Shri Shreepati Teertharu

Tenure : 1594 – 1612
Ārādhana : Āṣāḍa śukla dvādaśī
Location : Rāyavĕlūru

Charama Shloka :

वेंकटेशपदासक्तं वादिभंगविचक्षणम् | 

श्रीपतींद्रगुरुं वंदे सर्वतंत्रेषु कोविदम् ||

ವೇಂಕಟೇಶಪದಾಸಕ್ತಂ ವಾದಿಭಂಗವಿಚಕ್ಷಣಂ | 

ಶ್ರೀಪತೀಂದ್ರಗುರುಂ ವಂದೇ ಸರ್ವತಂತ್ರೇಷು ಕೋವಿದಂ ||

veṅkaṭeśapadāsaktaṃ vādibhaṅgavicakṣaṇam | 

śrīpatīndraguruṃ vande sarvatantreṣu kovidam ||

About śrī śrīpatitirtha

Śrī Śrīpati Tīrtha was ordained the 16th Pīṭhādhipati by Śrī Lakṣmīkānta Tīrtha and a moved to Rayavellore as by this time, Vijayanagara empire had made this place as their capital. The saint chose to stay-put at Shenbakkam on the banks of River Palar where Śrī Vyāsarāja had earlier consecrated one of the seven hundred and thirty-two Hanuman idols. Several nearby lands at Shenbakkam seem to have been donated to the Śrīmaṭha by Venkaṭa II, the then emperor. It is to be remembered that the saint was the last of the direct disciples of Śrī Vyāsarāja.

The Saint has been praised as ‘Sarvatantrĕṣu Kovidam’ in traditional records that speak of his expertise in several branches of Śāstraic literature which is not surprising considering the fact that He was a disciple of Śrī Vyāsa Tīrtha. His Holiness was a keen debator who wanted to set right any objections brought forth on Tattvavada by opponents and supposed to have firmly established his school of thought at several such situations.

His Holiness was an ardent devotee of Lord Śrīnivāsa. On one of such visits to Tirumala, the saint submitted his heartfelt prayers to the Lord to bless with an apt disciple that could take over the Piṭha. Blessings from providence, he noticed a very appealing individual waiting for Lord’s darshana. The saint considered it to be the anugraha of Śrīnivāsa and decided to choose him as his successor. He was none other than the one to become Śrī Rāmacandra Tīrtha who had done all Śāstraic studies directly under Śrī Vijayīndra Tīrtha – the dearest disciple of Śrī Vyāsarāja in his Pūrvāśrama. Hence Śrī Rāmacandra Tīrtha considered Śrī Śrīpati Tīrtha as his Āśrama Guru and Śrī Vijayīndra Tīrtha as his Vidyā Guru in His Ṭippaṇi on Nyāya Sudhā.

Śrī Śrīpati Tīrtha had immense respect and devotion to his mother and hence got his mother’s face inscribed on his Vṛndāvana even ahead. Having ordained Śrī Rāmacandra Tīrtha to the hallowed Pīṭha, the saint attained Haripāda shortly afterwards. His Vṛndāvana was the first of the nine Vṛndāvanas that stand today in this sacred nava Vṛndāvana complex in Shenbakkam.

Source - vyasarajamatha.org

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