Uttaradi Math

Sri Satyasanthushta Theertha

|| Sri SathyasankalpaTheertha Gurubhyo Namaha || || Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha Gurubhyo Namaha |||| Sri
Sathyaparayana Theertha Gurubhyo Namaha || LIFE HISTORY OF SRI SRISATHYASANTHUSTHA THEERTHA
SRIPADANGALAVARU Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha Sripadangalavaru was the Peethadipathi of Sri Uttaradi Math for
a period of just 8 months and is known to have been the Peethadipathi for the least period in the parampara of Sri
Uttaradi Math. Sri Sathyasankalpa Theertha Sripadangalu initiated His Holiness into Sanyasa ashram. During the period
of His Holiness, Sri Uttaradi Math was facing financial crisis and is Holiness was supposed to have improved the financial
state to a large extent. Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha before becoming the Peethadipathi of Sri Uttaradi Math was
known by the name of Sri Balacharya. Sri Balacharya was the ashthana pandita in the Kingdom of Mysore. Sri
Balacharya learnt Shastras under the tutelage of Sri Ashtha Patri Vedavyasacharya who himself was a known exponent
of Shastras, Vyakarana, Dvaita Siddantha as well as other philosophies. At that time all the well-known pandits were
being nurtured and held in high esteem by the Maharaja of Mysore. The Maharaja of Mysore himself was again a great
knowledgeable person and His Highness had always treated other pandits with due respect and provided them all the
necessary benefits so that the flow of true knowledge would go on un-interrupted / unhindered. In those days, there used
to be a assembly of Pandits from various fields known as VidhwatSabhas under the sponsorship of the Maharajas. Each
Pandit would put forth His views and there used to be debates associated with various topics. At the end of the sabha the
pandits would be felicitated and honored appropriately. In one of those Sabhas held under the sponsorship of the
Maharaja of Mysore, a very well known pandit Chandramouli Avadhani came over and with all false pride challenged the
Ashthana Vidwans (Sri Balacharya was also one of them) into debate. All the vidwans were frightened and afraid to face
Chandramouli Avadhani since they all knew the capabilities of him. Sri Balacharya took up the challenge thrown in by
Chardramouli Avadhani and after a couple of days of arguments and counter arguments involving Tarka, Shastra and
other philosophical points Sri Balacharya emerged victorious. The way Sri Balacharya debated with Chardramouli
Avadhani looked like a WILD BULL putting forth its Brute force. After the defeat of the pride ridden Chandramouli, the
Maharaja of Mysore felt extremely happy and gave Sri Balacharya the title of "SHASTRA GHOOLI" and felicitated him
appropriately. One of the points that is worth mentioning is that Sri Balacharya belonged to the Navarathna lineage who
are very well known for their knowledge on Sahstras, Dvaita Siddantha and other aspects of Tarka, Nyaya etc. The title
called as "NAVARATHNA" was given to Sri Madgalacharya who along with his seven children and son-in-law had
defeated many other pandits in the early days of when a similar Vidwat Sabha had taken place under the leadership of
another Sri Uttaradi Math Peethadipathi "Sri Sathyavrata Theertha Sripandangalu". Sri Balacharya belonged to this
lineage. This lineage apart from Sri SathyaSanthushta Theertha also produced other stalwarts like Sri Sathyadharma
Theertha and Sri Sathyasankalpa Theertha who were also famous Peethadipathis in their own right to have adored the
Peetha of Sri Uttaradi Math. After being felicitated with the title of "GHOOLI Shastra" to Sri Balacharya, His further
lineage was famously known as GHOOLI.

Sri Sathyasanthushtha Theertha was the contemporary of Sri Vidhyanidhi Theertha of Sri Vyasaraja Matha and Sri
Sugynanendra Theertha of Sri Raghavendra Swamy Matha. Sri Vysaraja Math’s Peethadipathi Sri Raghunatha
Theertha (also famously known as Sri Seshachandrikacharya) had presented the idol of Sri Mukhyaprana (which His
Holiness has performed pooja for many years) to Sri Balacharya’s ancestors as a honor to their knowledge and
panditya. Even to this day the lineage is maintaining the same as a mark of respect to the ancestors as well as Sri
Balacharya (Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha). Sri Balacharya’s later generations have also been well known for
their knowledge and innumerable number of books they had published. Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha also had a
unique honor of leading a Vidwat Sabha under the sponsorship of the Maharaja of Mysore. His Holiness had on that
occasion invited many scholars from all over India. He felicitated His student of pre-sanyasa days Sri Anandacharya. His
Holiness also honored lots of other pandits with many gifts and the Maharaja of Mysore also followed suit in honoring the
pandits appropriately. Many pandits remembered the entire episode as the replica of the Rajasooya Yagna conducted by
Sri Yudhisthira and His brothers under the able guidance of Sri VedaVyasa and Lord Sri Krishna during Dwapara Yuga.
So much was the fanfare that the people assembled there stated to think Sri VedaVyasa Himself was performing and
honoring pandits as Sri Sathyasanthushta Theertha and the Mysore Maharaja was obeying the requests of His Holiness
as Yudhisthira.

Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha was also known for His expertise in Ontology and epistemology. During the period of the
Durban of Maharaja of Mysore, He successfully defeated many pandits in this field. Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha is
believed to have defeated many pandits from Kasi (known in those days as the seat of learning) in the fields of Shastra,
Nyaya, Vyakarana and Mimamsa and all these victories proved that Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha was a scholar par
excellence and had the complete blessings of Sri Veda Vyasa, Sri Moola Rama, Sri Anandatheertha Bhavatpadacharya
and all His predessors. As said earlier, the time period of Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha was just 8 months and the
sanchara of His Holiness is known to be very less. Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha initiated the Sri Gururajacharya
(Grandson of Sri Sathyasandha Theertha) as the next successor for the Peethadipathi of Sri Uttaradi Math and named
Him Sri Sathyaparayana Theertha who was a scholar par excellence. Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha entered
Brindavana in Mysore and His brindavana is located next to the Brindavana of His Guru Sri Sathyasankalpa Theertha.
His Holiness also had instructed Sri Sathyaparayana Theertha to do the pratishthana of Sri Mukhya Prana just opposite
to their Brindavana and it is believed that even to this day Sri Sathyasanthustha Theertha learns the intricacies of
Madhva Shastra under His Guru Sri Sathyasankalpa Theertha!. || Shri Krishnarpanamastu ||
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