Period: 1797 - 1830
Parampare : shri uttarAdi maTa, #28
Ashrama gurugaLu: shri satyavara tIrtharu
VidyA gurugaLu: shri satyabOdha tIrtharu
Shishyaru: shri satyasankalpa tIrtharu
ArAdhane: shrAvaNa bahuLa trayOdashi
BrindAvana: hoLehonnUr, on the banks of bhadra river, near shimoga
Charama Shloka:
shrIsatyavaradugdhAbdhErutthitA jagatItale |
sudhA shrIsatyadharmAkhyA pAvayEt smaratassata: ||
Shri satyadharma tIrtha swamiji was a pontiff of great scholarship known for his great commentaries and praises of Lord where he amazingly dwells into great depths of the meanings of the words. His commentary of bhAgavata available from 7th Skandha is a paradise for the pundits.
He was extremely poor during his pre-Ashrama days and had done severe penance (sEva) to Shri Raghavendra Swami of Mantralaya, who had blessed in his dream that circumstances would so develop that he would become the pontiff of shri uttarAdi maTa and win very wide name and fame not only for himself but also for his maTa. No wonder then that it was he, who spotted out the stolen vigrahas of shri uttarAdi maTa during satyavara tIrtharu's time. No wonder again that the previous pontiff Shri satyavara tIrtha got the inspiration before his departure to give the pontificate to him.
It was during the 33 years of his regime that the maTa had a very eventful period. uttarAdi maTa acquired enormous honour and wealth as "Kanike" from Navabs, Peshwas, kings and Dewan Poorniah. Most of his sanchAra was divinely inspired, as for example, when he wanted to travel north, Shri Rama of Panchavati Rama Temple instructed in a dream that he should stay in the South for some years. Again Mahalakshmi of Kolhapur told him in his dream to visit her.
He was honoured by the Muslim king of Hyderabad through a rich man Rajanarayana; honoured by the king of Vijayanagar; by the Martha king through his chieftain Khorpade, and by the king of Kolhapur who was blessed by him that he would soon beget a son and his kingdom would have plenty of everything, Subikshe, for a hundred years.
During all these visits he defeated many Advaiti stalwarts in scholarly discussions sometimes lasting over weeks. For example, the pandit belonging to veerupaksha Matha who had challenged the supremacy of Tatwavada, by severe adverse propaganda by publishing books like "Kali-Mahatame" and "Madhwa Tantra Mukha Mardana", was defeated by him.
The royal paraphernalia of elephants, horses and "sepoys" owned by the shri uttaradi maTa became extensive that when he moved from place to place on sanchAra it was as if a mighty emperor was moving which was a sight for heavens to see. The glory of the maTa idols, had to be seen to be
Believed. His name and fame and those of uttarAdi maTa were mentioned by everyone. Thousands and thousands of people used to assemble everyday to see that saint perform his discourses everyday. He performed Sudha mangala 16 times during his pontificate of 33 years.
Diwan Poorniah and the Maharajah of Mysore took intense interest in the affairs of uttarAdi maTa and bestowed large quantities of gold, silver and precious stones to it to be used for and during the daily worship of the maTa deities. The maTa was also given ownerships of large landed properties in the State.
Once when over 12,000 people had assembled at the maTa for the tIrthaprasAda, Poorniah and all who had assembled were put to great inconvenience because of heavy rain. The saint after his worship, came out in the rain and prayed. As if the rain God had heard his prayers, the rain stopped.
Once a fire broke out in the maTa store. It engulfed the entire maTa and become unmanageable. It was a miracle indeed that the Swamiji, the Samsthana deities and the works of srimadAchArya could be saved by a few self sacrificing disciples of the maTa. Jewellery that could not be recovered from the debris of the fire was made up by Diwan Baburao and the religious activities of the maTa continued as before. Shri satyadharma tIrtha Swamiji had a matha building built
At hoLehonnUr with the grant of the Maharaja and stayed there for a long time.
He was a facile writer and has written tippanis on many parts of Bhagavata, Tatvasankhyana, Tatva Nirnaya and others. He was a devotee par excellence.
Once it so happened that he had performed Rudrabhisheka to the deity in the Ishwara temple and was about to have his bhiksha. A very old man with Vibhuti on the arms, chest and forehead came and begged that he be fed before the Brahmins Santarpane and his own Bhiksha. The Swamiji readily agreed and not only fed him personally with all reverence but sent him afterwards with all reverence and appropriate maTa honours befitting an honoured guest. The old man was
Thoroughly pleased with great hospitality extended to him and when he went out of the maTa premises he disappeared from human sight. Some fanatic Brahmins who had assembled there were angry. The Swamiji came to know of all this criticism. He was least bothered but was content and happy with what he had done and told the complainants that time alone will reveal everything. In the evening, when the doors of the Garbhagudi of the Iswara temple were opened, lo behold ! the miraculous sight ! All the things offered to the old man that morning were on the Shivalinga.
A year after this incident, he bade his followers goodbye and attained haripAda peacefully, after handling over the reins of the Matha to shri satyasankalpa tIrtharu.
Near one corner of his brindAvana, Shiva-Bhagirathi devi sannidhaana is there. The brindAvana is built in such a way that the amsha of Sri Jayatheertharu, Sri Vadirajaru, Sri Rayaru and Satyabodharu is also there. He himself is rudrAmsharu.
He was a great devotee of shri bhAvisamIra vAdirAja tIrtharu. The previous sOde maTa swamiji, shri vishwOthama tIrtharu, had visited His brindAvana and offered prayers.
He has written many granthAs. They are:
1. gangAlahari
2. kavikaAntAmaNi
3. yaduvara charitAmruta lahari
4. bhagavad bhajanam
5. virAhimOda sudhA
6. hitOpadEsham
7. shrIrangEshvara shrungAralahari
8. shrI lakshmInarasimha stOtram
9. nityasamsAri lingabhanga vichAra
10. navagraha stOtram
11. shrI vAdirAja stOtram
12. shrI satyavarastOtram
13. guruvAshTakam
14. tatvasankyAna TippaNi
15. namaka chamaka vyAkyAna
16. shrImadbhAgavata TippaNi
17. virATaparva TippaNi
18. udyOgaparva TippaNi
19. rAmAyaNa TippaNi
20. virAhimOdasudhA vyAkyAna
21. tarangiNi shlOka vyAkyAna
22. viShNu tattvanirNaya Tika TippaNi
23. gItamahatmya sAra sangraha
24. antrlapikah
25. barirlapikah
26. bhyadIpikA yuktivAtya
| Category | Aradhana |
| month | Sravana |
| paksha | Krishna |
| tithi | Trayodashi |
| Nakshatra | |
| yogha |
