Sri Jayatheertharu (Teekarayaru)

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Time and again divine and noble souls keep taking birth on this Karma Bhoomi to protect Dharma and or to provide and spread the Divine knowledge. They take birth for accomplishment of a particular purpose and are also known as Kaarana Janmaru. One such Divine soul, a great saint and philosopher was Sri Jayatheertharu popularly known as Sri TeekaRayaru who lived during 13th century. An advocate and great exponent of Dvaita philosophy, Sri TeekaRayaru was the sixth pontiff to occupy the Sarvagna Peeta during 1364 to 1387 AD, floated by its founder Sri Madhvacharya. He was known as TeekaRayaru/Teekacharyaru since he was the person who wrote the great commentaries (Teeka) on the Divine works of Sri Madhvacharya.

Sri Jayatheertharu was considered as an Amsaavathara of Lord Indra and his aavesha was that of the serpent God Sri Aadi Sesha. In his previous birth it is said that he was a Vrushabha (Bullock) who used to carry the Granthas (scripts) of Sri Madhvacharya from place to place and also used to listen to the teachings of Sri Madhvacharya. It seems Sri Madhvacharya had vision about Sri Jayatheertharu and predicted that the same Bullock is going to write commentaries on his works.

With his ancestral roots hailing from a village in Maharastra near Pandharapur, Sri Jayatheertharu was born to a noble couple who were devotees of Lord Sri Panduranga Vittala. His parents were Sri Raghunath Deshpande and Smt. Sakku Bai. His janma nama was Dhondo Narasimha Pantha and was knick named as Dhonduraya. His Aashrama Guru was great saint and philosopher Sri Akshobhya Theertharu from whom he took his sanyasa deeksha and thence forth came to be known as Sri Jayatheertharu.

Sri Jayatheertharu wrote his commentaries on the eighteen great works of Sri Madhvacharya by sitting in a cave at a place called Yeragola near Yadgir in Gulbarga district of Karnataka State. It seems he took the form of a serpent several times for his own survival. After completing the task of his birth, Sri Jayatheertharu made a pilgrimage and finally decided to enter Brindavana sa-shareera at Malakheda. 

He made Sri Vidhyadhirajateertharu who was his Aashrama Sishya as his successor and entered Brindavana on the 5th day (Panchami) of Krishna Paksha in the lunar month of Aashada at the age of 42 years. It seems after his Brindavana pravesa serpents and serpents’ hood appeared on the top of the Brindavana making it clear that He was an Aavesaavathara of Lord Aadi Sesha.

Since then Malakheda, where Sri Jayatheerthara Moola Brindavana is located has become a pilgrim centre attracting thousands of devotees to visit this sacred place. Every year Sri Jayatheerthara Aaradhana takes place on Aashada Bahula Panchami the day Sri TeekaRayaru entered the Brindavana. Malakheda is located in Sedam Tq. about 40 km from Gulbarga in Karnataka State.

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu