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Sunday, January 16, 2022

Gurucharitra: Srimad Raghuchandra Thirtha Sripad Vader Swamiji

 श्रीमद् हनुमभीममध्वांतर्गत रामकृष्णवेदाव्यासात्मक श्रीलक्ष्मीहयग्रीवाय नमः

श्रीसीतारामचंद्रभ्यां नमः श्रीवीरविट्ठलाय नमः


Vrindana of Srimad Raghuchandra Thirtha at Honnavar


गुरुर्नारायणो व्यासः |  गुरुर्जीवोत्तमो मध्वः | 

द्वारकानाथ तीर्थार्यो | विद्यादानपरायणः|

गुरुर्विद्याधिराजो मे । विद्याधीशो गुरुर्मम।।


Punyadina smarana of Srimad Raghuchandra Teerth Sripad Vader Swamiji, 8th Peethadhipati of Sri Samsthan Gokarna Parthagali Jeevotham Matha,

सृष्टुमष्टौ मठान्येन महान्यत्नः कृतोsपि सः ।

विष्णुना चोदितस्त्यक्तो रघुचंद्रगुरुं भजे।।


Aradhana/punya dina: Pousha Shukla 15, 1604 dundubhi samvatsara, corresponding to Tuesday, 2-1-1683

Guru: Sri Digvijaya Ramachandra Tirtha

Shishya: Sri Vyasa Tirtha (did not ascend the peetha) and Sri Lakshminarayana Tirtha

Vrindavana: Honnavar

Srimad Raghuchandra teerth Swamiji was an erudite person and we can get a glimpse of  Swamiji's great personality from two verses written by Sri Sagar Ramacharya (of Konkanabhyudaya fame). 

Sri Girish Prabhu, K. has kindly given us these gems with translations into Kannada and English. I will begin with them 


1)

गोकर्ण-सत्क्षेत्र-वरेऽनवद्यः श्रीविठ्ठलं कोङ्कण-विप्रवन्द्यः |

अपूजयद्यो रघुचन्द्रतिर्थः संजुष्ट्-गङ्गादि-समस्ततीर्थः ||

यतीश्वराद्योऽखिल-लोकहृद्यो विरक्तिभूषः परिभूतदोषः |

शास्त्राभि-चन्द्रो हरिभक्ति-सान्द्रो भवेत्प्रसन्नः परमो गुरुर्नः || 


One, who is faultless, worshipped by Konkana brahmanas (Gauda sarasvata brahmanas); one who worshipped Sri Vittahala in the holiest place of Gokarna; one who visited Ganga and all other tirtha kshetras; the foremost among saints, the one loved by everyone; who wears desirelessness as a jewel; one who has conquered all passions; the one who is like the moon the ocean of shastras; the one in whom devotion towards Lord Hari is saturated; may such Raghuchandra Tirtha, the supreme saint, be pleased with us.

--Sagar Ramacharya in Suniti Bhagavath


सन्तापं शमयन् तमांस्यपहरन् गोभिर्जगज्जीवयन् 

सत्कामं परिपूरयन्-खलगणान्-विद्रावयन्-मायिनः |

शान्तिं साधु भजन्-अनन्तकुमुदाद्यार्तिं च सन्नाशयन् 

पूर्णश्री रघुचन्द्र उत्तमगुरुनित्यं हरेन्मे तमः ||


The one who removes heat/grief and dispels darkness; the one who wakes up people through aphorisms/teachings; the one who fulfils the desires of sajjanas; the one who shoos away Maayins (Mayavadins); the one who removes the endless pain and afflictions related to this samsara; the one who is full of auspiciousness; let such best of the Gurus, Sri Raghuchandra, dispel my ignorance. 

(This verse compares Sri Raghuchandra Tirtha to the full moon with similar auspicious attributes. The moon removes heat and dispels darkness; moon keeps people awake through its moonlight and increases the best of the desires/helps in growing Kaama in our minds; moon removes the pain of kumudas/night lotus; the one who is full of brightness; let such best of the entities, the moon, dispel my ignorance.)

--Sagar Ramacharya in Sanniti Ramayana

Life history based on  the Guru parampara book of our Sri Math.

Guru Swamiji Srimad Digvijay Ramachandra teerth was a great tapasvi and Siddha purush and during His time rathotsava began in Partagali. Srimad Digvijay Ramachandra teerth spent His time in Rishivan (present Revan, Goa) where there is a guha (cave) for tapas. 

After Guru attained moksha in Ankola Sri Raghuchandra teerth stayed in Gokarna, worshipping Bhuvijaya Vittala along with samsthan Veera Vittal. After some time HH Sri Swamiji went on teertha yatra to the north and reached Varanasi mula math. 

Sri Swamiji spent some time bathing in Bhagirathi and worshipping Bindu Madhava. The renovation of this first math built by Adya Guru Sriman Narayana teerth was also done by Swamiji during the stay.  

From there  HH Sri Swamiji started journey back to Gokarna. On the way Swamiji visited many teerth kshetras and siddhanta prachara was done. 

After returning to Gokarna Sri Swamiji gave sanyaas deeksha to four vatus planning to make ashta mathas like Udupi Krishna mathas. But the plan was given up as Lord appeared in Swamiji's dream not to proceed further. 

One Shishya attained Haripada. The third shishya, Sri Samyamindra teerth went to our mula math in Varanasi and was honoured by the King of Kashi and the Shishya stayed there. 

Second Shishya Sri Vyasa teerth requested Guru that the adhikara to continue gurupeetha should rest with the eldest Shishya, Sri Lakshminarayan teerth. (We have read the life history recently about HH who went to Baroda). 

Sri Vyasa teerth spent His time in Partagali looking after the affairs of the math, adhyapana and sadhana. HH attained moksha in partagali and we can see the Vrindavan there. 

Sri Raghuchandra teerth swamiji handed over the Patta Shishya adhikara to Sri Lakshminarayan teerth and was travelling around the society for dharma prachara and welfare of the weaker sections. 

It was on Pousha Shukla 15, 1604 dundubhi samvatsara, corresponding to Tuesday, 2-1-1683 HH Sri Swamiji attained mukti when He was camping in Sri Ram Mandir , Honavar, Uttara Kannada, where the Vrindavana is present. 

May Sri Ramachandra-VeeraVittala bless us all with jnana, bhakti and Vairagya on reading this guru guna mahima on this auspicious day of Sri Swamiji's Aradhana 

Sri Krishnarparmastu

Ever in service of Sri Gurus 

✍️

Vishnu Venkatdas Shanbhag, Kalbagkar, Kumta.

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