Shri Sumateendra Teertharu

Dhyana Sloka

पूर्णप्रज्ञमतांभोधि पूर्णेंदुमकलंकिनं ।

सुजनांबुधिभास्वंतं सुमतींद्रगुरुं भजे ।

He was a great scholar. In his previous life, he had written 6 Granthas and after taking sanyasa, he authored an additional 34 texts.

All of his previous life brothers also became sanyasins, and four of them adorned the pita (seat of pontiff). They were:

• Yogindra Tirtharu
• Surindra Tirtharu
• Sumatindra Tirtharu
• Upendra Tirtharu
• Munindra Tirtharu did not adorn the pita.

Sri Sumatheendraru is the guardian saint of Srirangam Ranganatha Swami temple. Once, a magician, using an eye lotion, hid inside the Garba Gudi (sanctum sanctorum) and chanted evil mantras to take away the lustre of the idol of Shri Ranganatha. To survive, he used to swallow the naivedya (offering to the deity).

Sri Sumatheendraru saw through this sinister plot. He directed that the naivedya be cooked with an abundance of pepper. When the magician consumed the naivedya, he started shedding tears profusely, rubbing off the eye lotion, and exposing himself, eventually getting caught.

To prevent such incidents in the future, Sumatheendraru installed a Hanumantha idol in the temple.