

..........One

day a learned man called Srinivasa charya Bidarahalli came to Swamiji. He was

asked to partake the Teertha Prasada and there he found mustard seeds in the

food preparations. Since mustard seeds are not to be used, Srinivasaharya did

not take his food. The Swamiji ordered special food preparations without

mustard seeds. Srinivasa Charya then took leave of the Swamiji receiving

Mantrakshethe (special particles of coloured rice given by Swamiji when the

devotees take leave). He went home but his face showed no brightness and his

elder brother Yadavaraya felt that he had done something to invite a sin. On

enquiry, he found that Srinivasacharya had refused to take the mustard seeds

contained in the food preparations. His brother told him that he had offended

the Swamiji and hence lost the facial brightness and on observing Mantrakshathe

brought by him, both found that they had turned black. The elder brother impressed

on the younger Acharya that he had offended the Swamiji. He said that he ought

not to have rejected food preparations containing mustard seeds as they had

been offered to Moola Rama. So he asked him to take his steps back and

apologize to Swamiji who could excuse him. Swamiji pardoned him and asked him

to partake food once again in the Mutt, Moola Ramachandra Prasada and be done

away with his sin. Srinivasacharya did it and got the blessings of Swamiji.This

episode brings home that the customs and practices of the learned are to be

followed by us and take the ways of learned people as our guides in life. We

should not create our own rules and regulations as we are too insignificant and

will definitely invite the anger of the noble souls if we follow the ways of

our own in observing rituals, customs and traditions. The incidence of

Srinivasacharya should remain an "Eye-opener" to all vain orthodox

people who care more for outward exhibition of their orthodoxy going to the

extent of insulting the noble sages like Raghavendra Teertha. We often find

that one Section of Brahmins disagreeing with the customs and conventions of an

another section of the same community often coming to sorrow by wending the

feelings of noble men. Greatness is to be respected wherever it is present as

God likes nobility and teaches a lesson to all those who try to insult sage

like persons.

Raghavendra

Teertha had blessed but Srinivasa Charya had insulted not the Guru but Moola

Ramachandra who showed his wrath on him. It is said that if the God is angry,

the Guru can come to our rescue but if the Guru is angry with us, even the God

will not save us. Therefore, it is a matter of prime importance that the Guru

always be pleased with our conduct. Here Ramachandra took it into his head that

Srinivasacharya should disgraced and it was Guru Raghavendra Swamiji that came

to his rescue. That is why Raghavendra Swamiji is extolled as "RAGHAVENDRA

GURAVE NAMOATYANTADAYALAVE". He is the kindest sage one can think of in

this world now.

(

Courtesy: Raghavendra

One day a learned man called Srinivasa

charya Bidarahalli came to Swamiji. ... On enquiry, he found that

Srinivasacharya had refused to take the mustard ...

navabrindavan.profusehost.net/placescrossed2.htm - Similar)

 

 

 

( 4 ) Further More information about him from Mrs MeeraKeshav

Courtesy:Meerakeshav

 

Srinivasa Tiirtha [1590-1640]

 

Today is Srinivasa Tiirtha's punyadina. He

belongs to Bidarahalli, a village in Dharwad Dist. of Karnataka. Sri Vadiraja

has described this place as one of the unique pilgrim spots in India.

 

Srinivasaacharya was a nephew and a star

disciple of the famous scholar Sri Yadavarya. He was a unique householder who

lived in a humble hamlet with his devoted wife and son, Venkatapathi. The

glosses that he had written were already well known as they were very helpful

to the students of Dvaita Vedanta.

 

Sri Raghavendra Tiirtha, during his

pilgrimage, visited Bidarahalli on his way to Pandharpur. Srinivasaacharya

welcomed Sri Raghavendra with all honors. He stayed there for a few days and examined

the works of Srinivasaacharya.

 

He was filled with admiration for

Srinivasaacharya, who, though being a householder, had dedicated himself to the

spread of knowledge and also trained his son in the same path. It is said that

Sri Raghavendra blessed him thus:

 

"Your service to the spread of

knowledge and learning and your love for truth cannot be adequately praised.

Undoubtedly, your spiritual efforts are on par with an ascetic's endeavors.

Hence forth, you are notSrinivasaacharya but Srinivasa Tiirtha ".

 

Thus he became well-known as Biidarahalli

Srinivasa Tiirtha. He was a rare person, who lived like a householder all his

life, but got the status of a noble ascetic. Sri Raghavendra, thus singled out

a householder on the basis of his merit and excellence.

 

Srinivasa Tiirtha is one of the major

commentators on the commentaries of Sri Jayatiirtha. His works are known for

clarity and lucidity.

 

Among the TippaNIkAra-s, his place is only next

to Sri Raghavendra Tiirtha. He has commented upon nyAyasudhA, tattvaprakAshikA,

dashaprakaraNaTIkA, pramANapaddhati, some of the upanishad.h bhAshhya,

bhAgavata, and

R^igbhAshhya.

 

He is also the author of

nyAyAmR^itaprakAsha and gItAbhAshhyabhAvapradIpikA [gloss on prameyadIpikA ].

Manuscripts of a few more of his works are yet to be traced.

 

Sources:

1. nyAyAmR^itam.h [introduction ] edited by

Sri.K.T.Pandurangi

2. Raghavendra Darshana by Dr. Vyasanakere

Prabhanjanacharya.

3. sarvamUlagranthA 1 [introduction] edited

by Dr. Vyasanakere

Prabhanjanacharya

 

Meera Tadipatri’’

 

 

GRRRao

Solihull (UK)

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