Shri Vidyashreedhara Teertharu

Tenure : 1884 – 1887
Ārādhana : Caitra kṛṣṇa caturdaśī
Location : Śrīraṅga

Charama Shloka :

दुर्वादिमत्तमातंगकंठीरव उदारधीः | विद्याश्रीधरयोगीशः श्रेयसे भूयसेऽस्तु मे ||

ದುರ್ವಾದಿಮತ್ತಮಾತಂಗಕಂಠೀರವ ಉದಾರಧೀಃ | ವಿದ್ಯಾಶ್ರೀಧರಯೋಗೀಶಃ ಶ್ರೇಯಸೇ ಭೂಯಸೇಽಸ್ತು ಮೇ ||

durvādimattamātaṅgakaṇṭhīrava udāradhīḥ | vidyāśrīdharayogīśaḥ śreyase bhūyase’stu me ||

About Śrī Vidyāśrīdhara Tīrtha

Śrī Vidyāśrīdhara Tīrtha was ordained the 32nd Pīṭhādhipati by Śrī Vidyāśrīsindhu Tīrtha.

His Pūrvāśrama Nāma was Bhīmasenācārya. He stood strong in assisting his Guru Śrī Vidyāśrīsindhu Tīrtha – Akki-Bel̤e Svāmīji during the Mysore famine  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_of_1876%E2%80%931878#Famine_in_Mysore_State) to ensure that Śrīmaṭha’s possessions were appropriately used to feed one and all. This act endeared him to his Guru, and He was ordained to the Pīṭha as the successor.

The saint was known to be a scholar-par-excellence and a walking encyclopaedia of Tattvavāda as he could teach his students without referring to any book. On one occasion, the saint was supposed to have conducted an exposition on Bṛhatī Sahasra Vyākhyāna composed by Śrī Raghunātha Tīrtha right at Tirumakudalu in presence of his Guru to a select batch of disciples for a period on one-year with elan.

The saint was known to have debated with a scholar by name Visvanātha Miśra at Madurai for an extended period of twenty-seven days on firmly established Tattvavāda. In recognition of this feat, the scholar donated his silver palanquin to the saint. While on the way back, the saint encounters a family with a pregnant woman stuck on the way on their journey in the middle of nowhere and hands over the palanquin for their welfar

The saint possessed special powers by his penance and was extremely benevolent especially toward the lesser privileged without prejudices. We understand from traditional sources that His Holiness used to perform Pāṭha Pravacana as well as Saṁsthāna Pūje many times in the middle of fields under temporarily constructed shelters during extreme drought periods to invoke rain so that agricultural activities could be commenced.

His Holiness was on the Pīṭha for only three years, which, though short was well and worthy. We understand that besides one-and half year spent with His guru, the rest was spent in sanchara especially in the current Tamilnadu and Kerala states. He ordained Śrī Vidyāśrīnivāsa Tīrtha as his successor and attained Haripāda. His Vṛndāvana is located at Śrīraṅgam along with his paramagurus Śrī Lakṣmīnātha Tīrtha, Śrī Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha, and Śrī Lakṣmīnidhi Tīrtha, a Śiṣya of Śrī Raghunātha Tīrtha that did not adorn the Pīṭha.

Source - vyasarajamatha.org

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