Parampara/ Sri Satyaparayana Theertha

Sri Satyaparayana Theertha was the Peethadipathi of Sri Uttaradi Matha, thirty first in the line of succession from Shri Madhwacharya. Sri Satyasanthushtha Theertha initiated His Holiness into this order. His poorvashrama name was Sri Gururayacharya and was the grandson of Sri Satyasandha Theertha. Sri Satyaparayana Theertha was blessed by Sri Rama Himself to perform His Pratima pooja daily in the form of being the Peethadipathi of Sri Uttaradi Math. Also probably due to being Sri Rama’s ardent devotee, His Holiness was also blessed enough with the knowledge to expand the meanings of the word "Rama" in hundred and eighty five ways in a perfect way.           

Sri Satyaparayana Theertha made Vedhantha philosophy so rich and proud by His works and His works are a proof enough to gauge His knowledge. His Holiness was known for His compassion for all sections of the society and was also known for His love and respect for all scholars and in every way and encouraged them by His help in all sorts. In spite of all the works he has penned, His Holiness never forgets that He could write so much only because of His Guru Sri Satyasanthushtha Theertha and He mentions that in one of His works by quoting "Sri Satyasanthushtha shishyena mandabodhena Bhakthitaha" which roughly translates to "Sri Santhyasanthustha’s blessings and teachings are the prime reason for this less intelligent to have penned so much!"

Sri Satyaparayana Theertha’s works (which is enough proof for the love towards Sri Rama) include

1. Sri Rama Shabdhartha which has been subdivided as a. Ashthothara Rathnamala – (108 meanings) b. Sri Rama Shabdhartha Rathnashtakam – (8 meanings) c. Chaturvinshati Rathnaani – (24 meanings) d. Saptha Rathnaani – (7 meanings) e. Shat Rathnani – (6 meanings) f. Dwatrimshadratana Malika – (32 meanings) 2. Sri Valmiki Ramyana Baalakhanda Vyakhyana, 3. Sri Vamana Shabda Nakshatra Malike 4. Bilva Mangala Sudha Vyakhyana, 5. Jayanthi Kalpa Vyakhye, 6. Sri Rama Shabdhartha Gharbhita Any Bhashya Vivaranam, which are masterpieces and a great blessing for any student in vedanta.

During His immediate takeover of the Math administration, the entire jewellery and other properties of the Sri Math that was mortgaged with the lenders were to be released somehow and His Holiness’s experience in administration helped Him to get all this released and above all improve the financial stability of the Math. He brought a rule that the rich pandits and other well-off devotees need to give away their two months salary as part of the Pada Pooja and Bhiksha arrangements. The amount that was received as part of this was used to release the Sri Math’s properties from the moneylenders. As part of the mortgaged articles was a golden throne and if this throne is still with Sri Math, then all the credit should go to Sri Satyaparayana Theertha. All this was done without compromising the pomp and greatness of the Sri Math’s routine Pooja for Sri Moola Rama and Sri Moola Seetadevi and their other deities .

One of the main devotees of Sri Satyaparayana Theertha was Sri Sankarshana Wodeyar who wrote tippanis for Sri HariKathamrutha Saara under the able guidance of His Holiness. Sri Sankarshana Wodeyar was instrumental in releasing the articles mortgaged with his father Bhomappa Nayaka and he dedicated all this as a Guru Dakshina to His Holiness. Hence Sri Sankarshana Wodeyar is also held in high esteem in the echelons of Sri Uttaradi Math.          

Sri Satyaparayana Theertha visited Pampa Kshetra and offered His pooja to Sri Mukhyaprana devaru (Famously made by none other than Sri Vyasathirtha / Chandrika Charya). He also offered His pooja to Kodhandha Rama on the way to Nava Brindavana. He visited Nava Brindavana and performed Hasthodaka to all the saints there and did Anna Santharpane with all pomp and geity. Sri Chandulal, who was a Diwan under the Nizam of Hyderabad donated vast lands to His Holiness. His Holiness did the pratishthapana of Sri Mukhyaprana and Sri Rudra in Lingampalli, Hyderabad, which can be visited even to this day. His Holiness also arranged Vidwat Sabhas while at Kasi and donated lots of gifts to the pandits and earned name and fame as well. His Holiness was presented with thirty lakh rupees, Pearl neckless, twelve elephants and other jewelry by a rich person named Bajirao from Delhi. His Holiness also made arrangements to travel to any part of North India without paying any kind of taxes to the British Government (which was already administrating all the parts of North India) by approaching the British Government, which readily agreed to issue the necessary orders.

Sri Satyaparayana Theertha also visited Sangli and paid His respects to Sri Satyavrata Theertha (His predecessors and one of the great Yatis in the parampara of Sri Uttaradi Math). After this He proceeded to Kohlapur and visited the SriMahalaxmi temple. His Holiness was so engrossed in the darshan of Sri Laxmi that He composed Sri Lakshmi Dhandaka Stotra on the spot and performed Kumkuma arachane to the deity. He also donated Sarees and other items to almost a thousand sumangali (married) women and earned name and fame for His generosity. This incident looked like "Na Bhuto Na Bhavishyathi" i.e never in past as well as future such a holy activity will happen in this Kaliyuga. Sri Satyaparayana Theertha also visited Gaya and the people of Gaya gave a rousing welcome this time unlike in the time of Sri Satyasandha Theertha and presented lots of gifts to His Holiness. His Holiness also visited Nagapura, Brahma varaata, Ramaghat and Lakshman Ghat (which was never visited by any other Uttaradi Math yatis) and thought them Vaishnava Dharma and propagated the glories of the Uttaradi Math. Lots of people took Vaishnava Dheeksha under His Holiness and even to this day they follow the Madhva Siddantha. They were also thought the intricacies of Sanyasa Dharma by His Holiness and were told the rigorous lifestyle that the Uttaradi Math Yatis follow. This made the people to have deep faith in the powers of Uttaradi Math and its parampara. Further more wherever His Holiness traveled, He propogated Vishnu Sarvothamatva and Vayu Jeevothamathva.

His holiness along with His devotes caped at a nearby fort. At Latur, some thieves came to know that Sri Uttaradi Math carried with it, lots of jewelry along with Golden throne and precious diamonds which is used for the daily pooja. These thieves decided to somehow take away these articles and planned for the same. The thieves numbering around two thousand people had already circled the fort. His Holiness got a clue of this and consoled His devotees. His Holiness immediately sat in meditation and prayed Sri Digvijaya Rama. Around midnight, there was a miracle wherein Sri Veera Anjaneya Himself holding His mace was monitoring the fort. His Holiness got up early in the morning and performed the Samsthana Pooja and by then all the thieves had entered the fort and forcefully took all the priceless items. His Holiness was unperturbed and once the thieves started leaving the fort, suddenly innumerable monkeys were seen around the entrance of the fort in a ferocious mood. The thieves got frightened and begged for forgiveness in front of His Holiness. His Holiness forgave them and advised them to take up proper way of living.

Sri Satyaparayana Theertha also visited Jagannath, Puri, Vishakhapatna and proceeded towards Simhachala. At Simhachala, He had the darshan of Koorma Rupi Narasimha and also visited Sri Rama’s temple constructed by Sri Narahari Theertha. From there His Holiness traveled to a place called Raja Mahendra and blessed the people. From Raja Mahendra, His holiness came to Vijayanagar and the king of Vijayanagar donated lots of jewelry and lands to Sri Uttaradi Math. From Vijayanagar, His Holiness came to Mysore and blessed the Maharaja. Maharaja of Mysore donated lots of lands and jewelry in the honor of His Holiness. Sri SatyaparayanaTheertha ruled the Vedhanta Samrajya for twenty-one years and six months. He initiated Pachhapura Srinivasacharya as the next Peethadipathi of Sri Uttaradi Math and named Him Sri Satyakama Theertha. Ashwayuja Shuddha Sapthami, Rudhirodghari Nama Samvatsara, He entered Brindavana at Hosur. After this His Holiness appeared in the dreams of His devotee and ordered him to move His Brindavana next to the Brindavana of Sri Satyavara Theertha at Santhebidanoor