Shri Brahmanya Teertharu

कंसध्वंसिपदांभोजसंसक्तो हंसपुंगवः |

ब्रह्मण्यगुरुराजाख्यो वर्ततां मम मानसे ||

Śrī Brahmaṇya Tīrtharu was ordained the 11th Pīṭhādhpati by Śrī Puruśottama Tīrtharu.

Once Ācārya Ṁadhva was observing Caturmāsya at Talakāverī.It is said that scholars belonging to the 14 Gotras of 60 families – Aravattu Hŏkkal̤u – Ṣāṣtīka Vamśastaru made a plea to Śrīmadācāryaru to administer the sacred taptamudrA and accept them as Śiṣyās. Ācāryaru instructed them to perform Seva during this auspicious period and after completion bestowed them with Vaiṣṇava Dīkṣa. As they migrated to different parts of the country, one of the above families headed by Śrī Rāmācāryā settled down at Abbūru village situated at the holy banks of river Kaṇva as their abode.

Śrī Rāmācaryā offered Seva to Śrī Puruśottama Tīrtharu requesting for an offspring and was directed to perform Seva to Kambada Narasiṁha Devaru temple. Satisfied with the Seva, the Lord blessed him with a son who had a special presence of Sūrya, the sun god, and so named him Narasimha. Rāmācaryā’s sister-in-law also performed Seva and got a child with the special presence of Ḍhṛva and was named Lakṣminārāyaṇa. These two entered Sanyāsāśrama with the names Brahmanya Tīṟtha and Śrīpādarājaru. Such is its importance that Vyāsarājaru had all his education at Abbūru Kṣĕtra.

Narasimha, even as a child, exhibited the art of giving Dāna, which was closely noticed by Puruśottamaru. After completing upanayana and Vedic studies, Narasimha commenced his Śāstrādhyāyana directly from Puruśottamaru. Shortly after his Sanyāsāśrama, Puruśottamaru hands over the Mahāsaṁasthāna to Brahmaṇyaru and entered Vṛndāvana on Cāitra Śuddha pratipada (ugAdi day). Brahmaṇyaru then set off on Sancāra and established the Kāntĕśa, Mukhyaprāṇadĕvara temple at Kadaramaṇḍali in Uttara Karnataka. One more hanuman temple was established later by the trio Brahmanyaru, Śrīpādarājaru and Vyāsarājaru at Brahmaṇyapura near Abbūru that was named after this saint later.

Once, Brahmaṇyaru on his sanchara to Aprameya Kṣetra, in Malūru was begged by a chieftain (who had been punished as a culprit) to be resurrected. With his Knowledge of the wrong indictment, Brahmaṇyaru blessed the chieftain and he recovered. As a token of his indebtedness, the chieftain donated 32 villages in and around Abbūru to the Saint who promptly disposed it off to all in need. On a later occasion, he visited Vijayanagara during the time of extreme drought and at the request of the King performed Varuṇa japa to bring plentiful rainfall but departed secretly without receiving anything. Realizing their indebtedness, Kṛṣṇadevarāya donated lands near Cannapaṭṭana to Vyāsarājaru, during his time, who named the town as Brahmaṇyapura and disposed off all the land to the needy!

Brahmaṇyaru was an extraordinary renunciate – Vairāgya Śiromaṇigalu. After Mahāpūja every day, he used to do Bhikśā Svĕĕkāra from Agrahāra, bring to the Maṭha, offer it to the Lord and then only consume it.

On a visit to Badarikāśrama, he prayed to the Lord for a worthy successor. On his return then he visited Bannūr where he blessed a lady, from the Rāmācār family who had lost her husband as ‘Dĕĕrgha Sumangali Bhava’. The dead man was resurrected! and the couple was further blessed ‘Suputravān Bhava’ with a condition that the born child should be handed over to the Maṭha. Hence born was Śrī Vyāsarāyaru who went on to make tall contributions to the philosophical literature of the country and world.

Brahmaṇyaru was blessed by Pāṇḍuraṅga Vitthala at Pandharāpura with an idol that is still worshipped in the Maṭha every day. There is a belief in traditional circles that he wrote a Ṭippaṇi for Tatvaprakāśika but which is non-existent today. Śrī Vyāsarājaru had composed a Pancarathnamālika Stotra in which all his qualities were well-described. Haridāsās starting from Purandara Dāsaru have extolled him in their Devaranāmās as well. On Sarvajit Nāma Saṁvatsara Vaiśāka Kṛṣṇa Ĕkādaśi day, after handing over the Mahāsaṁasthāna to Vyāsarāyaru, He entered Vṛndāvana at Abbūru Kṣetra. 

Source VM