Acharyas who adorned the Peetham between 1380 and 1560

After the great seer, Sri Vidyaranya, a period of approximately two centuries was marked by the reign of eight Acharyas, who ascended the Throne of Transcendental Wisdom, through whose benign blessings and guidance the Vijayanagara empire flourished for nearly a quarter millenia !haracterised by the close connection of the monarchy of Vijayanagara "mpire, the math saw expansion in many areas, through the #arious grants in the form of land, gold and other kind from #arious $onarchs and %ings &nlike the period of Sri Vidyaranya, not much historical information is a#ailable today regarding these great Acharyas who graced the throne Whate#er reliable source is a#ailable has been carefully analysed and a short history of the $ath and its 'receptors in this timeframe has thus been presented

Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati I (1386 138 !

!" Led astray and caught in the forest fire of ignorance, I suffered dismal wounds; The moon that soothed me with divine rays, I hail that great Chandrasekhara! When Sri Vidyaranya was far ad#anced in age, he nominated Sri !handrasekhara (harati ) as his successor Some time after the nomination, with the permission of his *uru, the disciple went on a pilgrimage to se#eral sacred places )n the meantime, %ing +arihara of Vijayanagar #isited Sringeri and pressingly in#ited Sri Vidyaranya to his capital As the $utt required constant attention, the Acharya entrusted the management to a later disciple, Sri ,risimha (harati and then left for Vijayanagar +e stayed there for sometime as the honoured guest of the king, and passed away at a ripe old age Sri !handrasekhara (harati heard of Sri Vidyaranya-s #ideha mukti, and hastened to Vijayanagar The king took him to Sringeri and had him installed on the seat Sri ,risimha (harati, who was temporarily in charge of the $utt with the permission of his senior, went to li#e at a #illage called +aladi +e consecrated a Sri !hakra there and spent his time in worshipping the .i#ine $other and did tapasya When in course of time Sri !handrasekhara (harati passed away, Sri ,risimha (harati was called from +aladi and installed as the next Acharya The Acharya recei#ed +arihara )) at Sringeri where the emperor erected a temple in memory of Sri Vidyaranya and founded the agrahara of Vidyaranyapura, which is the home of many Sringeri priests e#en today

Sri "risimha Bharati I (138 1#08!

-.(/.0 1 2 345 6" He has the lion-like strength and great courage to tackle the wild tusker of ignorance; He sheds light on the secrets of the Veda, I adore the sage risimha !harati! Sri ,risimha (harati had, in addition to his own intrinsic merit, the ad#antage of ha#ing acted as the deputy of Sri Vidyaranya +e so impressed all by his spiritual greatness and uni#ersal lo#e that he came to be looked upon as an incarnation of *od ,risimha himself in a benign form %ing +arihara of Vijayanagar felt that the Acharya would be a great spiritual bulwark to his kingdom and in#ited him to the capital and arranged for his stay there for sometime .uring that period, the Acharya not only initiated the king into appropriate mantras, but also ga#e him #aluable guidance in political affairs and inspired him to carry out many works beneficial to the subjects After the Acharya returned to Sringeri following a second #isit to Vijayanagar, +arihara founded a town in an attracti#e place at the junction of two ri#ers in the Tulu region and arranged a .harmashala for the stay of a large number of sanyasins and other disciples +e also endowed extensi#e lands Subsequently, when the Acharya #isited the town, which had been named ,risimhapura, he had a temple built for *od ,risimha and after its consecration, returned to Sringeri The Acharya ga#e spiritual initiation to .e#araya ), who ruled Vijayanagar after Virupaksha, the son of +arihara )) +e stayed in Sringeri till /012 and then at the request of .e#araya went to +ampi where he attained Siddhi A shrine was erected o#er his Samadhi and a 3inga installed

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Sri P$roshottama Bharati I (1#08 1##8!

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They who sought His feet rose to glory, He is the fleeting world and the ever-lasting soul; !eyond them "oth, He indeed is the transcendent, Homage to the great #ogi, $urushottama! Sri 'uroshottama (harati blessed the emperor .e#araya and his feudatories and went to Sringeri to take o#er the management of the $utt )n /002 the Acharya recei#ed a grant of the #illage of +arihalli by $angarasa, a go#ernor under the #iceroy of Tulu and %onkan pro#inces .e#araya granted 4/0567 a #illage to 'uroshottama Aranya, a disciple of the Acharya

Sri Shankarananda Bharati (1##8 % 1#55!

 !8%A@= @ 48 %ings of earth are His hum"le servants, His smiling face is like the lotus flower, His heart is an ocean of com&assion, I take refuge in the divine 'aster, (hankara )!harati*! After his accession to the 'eetham, Sri Shankarananda (harati #isited Vijayanagar, in#ited by $allikarjuna and prince (ukka 8aya when the emperor ga#e him lands of the re#enue #alue of one thousand six hundred and ninety se#en 9gadayanas-, and (hanappa, presumably go#ernor of the (arakur, the #illage of %angu#alli in his pro#ince A label bearing the Acharya-s name on a pillar of the sandhyamandapa of the Sringanatheshwara temple in %anikatte 4Arisikere taluk7 is shown as a place to which Sri Shankarananda (harati often resorted for meditation

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Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati II (1#55 % 1#6#!

P Q 8R 6 ST (/" Like silver moonlight shines His sacred ash, +reat &oets sing His s&otless fame! He who has con,uered the senses, (alutations to (ri Chandrasekhara !harati! After the #ideha mukti of Sri Shankarananda (harati, the 'eetham was adorned by Sri !handrasekhara (harati )) who had taken Sanyasa in /00: !IJKL M0 : NOI"

Sri "risimha Bharati II (1#6# % 1#& !

XYZ[ ! \ , : -. / He is the famous seat of %nowledge, (u&reme 'aster full of sacred virtues, The ardent devotee of (ri %rishna; I &ay homage to risimha Tirtha! Sri Shankarananda (harati-s successor was Sri !handrasekhara (harati )), who was succeeded by Sri ,risimha (harati )) A record from 'ampapura 4;adatore7 relates to a grant by the residents of the #illage +iriyur to !hikka .ikshita, a disciple of Sri ,risimha (harati )), to conduct Annadana on the banks of the !au#ery in the name of the Acharya % U F6 F,4VHW" -*

Sri P$r$shottama Bharati II (1#& % 151&!

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Indra followed "y all celestials adore this sage of all manly virtues, He fulfils the four ideals of life; I hail the yogi $urushottama! .uring the pontificate of Sri 'urushottama (harati )) Vijayanagar witnessed two usurpations, by Salu#a ,risimha in /0<2 and by ,arasa ,ayaka of the Tulu dynasty in /0:/ (efore his ha=ardous expedition 4/>/> ? />/27 against Vira 8udra *ajapati of %alinga, the Vijayanagar emperor %rishnade#a 8aya sought the blessings of Sri 'urushottama (harati The *uru con#eyed his blessings through one of his disciples, Vidyaranya The emperor granted to the Sringeri $utt a #illage called +uyyaru in (arakur rajya and the attached hamlets, and also ordered the immediate restoration to Sringeri of *a#aturu, *ajanuru, $andali, +arakera, Shimoga and Sollebyle, formerly enjoyed by the $utt but had later gone out of its hands The object of the grant was stated @to secure to the king a three?fold benefit, the destruction of his foes, unswer#ing attachment of his supporters and allies, and extension of his own life, health and prosperity A The emperor prayed for the *uru-s blessings to secure him #ictory in his campaigns The Acharya-s blessings had a mar#ellous effectB %rishnade#a 8aya conquered %alinga, recaptured 8aichur and routed the forces of the (ijapur, Ahmednagar and *olkonda .uring his sojourn in +ampi, Vidyaranya organised the $utt there The emperor issued orders to #illage heads to obey the Sringeri *urus as their masters

Sri 'amachandra Bharati (151& % 1560!

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The lion that kills the ele&hant of lust, The holy shrine of &leasing ,ualities, His smiling face is "right like the full moon; Hail holy master (rimad -amananda! )n />0> +onnappa ,ayaka, a representati#e of the emperor Sadasi#a 8aya of Vijayanagara, granted to the $utt, (astihalli in Aragarajya .uring his #isit to %arkala, the Acharya responded to the in#itation of the local Cains and #isited their temple, where to the astonishment of the assembled worshippers, the idol appeared as Anantha 'admanabha The %udali $utt was founded by ,risimha (harati, a disciple of the Sringeri *uru

Acharyas who adorned the Peetham between 1560 and 1&06

Sri "risimha Bharati III (1560 % 15&3!
?-5[ h ;?n-.63 i His fame is like the swelling +anges-flood; Like .gastya He drinks the desire-sea; He does adore +od risimha daily; /ith love I worshi& risimha the (aint ! )t was during his period that the famous battle of Talikota was fought resulting in the disembering of the Vijayanagar "mpire and in the feudatory chieftains claiming to be independent rulers j- U F/H0 U `l*mJ" : k-

Sri "risimha Bharati I( (15&3 % 15&6!

r s ?-.63 i His wisdom knows what is worth and what is not His will is a tusker that kills lust He is "rave and magnanimous I adore with love, risimha, the (aint of (aints! The period of about two centuries and a half marks the relations of Sringeri with the Vijayanagar "mpire during the years of its prosperity and subsequent decline The $ath acquired possessions outside Sringeri Samsthanam proper, enjoyed full rights o#er the mineral resources )t enjoyed the rights to culti#ate supari 4arecanut7, grow sandal trees and create new plantations )t was exempted from royal customs and taxes and the requirement to supply labour for royal purposes Subject to royal control, the authorities of the Samsthanam were empowered to enforce law and order within their jurisdiction 'roperties of disciples, who died without heirs, were taken care of by the SamsthanamB imperial sanction was necessary only where the #alue of the property exceeded a certain limit )n the imperial capital, the *uru was shown all honours pertaining to royalty, including the Adda 'allakki 4'alanquin7 The blessed message that emanated from the lotus?like face of Sri Shankara (haga#atpada got di#ersified a thousand?fold in the expositions of the Acharya who came after him, e#en as the *anga stream gets #ariegated while flowing o#er different lands )t was the task of Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya to link these #ariegated streams, and canali=e them through se#eral monastic establishments And their successors added to the number of these monasteries, the heads of which were disciples of Acharyas of the Sringeri or deri#ed inspiration and guidance from them To these monasteries, as to Sringeri, flocked ascetics and scholars for contemplation, study and the elucidation of the truth of Ad#aita in its manifold aspects and refutation of the arguments of the ri#al schools These $aths had also shrines and facilities for Annadana attached to them )t is no exaggeration to say that for spotless character, L@L)> o ,!pq R "

saintliness and depth of erudition, the Sringeri Cagadgurus commanded the highest esteem

The Avani Math

According to tradition the A#ani $ath was founded by Sri ,risimha (harati Swami of Sringeri $ath, while he was camping in %olar, and placed in charge of one of the disciples The head of the $ath is known as A#ani Sringeri Swami

Sri "risimha Bharati ( (15&6 1600!

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'en of earth who take refuge in him (hall "ecome lions of lofty virtues His holy feet I adore in full faith Hail risimha !harati the (aint! The Acharya has written a work called Vaidika ,irnaya in which he has demonstrated that it is only Ad#aita that is in full conformity with the teachings of the Vedas

Sri Abhina)a "risimha Bharati (1600 % 16*3!

D!lick to #iew a close?up of the paintingE

A mural depicting Sri Abhina#a ,risimha (harati Swamigal gi#ing the Shi#agita (hashyam to the then monarch of $ysore $6* u $ %"

?-. 48 v J Y o ? w J i He removes fear from all the human minds He is ma0estic and magnanimous .n ocean of s&iritual knowledge Hail ."hinava risimha !harati!

An expert in mantrasastra, Sri Abhina#a ,risimha (harati was an adept of a high order A commentary on the Shi#a *ita, that he wrote, is an outstanding work +e installed a linga named 8ameshwara in /216 at 8udrapada +e also founded an agrahara on the 'aschima#ahini and named it ,arasimhapura after his *uru When the Acharya #isited the $alahanikeshwara temple and noticed the absence of any *anesha image there, he painted with a piece of turmeric a figure of the *od on one of the front pillars and worshipped it "#er since, the outline of *anesha on the pillar has been bulging out presenting a bas?relief, and has come to be known as Stambha *anapati The granite stone behind the idol now sounds hollow inside, while it is quite solid o#er the rest of the pillar

The Shivaganga Math

The Acharya founded a $ath in Shi#aganga and placed one of his disciples, Sri Shankara (harati in charge of it Sri Shankara (harati presided o#er the new $ath till /2>2 and the $ath has since had an uninterrupted succession of *urus

Sri Sacchidananda Bharati I (16*3 % 1663!

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Truth incarnate, firm in self-knowledge He is ever "lissful like (u&reme (hiva, (elfcontrolled, He delights in charity; Homage to 'aster (acchidananda! The Acharya was a nati#e of $adura district and became a #ery sound Vedic scholar in boyhood )n his /2th year, he went to Sringeri where he was nominated as the 6>th Acharya of the 'eetham Shortly after he assumed the headship of 'eetham, the new Acharya #isited )kkeri on the in#itation of Venkatappa ,ayak From there accompanied by the ,ayak, he went to %ollur to worship *oddess $ookambika ,o sooner did Virabhadra ,ayak ascend the throne of )kkeri, than (haira#a, chief of %alasa, in#aded his territory and captured a slice of it, which included Sringeri )n his cupidity, he committed the irrele#ant act of ordering the *uru to come to his court and compelling him to yield the #aluables of the $ath ,othing perturbed the *uru who went into meditation and refused to yield to aggression (haira#a then went to Sringeri and plundered its wealth and on his way back defeated the ,ayak forces that had come for the relief of the *uru Thus emboldened, he again went to Sringeri, and when the *uru was about to lea#e the $ath, relief came from ,ayak (haira#a came a third time to plunder the $ath 3eft with no help but the power of his tapasya, the *uru retired to his meditation, and saw in a #ision the mysterious response of the deities in Sringeri, who appeared as bearing arms and attacking the in#ader The *uru was soon informed that (haira#a had actually left the town +e celebrated the occasion by composing the poems, 8amachandra $ahodaya, *uru Stuti Satakam, 8ama (hujanga , $eenakshi Ashtakam and $eenakshi Satakam Virabhadra ,ayak, Si#appa ,ayak, (hadrappa ,ayak, +anumappa ,ayak and the then rulers bestowed se#eral grants to the $ath during this period Gn his return from a #isit to (ednur, +e built a shrine for (ha#ani in the $alahanikareshwara temple and started se#eral festi#als including a 9rathotsa#a- 4car festi#al7 at the temple and also composed t This festi#al is held e#en today following $aha Shi#aratri in the benign presence of the Sringeri Cagadguru

Sri "risimha Bharati (I (1663 % 1&06!

;5}8; ~ ,%;%;" 55 \ w c -. 48 i

His mighty courage is like that of the mount 'eru, His tender heart is like the sweet nectar, He who is clear in the inner Truth of things I hail that holy 'aster risimha! Somasekhara ,ayak 4/220 ? /2H>7 confirmed the grant of lands in "rehalli #illage to be utilised for the worship of Sri !handramoulishwara The Acharya #isited (ednur at the request of 8ani !hannamaji 4/2H/ ? /2:27 +er minister pro#ided an 9&tsa#a $urti- 4idol used in rathotsa#as7 for the Sri Sringeshwara temple in %igga The 8ani instructed her officers not to collect duties on articles bought for the use of $ath +er successor (asa#appa 4/2:2?/H/07 issued orders to his officers directing them to help Sringeri authorities in their enquiries regarding 9achara- and in the collection of dues The Acharya fed thousands of people during the great famine of Akshaya in /2<2 The places he #isited in his pilgrimage included %ollur, famous for the temple of Sri $ookambika, *okarna and %otishwara +e founded an agrahara which he named Sacchidananapura after his guru, and also installed a linga named Sacchidanandeshwara

Acharyas who adorned the Peetham between 1&06 and 1&&0

Sri Sacchidananda Bharati II (1&06 % 1&#1!
|[ 6 [0 i ; : >T |[ |[ ( :

The lotus in the heart "lossoms due to this (un whose sacred life do distinguised &oets sing, and who is the Truth-%nowledge-!liss em"odied I "ow to that saint, (acchidanada !harati! Sri Sacchidananda (harati honoured (asa#appa by #isiting his capital +e later #isited %igga, Subrahmanya, Velapura, &ppinangadi, ,anda#aram 4the head quarters of a chief7 +e also worshipped Sri ,arasimha installed at +aladi and proceeded to %otishwara, (arakura, (hatkal, +onna#ar and *okarna Sometime after returning to Sringeri, the Acharya set forth on another pilgrimage to *okarna The acti#e association of the $aratha ruling houses with the Sringeri $utt began during the reign of this 'ontiff The $aratha rulers, Shi#aji )), Shambu !hatrapathi of %olhapur line, 'eshwa (aji 8ao (allal 'radhan were all great de#otees of the Acharya and were firmly enforcing the supremacy of the *uru in all socio?religious matters Sri %rishna 8aja Wodeyar )) of $ysore sent from Srirangapatnam elephants, silk cloth and other offerings to the Acharya, whom he described as 9the ruler of the ;oga empire seated on the jewelled throne of Sringapura- The Acharya founded a $utt at (elur The Acharya had a marked de#otion to Sri $ahabaleshwara of *okarna and to Sri $ookambika of %ollur, who was also the tutelary deity of the %eladi ,ayaks +is 9$ookambika stotra- and his 9Sharada stotra- commemorating a ,a#aratri celebration are two gems of poetry +e conducted festi#als in the Sringeri temples on a la#ish scale, to which, among other chiefs, the Sethupati of 8amanathapuram also sent offerings +e had a linga, by name Vidyashankara, installed in 8ameshwaram The benign influence of 9The jewelled throne of .harma- in Sringeri was shed on all alike Visiting scholars were la#ishly rewarded (y their personal conduct and teachings the Acharya lessened the acerbities born of the conflict of contending philosophies and sects The pilgrimage of the Acharya and the temple festi#als afforded opportunities for all classes of people to approach the Cagadguru for guidance and instruction for their spiritual betterment The Samsthanam was only an ancillary to the Sharada 'eetham, the primary aims of which it was meant to subser#e The resources of the Samsthanam

also helped to maintain yatis , temples, Annadana and other charities as well as support sadhakas and scholars in their endea#ours

Sri Abhina)a Sacchidananda Bharati I (1&#1 % 1&6&!

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!y radiating "lessed (elf-knowledge, He annuls ignorance in all "eings; ."hinava (acchidana !harati, Him I adore as my 'aster (u&reme When the new Swami ascended the Vyakhyana Simhasana, (asa#appa ,ayak )) was on the throne of (idanoor After him !hanna (asa#appa ruled for two years and was succeeded by 8ani Virammaji The 8ani in#ited the Acharya to her capital, offered him a Spatika 3inga and an image of %rishna set in rubies and lands #alued at three hundred pagodas 3ater the %ing Somasekhara ,aik in /H26 exempted from taxation all articles that were taken to Sringeri for the ,a#aratri festi#al of Sri Sharada .e#i %rishna 8aja Wodeyar )) was the then ruler of $ysore with his capital in Srirangapatnam +e in#ited the Acharya with the belief that his presence in his State would bring in the much?needed rains for the country and granted (ela#adi and its hamlets +is go#ernment rendered the necessary help to the Sringeri Samsthanam in the collection of dues and contributions, in the maintenance of order in the #illages and in the achara #icharas 3ands granted to the Samsthanam by pri#ate parties were also ordered to be treated as sar#amanyam 4taxes were not le#ied7 Venkatadri ,ayak of (elur sent offerings to the Acharya Veerappa &deyar, ruler of !oorg, granted the #illage of %odalimande and bore the expenses of the 'uja on the Vijayadasami day in the temples at Sringeri 'eshwa (alaji (aji 8ao 'radhan 4/H01 ? /H2/7 sent from his camp on the banks of the %rishna, #aluable offerings to *oddess Sharada and the Acharya 'eshwa $adha#a 8ao (allal 'radhan instituted an annual grant for agrapuja 4first puja to be offered7 to the Cagadguru )n response to an in#itation from the 'eshwa-s uncle 8agunatha 8ao, the Acharya went to 'oona in /H21?/H2/ From 'oona, the Acharya went to ,asik where he attained Videha mukti

Sri "risimha Bharati (II (1&6& % 1&&0!

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The ele&hant that ,uells vital &assions, the eagle that kills the snake of mental &ride, He is also the one who controls the seeds of wild senses; I always adore that seer, risimha !harati!

)n /H22, 'eshwa $adha#a 8ao and ,i=am Ali were at war with +yder A brief respite helped +yder to regain his lost territories ,otwithstanding troubles at home caused by 8agunatha 8ao, the 'eshwa again made war with $ysore, and both sides being exhausted, peace was arri#ed at only in /HH1 &nder such circumstances Sri ,risimha (harati V)) could not take charge of the $utt in Sringeri +yder, howe#er, wrote to the Acharya assuring that his officers would see to the proper maintenance of the charities and the protection of the Samsthanam-s lands The Acharya attained Videha mukti in ,asik For about ten years, ,asik was the centre from which the Cagadgurus of Sringeri propagated the message of .harma (etween /H2/ and /HH6, $adha#a 8ao gradually enhanced the annual State grant to Sringeri $utt from two hundred rupees to fifteen hundred rupees

Sri Sacchidananda Bharati III (1&&0 % 181#!

; Js |[ AB" w +e is the sea of knowledge that expounds Vedanta-s essence which is Thou art ThatB +is #isage beams with wisdom like the $oonB ) bow to Sacchidananda ;ogiI +yder?Ali demonstrated his profound respect for the new Cagadguru by directing his ministers to render all assistance to the $utt

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Tipu, who succeeded +yder, was opposed by the $arathas, the ,i=am and the (ritish )n the course of the campaigns of the Third $ysore War 4/H:1 ? /H:67, 'arasuram (hau marched on (ednur +is hosts commanded by a 'atwardan foolishly plundered Sringeri )n the letter commiserating the Acharya, Tipu wrote, @'eople who sin against such a holy place will at no distant date suffer the consequences of their misdeeds Treachery to the *urus will lead to all round ruin of the family A +e aided in the restoration of the temple and the re?consecration of the image of Sri Sharada Gn se#eral occasions Tipu sought the blessings of the Acharya +e once wrote that he depended upon three sources of the strength ? *od-s grace, the Cagadguru-s blessings and the strength of his arms +e requested the Acharya to perform Satachandi and Sahasrachandi japa and homa )n the subsequent letter the Sultan acknowledged the miraculous effects of the ;aga that led to success in his enterprise and how rains poured and the land flourished The Acharya decided to go to 'oona to seek redress for the spoliation of the $utt Tipu in#ited him to Srirangapatnam before proceeding to 'oona ,ot ha#ing heard from the Acharya for a long time after he reached 'oona, Tipu requested in a letter expressing his con#iction that where#er a godly personage like Acharya stayed, there was sure to be prosperity After returning to Sringeri, the Acharya set out on a pilgrimage to Tirupati, and other holy places While the Acharya was at %anchi, Tipu requested him to bless his charities to the temples there and work of reno#ating the temples partly destroyed during his father-s campaigns Tipu e#en desired to make a pilgrimage to Sringeri, but the desire was not fulfilled (etween /H:/ and /H:< Tipu wrote twenty?nine letters to the Acharya, and e#ery one of them breathed the high #eneration he had for the latter )t is remarkable that Tipu-s enemies also sought the blessings of the Acharya ,i=am? &l?$ulk, the founder of the Asaf Cahi dynasty in +yderabad, e#inced #ery high respect for the Sringeri *uru and issued se#eral special pri#ileges on the $utt )n /<11 'eshwa (aji 8ao )) communicated his decision that agrapuja should be paid to the Sringeri Sharada 'eetham in all religious assemblies +e further declared himself a disciple of the $utt .uring /H<>?<2, (asa#appa ,ayak of Cugali 4Anekal taluk7, (asa#appa ,ayak of Santebennur and !hamaraja Wodeyar of $ysore con#eyed their respects to the Acharya with presents and grants After Tipu-s death, the rightful so#ereign %rishna 8aja Wodeyar ))) was placed on the throne .uring his minority 4/H::?/<//7 .iwan 'urnaiya carried on administration as regent A $adha#a (rahmana by birth, 'urnaiya had a prejudice against Ad#aitins and their Acharyas +e thought that the Sringeri Acharya was leading a life of indolence in the midst of plenty and waited for an opportunity to bring about his discomfiture When the Acharya was in the capital, he proposed a polemical contest between the Acharya and the ablest of the 'andits in $ysore The Acharya accepted the challenge on the condition that a curtain was laid between him and all others assembled .iscussions began and soon reached a high intellectual le#el To 'urnaiya it appeared that he heard the #oice of a woman from behind the curtain &nable to restrain his curiosity, he slightly pushed the curtain and peeped in What a wonderful #ision he hadI +e saw the figure of Sri Sharada discoursing, and slowly it transformed itself into the Acharya +e fell at the Acharya-s feet for pardon, #owed to ser#e him to the best of his ability +e indeed did ser#e the Acharya during his tenure as the regent of $ysore

Thirty?eight letters written by the regent to the Acharya are on record )n /<1>, the Acharya was on pilgrimage for which the regent afforded all facilities While at $adras, the *o#ernor met the Acharya and paid his respects The "ast )ndia !ompany pro#ided an armed retinue for the Acharya-s safety with instructions to the officers to offer all facilities during the Acharya-s pilgrimage After #isiting Tirupati, %anchi, %alahasti, $adurai, 8ameshwaram, Thiru#ananthapuram and other holy places, he went to Srirangapatnam and returned to Sringeri The regent strictly enforced on his officers the duty of seeing that the rights and pri#ileges of the Acharya and Samsthanam were respected The regent held that no other Swami could be taken out in the Adda 'allakki )n /<//, the regent 'urnaiya handed o#er the reins of the *o#ernment to $aharaja %rishna 8aja Wodeyar ))) on his attaining the age of majority The $aharaja lost no time in extending a respectful in#itation to the Acharya to #isit his capital The Acharya then went to +arakeri, which the $aharaja had declared a sar#amanya #illage belonging to Sringeri Samsthanam, for the !haturmasya #ows for the year and there cast off his mortal body Thus passed away from this world an eminent sage, whose spiritual greatness commanded the #eneration of the $uslim and +indu rulers of $ysore, 'eshwas $adha#a 8ao and (aji 8ao )), $ahadji Sinde, ,i=am Ali %han, and last but not least the go#ernors of the "ast )ndia !ompany

+he ,ar-y Acharyas

Sri "ityabodha.hana (83#%8#8 A/0!
A I63 |Nc I`, He who im&arts to worthy disci&les the Truth - 1Thou art the wakeful conscious Inner (elf2 .nd thus removes the dee&ly ingrained delusion, I "ow at the feet of that (age !odhaghana! Sri (odaghana and his successors shed the lustre of their exalted mood instilling in their disciples true bhakti by conducting the daily worship of Sri Sharada and Sri !handramoulishwara and by their precepts leading them to the path of righteousness ?* % Y o `x%"

Sri 1nana.hana (8#8% 10 A/0!

-`?#*c 2 3 : $x% 1 R % Y o ` )3 Y o `,

His clear wisdom e3tracts insightful analogies 4rom the ancient delightful (rutis, .nd sets a"la5e the knowledge of the (elf6 I adore the (aint of such a ,uality, (ri 7nanaghana! Sri Cnanaghana was the author of Tatt#asuddhi Tatt#asuddhi, which is held in high esteem by Sri Appayya .ikshita, the famous Vedantin of the /2th century, is probably a record of the Acharya-s exposition to his disciples According to *uru#amsaka#ya, he worshipped 'inakin 43ord Shi#a7 and Canardana This fact being the earliest reference to 3ord Canardana in Sringeri, the consecration of the ancient Canardana temple in present?day Sringeri is attributed to Sri Cnanaghana

Sri 1nanottama ( 10% 5# A/0!

Y o : ; P3 48 ;., 7nanottama, the foremost among sages, The %nower of the (u&reme %nowledge of the (elf The world honours Him as the e3alted 8ne To that adora"le 'aster, I "ow! A *auda in his pur#ashrama 4pre#ious stage of life7 settled in the south, Sri Cnanottama succeeded Sri Cnanaghana +is work 9Vidya Sri- is a sub commentary on Sri Adi Shankara-s 9(rahma sutra bhashya- Gne of the Acharya-s disciples was Vijnanatman or Vijnanashrama, the author of Tatparyadyotini and a #ritti on ,arayanopanishad, which is a section of Taittiriya &panishad Another prominent disciple of the Acharya was the prolific writer !hitsukha popular for his work on Ad#aita, called Tatt#a?'radipika 4also known as !hitsukhi7 !hitsukha pays homage Y o ?? o Y o ? : ; Y : g 6

to his *uru, Sri Cnanottama as the effulgence that was .akshinamurti, Vyasa and Shankara

Sri 1nana.iri ( 5#%1038 A/0!

Y o ,F; 5k B0n" x. 6 o B0, : Y

He scaled the mount of wisdom ste& "y ste& and clim"ed the &eak of transcendent !rahman His life was fulfilled in that, lofty Truth To (age 7nanagiri, (alutations!

Sri Simha.iri (1038%10 8 A/0!

; h -.B 4) #Jb /hose lion-like inner strength ri&s asunder 'ad ele&hants and wrangles over stu""orn foes; (alutations to that 9ivine (age (imhagiri /hose divine vision "eams with true wisdom! D$#z , % 6

Sri Ishwara +irtha (10 8%11#6 A/0!

63D$/@ \ ,T 48 =J" 7ust as the +reat (hiva, He grants with gracious heart The "oons that &ure "eloved souls as&ire for; I salute and solemnly adore That saintly 'aster Ishwara Tirtha! \ % % ? ^?"

Sri "risimha +irtha (11#6%1** A/0!

@>0 h ; : -. 48, The Light effulgent u& the Vedic Hill The $ower that kills the mammoth Ignorance The royal sage of 'antras I hum"ly surrender to that 'aster risimha! Sri Cnanottama-s successor was Sri Cnanagiri Then reigned Sri Simhagiri, after whom an agrahara 4locality for priests7 near Sringeri has been named The next two Acharyas were Sri )shwara Tirtha and Sri ,risimha Tirtha All of them were great polemics )ndependent works on Ad#aita, elucidations of Sri Shankara-s bhashyas and Sri Sureshwaracharya-s #artikas, glosses representing both the (hamati and the Vi#arana schools, polemical works and works of the class entitled -siddhi- 4books like )shta Siddhi, Ad#aita Siddhi 7, that sum up the #ast literature on Ad#aita during this period, can be said to ha#e set the norm for future writers The Sharada 'eetham was the fountain head of all this expansion of Vedantic knowledge, in the pursuit of which were engaged sages and scholars from all parts of the land ? %arnataka, !hola 1 2 3; \ ;Y o #$%#" : W

4comprising a major part of Tamil ,adu7, Andhra, $aharashtra, and *audadesa 4(engal7 )t was not long before other places of learning were influenced and Vedanta was added to the curriculum of studies

Sri (idyatirtha (1** %1333 A/0!

)dol of Sri Vidyatirtha $ahaswamiji at Simhagiri in Sringeri Also seen flanking him are his two foremost disciples ? Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya $ahaswamigal Nn(? %^ % !63 6 \ , : $ /

His message "rings a"out the Light of /isdom To men that are immersed in ignorance He holds the torch of Truth for the entire world Homage to the holy Vidyatirtha! @+is message brings about the 3ight of Wisdom To men that are immersed in ignorance +e holds the torch of Truth for the entire world +omage to the holy VidyatirthaI 9Verily Vidyatirtha, the 3ord of ascetics, excels the sunB the latter dispels the darkness around us only by day, while the former dispels the darkness both within and without, both by day and nightA ? this tribute paid by "mperor +arihara )) of Vijayanagar is a measure of the greatness of Sri Vidyatirtha

The tenth Acharya of the Sharada 'eetham at Sringeri, Sri Vidyatirtha $ahaswami, was a eminent *uru well?#ersed in all the shastras and Vedas, and was also called , @$aheshwara whose breath was the VedaA, by +is disciple, Sri Sayanacharya in his commentary to the Vedas A number of scholars flocked to +im and became his disciples (esides Sri Shankarananda and Vidyaranya, Sri Satchidananda, Sri Ad#aita (rahmananda 4(harati Tirtha7, Sri Sandrananda, Sri Ad#aitananda She#adhi, Sri $ahade#a Si#a, Sri Ad#aita Sukhananda, Sri Si#ayogi and Sri 'ratyagjyoti were eight other eminent disciples of Vidya Tirtha Vidya Tirtha is said to ha#e installed these eight disciples as the heads of the eight mathas established by him Among his disciples, Sri (harati Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya were the foremost All these ha#e in#oked Vidya Tirtha in one work or other composed by them Always absorbed in the bliss of self?realisation, he spent many years in Simhagiri in the company of numerous disciples, who by his grace became adepts in mantra, tantra, yoga and meditation The royal brothers, +arihara and (ukka #isited him and proceeded with him to Sringeri To the great sage, came a (rahmana lad, young in years but ad#anced in the practice of the #irtues of a mumukshu, from "kasilanagaram 4Warangal7 Finding him worthy, the Acharya admitted him into the order of Sanyasa 4/56<7 under the name of Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha Three years later in /55/ came another learned (rahmana, who was the elder brother of Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha in +is pur#ashrama +e also recei#ed Sanyasa under the name of Sri Vidyaranya Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha stayed with the master, while Sri Vidyaranya went on long tours Cagadguru Sri Vidyatirtha also toured o#er South )ndia )n Simhagiri, there is still preser#ed a strange sculpture, with figures sculpted on its four faces The front face depicts Sri Vidyatirtha flanked by his two chief disciples Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha and Sri Vidyaranya The figures on the other three faces are (rahma, Vishnu and $aheshwara Abo#e them is a figure of 3akshmi ,arasimha and on top is a Shi#a 3inga When the Acharya got this strange multiple image, called !haturmurti Vidyeshwara made, he explained to Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha that his body would assume a shape similar to that after twel#e years of yoga in an underground chamber The chamber was exca#ated on the northern bank of the Tunga, and while the Acharya sat there in yoga, it was closed o#er him Three years elapsed When Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha was temporarily away from Sringeri, the curiosity of the attendants got the better of their duty to their *uru and they opened the chamber The sage-s body had completely disappeared and they saw only the form of the linga on the top of the model in Simhagiri Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha, who was completely upset by this act of indiscretion on the part of the attendants, recei#ed a cheering message be known as Sri Vidyashankara and the Acharya constructed a magnificent temple within the next few years )t is belie#ed that effulgence of the sage continues to manifest itself shedding subtle spiritual influence about the place To this day the seal of the $utt bears the name of Sri Vidyashankara

Sri Bharati 2rishna +irtha (1333%1380 A/0!

Y o ? Y.n / \ / \ )C?" $c j* / \ (// \ ,

That +anga which is the sin-removing refuge to the ignorant, That esoteric knowledge that is the refuge sought "y the wise, That refuge which is good for all who seek !liss, :nto that !harati Tirtha, I "ow! Sri (harati %rishna Tirtha a nati#e of "kasilanagaram 4present day Warangal, Andhra 'radesh7 and younger brother of Sri Vidyaranya, in his pur#ashrama, ascended the throne of transcendental wisdom as the //th Acharya by succeeding his *uru Sri Vidyatirtha +e occupied the throne for 0H years until /5<1 The Acharya-s reign was one of the most momentous periods in the history of )ndia )t was under the guidance of his successor?designate, Sri Vidyaranya, that the great +indu "mpire of Vijayanagar was founded in /552 The Acharya knew that the sacred religion of the land could be preser#ed only if the temporal powers were retained by the +indu rulers )n order to pre#ent the minds of the public from drifting away from spiritual goals and also to retain the influence of the $utt on the common man for spiritual good, he consecrated a golden image of Sri Sharada in the place of the sandalwood image installed during the time of Sri Adi Shankaracharya +e took up the task of reno#ating the temple and $utt buildings .uring the time of founding of the Vijayanagar %ingdom, the Vidya Shankara temple also was built %ing +arihara-s brother $arappa and son?in?law (allapa went to Sringeri in /502 under the direction of the %ing to present nine #illages to +is +oliness for the undisturbed performance of +is tapas and the support of forty (rahmin attendants Gn the occasion of the consecration of Sri Vidyashankara temple, the Cagadguru di#ided lands yielding 211 pagodas into /61 #rittis of fi#e pagodas each and ga#e them away to /61 learned (rahmins who thus settled near the $utt This was the beginning of the present town of Sringeri Scholars proficient in the Vedas and Sastras were honoured with titles and gifts The Acharya is noted to ha#e endowed one hundred and twenty scholars proficient in the Vedas and Sastras with #rittis or small holdings of land