Sri Satya Priya Teertharu

By Dr. B. Basker in Dwaita parimala Magazine

This saint was one of the glorious pontiffs who reigned the Uttaradhi Matha for a period of nearly eleven years. He was an ardent disciple to Sri Satyapoorna teertharu (1706 to 1725) and used to travel with the swamiji where ever the entourage went.

Once, when the swamiji was climbing the tirupati hills due to old age and fatigue His Holiness could not carry the devara pettige and climb (in those days even the heavy boxes which had the sacred idols was taken by the swamiji personally) and questioned that among the numerous shishyaas that who was a dinatraya and will future also be a dinatraya can help him by just supporting Him. A young disciple came forward and He helped the saint to carry the devara pettige to the hilltop. This budding scholar later ascending the pontificate under the name of Satyapriya tirtha.

He was the Guru of Sri Satyabodha Teertharu. In whole of TamilNadu only the place of the Guru of this Saint Sri Sathya Vijaya Teertharu bears the name of a Madhwa saint. It Sathya Viajaya Nagar near Arani. The shishya was a chip of the old block and one of the incidences in His life is responsible for the name of Maanaamadurai where the saint is entombed. Sri Satya priyaru was camping at a place when was attacked by robbers who mistook the Devara Pettige as a Jewel box. The saint prayed Vaaya devaru and immediately from the Ghanta (Bell) scores of Monkeys appeared and drove away the thieves. After this incident, the place was called as "Veera Vanara Madurai" and by the passage of time it became "MaanaMadurai".

In 1744 one day while the saint was doing the daily pooja , to the consternation of His Holiness the feet of the Raama idol became very soft and the saint was moved to tears on the divine touch and knew that His life on the earth was nearing conclusion. Ten days later the great saint entered brindavan on the banks of Vaigai at Manamadurai. He continues to bless His devotees from the brindavan till this day.

Manamadurai hosts the very beatiful Brindavana of the saint with a Sesha peeta. It is a place that every devotee should mark in his/her touring diary.

This great saint's aradhana falls on Chaitra Shukla Trayodashi

-From Sarvothaman

Veera Vanara Madurai popularly known as MANAMADURAI is on National Highway between Madurai and Rameswaram,on the banks of River Vaigai.Manamadurai is a big rail and road junction.Manamadurai Madurai and Tiruchirapalli form a triangle with the apex Manamadurai leading us to Darbasayanam and Rameswaram.

Sri Sathya Priyaru chose an entirely different path to serve Dvaita during his magnificent spiritual career.Prose,Poetry are the two literary mediums thro which the soteriological Philosophy of Dvaita is introduced to the seeker.The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the enrichment of divine litterature thro' the medium of drama by the pontiffs of Sri Vibhudendra Mutt.If prose,poetry and drama can serve Dvaita the common underlying medium ,the grammar should also serve Dvaita.Thus our Priyaru instead of using grammar as a tool used it as a full fledged medium to further beautify Dvaita.Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophy fourth volume deals exclusively with SANSKRIT GRAMMARIANS.In the volume our Priyaru's contribution to the field has been acknowledged and appreciated.

The Brindavan has a Sesha Peeta instead of the usual Kurma Peeta,The agraharam is known as Brindavana Agraharam.Priyaru beautified southern tamilnadu with his pilgrimages.At Sethumadhava kshetra of RAM-eswar-RAM,he created a sarva theertha.Priyaru consecrated mrithika brindavan of JayaRajaru at tirunelveli town,composing Jayarajara Sthuthi.

NH 7 starts at kashi and ends at cape comorin.Even before NH was laid Priyaru had laid the spiritual highway in uttar and dakshin Bharat by his Dvaita thro; sanskrit grammar.

Today,'mow and monday are Priyara aradhana days ,celebrating his 266 th aradhna.Besides train and bus connection Madurai is well connected by air to Bangalore and Chennai,Maduai to Mnamadurai is just 45 km coverable in 45 minutes thro 'Rajagambeera that is Priyaru