Shri Satyapriya Teertharu

श्रीसत्यविजयाम्बोधेः जातं सत्यप्रियामृतम्।
जरामृती जङ्घनीतु विबुधानां मुदे सदा॥

|| shrIsatyavijayAmbodheH jAtaM satyapriyAmR^itam .
jarAmR^itI ja~NghanItu vibudhAnAM mude sadA ||

Shri Satyapriya Teertha was the pontiff of Shri Uttaradi Matha after Shri Satyavijaya Tirtha. Shri Satyapriya Teertha's purvashrama name was Ramacharya. He was a saint of very high order with mystic powers. Some of the miracles he performed are as under:

THE DEAD BOY BROUGHT TO LIFE:

He bought a boy, believed to be dead, back to life by Sri Satyapriya teertha. The joy of the boy's parents knew no bounds. They fell at the feet of Swami and prayed for his Anugraha.

TEMPLE DOOR OPENS ON PRAYER:

Shri Satyapriya Teertha once visited Melkote Shri Yoga Narashima Swami Temple. He was late and the Temple door was closed. Shri Satyapriya Teertha stood in front of the main door and poured out his heart in praise of Lord Shri Narshima and gently touched the door. To the surprise of all, the door opend of its own accord. The bells rang and Mangalarathi was being perfomred to the moola deity. With tears of joy rolling down his cheeks, he had the darshan of Yoga Narasima Swami.

GHAN SHYAM KAVI ACCEPTED DVAITA:

During the period of Shri Satyapriya Teertha, there was a reputed poet in North India, by name Ghan Shyam Kavi. He had written more then 100 dramas in Sanskrit. He was also considered an authority in Advaita Vedanta and Sahitya literature as well.  He was an eye-witness to the vast learning of Shri Satyapriya Teertha, of his humility, majesty and power of expression in highlighting the truth hidden in various Vedic texts. Hearing the unbiased and highly thoughtful words of Shri Sataypriya Teertha, the said poet, being a very impartial scholar, offered himself as a devotee to Swamiji and received Mudra Dharana from Swamiji.

PRACHANDA RAHOODAYAM:

GHAN SHYAM KAVI worte a Drama "Prachanda Raahoodayam" in five chapter in which Shri Satyapriya Teertha has been Shown as the hero. In this work , the doctrines of Dvaita, Advaita and other scools of thought have been discussed and finaly the "VIJAYA" embraces the hero Shri Satyapriya Teertha.

JAYA STHAMBHA (VICTORY PILLAR):

It was customary in those days at Kasi to erect a pillar as a symbol denoting the Victory, inscribing the details of victory on such pillars. A pillar was erected establishing the victory of Shri Satyapriya Teertha.

THIEVES RETURN THE STOLEN POOJA BOX:

After completing his piligrimage to Rameshwaram, Shri Satyapriya Teertha came to Manamadurai. In those days, the area was a dense forest. One day some thieves attacked the Math and stole away the Pooja box, jewels and also the bell (the pooja ghanta). Sri Satyapriya Tirtha poured out his heart's paryers to Shri Hanuman pleading that without his grace, no one could perform Rama Pooja anywere, at any time. He ceaselessly went on singing the glories of load Shri Hanuma. A miracle happend. In a short while, the thieves were shocked to see several wild monkeys springing out one after the other from the Math's pooja ghanta. In huge numbers, they made a bell by their wild screaming and frightening gestures. The thieves were terribly afraid. They came running to Shri Satyapriya Teertha , placed all the stolen atricles before him and begged him that they be accepted as his servents. From that time, the place was called Veera Vanara Madurai. Later it was called Vana Madurai and finaly became MANAMADURAI.

THE MISCHIEF OF THE KING EXPOSED:

The King who ruled over the area at that time came to know about the glories of Shri Satyapriya Teertha. But he had neither faith nor regard for the penance and spiritual powers of the Shri Satyapriya Teertha. One day, he played a mischief with Swamiji. He offered 'things' for Pooja in three plates all the three fully coverd. He had kept meat in one plate, dried fish in the other and blood in the third plate. He was polite in his outward appearance but was highly arrogant inside and with utter disregard for Shri Satyapriya Teertha. Shri Satyapriya Teertha was quick in visualising the true color of the Royal visitor. He only pitied the king and pleaded Lord Shri Ramachandra to pardon the king. But the Lord indicated that the king would be excused only partialiy and not in full. In the meanwhile the king felt he was losing the eye sight in one eye. He fell at the feet of Swamiji and begged him to save atlest the other eye. Which Shri Satyapriya Teertha granted. There upon Shri Satyapriya Teertha sprinkled Shanka - Teertha with Tulasi on the three plates and asked the king to open them. to the utter surprise of all , the blood turned to be "Aarati" the dried fish into small stones and the mutton into sandal paste.   No wonder that the arrogant king became a devout bhakta to Shri Satyapriya Teertha. He donated three villages and one of them was Chandanoor. He also donated one hundred acres of Nanja lands and executed a copper-plate inscription to that effect. In this way, the king atoned his sins and rendered himself deserving for the grace and blessings of Shri Satyapriya Teertha.

HIS LAST DAYS:

It is customary to reverntially touch the feet of Shri Moola Rama Pratima by Shri Satyapriya Teertha every day at the completion of pooja and prior to placing the same in the box. One day. it so happend that when Swamiji was doing so, he felt the presence of Shri Ramacndra . Shri Satyapriya Teertha took it that the call from Shri Ramachandra had come to him for doing the Pooja eternally in the Divine Kingdom. Shortly afterwards Shri Satyapriya Teertha left his mortal body at Manamadurai on Chaitra Shuddha Trayodasi.

A UNIQUE FEATURE IN THIS BRINDAVAN:

One great and extraordinary speciality in the brindavana at Manamadurai is that the main brindavana is not on mere Koormaasana as usually seen elsewhere. On the Koormasana, there is a sprial snake. The brindavana is placed on top of it.

|| Shri Krishnarpanamstu ||

Source - uttaradimath.org