Mantralaya-2078
(Sri VaradendraTheertharu)
Date : Jan 22 2026
Dear Devotees : Namaskara.
| Sri MannMoolaRamastu Mannmathe Moolamahasamsthhaana Mantralaya Sri Rayaramathe||
|| OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAAYA NAMAHA||
Background
The divine greatness of Sri VaradendraTheertharu is described in Mantralaya (2078).
Meaning
In
the sacred and unbroken lineage of Sri Madhwacharyaru and Sri
Raghavendra Swamy, some saints arise not merely to continue a tradition
but to serve as divine instruments for the protection and spread of
eternal Dwaitha Vedanta. Among these blessed souls shines Sri
VaradendraTheertharu, the twenty-fourth pontiff of the Sri Raghavendra
Swamy Mutt. His very life stood as a living echo of Sri Rayaru’s holy
words
“Saptamo matsamo yogi Varadendro bhavishyati” - the
seventh saint after him would be his equal. That divine prophecy
blossomed in all its glory through Sri Varadendra Theertha, whose
presence became a source of strength, faith, and spiritual awakening
for countless devotees.
Born as Sri Balaramacharyaru, he was the
blessed son of Sri Venugopal Acharyaru of the sacred Shashtika
Bigamudra lineage. The divine grace that flowed through this holy
family was so powerful that all three sons of Sri Venugopal Acharya
were chosen to ascend the revered seat of the Sri Raghavendra Swamy
Mutt. Sri Purushottama Acharya became Sri Vasudhendra Theertharu, Sri
Balarama Acharya became Sri VaradendraTheertharu, and Sri
Lakshminarayana Acharya became Sri BhuvanendraTheertharu. This rare and
sacred lineage itself stands as a shining miracle of Dharma and Guru
Krupa.
Sri Balaramacharya received his sacred training under the
great scholar Sri VadeendraTheertharu and later was blessed with
sannyasa by Sri VasudhendraTheertharu, who gave him the holy name Sri
VaradendraTheertharu. From that divine moment, his life became a
radiant flame of Dwaitha Vedanta. With crystal-clear wisdom, powerful
expression, and unshakable command over the Vedas and Shastras, he
stood as a fearless guardian of Sri Madhwacharya’s philosophy. He was
not only a realized yogi and profound thinker but also a wise and
capable leader who guided the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt through a
golden era of growth and stability from 1761 to 1785.
Swamiji
traveled tirelessly across South India, carrying the light of Sri
Madhwacharyaru’s philosophy wherever he went. Kings and noble souls
bowed before his radiant wisdom and deep devotion. Somaraja Nayaka
offered vast estates in gratitude for prayers that bore fruit, while
rulers like Veeravenkata Tirumalaraya and Balasatjung Bahadur lovingly
gifted villages including Dhanapur for the sacred service of the Mutt.
Wherever Sri Varadendra Theertha placed his holy feet, Dharma awakened
and flourished.
Sri VaradendraTheertharu lovingly upheld both
the Vyasa tradition of sacred philosophy and the Hari Dasa stream of
pure devotion. At a time when the Haridasa movement had begun to fade
after the era of Purandara Dasa, he rekindled its divine flame and drew
around him some of the greatest Hari Dasru and saints such as Sri
Vijaya Dasaru, Sri Gopala Dasaru, Sri Jagannatha Dasaru and Sri
Pranesha Dasaru. He nurtured and guided a powerful circle of scholars
including Sri VyasatatvagnaTheertharu, Sri SubhodendraTheertharu and
Sri Jagannatha Dasaru, sending them across the land to spread the light
of Tattvavada. Swamiji himself composed the beautiful Tantrasara in
Kannada, revealing his deep mastery of devotional wisdom, while his
Deva Pooja Paddathi preserved the sacred traditions of worship in
Sanskrit. Even today, the Sri VaradendraTheertharu Sahitya Mandali
continues this holy mission by protecting and sharing the priceless
treasure of Dasa Sahitya.
One of the most radiant and historic
moments in the life of Sri VaradendraTheertharu unfolded in the great
city of Pune, which in those days stood as a powerful fortress of
Advaita philosophy under the patronage of Balaji Bajirao Peshwa. The
royal court was filled with brilliant scholars, and among them shone
the renowned Advaita pandit Sri Ramashastry, who was regarded as the
chief judge of philosophical debates. When news of Sri
VaradendraTheertharu’s arrival reached him, Ramashastry challenged the
Swamiji to a formal shastrartha, confident that no one could surpass
his learning.
So great was his pride in his scholarship that he
placed even his own house and wealth as a stake, declaring that if he
were defeated he would surrender everything, while if he were
victorious Swamiji would have to give up all his titles and honors.
With serene confidence and complete faith in Sri Madhwacharya and Sri
Raghavendra Swamy, Sri VaradendraTheertharu accepted the challenge.
By
divine arrangement, Sri Jayaramacharya, the son of Sri
VadeendraTheertharu and the future Sri DheerendraTheertharu, arrived in
Pune just before the debate and stood beside his Guru in this sacred
mission. For days the debate resounded through the halls of the court
as Sri Varadendra Theertha unfolded the profound truths of Sri
Acharya’s Tattva Siddhanta with flawless logic and unshakeable
scriptural authority. Every argument of Advaita was gently yet firmly
dissolved, and the brilliance of Dwaitha shone forth like the rising
sun.
At last Sri Ramashastry, humbled by truth and touched by
the spiritual power of Swamiji, accepted his defeat. True to his word
he surrendered his house and all his possessions and left for Kashi in
renunciation. That very house was consecrated by Sri
VaradendraTheertharu as a sacred abode of Sri Moola Rama and became the
Sri Varadendra Mutt of Pune. From that blessed day, Pune was
transformed into a radiant center of Sri Madhwacharya’s Dwaitha
tradition, a living testimony to the victory of Dharma through the
grace of Sri Varadendra Theertharu.
Yet the compassion of Sri
VaradendraTheertharu did not end with his entry into Brindavana. Out of
boundless love for his devotees, he appeared in a sacred dream to Sri
Pranesha Vittala Dasaru and revealed that he would manifest in
Lingsugur beneath the very haystack once offered to him in humble
devotion. When Pranesha Dasaru reverently removed the haystack, a holy
Tulasi plant was seen rising from the earth, shining as a sign of the
Swamiji’s living presence. A sacred Purusha Shila was then brought from
Gulaganji Morade and with deep devotion the Vrundavana of Sri
VaradendraTheertharu was established at that blessed spot. Even today
his Mruttika Vrundavana at Lingsugur is lovingly worshipped by the
lineage of Sri Pranesha Vittala Dasaru, standing as a timeless
testimony to the Guru’s unfailing grace and divine promise.
Sri
Varadendra Theertha was far beyond the role of a mere pontiff; he was
the living embodiment of Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s divine promise on this
earth. In Pune, he manifested the supreme glory of Dwaitha over
Advaita, in Karnataka he rekindled the eternal flame of Haridasa
bhakti, and in Lingsugur he abides forever, his divine presence shining
through sacred Tulasi and holy stone. Even today, when devotees whisper
his revered name with faith, the limitless compassion and mercy of Sri
Rayaru flow through him, illuminating hearts and guiding every soul on
the resplendent path of bhakti, tattva, and Dharma.
The
Brindavanas of Sri Varadendra Theertha in Pune and Lingsugur remain
living sanctuaries of grace, where devotees approach with their burdens
and are met with solace and divine relief. By the combined blessings of
Sri Raghavendra Swamy, Sri Vadeendra Theertha, and Sri Varadendra
Theertha himself, ordinary souls are lifted, their doubts dissolved,
and the eternal path of Dharma revealed with love, clarity, and
compassion. Truly, Sri Varadendra Theertha shines as an eternal beacon
of divine grace, wisdom, and boundless devotion, forever guiding
seekers toward the supreme refuge of the Lord.
|| Vandaaru Jana Sandoham Mandaara Taru Sannibham
Vrundaaraka Guruprakhyam Vande Vaadeendra Deshikam ||.
The devotion towards
Sri Raghavendrateertharu is the ultimate truth and is the most simple
and effective way to reach Sri Hari - "NAMBI KETTAVARILLAVO EE
GURUGALA"! “Those who have complete faith in this Guru will never be
disappointed.”
|| BICHALI JAPADAKATTI SRI APPANACHARYA PRIYA MANTRALAYA
SRI RAGHAVENDRATEERTHA GURUBHYO NAMAHA||