Shri Vishwendra Teertharu Aradhana (Shri Sode Math)

Shri Vishwendra Teertharu was the 35th Pontiff of Shri Sode Math

His Moola Brindavan is located in Udyavara.

ArAdhane: AshvIja shuddha navami

Period: 1889 - 1943

GurugaLu: shri vishwAdIsha tIrtharu

Shishyaru: shri vishwOthama tIrtharu

Shri vishwEndra tIrtha was born in 1881. At the time of sanyAsAshrama, he was 16 years old. He continued his shastric studies under shri vibudhapriya tIrtha of adamAru maTa.

He was highly qualified in Veda-Vedanta fields and equally talented in the field of literature. He has composed many devaranAmAs in Kannada with the ankitA – rAjEsha, rAjanAtha, hayamukha. Shri vishwEndra tIrtha has also composed a small Sanskrit work namely Shri vAdirAjAshTaka. It is in the form of praise and prayer glorifying the main incidents of shri bhAvi samIra vAdirAjaru's life.

The performance of daily worship by Swamiji was distinct, elaborate and glorious. At the time of worship, chanting of Mantra and singing of songs were mandatory. Swamiji performed three Paryayas successfully - 1900-01, 1916-17, 1932-33. He renovated the vrindAvanashAla at Udupi and completed it on 02-01-1934.

He was concerned with basic issues of humanity. He established a high school - 'Vishnumurthy Hayavadanaswamy High School' in Innanje. He was the first person from religious field to step ahead for spreading modern education in that region. Now, that school has been upgraded to a P.U. College. It is developed in all respects and it has become one of the best and leading educational institutions in that area. He was also kind enough towards poor and needy. Being endowed with mystic powers, he used to bless the honest devotees with mantrAkshAta for progeny, etc.

Shri vishwEndra tIrtha travelled this land and visited many holy centres. Getting engaged in Patha-Pravachana, he was highly adored by scholars. Swamiji was supporting and nourishing scholars. He was very fond of feeding others. He was well versed in Yuktimallika of bhAvi samIra vAdirajaru and he organised Maha Sabha called 'Yuktimallika Sourabha PrakAshini' for many years. He also organised special lectures by inviting scholars from different places. The venue was the corridor of Shri anantEshwara temple in Udupi.

He took up initial renovation work in some of the maTa branches. In 1928, at the invitation of king Rama Varma of Cochin, he went to Cochin. He was specially honoured by the king. The king was very much influenced and gifted some golden ornaments and also Rs.3,000 cash in the form of devoted Seva to the  next Paryaya (1932-33). Noticing this, the in-charge of Anatashayanam Temple (Tiruvananthapuram) also invited the seer and honoured him. In the year 1939 he toured the Mysore region. Owing to the invitation of king Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, Swamiji visited royal palace and received due honours. He shared the platform with Swamijis of Uttaradi maTa, Kundapura Vyasaraja maTa and Puthige maTa. Since the king wished to have the observance of Chaturmasya of Swamiji in Nanjangudu, the seer observed his Chaturmasya of that year in Nanjangudu. There he established 'Shri krishNa madhva Sabha' parallel to 'shrikanTEshwara advaita Mahasabha' and collected and gifted huge funds to the Sabha. In his old age, Swamiji used to stay at udyAvara maTa near Udupi.

Being a great Ayurvedic physician, he prepared a medicated oil known as 'Hayagriva taila'. Since then, it has been prepared by the Swamijis of Sode Vadiraja maTa till today. It is very popular and widely used to get relief from rheumatic and other body pains. Swamiji was also treating the patients suffering from severe diseases successfully. Once he gave the treatment to the seer shri sudhIndra tIrtha of puthige maTa. In the year 1941, shri vishwEndra tIrthA’s diamond jubilee of pITArOhanam was celebrated on a grand scale. In 1943, on the occasion of ganEsha Chaturthi, he anointed shri vishvOthama tIrtharu as his successor. After 35 days, he entered vrindavana at udyAvara on AshvIja shuddha Navami. The period of his pontificate was 44 years.

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