The Next Great Saint of Madhvacharya - Sri Sripadaraja

Sripadaraya or Sripadaraja or Lakshminarayana Tiirtha (1420 to 1486 Pontificate)

Introduction

SrIpAdarAjaru is revered by all mAdhvAs. It is believed that he is the incarnation of dhruva. His contributions to dvaita, haridAsa sAhitya, and the then existing social and political circumstances were considerable. He was also the vidyAguru of Sri vyAsarAya.

Shripadaraya or Shripadaraja is considered to be the originator of dAsakUta. That is why his name stands first in the following stotra which is sung at the beginning of any traditional Harikatha discourse

"namah sripAdarAjAya namastE vyAsa yOgine namah purandarAryAya vijayAryAya te namaha"

That is why he is also called as 'dAsa pitAmaha' (Grand Father of Dasas). He spread the message of BhAgawatha through his songs.

Lakshminarayana becomes a sanyasi

SripAdarAja was born in Shivaganga on the banks of the river Kaveri. His parents named him Lakshminarayana.

svarNavarNa tiirtha was the 8th pontiff descended from PadmanABha tiirtha (a direct disciple of Madhvacharya). He was once travelling towards abbUru when he came across LakshmInArAyaNa playing with this friends. When asked how far abbUru was, the little boy gave a very clever reply. He said, "Look at the setting sun, and look at us playing here. Now you guess how far abbUru is! " (the intended meaning was "we are playing here even though the sun is setting because we are confident of reaching home before it gets really dark; in other words, abbUru is close by ! "). The swamiji was taken back by the boy's keen intellect and decided to make him disciple. Later, after obtaining his parent's consent, the boy was granted sanyAshrama and named LakshmInArAyaNa yOgi.

Home » History » Teachings by Sri Sripadaraja

Speciality in teaching : During his life time Sripadaraja taught sarvamoola granthas for forty times together with teeka. He used to take lessons himself paying full personal attention to students in dwaitha vidyapeeta at Mulubagilu so that the students absorb Madhwa's tatvajnana completely, Sripadaraja guru's style of teaching is explained through the following story. One paricharak of the mutt used to attend classes. It was surprising to see him present daily and in all batches of students. Once all the old students gathered to celebrate annual day of Vidyapeeta. "Mangala" of the "paata" taught for the 40th time was arranged on that occassion. That paricharak was present then also as usual. All the old students making fun of him commented "poojya this shishya is there now also. He is junior to those who pass out and senior to those who come in. In future also he would be sitting like this only. For what use a person like this would be?" Guruvarya smilingly picked up one teeka vrutha and told "scholars, interpret this line". All of them more or less replied in the same way giving only one meaning. Sripadaraja has given one new special meaning to that vakhya every paryaya-pravachana time, in addition to the ordinary meaning. All that the shishya has stored in the mind Guruvarya asked him" can you interpret this vakhya?" That paricharak shishya prostrated infront of his guru and explained in all humility those forty types of rare meaning. The scholar students nodded their heads in appreciation. Some hung their heads down in shame. Sripadaraja muni endearingly blessed that shishya and advised the rest that one should never look down upon any one. One should have hearty respect to one and all. As per the direction of Sripadaraja, Vyasaraja studied tathparyanirnaya grantha in full and in depth. After a lot of critical contemplation on Tatparynirnaya,Vyasaraja offered the gist-essence at the feet of Sripadaraja. Sripadaraja enjoying that, remarked that " The theertha offered by Vyasaraja has uncommon taste due to the study of tatparyanirnaya, persons who have tasted the sweetness of Sarvajnacharya's shasthras can only know what others can not know. All the granthas of Acharya have unique significance. How much ever small it may be it is full of sweetness and unfailing power. "Nirnayam sarva shastranam Bharathaartha nirnaya" Mahabharatha Tathparyanirnaya has this fame. Srimad Anandatheertha has made shri Haripada theertha tastier still" with these words Sripadaraja blessedVyasaraja. Sripadaraja was both a brilliant scholar as well as a great author. He was guru made for Vyasraja in the field of authoring granthas. He had captured the far limit of vedantha and composed a lovely, all encompassing work called Vagvajra. Vagvajra grantha does full justice to its name. The style is classic, it resembled quite a lot with "Sanyayarathnavali". Mastery over words, variety in meaning, soulful narration vibrantly manifested. In this work many prakriyas of Sriman Nyayasudha have been collected and put forward in both prosaic and poetic way. Yukthis are not repeated, instead "anumanas" are used. Before putting up doctrine, comprehensive and extensive churning have taken place. Sripadraja taught the heart of Teeka-grantha in an attractive manner, has laid a new royal path for the future heirs of Madhwa siddhanta samrajya. A part of Vagvajra runs like this. "Sri manyaya sudha granthath......tharka sangraham" and Sripadaraja shataka says yadvagvajroktha yukthi...... Sreya senaha. The eminent scholars says. "The name of this grantha is "vagvajra" or "Nyaya Sudhopanyasa Vagvajra" containing 3500 shlokas. Clarity is the hall mark of this soul capturing vyakhyana grantha. It is complete in propagation of postulates".