The house where Rayaru lived



The road in Bichale leading to Apannacharya's house where Rayaru lived for 12 years

This house was the place where Rayaru lived, stayed and spent twelve years of his life. The house belonged to Appanacharya, a rich Zamindar of Bichale.

Appancharya had started a Patshala where hundreds of students came for their education. These students went around the village collecting alms for their food and, therefore, it came to be called as Bhikshalaya.

The house was a must see for many people who came to Mantralaya. Unfortunately, the house was completely destroyed in the floods when the Tungabhadra river inundated and washed away the village of Bichale.

A closer view of Appanacharya's house

Today, Bichale is a deserted village and the new township has been constructed a little away. Several houses, temples and other structures are still in a ruined state.

The house where Rayaru stayed too was destroyed. Only the walls have been rebuilt. There is no roof on the house but one of the descendents of Appancharya is on hand to guide people and devotees and give them information about the house.

We can see here a design of small mud lamps placed in a rectangle. This was the place where our Rayaru slept. During earlier days, this place was cordoned off by roped with a Kannada caption saying that there is where Rayaru took rest.



The cross is where Rayaru's feet pointed when he slept 



Rayaru slept here. The area has been fenced with lighted lamps.

The place where Rayaru performed Pooje to Moola Rama and other deities was demarked earlier Today, it can only be pointed out.The house is small and two –roomed. The second room is where the anthill was located. It is here that Appanacharya everyday placed milk and a snake came out of the anthill and drank the milk.

One day, Rayaru decided to enter Brindavana. But he did not broach the topic with Appancharya as he knew that Appanacharya would not approve of the idea.

He then decided to get the snake to move away from the anthill. He asked Appancharya to get the anthill removed. Rayaru said it is not good for future generations to have a snake in their house.

Appanacharya readily agree and Rayaru prayed to the snake god to move out. The snake instantly turned into stone and this is the photo of the image.



The Naga idol consecrated by Rayaru in the house



A closer view of the Naga idol

This photo is of Hanuman which is supposed to be very holy. Pray to this God here with a coconut and you wish will come true.



The Hanuman idol that Rayaru worshipped in the house



A descendent of Appanacharya explaining the details about the house and the plans to renovate it

 Today, the house is being rebuilt and it may take some more time for it to regain its original structure. 

A visit to Mantralaya

We decided to visit Mantralaya for a day. It was December 24 and the next day being Christmas, we thought we could spend some time at the temple town where Raghavendra Swamy entered Brindavana.

Since we had decided to visit Mantralaya only a day before, we did not get any train or bus ticket. We, therefore, decided to hire a taxi. We opted for an Toyota Innova since it is comfortable and we were not sure of the condition of the roads.

The travel agency from whom we booked the care charged us Rs, 10.50 per kilometer apart from a bhatta of Rs. 250 per day to the driver. Since we chose a seven seater, we had to pay Rs. 1,000 as tax when we entered the Andhra Pradesh border.

We began at 4-30 a.m. and quickly left the city behind. There was not much traffic and whatever little we saw were vehicles going to the airport and Nandi Hills. Once we cleared Nandi Hills, there was not much traffic till 7-30 a.m.

The road to Mantralaya till Gooti is superb. We had to pay toll at several places and ended up paying upwards of Rs. 200 as toll. However, the road becomes a single lane state highway once we cross Gooti and had toward Adoni. It is from here that the traffic thickens and farmers place their produce right on the road for vehicles to travel over it so that the chaff is separated from the grain. This not only slows down the vehicle but also leads to decreased speeds.

Anyway, we halted for breakfast at a petrol station at Penukonda. That was our only stop. We then travelled at more than 10 kms per hour an were in Mantralaya by noon.

We hunted for a lodge and settled on Brindavana Guest house which is adjacent to the matha. Since it was a Dwadeshi, the matha had closed early.

We came the matha at 4-30 when the temple opened and had several darshanas of Rayaru. The first darshana was the Dharma darshana. The second was from an inner opening and the third was the VIP darshana where you have to buy Rs. 1,000 tickets for an entry.

My suggestion is that you can spend Rs. 1,000 for the closest look of Rayaru. Our family took several such tickets and we went in again and again and saw the Brindavana of both Raghavendra Swamy and Vadeendra Theertha at close quarters. We also did the mangalarthi of both the brindavanas and collected Mantrakshetha.

You can take the Dharma darshana if you are wearing pants. If you want to have darshana from the next two entry points men have to wear Panche and Shelya. If you want Mrithike of Raghavendra Swamy Brindavana, you have to contact e priest of the temple. The Mrithike is readily available in his house and you can collect it from there.   

By the time we came out after having Darshana, it was almost six and we waited in the sprawling angala for the charriot procession.

You can purchase tickets for seves and pooje either at the counter just before the entrance of the temple or the small counter inside the temple to you right when you enter the matha.

The building adjoining the matha serves lunch and even dinner. You can either sit on the floor or even sit on a chair as the matha has made provisions for people with ailments to sit on a chair and eat from a table.

After visiting the Brindavana, you can take time off to visit Bichale and Panchamukhi Pranadevaru, both of which are in Karnataka.

While coming back, if you have time and are interested in seeing other places, take the Raichur route. Raichur has many religious, historic and tourist spots to offer. From Raichur you can go to Gangavathi and from there to Anegundi where you can see the Nava Brindavana and Hampi. You can get back to Bangalore by the Hospet-Chitradurga-Tumkur road.            

The Goshala of Mantralaya

As you enter Mantralaya from the Madhawaram side, the first thing that strikes you is a vast expanse of land which is encircled by a compound. A board says that this is a Goshala and all are welcome to visit.

The Goshala which is at present on 13 acres of land now houses 750 cows and calves. Totally, 186 acres have been set aside for the goshala.

The Goshala has a ready medical team on attendance and it provides the Ragjavendra Swamy matha with the much needed milk.

The goshala was set up with funds from a US citizen and when the flood waters of  the Tungabhadra entered Mantralaya, the Goshala too was destroyed. More than 60 cows and calves that had been tied died while those animals that were left untethered managed to escape to safety.

Even the compound wall of  the Goshala was destroyed as were almost all other buildings within. The Goshala was reconstructed and today it sports a new and vibrant look. The cows are housed in newly constructed cow sheds and there is a separate enclosure for giving medical aid to the bovine animals.

There is a small but beautiful temple of Krishna at the center of the Goshala. The temple is open in the morning and during special and festive occasions such as Krishnastami. The Gokulastami or Krishnastami celebrations held here are worth participating.

Every day, the cowherd leads the matha Govu or chosen cow into the temple where it is worshipped and later led back to the goshala.

The cows here are very docile and the young ones come nuzzling towards you, seeking a piece of jaggery from your hand.

There is a medical team which is constantly on attendance on the cows. The feed for the cows are grown in the goshala itself. The vast expanse of the goshala gives you a feeling of contentment.

You can donate cows here or go for godana. You can also perform pooje and also pay for the upkeep of the cows. You have to pay Rs. 5,000 for godana and Rs. 1,000 for “go grass” scheme.

If you happen to visit the Goshala, pray before the matha cow and seek its blessings by touching its feet and head. If you have a small child make it go through the legs of the cow.

The Tirumala Tirpuathi Devasthanams (TTD) has given Rs 3.5 crores in the form of cows, sheds and other structures under the  Kamadhenu’ programme.

There is a small temple of Hanuman in front of the goshala. The staff at the goshala are friendly and will give you a lot of information. It is called the Krishna Sheter and New temple.      

The little known mathas in Bangalore

In an earlier article, I had written about the Dwithieya Mantralaya at Honnalli which is near Shimoga. There is a Rayara Matha there and the adjoining village of Bidaralli is famous as the home of Bidarahalli Srinivasacharya.

There is one more village by that name and it is near Bangalore. It is near Krishnaraja Pura (KR Puram) on the outskirts of Bangalore. This Bidarahalli is approximately four klilometres from KR Puram.

One has to take left at Aavala Halli. (KR Puram --Bidarahalli cross or Aavalahalli-Hosakote road) to reach the matha.
There is a Madhva Kanva Matha with a small function hall (can be used for  performing engagement or naming ceremony or similar small functions).
You can contact Girish (son of the archaka there) for any details:
 9341073435  or Jayateertha Joshi – 9945541600.

Similarly, there is a Raghavendra Swamy Matha on Magadi Road in Bangalore whish is not all that well patronized.Bangalore has the maximum number of Raghavendra Swamy mathas in India. However, not all of them are well-known.

Some like the matha at Magadi road need more patronage.

Sevas and poojes are conducted at the Magadi Road matha  everyday as per Madhwa Paddathi. The Udupi Krishna idol is with Rayara Brindavana in the sanctum, which is very rare.
The Pratistapana of  the Brindavana was performed in 1982 by  Visveshvara Theerta of Pejawar Matha in 1982.
You can also have the Darshana of  Lakshmi Venkateshwara, Pranadevaru, Rudradevaru, Vishwambara, Parvathi and  Navagraha in the same temple.
If any further information is required, devotees and visitors may contact Mr. Rajendra T.J., 91-9886242922 or 080-23386463.

The Dwitheeya and Trutheeya Mantralaya

This small town in recent years had achieved fame as Dwithieya Mantralaya. The town has an interesting history. During the period of the Vijayanagar Emperors, this town was famous for selling gold and gold coins on its streets, Hence, its name Honalli.

Honalli today is a small town, 50 kms from Shimoga. It is located in Davangere district. The town has many religious institutions and maths but the most famous is the Raghavendra Swamy Matha.

The matha is set amongst picturesque surroundings on the banks of the Tungabhadra. Incidentally, Mantralaya too is on the banks of the Tungabhadra.

The matha has given Honalli the name Dwitheya Mantralaya as it is believed that Raghavendra Swamy himself came and did the pratisthapane of the Brindavana.

The Brindavana here is believed to be more than 300 years old.

The people who wanted to construct a Raghavendra Matha were coming in a procession from Mantralaya, carrying the Mrithike from the Moola Brindavana. The people saw an aged person in holy robes going into the matha and never returning. He is believed to be Raghavendra Swamy.

Even today, you can see the Thate (plate), Hanuman idol and other paraphernila that Rayaru himself brought to Honnali. All these things can be seen before 9 a.m., every morning.       

The contact mobile telephone number for Honnali matta  is 9880917328 (Sri Raghavendra). He is very helpful.

The matha has seven rooms and also a Kalyana Mantapa for performing functions. It is advisable to call up the matha if you want Theertha Prasada and accommodation. The matha will take care of all your pooja and seve arrangements.

Apart from the Raghavendra Swamy temple, Honnali has several religious structures. The Tuggalahalli Temple and Thirtha Rameshwar temple of Shiva are worth a visit.
The moola Brindavana of Bidarahalli Sreenivasa Theertha (1590-1640), a sanyasi of the Uttaradhi Matha, is also located here.  Bidarahalli Srinivasa Theertha was a contemporary of Rayaru and he was a noted Madhwa scholar. Raghavendra Swamy met Bidarahalli Srinivasacharya in Bidarahalli near here and appreciated his works. It is from the time of Srinivasacharya that the Rayaru Matha uses mustard during Chaturmasa. This story is too well-known to bear any repetition here.

It is believed that in his later avatar he became Jagannatha Dasaru, the author of  Sri Harikathaamrutasara.

Some of the important works of Srinivasacharya are Srimanyaayasudha, Tatvaprakashika,  Dashaprakaranateeka, Pramanapaddati, Bhagavatha and  Rugbhashya.

Honnali is noted for its holiness and its temples even before the establishment of the Rayaru temple. One of the Madhwa saints, Vadiraja Theertha, in his Theertha Prabanda says, “
  Maa yaahi pushkara mahee mathavaa
Prayaagam Kaasheem Gayaam
Badharikaashramamapya saadhyam
Sethu cha Raaghavakrutham
vara Thunga Bhadhraa Theera
Sthapippaalaham harimehi sidhdhai”.

What Vadiraja means is that instead of going with difficulty to places like Kashi, Gaya, Prayag (Ahallabad) and Badari, you can come to the Tungabhadra and it will give you the same sanctity and holiness.

The Tungabhadra flows right in front of the Matha. You can take bath there and perform seve or pooje at the matha. Kooldi is near Honnali. This is the place where the Tunga meets the Bhadra.  

By the way, the Udugani Sri Raghavendra Swami Mutt, which is considered to be the Trutheeya Mantralaya is near Shikaripura in Shimoga district. Shikarapura is near to Honalli.

People will tell you that after Rayaru disappeared into the Garba Gudi at the Honnali Rayara Matha, he came next to Udugani with the same set of articles and once again disappeared into the Garba Gudi, never to be seen again.    

Udugani is also the birthplace of Akka Mahadevi, the famous Vachana poetess and a woman saint. The temple town of Balligavi is nearby.

It is just seven kms from Shikaripura.

There are Rayara Muthas at Shimoga, Bhadravathi, Hosanagara, Teerthahalli and Davangere ofcourse.

Honnali is taluk headquarters and reaching the town is easy. If you are going by road, go first to Shimoga and from there Hobnnali is nearby.

You can also take the railway route.Peole from Bangalore and Mysor will have to get down at Harihar and take a bus from there to Hoinnali. The bus stand at Harihar is adjacent t the Railway station and there are plenty of buses leaving for Shimoga via Honnali.

The distance from Harihar to Honnali can be covered in 45 minutes. The Janashatabdi Express and several other trains stop at Harihar.

 

The saint who vanished into a tree

The aradhane of one of the most important seers of the Raghavendra Swamy Matha just concluded. The second seer to occupy the post of the Sri Matha after its founder Vibhudendra Theertha, he did not enter the Brindavana alive or dead. He vanished into thin air after the swirling waters of the Krishna covered him.

Known as Jitamitra, he was the head of the Sri Matha for a short time-from 1490 to 1493. However, this duration was enough to place the fledgling Sri Matha on a firm footing. 

The Aradhane of  Jitamitra Theertha was celebrated on December 24. It is believed that in his next avavtar Jitamitra Theertha became Sudhindra Theertha-the Guru of Raghavendra Theertha or Raghavendra Swamy, while his Guru-Vibhudendra Theertha took avatara as Vijendra Theertha.

Jitendra Theertha had visited Bichale during one of his visits and he planted the Gum tree or Gona (in Kannada Gone means Gum) which in later years Appancharya made use of to cook rice. Though the tree was destroyed by the floods of the Tungabhadra river in 2009, a sapling of the original tree still exists.

Once Jitamitra Theertha was teaching his students in December 1493 at a place now known as Jitamitra Gadde, 32 kms from Raichur Krishna-Bheema river basin in Shivapura of Shahapur Taluk in Gulbarga district.

The Krishna was then in floods and the water level suddenly rose, inundating several areas. The students and others ran away, leaving Jitamitra Theertha behind. Soon, the seer was engulfed by the flood waters and for a week the waters never receded.

On the seventh day, when the waters receded, the disciples, students and others were astounded to see Jitamitra Theertah still sitting under the tree. When they went near, they found the seer was not wet and that his body remained bone dry.   

He subsequently disappeared from the very place into the Gum tree and today there is a memorial at the spot denoting the place. There is, however, no brindavana for Jitamitra Theertha.

He is the fourth Madhwa saint after Madhwacharya and his brother Visnhu Theertha of Sode and Subramanya Matha and Brahamnye Theertha of Vyasaraja Matha to disappear.

Today the tree still stands and it is worshipped. The area around it is called Jitamitra Gadde, as small island which is approachable from Raichur and Gulbarga. 

Jitamitra Theertha’s Poorvashrama name was Ananthappa.

He had lost his father at a very young age and the responsibility of bringing him up fell on his sister who had become a widow. The upanayana of Ananthappa was conducted when he was eight.

He assisted his sister in grazing cattle, ploughing the fields and sowing seeds in Shivapura, a small village in Gulbarga district.

They both together worked in their fields to make ends meet.

Every morning, Anantappa performed  sandhyavandana and other poojas. He then joined his sister in the fields.  Since he had to work, he took out the sacred thread-Janavara- and hung it on a tree.

Once Vibhudendra Theertha happened to pass by and he noticed Ananthappa. When told the boy was a Brahmin, the seer asked Anantappa where his sacred thread was.

Ananthappa replied that he had hung the thread back home as he had to plough the field.  Vibudendra Theertha then taught the boy the importance of never removing the sacred thread.

He then visited the house of Ananthappa and spent time there. He performed the pooje of Moola Rama and gave daily discourses.

After some time, he gave a Narasimha saligrama to Ananthappa and asked him to worship it.

By then, Vibhudendra Theertha realised that Ananthappa was none other than an avatar of  Rudra. After Vibhudendra Theertha left his house, Ananthappa regularly performed Saligrama pooje.

When he performed the Saligrama pooje the first time, he offered Naivedya to the Saligrama. When the Saligrama did not take the Naivedya, an angry Ananthappa decided to hit himself with the Saligrama.

When there was no response, he began hitting his head with the Saligrama. The Saligrama then opened its mouth and ate the Naiveidya. Soon this became a regular routine.

Ananthappa first offered food to the Saligrama. Only then would Ananthappa and his sister eat  

Meanwhile, Vibudendra Theertha who had gone on sanchara to  north India came back to Shivapura. When the seer was told about the Saligrama accepting food, he decided that he had found the right disciple to hand over the ashrama.

Vibudendra Theertha then gave sanyasashrama and the Samstana box to Anantappa and named him as Jitamitra Theertha. He then entered Brindavana at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.

There are many miracles associated with Jitamitra Theertha.

If you are coming from Raichur, get down at the railway station and Jitamitra Gadde is 50 kms away. You can either take a bus or rail. The Intercity Express leaves Raichur at 7 a.m. Get down at Saidapur station (Narayanapet Road) and take an auto or vehicle from here. Take the Mungal - Sangwar -Kondapur -Joladagi barrage/ bridge - Gwanal –Shivapur route and you will stop at  Jitamitra Gadde. The distance from Saidapur station is  approximately 30 km.

For bus route from Raichur take the Gabbur- Googal Bridge / Barrage- Bendegambli- Shivapur route which ends at  Jitamitra Gadde. The distance is approximately 80 km.

The underground temple of Rayaru

There is only one underground temple dedicated to Raghavendra Swamy and that is more than eighty years old. This temple was built in the heartland of the Deccan and the capital of the Adil Shahis.

The temple is in Bijapur and this year it celebrated its 82nd year of Prathistapane. The Brindavana was conceived by Raghuprema Theertha  as per the shastras laid out by Madhwacharya.

Raghuprema Theertha belonged to the Kudli Akshoba Theertha Matha. He was born in Ayachoti village in Kadapa district to Tungabai and  Swamirayacharya in 1860 A.D. He entered Brindavana in 1943.

According to Pavamanachar, the priest of the Raghavendra Swamy Temple of Bijapur, Raghuprema Theertha, had decided to enter Brindavana at this very place. He, however, changed his mind after Rarayu came in his dreams. The then Tahsildar Gundu Rao decided to go ahead with the construction of the temple and consecrate the Brindavana of Rayaru here.

Some old timers and contemporaray texts on the life and times of Raghu Prema Theertha have a slightly different account of the events leading to the establishment of the temple.  They say two residents of Bijapur, Perur Gundu Rao and Dr. Govinda Rao along with others came to Adoni where Raghu Prema Theertha was staying and sought his help to tide over their problems.

The Seer decided to visit Bijapur and personally look into the problems of the people there. He suggested that all the families would benefit if a Brindavana of Raghavendra Swamy were to be constructed.

Both Mr, Gundu Rao and Dr. Govinda Rao agreed to the suggestion and Raghu Prema Theertha himself suggested that the Brindavana be installed underground and steps be provided to reach it.

Raghu Prema Theertha himself designed the plan and structure of the temple as per Madhwacharya’s  Tantrasara Sangraha Grantha. This granta deals with aspects such as architecture of temple construction, the rituals to be performed and the steps needed to invest the place with holiness and sanctity.

The Brindavana came up in a record time of 6 months and it was inaugurated in 1930.

This temple is in a locality called Jorapur Peth which is on Bableshwar road. There are a flight of 23 steps that lead underground to the Brindavana dedicated to Rayaru. Almost all but the last step is one foot in height.

There is a small well behind the Brindavana. The wall of the Garba Gudi housing the Brindavana and the well share the same wall. Water for the Pooje, abhisheka is taken from the well. The well is at a lower level than the Brindavana too and it has never run dry despite Bijapur being one of the driest places in the country.

Mr. Pavamanachar says the Brindavana is at least 23 feet below ground level. He says only the pooje is performed underground. The hall for partaking Theertha Prasada, rest rooms and a small hall are built overground.

He says the underground chamber is so cool that flowers such as Mallige and rose will not wither for two to three days. He says the present owners of the matha, who are the descendents of Gundu Rao,  have undertaken several developmental works.

He says the owners even tried to get the roof of the underground chamber housing the Brindavana repaired. However, almost all the engineers who inspected the roof said nothing could be done as it is an engineering marvel and it is better not to tamper with it.

He says the Brindavana has been constructed in such a manner that it is completely visible from the top of the stairs.    

The temple here is known for many miracles. Mr. Pavamanachar has a list of almost all the miracles that Rayaru performed here from the Brindavana.

There are three other Rayara mathas in Bijapur but this is the oldest. However, the oldest Madhwa matha is at Mahipathi Galli which is about two kms from this place. It has the Samadhi or Brindavana of one of the seers belonging to the Uttaradhi Matha. There is also an Uttaradhi Matha here.              

 The other Rayara mathas in Bijapur are at Divatageri Galli near Station Road (Ph No: 08352-220300) and at the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha on Bagalkot Road (08352-277322). However, this Rayaru Matha at Jorapur Peth is the only underground matha in India.

Interestingly, this is among the two underground temples in Bijapur. The other underground temple is in Torvi and it is dedicated to Narasimha. This deity is called Torvi Narasimha. This is the exact place where Kumara Valmiki wrote the Torvi Ramayana.

Torvi is on the outskirts of Bijapur. It is near to Navaraspur, the city of music which was planned by Ibrahim Adil Shah and left unfinished. The 63 graves of the wives of the Bijaour General Afzal Khan are also near Torvi.

I have personally visited the Rayara Matha at Jorapur Peth and the Narasimha Temple in Torvi. I can vouch for the sanctity and holiness of both the temples.

Bijapur is a city with history. It is the home of Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rouza. You can take a train or bus from Bangalore. The Basava express leaves Bangalore in the evening and reaches Bijapur the next morning. Buses leave in the night and reach Bijaour in the morning. There are many lodges in Bijapur which offer a reasonable level of accommodation.

Stay back at Bijapur and Kolhapur (Maha Lakshmi Temple), Pandhrapur (Panduranga Vittala) and Tulzapur (Amba Bhavani) from here. Take in a visit to Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal and Banashankari-which has temples by the Chalukyas and Yelgur which has a beautiful temple of Anjeneya. The small town of Talikota is near Bijapur. It is here that the decisive battle between the Muslim kings and Vijayanagar was fought in 1565. Almatti dam is one of the biggest in Karnataka. Its twin town Seethimani is associated with Seetha and Ramayana.  

A day in the life of Raghavendra

There have been reams of  print and now television and video footage on the life, times and miracles of Raghavendra Swamy, the Bard of Mantralaya and the Kalpavriksha Kamadhenu of Kailyuga.

Much is known about the “Mahime” of Rayaru as he is affectionately called. His works are classics, his miracles all encompassing and his Brindavana a source of inspiration and devotion to one and all.

When I began reading books on Raghavendra Swamy and the contemporary accounts of this great seer, I slowly realised that apart from being a gentle and humane person, he was a true task master and he set himself high standards which he, however, easily breached.

Whether in private life or in public, Raghavendra always radiated calm and peace, scholastic demeanor and even temperament. I went  through the sayings of his cook who accompanied him on his many travels and also books such as Raghavendra Vijaya and family accounts and found out that he practiced what he preached.

Once he took up Sanyasa, the life of Raghavendra underwent a sea change. He devoted more and more time to training and teaching disciples, writing books and debating with scholars.

He kept up a punishing schedule which he followed even when he went on tour. Whether it was Kumbakonam where he spent his formative years as a Sanyasi under the guidance of Sudhindra Theertha or Bikshalaya or Bicchale where he spent 13 years, his schedule was almost the same.

I take this opportunity to write a few words on the daily life of our beloved Rararu in Kumbakonam. Please remember that there is perhaps no eyewitness account and the events have to be pierced together from different sources. The most authentic source continues to remain Raghavendra Vijaya. Another book is by Korti Sreenivasa Rao.

One indisputable aspect that we can reconstruct from the daily life is that Raghavendra Swamy was always at hand to help those in distress, teach his Shishyas, bless his devotes, write books and commentaries in his clear and lucid style and  spread the message of Dwaitha Siddhanta (philosophy).  

Raghavendra Swamy enjoyed a busy schedule and this part deals with his daily life in Kumbakonam. He had just been anointed the successor of the Sri Matha by Sudhindra Theertha and he had taken charge of the Matha and its affairs.

Sudhindra Theertha had entered Brindavana at Nava Brindavana in Hampi and Raghavendra had come back after personally overseeing the arrangements at Nava Brindavana. Sudhindra Thertha himself had asked Raghavendra to take charge of the arrangements for his final journey and Rayaru had done it.

At Kumbakonam Matha (now it is called the Vijendra Theertha Matha. It has several areas associated with Raghavendra Swamy and the priests and matha officials will be happy to tell you), Rayaru would get up much before dawn.

Hr would then commence his daily routine with a prayer to his Moola Rama and Hanuman. He would read the sacred texts and then come out of the room to see the devotees and matha officials who had already queued up for a darshan of  Rayaru.

He would meet the devotees and accept their offerings and bless them. While the devotees went back satisfied, Rayaru would head to the Tulasi Thota (Garden of Tulasi) in the matha. Here he would pray to Goddess Lakshmi and Prana Devaru.

Rayaru then got into the palanquin and set out to Cauvery river which is a short way from the Sri Matha. (Even today, some people of  Kumbakonam can guide you to the route that Rayaru to the Cauvery) All along the way, Rayaru would be reciting Gajendra Moksha Shloka.

( Gajendra Moksha is one of Shkolas in the Bhagavath Geetha. It is believed that if anyone recites this early morning, it can give us the same power as the Vishnu Sahasranama. This sloka deals with the episode of the crocodile and the elephent).

The palanquin with Rayaru and some of his followers would reach the banks of Cauvery. (This spot can still be seen in Kumbakonam).The palanquin would be gently lowered and the palanquin bearers would step back with respect. Rayaru would emerge with the sacred beads in his hands and a prayer on his lips.

He would then walk towards the Cauvery for his daily ritualistic bath. He would put mud on his hands and feet and wash it away in the Cauvery.

Then would begin the sacred bath. He would chant the name of Narayana thrice and sprinkle water over his head.He would also offer Argya to his beloved gods. He would chant Shadakshara and Dwadasha mantras. Rayaru would then step out of the Cauvery and wear a fresh set of clothes. These clothes would be washed a day earlier and hung out to dry.

Rayaru would sit down and anoint himself with the Gopichandana. Raghavendra Vijaya gives a beautiful account of the bathing scene, the Cauvery and Rayaru appearing from the water. It also speaks of how Rayaru looked after putting on the Gopichandana.

Now would come the Gayatri Mantra Japa and Pranava Mantra.He would then walk upto a small platform near the rover side where an idol of Narayan was placed. He would worship the idol with water and honey in the prescribed manner.

The next ritual was the pooje and Namaskara to the Brindavana of  Vijendra Theertha. This saint was the teacher of  Sudhindra Theertha. After spending some time at this Brindavana, Rayaru would walk to the Sri Matha,

On the way was the temple of Kumbeshwara, which is the presiding deity of  Kumbakonam, Rayaru would pray here and then move to the Sri Matha. His walk to the Sri Matha was heralded by the blowing of conch shell, beating of drums and playing of Nadaswara.

People lined up on both sides of the street to watch Rayaru walk with his wooden Padukes.The brisk walk of Rayaru elicited the admiration of one and all.

He would walk into the matha even as hundreds of people were waiting to see him. After meeting them, Rayaru would start the daily academic calendar with Bramasutra Bhashya. An expert on this subject, the audience listened spellbound to his commentary and interpretation of the Bhashya. (Pleas remember that in his earlier avatar as Vyasa Theertha, he was considered to be an expert on the Bhashya). He would also give a discourse on the Upanishads,

These discourses would go on till afternoon. Rayaru also took on scholars for a debate during this time. He would ask his disciples to reflect on what they had learnt from his discourse.

Next would be the afternoon rituals. Rayaru would now proceed to the tank adjoining the Sri Matha for the afternoon bath. He would then start performing the pooja to his favourite Moola Rama Devaru. This was an elaborate ritual and it included performing Abhisheka to the Saligramas and to Lord Rama and other deities of  the Matha.               

Rayaru would then take Theertha and do Mangalarthi to the deities. Naivaidya would be offered to the god and Rayaru would head to a small room in the matha for his frugal food.

Afternoons after lunch would be devoted to discourses and teaching his disciples grammar and logic.

The evening pooje commenced after a bath at the tank. Rayaru would perform Abhisheka to the Saligramas  He then offered milk and fruits to Moola Rama and other deities. He also lit the camphor for the deities himself.

It was now time for his Shishyas to lead Rayaru onto a small but decorated stage in the matha. There was a white umbrella placed to cover the elevated seat on which Rayaru sat. People would gather in large numbers to hear and listen to the words of Rayaru.

Once this was over, the people would disperse and Rayaru would retire to his room and continue with his reading. It was also around  this time that he wrote his works.             

Let me interpolate one aspect here After every bath, Raghavendra Swamy performed Sandhavandhana. Only after Sandhavandhana did he perform other poojes.

During his prayers to Rama, Raghavendra often lost himself in a trance and sang Indu Yenage Govinda. He was an  accomplished veena player as was his father and grandfather.

This routine of Raghavendra did not change when he was on tour or when he went on Sanchara. The only change was that when on tours, he would honour scholars who had impressed him in debates with cash prizes.

Though he toured extensively, Rayaru rarely ,if ever, deviated from his set schedule. This routine too remained unchanged when he settled down for 13 years at Bhikshalaya or Bichale near Mantralaya. The onloy difference was that Appanacharya personally cooked food for Rararu and prepared Naivaidya for Moola Rama Devaru and other gods.

If you happen to visit Kumbakonam, pleas edo not miss the Vijendra Theertha Matha, It is here that Ragjhavendra Swamy spent his early years as a Sanyas.

There are idols of Krishna and Hanuman which he worshipped. There is also a place near the Brindavana of  Vijendra Theertha from where he gave discourses on Brahmasutra Bhashya. The idol of Lakshmi Marayana was installed in the matha by Sripadaraja, another great saint of the Madhwa order.

Rayaru worshipped all these idols daily.   

                        Credit-Blog Samyuktha Harshitha     

  

Finding a needle in a haystack

Grandfather was a doctor in Mysore and he was one of the best during his time. He had a clinic which was called Lokamba pharmacy.
He was a devotee of Raghavendra Swamy and he always had a prayer or song on Rayaru on his lips. He had practically retired from the profession in the 1980s and he spent his time in reading and writing about Raghavendra Swamy.
He always hummed some lines about Raghavendra Swamy. A great sport, he played Chowka Bara with his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law.
He was fond of  good food and he himself took pains to grind Hittu for Idli and Dosa. In those times, there were no mixers and grinders and the batter (Hittu) had to be manually ground on a grind stone.
His house was always an open house and scores of relatives came, stayed and went. He was hospitable to all of them and always ordered dosas from the nearby Raju Hotel, which was one of the best hotels in Mysore.   
One day in 1982, grandfather was shaving in the morning when he uttered a loud cry.  When his family members rushed to him, he was in pain and he was not able to lift his hand.
He was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with bone cancer. The diagnosis was a shock to the family members as he had always been healthy and he had never shown any symptom of any disease.
Further diagnosis revealed another shock. The cancer had spread too far and cure was almost nill. The doctors, however, decided to do what bet they could to save a life.
One of the daughters-in-law of the doctor decided to do seve to Raghavendra Swamy. She did the seve with utmost devotion and madi. She prayed for her father-in-law to be cured of the dreaded disease.
On night, she had a dream in which Rayaru appeared and asked her to find out a needle which had fallen in a haystack. Get me the needle and I will cure the doctor, he said.
The daughter-in-law understood that the disease had spread beyond any cure and even Rayaru could not reverse the irreversible. She, however, continued the seve for the duration which she had promised Rayaru.
Days passed by and the doctor began sinking, No amount of medicine seems to help and he was admitted to KR Hospital. He spent the last few days of his life shuttling between his home and hospital. Although in deep pain, he never was depressed and took things as they came.
He had a deep love for his two brothers. While one of them was in Mysore, the other was in Bangalore. He held on to his life till his brother from Bangalore, also a doctor, came.
The moment his brother from Bangalore came, he was told about it. The doctor turned his head towards the door and tried to look at his brother. That was the last action as he slid into permanent slumber.         

The miracle of the Mrithike

There are innumerable instances of the miracles performed by Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru as he is more popularly known. He has been performing miracles from the Brindavana too.
This is an article about the miracle that Raghavendra Swamy did when he was to touring Bijapur district. I do not know the place where this miracle took place. All I have read about it is that it took place in Bijapur district where a river was flowing nearby.
This miracle is narrated by a cook who used to accompany Raghavendra Swamy everywhere during his sanchara.
Needless to say, the cook was a Brahmin and he was an eye witness to this incident.
The cook was one day conversing with his neighbours in Kumbakonam and during the course of the conversation he mentioned how Guru Raghavendra managed to get one of his devotees married without even bringing the bride and groom face to face.
This is how the incident occurred.
During one of his visits to north Karnataka,  Rayaru halted at a place near Bijapur. Rayaru decided to take bath in the river and then offer pooje to the idol of Moola Rama Devaru.
The rest of the followers too decided to take a dip in the river. Among them was a simpleton called Venkanna. The followers came across Venkanna’s father and asked him why Venkanna was still not married.
Venkanna’s father replied that his son was mentally unsound and that nobody would gave their daughter in marriage to such a person. Some of the followers found that Venkanna was not in his right senses and that he was prone to talking nonsense incessantly.    
That day, Venkanna got an idea that he should marry. He then began broaching the topic of his marriage with the rest of the group. Several members on the group made fun of Venkanna while some humiliated him.
When Venkanna was told that there was nobody to give their daughter in marriage to him, he approached the Brahmin cook and sought his help.
The cook told his listeners that he too made fun of Venkanna. “When you  do not have any money to survive, who ill give you a bride?, he asked.
Venkanna did not know what to do and he innocently asked the cook to tell him the next course of action. The cook really did not have any answer and tried to wriggle out of the problem by asking Venkanna to approach Guru Raghavendra for help.
“Go to Guru Raghavendra and pose your problem to him”, the cook told Venkanna. The answer did not fully satisfy Venkanna and he once again asked the cook what to do if Guru Raghavendra too cannot help him.  The cook was irritated by the question and asked Venkanna to approach Rayaru himself.
Venkanna was so simple and pure at heart that he straightaway walked to the river where Rayaru was taking bath. He stood looking at Rayaru and then made up his mind to seek help from Rayaru.
Venkanna then walked upto Rayaru and said he wanted to tell Rayaru something. Rayaru smiled and told him to go ahead. Venjanna then revealed his wish, Rayaru smiled.
Venkanna appeared dissatisfied with the reaction and once again broached the topic of  his marriage. Rayaru then blessed Venkanna.
Venkanna still stood his ground. Rayaru understood his predicament and spoke to him. “I am a sanyasi. I have given up all worldly things. What can I give you”, he asked. Venkanna summoned courage and exclaimed, “Give me whatever you have.”
Rayaru then gave Venkanna the Mrithike he was holding in his hand when he had come out of the river. Venkanna was overcome with joy and reverentially put the Mrithike in a clothe and held on to it tightly.
Venkanna thought that the Mrithike was very powerful and that it would help him get married. He told everybody about the Mrithike and left the group to search for a women whom he could marry. Venkanna said he would return to the group only after he married.
He began walking and after some time he grew tired. He saw a house of a Brahmin and decided to sleep there itself. He saw that the house had a small balcony and he decided to make a bed for himself there.
He made his bed and was about to sleep when he heard sounds coming from within the house,  He could only sleep fitfully. During the dead of night, Venkanna woke up to find a huge figure standing before him.
Venkanna looked at the figure with sleep in his eyes. He ignored the presence of the figure and decided to go back to sleep. The figure shouted and woke up Venkanna again. It asked him to throw away the clothe as it had some fire in it,  The figure said it was not able to gain access to the house as the clothe was coming in the way. “Throw it away so that I can enter the house”, it said.
Venkanna then opened the bag and found that it contained the  Mrithike Rayaru had given him. As if in a trance, he took a little Mrithike in his hands and put it on the door step. The huge figure asked to be let in. “I am a demon and I have come here to eat the child that was born today”, it tells Venkanna.
The demon tells Venkanna that it will give him anything if he removes the Mrithike. Venkanna asks for gold and the demon brings it.
Venkanna then sprinkles Mrithike on the demon. The demon is freed of the Rakshasha dosha and obtains salvation.
Venkanna then goes to sleep. The next day, when the Brahmin comes out, he sees Venkanna who tells him everything that happened .
The Brahmin realizes that Venkanna has saved his child, He says his children used to die soon after his wife gave birth. Priests had informed him  that some evil spirits were talking away all his new born children.
Venkanna then narrated the reason for his halt. The Brahmin realised that his brother had a daughter Radhamma who was of marriageable age . He immediately decided to get Radhamma married to Venkanna.
Venkanna was overjoyed and he came back to the group and informed them of the events.  The cook then informed Venkanna’s father.
When Rayaru was informed, he merely smiled. He once again turned to Venkanna and smiled at him. This smile and the  Mrithike transformed Venkanna into a normal human being who got married and lived a normal life.
This is the power of Rayaru’s Mrithike. If you believe in it, it will always be there to help you.   

The Anjaneya that Rayaru consecrated

It is a very small village in Andhra Pradesh but it has an important link to Raghavendra Swamy. It is here that Raghavendra Swamy sat for Chaturmasa and it is also in this place that he consecrated one of the two Anjeneya temples.

This is also the village where Teekachar, the great Madhwa scholar and an amsha of Arjuna, and Raghavendra Swamy himself appeared on the idol of Hanuman.  

This village is almost exactly between Chippargi and Alur in Andhra Pradesh. Its claim to fame is because of the small but beautiful temple of Anjaneya or Mukyaprana. This is Hattibelagall.

Hattibelagall is just a short distance from Guntakal and if one wants to visit this village it can be clubbed with a visit to Chippargi which is also near Guntakal and which houses the Samadhi of Vijaya Dasa.

This idol is very unique as it has images of Lakshminarasimha, Teekachar or Jayatheertha and Raghavendra Swamy on its upper side. If you look closely at the Hanuman idol, you can also make out the images of Bilpatrachar, a disciple Aralikatte Narasimhachar and Vadamudidare.

The temple is also known as Dewan Venkanna Panta Anjaneya Swamy temple. Dewan Venkanna constructed the large tank which is located adjacent to this temple.

The temple is generally open in the morning and towards evening. The temple priest stays in a house near by and you can approach him for details about pooje, seve and even Theertha Prasada.

This village is also known for Aralikatti Narasimacharya who is considered to be an amsha-sambhuta of Surya. This saint performed tapas here with his disciples and he was known as an ardent devotee of Raghavendra Swamy.

Aralikatti Narasimhacharya was a staunch devotee of Vayu  and he had immense faith in Teekacharya. He read Nyaya Sudha several times and was extremely fond of it. Teekacharya appreciated Narasimhachar’s devotion and appeared near the shoulder of  Hanuman idol here.

Lakshmi Narasimha has appeared near the forehead of  Hanuman. Villagers recollect a story of how an aged saint went into the temple never to come back. When this was brought to the notice of Narasimhachar, he said the saint was none other than Raghavendra Swamy.

Raghavendra Swamy has identified himself on the idol of Hanuman near the tail.

Narasimhachar is also the Adhyatma guru of Raghuprema Teertha of Akshoba Matha.  There is a small Brindavana here indicating the place where Aralikatte Narasimhacharya and his favourite disciple Bilvapathrachar left the mortal body.

Hattibelagall is approachable either by road or train. You can come to the village either through Bellary or via Alur and Guntakal. There is a train upto Guntakal from where you can hire an auto or a mini bus to the village.

It is on the Adoni-Bellary road. If you are motoring in your own transport, come upto Adoni and take the road to Alur. Once you reach Alur, take a left and Hattibelagall is just 4 kms away.

You can go to Chippargi after completing pooje at Hattibelagall. If you have time take in Kasapuram where there is a Vyasa Prathistha Hanuman temple.  

By the way, Raghupreme Theertha was the inspiration for the construction of the underground Rayara Matha in Bijapur. 

Rayaru in Bijapur

Millions of people across the globe are familiar with Guru Raghavendra or Rayaru as he is more popularly called, his life history, teachings, slokas and granthas and also his final resting place-Mantralaya. The life of Guru Raghavendra is an open book and almost all his years-birth, youth, Grihastaahrama- have been well documented. However, what is not very well known is that Rayaru did spend a lot of time in Karnataka before finally settling down at Bicchale and subsequently entering brindavana in 1671 at Manchale or Mantralaya.
After Rayauru was given Sanyasa by Sudhindra Theertharu in 1624, he embarked on a pilgrimage visiting scores of places in South India, including Tirupathi, Trivandrum ()known today as Tiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Kanchi, Rameshwaram, Madurai, Srirangam and other places. In my article, I have decided to concentrate only on Rayaru’s  footsteps in Karnataka as it would be a herculean task to write about all the places he visited.
Some of the places where Rayaru set foot were Adoni or Advani which in those days ws under the control of Adil Shahis of Bijapur,  Manvi in Raichur taluk, Hampi. Nava Brindavana in Bellary district, Bijapur, Kolhapur and Pandrapur bordering Bijapur district and also a part of the Adil Shahi kingdom, (Shivaji was just then establishing the Maratha empire and he was in continuous conflict with the Adil Shahis and Mughals.) Bijapur , Kittur in Belgaum , Udupi and Kukke Subramanya in Kanara district, Nanjangud   and Srirangapatna both near Mysore , , Chitradurga, Gadag and  Hubbali. 
 Rayaru visited Srirangapatna, which was then under the control of Wodeyars, and had darshana of Lord Ranganathaswamy.  He also visited Bidarahalli where he met and interacted with  Srinivasacharya, a well-known scholar. Rayaru was so impressed by Srinivasacharya's writings that he named him Srinivasa Theertha. Rayaru then decided to have darshan of Vittala in Pandrapur and of Mahalakshmi in Kolhapur.  He came to Bijapur  which was then under the control of Adil Shahis.  During his halt at the Krishna river he wrote Bhavadipa and a  commentary on Anu bhashya, called Tattva Manjari.  He came to Malkhed in Gulbarga district and visisted the shrine of Jayatheertha (Teekachar) and his Guru Akshobya Theertha (who was one of the fpour direct disciples of Madhwacharya-the other three being Padmanabha Theertha, Narahari Theertha and Madhwa Theertha in that order).
When in Bijapur, the reigning Adil Shahi emperor, met Rayaru and presented a golden necklace studded with gems..Rayaru graciously accepted the gift and placed it in the Yagna Kunda as an offering to God. The Adil Shah took offence and expressed his displeasure over this act. “I have given you such an invaluable present and you have consigned it to flames”, he asked angrily. Rayaru  then put his hand in the fire and out came the necklace.. He then handed over the necklace to the dumbfounded Adil Shah,
 Bjapur, even in those days, was known for its extreme climate. The summers can be really torrid. When Rayaru was in Bijapur, summer had already set in and the scorching heat was sapping the energy of many. A Brahmin, overcome by heat stroke, swooned and he was asking for water. Rayaru, who saw him, recited a sloka and Rayaru's followers and onlookers were stunned to see water spring up  from the earth and quench the Brahmin’s thirst.
Once, Rayaru was on his way to Bijapur with a large group of people after visiting Pandrapur-the home of Vittala. One of the members of the group was Dasappa. Dasappa was accompanied by his pregnant wife. The scorching sun made Dasappa's wife miserable. There was no water available and no shelter for her to take rest. Dasappa's wife developed labour pains. When Rayaru was apprised of the situation, he threw a Shelya (clothe worn by men to cover their chest) in the air. The clothe  shaded Dasappa's wife from the hot sun and also gave her shelter and privacy. Rayaru then threw a twig near the tent and water came gushing out. Dasappa's wife gave birth to a boy  who was named Ramappa. 
Rayaur also visited Vishnumangala, where Trivikrama Panditacharya, an erstwhile Advaitha scholar, had debated with Madhvacharya for fifteen days, before accpeting defeat and becoming his discpile. Rayaru then visisted the temples at Subrahmanya and Udupi. On seeing the idol  of Krihsna in Udupi, he sang Indu yenage Govinda. Udupi is also the place where Rayaru  gave discourses on Sarvamula Grantha and wrote Chandrika Prakasha, a gloss for Tattparya Chandrika written by Vyasa Theertha. He is also believed to have written in Udupi Tantradipika, a book on Sutras, and Nyayamukthavali for the benefit of students.   
During his Bijapur visit, Rayaru cured Venkanna, a mentally ill person, and also got him married.
(This article was first pub;ished in the blog Kalpavriksha Kamadhenu, which belonhs to my sister Meera Subbarao. A copy of that article has been pasted here.)
                                Credit-Blog Samyuktha Harshitha

The Brindavana that nodded in appreciation

It was sometime in mid1750s. The pontiff of the Raghavendra Swamy Matha was Vadeendra Theertha. He was the great grandson of Raghavendra Swamy who had entered Brindavana in Mantralaya in 1671.
Vadeendra Theertha was the son of Purushottamacharya who in turn was the son of Lakshminarayana, the only son of Raghavendra Swamy. In his Poorvashrama, Vadeendra Theerta was called Srinivasacharya. 
Vadeendra Theertha had finished composing Guru Guna Sthavana, a beautiful work, praising his ancestor Raghavendra Swamy and also detailing his works.
Vadeendra Theertha decided to dedicate the work to Rayaru and he went to Mantralaya and stood before the Brindavana and began reciting the composition. He was the Peetadhipathi of the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha from 1750 to 1761.
Minutes went by and the melodious voice of  Vadeendra flowed around the Brindavana attracting devotees and pilgrims who also stood respectfully in front of the Moola Brindavana of Raghavendra Swamy.
When Vadeendra Theertha completed reciting the works, the Brindavana of Raghavendra shook and nodded its approval. Even to this day, the Brindavana of Raghavendra can be seen titled to one side. This is because of this incident.
Guru Guna Sthavana is a work of 36 verses in honor of Rayaru. It gives us the dates chronologically of the compositions of Rayaru and also the circumstances under which these works came to be written.
Incidentally, Vadeendra Theertha was just two years old when Raghavendra Swamy entered Brindavana in Mantralaya. Vadeendra Theertha entered Brindavana in a structure that was originally constructed by Diwan Venkanna for Rayaru.
Rayaru wanted a much simpler Brindavana and predicated that another holy saint would be entitled to sit in the Brindavana meant for him a few decades later.  
If you look closely at the Brindavana, you can see a small crack on top.  A popular story is that a woman flung a stone in anger when Rararu did not appear in her dreams and fulfill her wishes. The same night, Rayaru came in her dreams and told her he would have appeared in her dreams that night and given her his blessings.
The Brindavana of Raghavendra Swamy is also supposed to have nodded its approval to the Harikathamrutasara composed by Jagannatha Dasa.
Another Brindavana is also supposed to have shaken itself  when a Pravachana was being conducted before it decades before the Rayaru miracle.
Satyasandha Theertha of Uttaradhi Matha had come to Sangli in Maharashtra. He visited the Brindavana of  Satyavrata Theertha (1635-1638) and began a Pravachana on Nyaya Sudha after completing the pooje to Moola Rama.
Even as scores of people, devotees and matha officials looked on, the Brindavana of  Satyavrata Theertha shook from side to side several times after the Pravachana was completed.
One of the witnesses to this incident was the king of Sangli, Balraj Urs. Both these saints entered Brindavana when alive. Anpother similarity between the two saints is that after Rayaru, the Sri matha came to called as Raghavendra Swamy Matha. The Uttradhi Matha name continued but all sers occupying the peeta after Satyavrata Theertha took the prefix Satya in honour of the immense contribution of  the saint to the matha and to Dwaitha Parampare.
(There is another saint in the Uttaradhi Matha parampare called Satyavara Theertha. His Brindavana is at santebidanoor. His name so closely resembles to that of Satyavrata Theertha that there is confusion between the two saints).
                                  Credit-Blog Samyuktha Harshitha

The day Rayaru entered Brindavana

Raghavendra Swamy was teaching his disciples when he suddenly looked up and made a sign with his fingers. His disciples could not make anything of the gesture and they asked Rayaru the reason.

Rayaru smiled and told them that he had seen his friend Krishna Dwaipayana, a Madhwa saint, go to heaven. Rayaru said the departed soul asked him how long he (Raghavendra) would stay on as a mortal.

He said he had shown two fingers thrice, indicating that he would live on the earth physically for two years, two months and two days. The disciples were taken aback and looked dismayed.

Rayaru consoled them and he decided to prepare for his Brindavana Pravesha. He chose Manchale now in Andhra Pradesh as his final resting place.

Manchale then came under the jagir of Nawab Siddi Masoud, a Governor of the Bijapur Kingdom. Siddi Masood was headquartered at Adoni or Advani.

Raghavendra Swamy sent word to Diwan Venkanna (He was the same person who suddenly started reading due to the grace of Rayaru. Pleased by this, Masood had made Venkanna his Diwan) that he would becoming to his province along with all paraphernalia of the Sri Matha from Kumbokanam.

Though Venkanna wanted the Nawab to meet Raghavendra, the latter did not have any high opinion of  the seer. He decided to test the seer and sent mutton in a plate to Raghavendra Swamy. The Nawab sent word that the plate contained fruits and he wanted them to be offered to God

Raghavendra Swamy knew too well about the mischief of the Nawab. He meditated for a moment and took the holy Theertha from his Kamandala and sprinkled them on the plate which was covered with a clothe.

When the plate was uncovered, the Nawab was shocked to see that the mutton pieces had transformed into flowers. He immediately fell at the feet of Raghavendra and sought his forgiveness.

“Please let me know what I can do to atone for my sin”, he begged Raghavendra. The Guru only smiled. When Masood insisted, Raghavendra sought for land at Manchale, a small village across the Tungabhadra.

Masood was surprised and wanted to know why Raghavendra was insisting on a barren place of land. Moreover, he had already gifted the land to a fakir. When Venkanna said Rayaru would not accept anything but Manchale

Masood reluctantly agreed.

He gave the fakir another piece of land and gifted Manchale to Raghavendra Swamy.

Raghavendra Swamy then stayed at the house of  Appanacharya, a rich Zamindar, at Bichale near Raichur. Both Rayaru and Appanacharya became close friends and spent hours discussing Vedanta and other related subjects. Appanacharya lovingly cooked food for Rayaru and also for Naivaidya of Moola Rama and other deities of the Sri Matha which had been bought in the Devara Pettige (box which held the Samsthana idols of the Matha) from Kumbakonam.

 Rayaru knew that Appanacharya would not let him enter Brindavana. He, therefore, entrusted the task to Diwan Venkanna. Rayaru also pointed to a stone slab near Madavara village and said he wanted the Brindavana to be constructed from it.

Rayaru said Rama during his wanderings, had sat on this stone and that he wanted the Brindavana to be covered with it. Venkanna immediately set about preparing the Brindavana. Meanwhile, Rayaru also showed Venkanna and Masood the spot where he wanted the Brindavana to be built. He also specified the size of the Brindavana and how the pit should be dug.

Some time later, Venkanna showed the Brindavana to Rayaru. Looking at the exquisite Brindavana, Rayaru said this would be occupied decades later by one of his successors. “He is more suited than me to occupy this place,” Rayaru said and asked Venkanna to construct a much simpler Brindavan. This suitable man was none other than Vadeendra Theertha, the great grandson of Rayaru.

All this while Rayaru was still staying at the house of  Appanacharya. He decided to dismantle the ant hill in the house of Appanacharya where a cobra (sarpa) had made its home. Rayaru would give it milk every day and the cobra would come and drink it.

Rayaru ensured that the cobra moved away from the ant hill. This was because he realised that people would be scared of the snake after he entered Brindavana. He also wanted to protect the Sarpa from harm.   

The Brindavana was constructed and the date that Rayaru had mentioned to Krishna Dwaipayana was drawing near. Rayaru realised that he would not be able to entre Brindavana as long as Appancharya was near. He then sent out

Appanacharya on Sanchara and decided to enter Brindavana.

Rayaru decided to enter Brindavana on August 11, 1671. This day was Friday. He made all the arrangements himself. By then the Brindavana was ready.

His friends and relatives, devotes and other people began pouring into Manchale. By this time, Rayaru had already made Yogendra Theertha, his successor. Yogendra Theertha was the grandson of  his brother Gururaja.

Both Raghavendra Swamy and Yogendra Theertha stayed for some time and prayed at the Venkatarama Temple in Manchale to observe Chaturmasa. Rayaru then prayed to Manchalamma and told her of his plan to enter Brindavana. 

Rayaru sang “ Namosthu Varade Krishne Kumari Bramacharini Baalrka Sadrushaakaaye Purnachandra Nibhaanane Yam Kaamaye Tam Tamugram Krunomi Tam Bramanaama Tamrushini Tam Sumedhaam” and Manchalamma was pleased. 

A day before Rayaru entered Brindavana, that is on Thursday, (Shraavana Bahula Pratipada) Rayaru performed the Pooja of  Sri Moola Ramadevarau and other deities. It was a normal day for him, while all others had a heavy heart. Raghavendra Swamy held discussions on Acharya Tatva.

After having his daily frugal meal, Rayaru gave a  thought to the next day’s programme. He called the Matha officials and also his successor and gave them instructions.

The next day dawned and Rayaru spent his time in ritualistic bathing in the Tungabhadra as was his normal routine.  He then prayed to his beloved Moola Rama one last time and performed other pooje.

Then began his final discourse on the Brahma Sutra of Madwacharya and its interpretation by Jayatheertha. However, none of the devotees and disciples had the heart to understand the lecture. They were heartbroken as it was the last lecture of Raghavendra.

Soon after his Patha, Raghavendra then took the hand of  Yogendra Theertha and walked towards the Brindavana. The Brindavana was constructed on a platform with steps. Rayaru was taken in a proceesion on the temple elephant Mahendra.

Rayaru had his Danda and Kamandala with him.

He appeared calm and blessed the devotees along the way.

When the procession came near Garbalaya where the Brindavana was constructed,  Rayaru alighted from the elephant and took out his Paduke and handed them over to Yogendra Theertha. Meanwhile, Yogendra Theertha had constructed a Pranadevaru temple opposite the Brindavana as per Rayaru’s wishes.

Even on the last day, Rayaru performed three miracles. A dumb youth got back his power of speech and a lame person got back his limbs. His last miracle was to cure a youth of leprosy.

Rayaru’s son, Lakshnimarayana, Rayaru’s nephew Narayanachar, Diwan Venkanna and others watched with a heavy heart as Rayaru was moments away from entering the Brindavana. Vadeendra Theertha then was just two years old when Rayaru entered the Brindavana. (He became the head of the Mantralaya matha five swamijis after Raghavendra. He wrote Gurugunasthavana, a composition of  of 36 verses).

Rayaru then raised his hands in blessing to the assembled crowd and made his last speech. He asked people to be righteous and follow the path of Dharma. He entered the Brindavana with his Kamandala and Japa mala. He held the hand of Yogendra Theertha and walked into the Brindavan enclosure. He entrusted the Matha to Yogendra Theertha and once again commended the people to follow the path of  righteousness.

Rayaru then began meditating and he had asked Venkanna and others to close the Brindavana once the Japa Mala fell from his hand. The moment came and the Brindavana was closed forever.

An interesting fact is that Raghavendra Vijaya does not contain any details of  the Brindavana Pravesha. Much of the details can be culled from other books, articles and the matha. Another fact is that Appanacharya was not there when Raghavendra Swamy entered Brindavana

When Appancharya swam across the swirling waters of the Tungabhadra when he heard the news of Rayaru entering Brindavana,  it was too late. Rayaru had already entered the Brindavana and Appanacharya sorrowfully sang Purnaboda.

A sobbing Appanacharya could not finish the song and Raghavendra Swamy completed the Shloka from within the Brindavana by singing“sakshi haya stotra hi."

                  Credit-Blog Samyuktha Harshitha