



			GURU SARVABHOUMA SRI RAGHAVENDRA THEERTHARU

It is popular belief, based on testimonials from aparOxa gyAnis, that RAyaru is the incarnation of a celestial called Sankukarna. The incarnations of this celestial are as follows - Sri PrahlAda, Sri bAhlIka, Sri vyAsa tIrtha and Sri Raghavendra tIrtha. Let us take a closer look at each person in the lineage.

Sankukarna was a karmaja dEvata assisting chaturmukha brahma in the pUja of the Lord. One day, he was a little late in bringing flowers for the pooja and brahma cursed him to be born on the earth. Obviously this was a pretense since brahma is beyond flaws like anger, greed etc. The real intention of brahma was to pave the way for the incarnation of narasimha and also to show the world the greatness of sankukarna..............

u Antecedents

u A brief history of RAyara maTha:

u Birth and childhood

u Education

u Married Life - utter, dire poverty haunts venkaTanAtha

u MahAbhAshyAchArya VenkatanAtha

u Declines guru’s invitation to asceticism

u Becomes sanyAsi after vidyA lakshmi requests him

u Wife becomes ghost, obtains liberation

u Ascension as pIThAdhipati

u The greatness of the name Raghavendra

u RAyaru’s daily routine

u Famine in Tanjore

u Pilgrimages

u Victory in Madurai

u Extended stay in Udupi

u Power to revive the dead

u Dry wood sprouts leaves

u Village bumpkin becomes prime minister!

u Decision to move out of KumbhakoNa:

u Nawab tests RAyaru and loses

u Two – two – two to enter brindAvana

u The greatness of ManchAle / MantrAlaya

u ShrAvana bahula bidige

u RAyaru enters brindAvana

u SAkshI haya syOtra hi

u RAyaru’s literary works

u Major events that happened after RAyaru entered the brindAvana

GuruguNa stavana makes brindAvana shake:

RAyaru’s influence on haridAsas:

Sri Vijaya dAsaru:

Sri GopAla dAsaru:

Sri JagannAtha dAsaru:

Sri Thomas Monroe converses with RAyaru

Original Kannada Source :

'Guru Charite'

(Authentic book on

Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt's

Guru Parampara)

Author:

Vidwan Dr. H.K. Vedavyasa Acharya

Sri Hunasur Sriprasad, New Jersey

Summarized this article in English

exclusively for www.srsmutt.org