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Sri Vidya
Tirtha was the 10th pontiff to adorn the Sringeri Peetam.
He was Brahmavit (knower of Brahman),and to him came
as it happens to all of his class, siddhis or mysterious spiritual
powers. Always absorbed in the bliss of self-realization, he spent
many years in Simhagiri in the company of numerous deisciples.
When Sri Vidya Tirtha decided
upon casting off his mortal body, he got a strange scupture with
four faces made. In the eastern niche is a relief of Sri Vidya Tirtha
himself flanked by his two disciples Sri Bharati Tirtha and Sri
Vidyaranya; on the prabhavali is Lakshmi Narasimha with Sri Devi
and Bhudevi and flanked by Surya and Chandra. In the southern niche
is Brhama; the ten avatars of Vishnu are carved on the prabhavali.
In the western niche is Vishnu as Para Vasudeva seated on Adisesha;
the avatars are again represented on the prabhavali. In the northern
niche is Sadasiva, with five faces; on the prabhavali are the dikpalakas.
On top of all is a linga; this statue which is held in great veneration,
is worshipped as Chaturmurti Vidyesvara. Sri Viday Tirtha explained
to Sri Bharati Tirtha that his entombed body, if left undisturbed
for twelve years, would take a form symoblising the message that
the stelt was intended to convey.
.A chamber was excavated
on the northern bank of the Tunga, and in this underground tryst
the Acharya sat in yoga. The camber was closed over him. Three years
elapsed. When t he new Acharya was temporarily away from Sringeri
the curiosity of the attendants got the better of their duty to
their guru and they opened the chamber. The sage’s body
had completely disappeared and they saw only the form of
a linga similar to the one on the top of the stele in Sringeri.
Sri Bharati Tirtha received
a cheering message in his dream which directed him to install the
linga over the spot, round which a magnificent temple was built.
Commencing in S.1260-A.D. 1338. This mystic temple is a symbol of
integration of all forms of worship, Saiva,Vaishnava, Saura, Ganapayta
and Kaumara; integration of upasana (yoga) and jnana and integration
of Isvara (with Form) with the Formless, and leading the worshipper’s
thoughts from the ‘Relative’ to the ‘Absolute’, gives concrete shape
to the message of Master Samkara. The temple is an elaboration of
the sermon sought to be taught in the Caturmurti Vidyesvara stele.
And to this day the spiritual
presence is so deeply felt that even the seal of the matha carry
the name of Sri Vidya Sankara and not that of the presiding pontiff.
(Source: The Age of Vidyaranaya by K.R.Venkataraman,
M.K.Venkatarama Iyer and K.R. Srinivasan; The Throne of Transcendental
Wisdom by K.R.venkataraman)
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