Shri Vidyanidhi Teertharu

यद्भक्त्या मूलरामस्य पेटिका त्यक्तभूमिका।
विद्यानिधिर्धियं दद्यात् अष्टषष्ट्यब्दपूजकः॥

|| yadbhaktyA mUlarAmasya peTikA tyaktabhUmikA .
vidyAnidhirdhiyaM dadyAt aShTaShaSTyabdapUjakaH ||

Shri Vidyanidhi Teertha succeeded the throne of the Vedanta Samrajya of the Uttaradi Matha after Shri Ramachandra Tirtha and ruled for a very long period. The miraculous manner in which he ascended to the peetha and got the blessings of Shri Moola Rama is a great evidence of his utmost devotion and eligibility.

Once Shri Ramachandra Tirtha fell seriously ill and ordained one of his disciples Kambhaluri Narasimhacharya to Sanyasa who was later named as Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha with a view of installing him to the throne of Vedanta Samrajya before he entered Brindavana. He gave some minor idols and Saligramas to Shri Vibhdendra Tirtha for his daily worship, but none from the pooja box of the Math and sent him on tour for propagation of Madhwa philosophy with specific instructions that he would send for him at the appropriate time. Soon, Shri Ramachandra Tirtha felt that the time came for formally handing over the Math to Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha.  He immediately sent a word to Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha. Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha, who was on tour at that time, could not come back to Yaragola in time. Shri Ramachandra Tirtha, therefore was compelled to ordain Shri Vidyanidhi Tirtha  as his possible successor. At the same time he did not want to deprive Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha from the pontification of the Uttaradi Math. He therefore asked Dharmanna and other villagers of Yaragola to intern the pooja box after his Nirvana in a deep pit, with clear instructions that if Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha came within six months of his passing away, he would take it out and succeed him. However, if he did not turn up within the specified time, the pooja box should be handed over to Shri Vidyanidhi Tirtha, who would be the next Peethadipati and rightful successor to the Uttaradi Math. When Shri Vibhudendra Tirthadid not turn up even after six months, Dharmanna and others requested Shri Vidyanidhi Tirtha to take the pooja box to perform the usual pooja. When Dharmanna and others were ready to dig to take out the pooja box,  ShriVibhudendra Tirtha happened to come to Yaragola and asked for the pooja box to to be delivered to him for worship. Confusion prevailed as to who would be the rightful successor of the Peetha and gets an opportunity to worship Moola Rama and other Math's dieties.

Dharmanna and others decided to leave every thing to the God himself, by imposing one condition that the two saints should offer the prayers one after the other . The Pooja Box would be handed over to him at whose prayers the earth where the pooja box was kept sunders. The two saints happily agreed to the suggestions made by Dharmanna and others. Shri Vibhudendra Tirtha being the senior saint first offered the prayers for three days and nothing happened. On the fourth day the turn of Shri Vidyanidhi Tirtha came, he prayed Lord Rama with utmost devotion. After a few minutes suddenly the soil where the pooja box was kept sundered and came up a few inches above the surface of the ground. Then the villagers of the Yaragola asked Shri Vidyanidhi Tirtha to take over the pooja box and the samsthana of the Uttaradi Math. Thus the Uttaradi Mutt was presided by the Shri Vidyanidhi Tirtha, who became the rightful successor of Shri Ramachandra Tirtha.  

Shri Vidyanidhi Teertha travelled all over India spreading Madhwa Philosophy. He went to Simhachalam and had the darshan of Lord Varaha Narasimha Swamy. He did penance there at Simhachalam and got boons from Shri Varaha Narasimha Swamy. He had exhibited his scholarship with the discourse of Shriman Nyaya Sudha. His name itself speaks of his scholarship. He had many debates with followers of other schools. He was honoured by the King on Anegundi.

During his period, extensive lands were gifted to the Matha near Raichur of present Karnataka State which are all still with the Uttaradi Mut. When his end came Shri Vidyanidhi Teertharu handed over the Math to Shri Raghunatha Teertharu and entered Brindavana at Yaragola near his Guru's Brindavana on Kartika Bahula Chaturthi.

Source - uttaradimath.org

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