சனி, 10 டிசம்பர், 2011

RAGHOTHAMA THIRTHARU THIRUKKOVILUR

Radhe Krishna 10-12-2011


 || Gurubhyoh namah||
||Shri Parama gurubhyoh namah||
 ||Shrimad AnandathirthabhagavadpAdacharya gurubhyoh namah||
||Shri  Shri 1008 raghuttama teerta gurubhyoh namah||

Introduction:-
          
Dear Hari Bhaktas,

Until now you would have read about the history of Shri Raghuttama Teertharu through many books. Here we are making a small effort to put all the information related to gurugaLu at one place. So that it will be useful for the devotees. We pray at the feet of Shri Raghuttama Teertharu, Shri Satyapramoda Teertharu and Shri Satyatma Teertharu and hope that the devotees duly receive this little effort.

Shri Shri 1008 Raghuttama Teertharu is one of the greatest saints of Uttaradhi Matha. He was the 14th pontiff during the period of 1537-1596 AD. Let us know more about gurugaLu in detail. Let us chant the prayer before moving further...

      praNamat kAmadhEnuM cha bhajat suratarUpamaM  |
         shrI bhAvabodhakRutpAda chintAmaNiM upAsmahE  || 

 Life and History

For the Madhwa community there was an urgent need for a light house to guide the rudderless boat on a stormy sea. The Lord decided that none other than the divine soul of Raghuttama Tirtharu would be a right person who could act as a perfect guide to the sorrow stricken bhaktas.

By that time Sri Raghunatha Teertaru of Uttaradi Matha had obtained lotus feet of Sri Hari and his successor Sri Raghuvarya Teertaru had upon his mantle the problem of resurrecting the trouble stricken Madhwas. He was at crossroads when he contemplated the plight of the literature of Shri Madhwacharya and his followers. He came to a conclusion that the feet of Vayu deva was the apt place to seek refuge and hence ardently prayed to Shri Madhwacharya.

His fervent prayers were answered. Shri Ananda Teertaru sprinkled Ananda on his great devotee by appearing in his dream and instructing him to go to Svarnavrata where his purvashrama sister Gangamba was living with her husband Subba Bhatta. The couple was childless. Upon the order of Shri Madhwacharya the saint poured his divine blessings on them so that they could parent a child. He also assured that the child born to them would blossom in the garden of Madhwa Philosophy and spread the fragrance to all the devout souls. After alleviating the sorrow of the saint Shri Madhwacharya disappeared. In the morning Shri Raghuvarya Teertaru woke up rubbing his eyes on the kindness of Sri Madhwacharya and also on the fortune of beholding him. Once in the course of his tour Sri Raghuvarya Teertaru visited Swarnavata village in the Nizam state.

The Zamindar of the village sri subba batta and his wife Gangabai invited Sri Raghuvarya Teertaru for Bhiksha in their house but Swamiji refused their offer because they were childless. After repeated requests made by the couple Sri Raghuvarya Teertaru accepted to receive bhiksha provided their first born male child should be handed over to Matha. The blessed couple accepted to do so.

Accordingly Swamiji performed the puja of Sri Moola Rama and Seetha and recieved the Bhiksha in their house and gave phala mantrAkshate to the couple. Some time later Srimati Gangabai conceived. Sri Swamiji was informed accordingly. He returned to the village expecting the birth of the child. A big gold plate was sent to the Zamindar's house from Matha with a direction to receive the child directly in the plate without touching the earth.

Accordingly the child was recieved in a gold plate and brought to the matha where the child was washed with Abhisheka water. The personality and face of the child was beautiful like a moon.

He was named after Sri Ramchandra by his Holiness and brought up at the matha itself and was fed only with Abhisheka milk of the Vyasa Kurma Saligrama of the Matha. When Sri Ramachandra became a boy of seven years he had his upanayanam at the matha and the very next year he was ordained sanyasa and named as Sri Raghottama Teertha.

Sri Raghuttama Teertaru is one of the holiest saints of Uttaradhi Matha who descended for the uplifment of the satvic souls. Sri Raghuttama Teertaru obtained his advanced studies in Nyaya Sudha and Vedanta from the matha pandit, Sri Adya Varadacharya as per the direction of the guru Sri Raghuvarya Teertaru. The pandit used to come to the math daily to teach the lessons on Sriman Nyayasudha.

After some days the pandit puffed up with pride and discontinued coming to the matha for taking classes. There was a Dalapati in the village who patronized the pandit so much, incapable of understanding the greatness of Swamiji and began to respect both swamiji and pandit as equals. Inspite of such insults Sri Raghuttama Teertaru patiently went to the house of pandit with humility to continue the studies. On one occasion the Dalapati invited Sri Raghuttama Teertaru and pandit for partaking the food on a dwadashi day.

Sri Raghuttama Teertaru went to the Dalapathi house a little late due to puja and ahnikam. Varadacharya and others had already commenced taking food without waiting for Sri Raghuttama Teertaru. The lady of the house fell at the feet of Sri Raghuttama Teertaru and apologized. When Sri Raghuttama Teertharu went to Matha he was very much sad at what had happend on that day.

During the early hours of the next day God himself appeared in his dream in the form of his Guru Sri Raghuvarya Teertaru and inscribed the symbolical letters on the tongue of Sri Raghuttama Teertaru and blessed him that he would be a master of all knowledge and learning that he could commence teaching his disciples straight away. He was also directed in his dream that he should give up his too simple life and commence a life of pomp and status, having number of servants, establishments, professionals, elephants, etc. to make the Math strong and powerful center of religious and philosophical learning.

The next day onwards at the usual time of lectures Sri Raghuttama Teertaru himself started to deliver impressive lectures on Nyaya sudha. That particular portion that posed problems of understanding for the pandit Sri Varadacharya himself. On that day Pandit Varadacharya hid himself behind a wall and listened to swamiji's excellent exposition which dispelled his doubts and gave him a grasp of that portion. He lay prostrated before Sri Raghuttama Teertaru and admitted his superiority in knowledge and paid respect to him. The most noble swami comforted the pandit and decreed that he should have first Teertam in Uttaradi Matha. The great religious leader enjoyed the honors befitting a prominent Matha such as the throne, crown, palanquin, white umbrella with chamara, makara taorana, fan, daylight torch, flags and musical instruments.

Once Sri Raghuttama Teertaru was passing through a forest with his disciples. A gang of high way robbers attacked Sri Raghuttama Teertaru and his disciples. Swamiji went into meditation, suddenly they were enveloped in roary conflagration and surrendered to the saint. The noble swamy saved them. Many such extraordinary miracles happened in this regime.

Sri Raghuttama Teertaru desired to enter the brindavana in manampoondi on the banks of the river south Pinakini(penna) which is in villupuram district of present day Tamil Nadu.

This is said to be the holy place where Galava rishi resided. This place is also called "pancha krishnaranya kshetra" Sri swamiji ordered Zamindar of Tiruvannamalai in dream to construct brindavana in specified place.

Sri Raghuttama teertaru entered brindavana in 1595 AD on the day of Vaikunta Ekadashi. At present this place has become a holy seat of piligrimage and vast number of devotees belonging to all castes and creeds perform seva even today. Sri Raghuttama Teertaru is known to save all souls, all those devotees who have taken refuge in him. None of his devotees seem to have returned in dissappointment.

||shrI krishNArpaNamastu||


श्री रघूत्तम गुरुभ्यो नमः ।

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