Sri Sripadarajaru (Narasimha Theertha) - Mulabagalu

Sri Sreepaada Raajaru

(Mulabagalu)

तं वंदे नरसिंहतीर्थनिलयं श्रीव्यासराट् पूजितं |

ध्यायंतं मनसा नृसिंहचरणम् श्रीपादराजं गुरुं |

ತಂ ವಂದೇ ನರಸಿಂಹತೀರ್ಥನಿಲಯಂ ಶ್ರೀವ್ಯಾಸರಾಟ್ ಪೂಜಿತಂ |

ಧ್ಯಾಯಂತಂ ಮನಸಾ ನೃಸಿಂಹಚರಣಮ್ ಶ್ರೀಪಾದರಾಜಂ ಗುರುಂ |

తం వందే నరసింహతీర్థనిలయం శ్రీవ్యాసరాట్ పూజితం |

ధ్యాయంతం మనసా నృసింహచరణమ్ శ్రీపాదరాజం గురుం |

https://archive.org/details/sreepaada-raayaru-mulabagalu

(Moola Brindavana of Sri Sreepaadarajaru)

Tham vande Narasimha theertha nilayam Sri Vyasaraja poojitham
Dhyayantham manasa Nrusimha charanam Sreepadarajam Gurum

There is a strong belief among the followers of Madhwa Philosophy that as soon as one gets up from the bed, chanting the name of Saint Sri Sreepaadarajaru with sincere devotion will bestow upon him sumptuous food on that day. True to the spirit of the belief, there lived a great saint and scholar by name Sri Sreepaadarajaru in 14th century during the period of King Saluva Narasimha Raya of Vijayanagara Empire. An outstanding Saint of the Madhwa parampara Sri Sreepaadarajaru is said and believed to be an incarnation of King Dhruva popularly known as Bhaktha Dhruva who went on to perform severe penance at a tender age to have the darshan of Lord Sri ManNarayana. Pleased with his penance Lord Sri ManNarayana blessed him as the monarch of Dhruva Mandala in the Universe for a period of Brahma Kalpa.

With a lineage from Bhaktha Dhruva, Sri Sreepaadarajaru was born to gifted couple Sri Seshagiri Acharya and Smt. Giriamma in a village called Abbur in Chennapatna Tq of Mysore district. During his childhood he was known as Lakshminarayana who went on to become Sri Sreepaadarajaru later on in his life. After Upanayana, Sri Lakshminarayana was inducted into Yati Aashrama dharma by Sri Swarnavarna Theertharu and thenceforth was referred to as Sri Lakshminarayana Yati.

Within no time Sri Lakshminarayana Yati became a great scholar and pundit. Seeing his capabilities, Sri Swarnavarna Theertharu handed over the reigns of his samsthana and made him the Peetadhipathi. Even after becoming a Yati, Sri Lakshminarayana had continued his further studies under the guidance of another great saint Sri Vibhudendra Theertharu. Considering his scholarly caliber, Sri Raghunatha Theertharu another great saint in Madhwa Parampara called him as Sreepaadaraja (King of Sanyasis). Sreepaada is a popular term used to refer a Sanyasi. Since then Sri Lakshminarayana Yati came to be known as Sri Sreepaadarajaru and become popular with this name and lived up to its reputation.

Born prodigy, Sri Sreepadarajaru has made an outstanding contribution to propagate the Madhwa philosophy. He was a brilliant scholar as well as a great author. He had authored several notable works on Dvaita Siddhantha. He was the Vidya Guru of his gifted disciple Saint Sri Vyasarajaru who went on to become the Raja Guru of Vijayanagara Empire. Known as Dasa Pitamaha, Sri Sreepadarajaru was the founder of Daasakoota. His contribution to Haridasa Sahitya was exemplary that many great stalwarts in the Daasakoota commended his contribution in their literary works. He has composed several keerthanas in praise of the God (Devarunama) in Kannada language and has pioneered in singing them during pooja time. Sri Sreepadarajaru was honoured to sit on the throne and performed kanakabhisheka by the King Saluva Narasimha Raya as a token of his gratitude to the great Saint for providing him relief from a dosha.

(Lord Yoga Naarasimha at Sri Nrusimha Theertha)

During his final journey on this earth Sri Sreepaadarajaru came down to Mulabagalu and took over the reigns of Sri Padmanabha Theertha Mutt, that thenceforth came to be famously known as Sri Sreepaadaraja Mutt. The place where Sri Sreepadarajaru settled down at Mulabagalu is known as Nrusimha Theertha where Lord Naarasimha got manifested in a Yoga form (Yoga Narasimha) from a sketch drawn by Saint Sri Akshobhya Theertharu with Angara.

There is also an interesting tale behind the popularity of Nrusimha Theertha. On one occasion Sri Sreepadarajaru wanted to have Ganga Snana (bath in river Ganges) but could not travel due to his old age. On a prayer by him, it seems the Divine River Ganges came down to mix with the waters of Nrusimha Theertha. Since then, devotees believe, a dip in Nrusimha Theertha at Mulabagalu as equivalent to Ganga Snana. The place is also sanctified with the presence of Lord Hanuman adjacent to the Moola Brindavana installed by Sri Vyasarajaru subsequently.

(Lord Hanuman installed by Sri Vyasarajaru at Sri Nrusimha Theertha)

A great saint, philosopher and a benevolent guru Sri Sreepaadarajaru, made Brindavana Pravesa on the 14th day (Chaturdasi) of bright fortnight (sukla paksha) in the lunar month Jyesta masam and fulfilling the desires of his devotes by mere darshan of his Brindavana, even by chanting his name. This day every year is celebrated as Sri SreepadaRajara Aaradhana. His moola Brindavana is located at Sri Nrusimha Theertha near Mulabagalu on the Bangalore – Chennai national high way about 100 km from Bangalore.

Contact details

Sri Sreepaadaraja Mutt
Sri Sreepaadaraja Moola Brindavana Sannidhana
Sri Narasimha Theertha
Mulabagalu (Kolar District)
Karnataka
Tele: 08159-242111, 290839
Website: www.sripadarajamutt.org

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu