Sripadaraja Mutt, Srirangam, Trichy
Sripadaraja
Mutt is a Hindu religious institution located at Srirangam Town in Trichy
District of Tamilnadu. This Mutt is also called as Mulbagal Mutt.
Sripadaraja
Sripadaraja or Lakshminarayana
Tirtha was a Dvaita scholar, composer and the pontiff of the Madhvacharya Mutt at Mulbagal. He is widely considered as the founder of Haridasa movement along with Narahari Tirtha. His songs and
hymns, written under the nom-de-plume of Ranga Vitthala, contain the distillation
of Dvaita principles infused with mysticism and humanism. He
is also credited with the invention of the suladi musical structure
and composed 133 of them along with several kirtanas.
He was
the advisor of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya and mentored the young Vyasatirtha. He has also authored a commentary on Jayatirtha's Nyaya Sudha called Vagvajra. Sripadaraya
was born in Abbur, a village in Channapatna taluk, Karnataka. His father,
Sheshagiriappa, served as an accountant while young Sripadaraya looked after
the cattle, studying Sanskrit texts in his spare time. Tradition asserts
that Sripadaraya was the cousin of Brahmanya Tirtha, who served as the pontiff
of the Madhvacharya mutt
at Abbur and the guru of Vyasatirtha.
Legends
speak of Svarnavarna Tirtha encountering young Sripadaraya on his way to Abbur
and after a brief rapport, being amazed by the youth's innate intelligence. He
would later tutor the youth and ordain him as a monk with the
name Lakshminarayana Tirtha. Lakshminarayana Tirtha eventually succeeded
Svarnavarna Tirtha as the pontiff of the mutt at Mulbagal. Affectionately known as Sripadaraya, he was
considered the guru of Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya and educated Vyasatirtha in the shastras. His songs and hymns were
sung during the night time bhajans at his mutt.
Continuing
the tradition of Vedanta, he authored a commentary on Nyaya Sudha of
Jayatirtha called Vagvajra which, according to Sharma, "is a
lucid and attractive commentary in 3500 granthas". He also adds that
despite the exhaustive exposition and the graceful style, his role as a Haridasa eclipsed his scholarly work. He is often
considered as the pioneer of Dasa
Sahitya with his simple worded and
spiritual hymns synchronized to music. The simple and rural beginnings of
Sripadaraya coupled with an intimate connection with his vernacular language
influenced his poetry.
He
composed 13,000 suladis, which are songs containing a medley of different ragas and talas often employed to set the mood of the narrative.
Sharma notes "His songs are more sublime than those of any others, and
possess a happy blending of rhythm and meaning". Vyasatirtha,
who succeeded him as the pontiff, continued the musical legacy of his guru by
giving further impetus to the Haridasa movement and composing several kirtanas himself.
Contact
Sripadaraja
Mutt (Swarnavarna Theertha Brindavana),
48,
South Chittirai Street,
Srirangam,
Trichy District
Phone: +91 431 2431344
Connectivity
Sripadaraja
Mutt is located at about 500 meters from Srirangam Ranganathar Temple, 1 Km
from Srirangam Railway Station, 5 Kms from Trichy Chatram Bus Stand, 10 Kms
from Trichy Central Bus Stand, 14 Kms from Trichy Railway Station, 10 Kms from Trichy
and 15 Kms from Trichy Airport.