Sri Sripadaraja teertharu

namah sripadarajaya namaste vyasa yogine
namah purandararyaya vijayaryaya te namaha

(photo from salagram.net)

Sri Sripadaraja(1404 - 1502) is believed to be the incarnation of Dhruva. He first started saint in madhva parampara to have started composing and singing songs in kannada, for easy understanding of layman. That is the reason, he is invoked, before Sri Purandara dasa, before commencing devaranama. Very rightly, he is referred to as "Dasa Pitamah ". He was guru of Sri Vyasarajaru, who in turn was the raja-guru of Vijayanagara empire and also to Sri Purandara daasa.

Sripadarajaru comes in the parampara of Padmanabhatheertha Mutt. Sri Padamanabha teertharu was the direct disciple of Shri Madhwacharya. This mutt was called as Padmanabhatheertha mutt before Sripadarajaru, and after him, because of divinity of Sripadarajaru it became famous as Sripadarja mutt. It is situated near Mulbagilu.

 Childhood : 

Sri Sripadaraja was born in Abbur, a village in Chennapatna taluk, Bangalore district to a pious brahmin couple, Sheshagiri and Giriyamma, as Lakshminarayana. Growing up, his task was to take cattle for grazing and return home before sunset. Once while in the midst of cattle grazing, he was approached by Sri Swarnavarnathirtha belonging to Sri. Padmanabha Teertha samsthana. Abbur was the seat of Sri Brahmanya Teertharu.Sri Swarnavarnathirtha was on his way to Abbur from  Srirangapattana, and asked young Lakshminarayana, as to how far Abbur is. Young Lakshminarayana demonstrated his gift of gab saying, "look at me, see my herds and gaze at the sky and realize the distance". No wonder then that this young boy who was so clever with words, would compose devotional hymns in kannada and thus lay the foundation for dasa sahitya. Sri Brahmanya teertharu and Lakshminarayana were cousins and roughly of same age.

Studies : 

Sri Swarnavara teertharu was impressed with young Lakshminarayana's intellect and expressed desire to conduct his upanayana(the sacre thread ceremony which enebles initiation into studies of veda) and take him as his pupil. 

After upanayana, Sri Swarnavara teertharu and Lakshminarayana went to Sriramgam, as Sri Swarnavara teertharu was based there. In 1411, Lakshminarayana was initiated into ascetic life and given the name, Sri Lakshminarayana teertharu. He was sent to study under Sri Vibhudhendra teertharu of Sri Raghavendra mutt. It must have been around this time that the young yati, Sri Lashminarayana muni, came in contact with Sri Raghunatha therrtharu of Sri Uttaradi mutt.Sri Svarnavara teertharu was observing chaturmasya at Koppar, and young Sri Lakshminarayana teertharu was learning Sri-Sudha. It so happened that Sri Ranganatha teertharu observed the young yati explain a difficult verse from Sri-Sudha. Sri Ranganatha teertharu, in admiration, said "we are just sripadaru (pontiffs), but you are Sripadaraja" (raja of all pontiffs). From then on, Sri Lakshminarayana teertharu became to be known as Sripadarajaru.

Mahima (Greatness) of Sripadaraja :

• It is believed that Sripadaraja used to offer 64 types of dishes as naivedya(offering to Lord). Once in forest and not having enough supplies to prepare 64 dishes, Sripadaraja decided to have bhakri(jower roti).
  The "suka prarabdhaa" (destined to happy always) of Sripadaraja followed him to the forest as well. It so happened that a merchant was passing through the same forest with supplies to be delivered to Tirupati. He was advised (by the Lord) to deliver the supplies to Sripadaraja !! Thus even in forest, Sripadaraja had 'mrushtanna bhojana'. My father told me that if we remember Sripadaraja in the morning, we will be guaranteed of some special dishes. I am fortunate to say that I have experienced it.
• In A.D. 1471, King Chaluva Narasimhan of Chandragiri took refuge under Sri Sripadarajaru
  to get rid of the dosha due to his wrong deeds. Sri Sripadarajaru saved him through his tapas
  sakthi. In gratitude he seated him on his simhasana and conducted kanakabishekha.(On that
  occasion Sri Vyasaraja teertharu composed and sang the famous devarunama
  “Mahime Saladhe”). The king of Vijayanagara,Hakka, requested Sripadaraja to become
  his Raja-Guru. Sripadaraja declined to do so due to old age, but instead sent his,Shri Vyasaraja.Thus Shri Vyasaraja became the Raja-Guru of the Vijayanagara empire.
•  Sri Sripadaraja teertharu returned to Mulabagilu from Srirangam when Sri Swarnavara teertharu entered brindavana. Sri Sripadaraja made Mulabagilu, which was under Vijayanagar empire, his center of activities (for daily pooja, discourses, propogating acharya madhva's teaching etc). Once Sri Sripada wished to for a holy dip in river ganga, but was unable to make the journey due to his advanced age. It is believed that goddess Ganga appeared in his dream and said that she will be at Narasimha teertha, a holy pond at Mulabagilu and that he can have a holy dip there itself.

Brindavana Pravesha :

In 1504, Sri Sripadaraja selected one of his disciples as his heir and named him Sri Hayagreeva teertha. He entered brindavan on Jeshta shudha chaturdashi near Sri Narasimha Teertha near Mulabagal when he was alive. The devout and faithful still feel his presence at the brindavana.

Sri Sripadaraja Moola Brindavana, Mulabagilu

kale phalati surudrumah chintnmanir api yachane daataa |
vararthi sakalam abhiishtaM darshana matrat shripadarajo munih||

(Chintamani, Kalpavruksha, etc. are celestial treasures, would give
whatever one wants, when prayed near these. But, Sri Sripadaraja, fulfills all our wishes by mere darshan of his brindavan or even by mere rememberence of his name.)

Contribution of Sripadaraja to Madhva society: My knowledge about works of Sri Sripadaja is limited to the following. I am collecting details and will try to post them at the earliest.

• Vagvajra, his only work n Sanskrit.
• Bhramarageeta, Gopi geeta, Venugeeta

Devotional songs composed by Sri Sripadaraja :

Sri Sripadaraja is believed to be the pioneer of Dasa Sahitya ( a form of devotion towards the Lord by singing his praises). Sri Sripadaraja composed the songs using 'ranga vithala' as his ankita naam(pen nema).