vidyavarinidhi teertharu udupi matha kaniyooru mutt yati 30 pushya shukla ekadashi ವಿದ್ಯವಾರಿನಿಧಿ ತೀರ್ಥರು

Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha

Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha is the 29th saint after Sri Rama Theertha in the guru parampare of Kaniyoor mutt.

Poorvashrama Name : Sri Narahari

Ashrama Guru : Sri Vidyasamudra Theertha

Ashrama Shishya : Sri Vidyavallabha Theertha

Aradhana : Pushya Shudha ekadashi

Vrundavana : Udupi

Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha took Ashrama from Sri Vidyasamudra Theertha and ruled the Peeta for 36 years. He was born as the second son of Sri Ananthakrishna Acharya and Ratnavathimma and was named as Narahari in his Poorvashrama. He was born on 9th September, 1931 (Wednesday) at his maternal grandfather’s house at Chitpady, near Udupi. He spent majority of his childhood at his maternal grandfather’s house as the favorite grandson. His father was from Budeya village near Kaniyoor of Puttur taluk. But since 8 people from the family were Swamijis in the Kaniyoor mutt lineage, his father was staying in Udupi. Narahari had his primary education at Anantheswara school and then at Sanskrit patashala.

During that time the health of Sri Vidyasamudra Theertha was failing, and the astrologers had warned that there would be a threat to the life of Swamiji in his 52nd year. Sri Vidyasamudra Theertha

decided that his younger brother Ananthakrishna Acharyas son Narahari as his successor after seeking the astrologers opinion. On 5th May 1942 Narahari, in his 11th year was initiated into the sanyasa ashrama as per Madhwa traditions and was named as Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha.

Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha had his initial Sanskrit learning at the Kaniyoor Mutt from Vid. Subramanya Puranik and Vid. Inna Vasudeva Acharya. He learnt Vedanta under the Madhwa philosophy from Sri Sugnanendra Theertha of Puttige Mutt and Sri Lakshmeendra Theertha of Shiroor Mutt.

Since Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha was always at Kaniyoor Mutt in Udupi, he would assist the Paryaya Swamiji with the daily pooja of Sri Krishna Mukhyaprana taking the small throne (sanna patta). Till his last breath he chanted the Hari Vayu stuti in the Punascharana way (prefatory rite) at the Mukhyaprana

Sannidhi. The Centenarian Swamiji of Sri Puttige Mutt Sri Sudhindra Theertha honored Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha by saying that no other Swamiji would have done the Krishna Mukhyaprana pooja as much as Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha.

Sri Vidyasamudra Theertha in his last days used to call his disciple and successor and instruct him on

the most intrinsic qualities and rules of Sanyasa dharma, chanting of not less than 1000 pranava mantra,

parayana of Sri Bhagavadgeetha and Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, and all other duties. He also touched his head and blessed him to conduct a successful Sri Krishna Paryaya. The words of the master had a great effect on the disciple’s mind and increased his devotion towards his Guru. It was because of this blessing

that Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha was able to conduct his first Paryaya with great glory. Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha attributed this success to the blessings of his illustrious Guru. In 1970, Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha took over the administration of a higher primary school at Kidiyoor and named it after his Guru as Vidyasamudra higher primary school. With the help of the Municipal authorities of Udupi he renamed

an important road in Udupi as Vidyasamudra Road. In 1995 he constructed a choultry and named it as

Vidyasamudra Choultry. During his Paryaya he constructed a Goshala, named it as Sri Vidyasamudra

Smaraka Goshala in fond remembrance of his guru and offered it to Sri Krishna Mukhyaprana. This showed the steadfast devotion of Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha towards his illustrious Guru.

When Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha found signs that he was growing old, he chose his successor in his younger brother Sri Raghupati Acharyas second son, Krishnaraja. On 8th May 1992 (Friday) he gave him the Sanyasa Deekshe with all mantropadesha, coronated him and named him as Sri Vidyavallabha Theertha at Pajaka, the birth place of Sri Madhwacharya.

Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha, with his disciple Sri Vidyavallabha Theertha jointly took over the Sri Krishna Pooja Paryaya for the 4th term (1998-2000) and conducted the Pooja of Sri Krishna Mukhyaprana. When the Paryaya was into the 11th month, Sri Vidyavarinidhi Theertha left the material world on the auspicious evening of Vaikunta Ekadashi towards the heavenly abode

After handing over Peeta to Sri Vidyavallabha Theertha he entered Vrundavana at Udupi.

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