Shri Vishnu Teertharu

Vishnutirtha was younger brother and direct disciple of Madhva. He was foremost among all. Madhva happened to be an embodiment of rich knowledge where as his brother Vishnutirtha was well known as a unique treasure of Vairagya (detached attachment). It was nothing but the Vairagya got incarnated into tangible form of Vishnutirtha. Vishnutirtha served his parents devotedly in person. After the demise of parents, he approached Madhva residing in Vishnumangala for Chaturmasya and begged him for Samnyasashrama. Since it was the period of Chaturmasya, Vishnutirtha was not given Samnyasashrama there. He was asked to go back to Pajaka. Renouncing food and relaxation, Vishnutirtha awaited Madhva's arrival like Bharat for Rama.

Vishnutirtha was an eminent orator and was endowed with rich spiritual power of rare kind. He was the most dedicated practitioner of spiritual discipline. Vishnutirtha went to Harishchandra mountain and engaged in deep and rigorous austerity. He was grown up with unique mystic powers. The vow of fast observed by him was extra ordinary and it was beyond the reach of others. He gave up regular food and used to sip the Panchagavya once in five days. He then also renounced that sipping and resorted to take only a few dried leaves or small quantity of water. With fully controlled breathing, Vishnutirtha used to meditate on Indwelling Lord and accomplished the realisation of that form. Even the gods wondered at the peak achievement of Vishnutirtha with regard to his fruitful fulfilment.

It is widely known that Vishnutirtha has authored some works like Samnyasapaddhati, Shravanadwadashinirnaya, Vishnupanchakanirnaya, Panchasamskarasangraha and others. He had two pupils namely Vyasatirtha and Aniruddhatirtha. The hierarchy, continued by Vyasatirtha, is presently well known as Sri Sode Vadiraja Matha and the hierarchy advanced by Aniruddhatirtha is famous as Subrahmanya Matha. Madhva blessed the icons of Bhuvaraha and Abhedyasamputa to Vishnutirtha. Later on, Vishnutirtha presented the Bhuvaraha icon to Vyasatirtha and Abhedyasamputa to Aniruddhatirtha. The Bhuvaraha icon is an unique styled one where Bhuvaraha rests on the hood of a serpent with Bhudevi sitting on the left thigh of the Lord. The Lord appears to be pleased and eager to grant merciful bliss to his consort. By virtue of unique Mahima of Vishnutirtha, the lineage was, then named after him. Later on, it was also known as Kumbhasi Matha.

Vishnutirtha specially got involved in the adoration of Hayagriva formed Lord. He worshipped an icon of Hayagriva with due reverence and later on, he gave it to Sri Vadirajatirtha when the latter visited the cave of penance in Harishchandra mountain. Since then, that icon is being worshipped daily in the lineage of Sri Sode Vadiraja Matha by all pontiffs. Vishnutirtha had not left his mortal body. The tradition and ancient documentation confirm the fact that he is still alive and is doing rigorous penance in the Kumara mountain of Western Ghats near Kukke Subrahmanya. After the completion of one thousand years by divine calculation, Vishnutirtha, at the instruction of Madhva, will come down and uncover the copy of 'Sarvamula' works kept underground at Kadtil. He is blessed with rare and rich opportunity of rightly re-establishing and propagating the Dvaita Siddanta.

The tradition records (Sri Sode Vadiraja Matha) that the full moon day (Poornima) of Pushya month is the day on which Vishnutirtha resorted to the Kumara mountain alive. With the grace of Lord Vedavyasa, enjoying close and explicit resemblance of Madhva, getting involved in rigorous penance without the adverse effect of old age and demise, obtaining lovely and blessing kindness of Madhva in abundance and becoming an officiating authority in propagating the Siddhanta etc, Vishnutirtha is known as one of Rujugods by tradition.

Source - sodematha.in