Shri Vijayeendra tirtharu

 

 Shri Vijayeendra Tirtharu

(1575c-1614c)

·          The 16^th century is considered as Suvarna yuga.   Shri Madhwacharya’s period was vajra yuga.  In 16^th century we come across great scholars (maha jNanigalu) like RaghOtama tirtharu,  Vyasarajaru, Vaadirajaru, Purandaradasaru, Kanakadasaru.  Vedanta and the way of life   were inseparable in those days.

·            When Vyasarajaru was about 50 years old and while traveling places, an old childless couple with over 70 years prostrated to him. He blessed them saying “putravatibava” and told them that the child should be handed over to him.  Surprisingly within a year couple were blessed with a child.  This is the indication to believe in God.  The child was named as Vitthalacharya.  The child was handed over to Sri Vyasarajaru.   At the age of 5 years his upanayana was done.  At the age of 8 years he became SanyAsi and he was named as Vishnu tirtha.  Vyasarajaru made him a VidvAmsa.  As Vishnu tirtha, he learnt “Sarvamoola grantha” six times and “Nyaya Sudha” 9 times from Shri VyAsarAjaru.  VyAsarAjaru made him a great Tapasvi.  VyAsarAjaru made him proficient in 64 Arts.

·           Surendra tirtharu came to Vijayanagar during his sanchAra.  He saw a Tulasi vana and said “KrishNArpanamastu”which means that all the tulasi  in the vana were offered to  Bhagavanta..  He had travelled around Bharat 3 times with fasting.    At that time VyAsarAjara Shishya took Tulasi from the vana and gave it VyAsarAjaru for offering to Bhagavanta.    VyAsarAjaru told that the tulasi brought from him is “nirmalya” tulasi (meaning already offered to Bhagavanta).  What a gereat jNani was vyAsarAjaru.  Shishya was surprised and said that he had brought the tulasi straight from the vana.  VyAsarAjaru then invited Surendra tirtha to his place.

·          Seeing VishNu tirtha there Surendra tirtharu decided to take him to his Mutt. VyAsarAjaru was happy to give VishNu thirtharu to Surendra thirtharu.  (In Hampi during the excavation “Surendra Mutt” Board has been found it seems) . Surendra tirtharu renamed VishNu tirtha as Vijayeendra tirtha.

·          At that time M.A. Basavarajendra (Lingarajendra) was a very popular Shaiva Sanyasi in KumbakOnam (Tamilnadu).  He was good in vAmachAra also.  He was converting people to Shaiva community with compulsion.    KumbakOnam was a great Kshetra.  SArangapAni as VishNu temple and Kumbeshwara as Shiva temple.

·           A meeting was arranged for Vijayeendra tirtharu and Basavarajendra.   To show his greatness Basavarajendra sat on a small wall and the wall started flying over the place and came down.  Seeing this Vijayeendra tirtharu smiled and made his Mene (pallakki) to fly over the wall where Basavarajendra was sitting.  A debate was arranged between them with a betting that whoever lose in the debate must surrender to the winner and become his Shishya.  In the debate Basavarajrndra was defeated by Vijayeendra tirtharu and he had to surrender all the property and left the place.

·            Once when a Dombara showed his skill of walking on a rope, Vijayeendra tirtharu by his yoga shakti walked on bALenaru (thread of plantain stem) and surprised  the dombara.    That is the spiritual spirit he had. 

·         Once when a prostitute was shown to him, he made his Shishya to hit her with a flower bunch which made her to leave her profession.  He was creating this type of parivartana (change) by his skill.  This was the saatvika mahime of Vijayeendra tirtharu.     

·         Another one who was making sculptors wanted to test Vijayeendra tirtha.  But making so many Pratimes he showed his skill and surprised him.

·          A hAvADiga (snake charmer) wanted to test Vijayeendra tirtha.   Vijayendra tirtharu showed him that he can play with snakes by playing on flute through   Adyatma vidye.  He left one special sarpa (serpent). A line was drawn by Vijayeendra tirtharu.  It could not cross that line and went towards hAvADiga.  Then hAvADiga surrendered to Vijayeendra tirtharu.  Vijayeendra tirtharu through his yOga shakti  made a Garuda to come there and to take the   sarpa away from there..   That place is called garuDa tirtha which   can be seen even now in KumbakOnam.

·         A weaver from Kashmir challenged Vijaya tirtha to make a similar shawl that he had done.  To his surprise Vijaya tirtha weaved a shawl which was superior than the shawl shown by the Kashmiri.

·          Another fellow challenged Vijayeendra tirtha to take   abyanjana by tripura sundari Vijayeendra tirtharu   concentrated on Narayana stOtra.  Hw was not disturbed in any way.

·           During the discussion when Appayya Dixita a prominent Shaivite  said that nArAyaNi is the wife of nArAyaNa ,Vijayeendra tirtha answered him that then  mahishi (princes) will be the wife of mahisha (kONa).

·         Vijayeendra tirtha has written 104 granthas.  102 granthas are available out of which 35 granthas are printed.

·          When poison was mixed in milk, he drank it as devara Prasad and composed powerful “NarasimhAshtaka” stOtra.  This is practical siddanta.

·          He also foresaw the Vijayanagar patana.

·         Once an examination was arranged between a prominent JyOtishya (Astrologist) and Vijayeendra tirtha about prediction.  jyotishya had written that raja gets children and he get jahagirs as reward from raja.    Vijayeendra tirtharu had written  in  detail about how many children raja will have and how many jahagirs will be given as reward to him.  Further he had predicted that JyOtishya’s wife will jave delivered a child  that day.    j wife will deliver a baby that day. This is divine jyotishya. After handing over reigns to Shri Sudhindra Swamy, Shri Vijayeendra tirtharu entered Vrindavan on Krishna Jyeshta Thrayodashi in KumbakONam. 

·         Source: Based on the lecture of Dr. V. Prabhanjanacharya