Vadirajatirtha

Sri Vadirajatirtha (Tulu: ಶ್ರೀ ವಾದಿರಾಜ ತೀರ್ಥರು), traditionally 1480 - 1600, a Haridasa, is said to have been a Shivalli Tulu Brahmin and native of the village of Hoovinakere, near Kumbhashi in Kundapura taluk, Udupi District in Karnataka state. His parents were Ramacharya and Gauri. He is considered the second highest saint in the Madhva hierarchy, next only to Srimad Ananda Tîrtha, even though his guru was Sri Vyasatirtha. He is regarded as an incarnation of Latavya. He was not only a great poet but also very effective in the administration of the Udupi Matha system. He brought about many changes to the operational system of the Matha which by itself showed his high placing in the Madhva hierarchy.

He became a Sanyasi at the young age of 8. The pre-sanyasa name given to Sri Vadiraja was Bhuvaraha. He worshipped Lord Vishnu in the form of Hayagriva.

It was Sri Vadirajatirtha who changed the Paryaya system of Udupi to two years from the earlier practice of 2 months. This extension of each individual Paryaya enabled the Swamis to travel far and wide and spread the message of Madhva tradition. Another of Sri Vadirajatirtha's achievements is that he lived a life of 120 years and performed Lord Krishna's Paryaya at Udupi 5 times.

In an age that knew great Sanskrit scholars and intellects, Sri Vadirajatirtha who himself was a great scholar, was able to accommodate the needs of the less scholarly, taking the haridasa tradition to the masses by translating many important works into the Kannada language. He was able to explain sophisticated concepts in the form of simple stotras. About the saint, Dr. B.N.K. Sharma writes "In this respect, his work marks a new and necessary phase in the history of Dvaita literature and breathes the spirit of a new age which produced other popular exponents of Madhva-Siddhânta, both in Sanskrit and in Kannada".

Vadirajatirtharu used to offer daily prasadam to Lord Hayagriva by holding the prasadam on his head. Lord Hayagriva is said to appear in the form of a horse and eat the prasadam by kneeling on Vadirajatirtha's shoulders.

Vadirajatirtharu brindavana is installed in Sodhe temple near Sirsi in Karnataka. The temple also has a pond Dhavalaganga which is very sacred and pilgrims take bath in this pond. The pond has four corners and is available for pilgrims only at 2 corners. One corner of the pond is prohibited since it is believed that Lord Bhutaraja uses that corner of the pond even now. The temple has a tradition wherein every devotee visiting the temple needs to offer coconuts to Lord Bhutaraja.

Jeevana Charitre

Born - 1480 A.D. Magha Shudda Dwadashi Birth Place - Hoovina Kere 25 miles from Udupi Parents - Ramabhatta and Gowridevi Janma Naama – Bhoovaraha (Varahaacharya) Ashrama Sweekara - in 1488 AD (he was 8 years) Ashrama Gurugalu - Vaagisha Thirtharu Ashrama Shishyaru - Vedavedya Thirtharu Vrundavana Pravesha – 1600 AD. Aradhane Dina – Palghuna Bahula Tritheeya

Born with the Anugraha of Vaageesha Thirtha - Once Sri Vaagisha Theertharu of Sri Vishnutheertha Mutt happened to visit the Village Hoovinakere (It was also called as Kumbhasi). There, Ramabhatta and Gowridevi Dampathigalu begged the shrigalu to bless them with a child. Sri Vaageesha Theertharu blessed him and imposed a condition that the child born to be handed over to the Mutt for upbringing. That too only if the child happens to born outside the house, then they shall hand over to the Mutt not otherwise. The couple agreed wholeheartedly thinking that the child will be born inside the house.

Nine months completed. On one Sadhana Dwadashi day, i.e, on Magha Shudda Dwadashi, Gowri was performing Tulasi Puja early in the morning. She saw some cows entering the paddy fields which they own, and the cows started eating and destroying the crops. Gowri took a stick and chased the cows, moved quite a distance from the house forgetting the agreement with the Sri Vageesha Thirtharu. Suddenly her pregnancy pain started and she could not return home and delivered the child in the field itself. Immediately Sri Vaageesha Thirtharu was informed of the birth of the child and a golden plate was sent from the Mutt and the child was brought to the Mutt. The baby never touched the ground until it reached the Mutt. The baby was fed with the milk that had been offered to the deity as naivedya; and the parents named the boy as “Bhoovaraha”. The paddy fields which Gowri gave birth to the child is called as “Gowri Gadde”. Sri Vaageesha Thirtharu sent the boy back to her parents and with an instruction to bring back after a few years. The child was growing like a Pournima Chandra. Bhoovaha learnt all skills and studied well right from his early days itself. After some time the swamiji asked the parents to hand over the boy to the mutt. The parents with reluctance handed over the boy to the seer. Sri Vageesha Theertharu told the parents that the services of the child is required for the prachara of Madhwa Tathwa.

Bhoovaraha or Varahacharya learnt Veda, Vedanga, Madhwa Shastra etc from Sri Vageesha Theertharu. After seeing the child?s vast knowledge, vairagya, Jnana Bhakthi, he decided to give him Sanyashrama at the age of 8 years and was given the name “Vaadiraaja Theertha” Sri Vaadirajaru studied under Sri Vaagisha Theertharu until his Vrundavana Pravesha. After some time, Sri Vageesha Theertharu entered Brundavana, then for further studies, Sri Vadirajaru went to Sri Vyasarajaru in Hampi, where he met Purandara Dasaru, Kanakadasaru, Sri Vishnu Theertharu (later Vijayeendra Theertharu) and King Krishnadevaraya.

Anugraha to Bhootarajaru

Once there lived a Brahmana named Narayanacharya. He was a shishya of Vadirajaru and was serving well. Once he showed disrespect to Vadirajaru and expressed his doubt on Vadiraja's activities. Vadirajaru cursed him to become a Brahmarakshasa and after some time, Vadirajaru blessed him and he is being worshipped at Sonda. Sri Vadirajaru has blessed him that those who come to Sonda, must first have the darshana of Bhootarajaru, then only one must have the darshana of Vadirajaru. Every day, Bhootaraja Bali is being done at Sonda.

Famous extant works

• Yukti-Mallika (work on logical analysis of different philosophical systems) - This is his Magnum Opus with 5 Chapters called Sourabhas. They are "Guna Sourabha", "Shuddhi Sourabha", "Bheda Sourabha", "Sadhana Sourabha" and "Phala Sourabha". Here is "argues in poetry" as late Prof. B.N.K. Sharma puts it. This work has a commentary by Sri Surottama Tirtha the pointiff of Bhandarkeri Mutt and the purvashrama younger brother of the Great Sri Vadirajatirtha himself. There is also a commentary on this by late Sri Satya Pramoda Tirtha of the Uttaradi Mutt.
• Mahabharata-Prasthana (an independent view of Mahabharata by Veda Vyasa)- This work is called Mahabharata Lakshalankara an explanation of hundred thousand difficult words of the great epic Mahabharata.
• Mahabharata-tatparya-Nirnaya (commentary on same work written by Srimad Ananda tirtha)with Kannada translation.
• Rukminisha-Vijaya (narrates encounter between Krishna and Shisupala)- This is a mahakavya which was written to exceed Maga's Shishupala Vada, which is considered one of the pancha mahakavyas (five great poems) of Sanskrit literature.
• Svapna-Vrndavanakhyana- This is a sort of auto-biography where he explains his swaroopa (original form) and his Rujutva. Rujuyogis are those jivas (forms) who are qualified to attain the position of Brahma.
• Sarasa Bharati Vilasa- This is about the svarupa's of Lakshmi, Brahma (& Vayu) and Saraswati (& Bharati).
• Sruti Tattva Prakashika - Explanation of some important verses of Veda which outwordly looks like it is lending support to advaita.
• Devotional songs in Kannada

Stotras

• Ramesha Stuthi
• Dashavataara Stotra
• Dashavataara Stuti
• Hayavadana Astaka
• Narahari Astaka
• Roupya Peetha Krishna Stuthi
• Hayavadana Astaka
• Hayagreeva Panchaka
• Hayagreeva Dhyana Prakarana
• Hayagreeva Stuthi
• Hayagreeva Sampada Stotra
• Sri Krishna Stavana
• Dhee Shuddhi Stotra
• Varaha Hayavadana Stotra
• Aapada Stotram
• Ukti Pratyukthi stotram
• Aksha Panchakam
• Varaha Panchakam
• Sri Raama Kavacham
• Sri Raama Dashakam
• Sri Raama Panchakam
• Avataara Traya Stotram
• Swapna Padyam

• Lakshmi Shobhane

• Kannada Hadugalu

• Tulu Hadugalu

• Bhogola Varnane

His other works are

• Sri Nyayaratnavali
• Thirtha prabandha
• Sri Hari Bhaktilata
• Sri Pasandamatakamdanam
• Sri Vivaranarnavam
• Sri Upanyasa Ratnamala
• Kavi Kadamba Kanta bhushana
• Talavakaropanishad Bhashya Teeka
• Taittareeyopanishad Bhashya Teeka
• Kathakopanishad Bhashya Teeka
• Atharvanopanishad Bhashya Teeka
• Mandookopanishad Bhashya Teeka
• Tantra Saara Teeka
• Shatprashnopanishad Bhashya Teeka Tippani
• Mahabharatha Tatparya Nirnaya Bhavaprakashika
• Ishavasyopanishad Bhashya Teeka Prakashana
• Geethabhashya Tippani
• Vaikuntavarnane
• Gundakriye

... to name only a few.

He has written sub-commentaries (Tippanis) on Sri Jayatirtha's Nyayasudha and Tattvaprakasika called "Gurvarthadipika". He has also written Tippani on Isavasya Upanishad Tika.

Sri Vadirajatirtha's brindavana is in Sodhe, Karnataka.

References

• Sharma, B.N.K (1981,2000) [1961]. History of Dvaita school of Vedanta and its Literature. Bombay: Motilal Banarasidass. ISBN 81-208-1575-0. 
• Sri Vadirajatirtha in Haridasas of Karnataka
• Latavya [1]

Websites

http://www.sodevadirajamutt.org/ http://www.sondavadirajamutt.org[Sonda Vadiraja Mutt]