Shri Vidyadhiraj Teertharu

Tenure : 1342 – 1360
Ārādhana : Vaiśākha śukla tṛtiyā
Location : Yeragol̤a

Charama Shloka :

विद्याधीशपदासक्तो विद्याकौशल्यसंयुतः | 

विद्याधिराजतीर्थाख्यो गुरुर्भूयादभीष्टदः ||

ವಿದ್ಯಾಧೀಶಪದಾಸಕ್ತೋ ವಿದ್ಯಾಕೌಶಲ್ಯಸಂಯುತಃ |

ವಿದ್ಯಾಧಿರಾಜತೀರ್ಥಾಖ್ಯೋ ಗುರುರ್ಭೂಯಾದಭೀಷ್ಟದಃ ||

vidyādhīśapadāsakto vidyākauśalyasaṃyutaḥ |

vidyādhirājatīrthākhyo gururbhūyādabhīṣṭadaḥ ||

About Śrī Vidyādhirāja Tīrtha

Śrī Vidyādhirāja Tīrtha was ordained the 7th Pīṭhādhipati by Śrī Jaya Tīrtha. His Pūrvāśrama Nāma was Bhīmacarya. We understand from tradition that he was a very close relative of Śrī Raghunātha Pant, Pūrvāśrama Nama of Śrī Jaya Tīrtha. Towards the end of his worldy tenure, Śrī Jaya Tīrtha advised the saint to propagate Satsiddhānta extensively. The Saint is addressed in tradition as ‘Yativaṁśa Vārdhi Himabhu: Vidyādhirāja Guru:’ that would roughly be translatable as the moon called as ‘Guru Vīdyādjirāja that rose from the ocean of group of ascetics, starting from Ācārya Madhva’.

His Holiness was a scholar-par-excellence and is credited with having composed two important works that have survived till-date. Both are one of their kind and unique. The first one is a Vivṛtti on Bhagavat Gītā that is more of an elaboration of the complete text, perhaps as a supplement of Ācārya Madhva’s Gītā Bhāṣya and Tātparya that address only verses of philosophical import, and the second one is a Bhāṣya on the Śrī Viṣṇu Sahasra Nāma in which multiple meanings are given to each of the names along with collation of meanings available in different works of Ācārya Madhva.

The saint seems to have traveled extensively to firmly establish the new faith. In all sincerity, to further his Guru’s order, he ordained his senior disciple Śrī Rājadĕva (the first of his Guru’s nephews) to the fourth order, Sanyāsāhrama with appellation Śrī Rājendra Tīrtha and sent the Saint for propagation to the eastern part, regions encompassing Kal̤inga and Kākatīya empires of the country.. 

After having ensured that the mission advised by his guru was accomplished, the Saint seems to have retired to Yĕragol̤a, the place of his guru’s penance. Tradition records that the saint attained Haripāda at this place. However, his Vṛndāvana is not currently traceable.

Source - vyasarajamatha.org

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