Shri Vidyanidhi Teertharu

Tenure : 1824 – 1824
Ārādhana : Āṣāḍa kṛṣṇa ekadaśī
Location : Sŏsale

Charama Shloka :

चतुःषष्टिकलायुक्तः सर्वज्ञांबुधिपारगः | विद्याकांतगुरुर्भूयादस्मदिष्टार्थसिद्धये ||

ವಿದ್ಯಾಗಭಸ್ತಿವಿದ್ವಸ್ತಾವಿದ್ಯಾತಿಮಿರಸಂತತಿಃ | ವಿದ್ಯಾನಿಧಿರವಿರ್ಭೂಯಾದಸ್ಮದಿಷ್ಟಾರ್ಥಸಿದ್ಧಯೇ ||

vidyāgabhastividvastāvidyātimirasantatiḥ | vidyānidhiravirbhūyādasmadiṣṭārthasiddhaye ||

About Śrī Vidyānidhi Tīrtha

Śrī Vidyānidhi Tīrtha was ordained the 28th Pīṭādhipati  by Vidyākanta Tīrtha. His Holiness was on the Piṭa for a mandala, just 48 days, from Jyĕṣṭha Śuddha Navami to Āśāḍha Bahul̤a Ekadaśi. However, he had entered the fourth order a year-and-half earlier. It seems as though the saint had taken birth only to perform the worship of Śrī Mūla Gopālakṛṣṇa Devaru, as providence desired.

The Pūrvāśrama Nāma was Rangappācārya and he happens to be the elder brother of Śrī Vidyākānta Tīrtha, whose Pūrvāśrama Nāma was Naccapacarya. In his Pūrvāśrama, he had all Śāstraic education under Śrī Śrīnātha Ṭīrtha. As the saint’s tenure was short, his Holiness spent all His time performing puja, japa, and tapa. The saint used to start the puja in the morning at suryodaya that would go well past noon. After taking a sip of the Holy Tīrtha and administering it to his disciples, when they go to partake Prasāda, the saint would continue reading scriptures and perform japa. This way, his Holiness sacrificed sleep, food, and everything else and spent every minute of the mandala in the service of the Lord, surviving only on the Holy Ṭīrtha. Rightfully has Śrī Vidyāratnākara Tīrtha referred to the Saint as “Śrī Vidyānidhi Yŏgiraṭ.”

Even during the ordination of Śrī Vidyānidhi Ṭirtha, Śrī Vidyākanta Tīrtha had Śrī Vidyānidhi Tīrtha ordain Śrī Vidyāpūrṇa Tīrtha as the successor. The saint attained Haripāda right in the presence of his successor. His Vṛndāvana is located by the side of his Guru, Śrī Vidyākānta Tīrtha’s Vṛndavana at Sosale.

Source - vyasarajamatha.org

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