About HH Shrimad Varadendra Tirtha Swamiji

Shree Kashi Math Samsthan (www.kashimath.org) is a religious order of the Gowd Saraswat Brahmans of Vaishnava Sampradaya (tradition and legacy). It has a long history going back to nearly five hundred years. Shree Kashi Math Samsthan has moulded the course of history of the Gowd Saraswat Brahmans and has provided unity and unique identity of its own to the Community.

The Eighteenth Swamji in the illustrious lineage / Parampara of Shri Kashi Math Samsathan is Shrimad Varadendra Tirtha Swamiji. He hailed from Andikadavu in Cochin and was born on Aswija Bahula Dwitiya under the star Rohini of Kshaya Samvatsara Sh.Sh. 1788 -1866 AD. In his purvashram he was Giri Mallya, son of Shri Anantha Mallya. He was a precocious child. It is said that as a young lad playing with his friends he donned the role of a Swami. This was reported to Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swami who sent for the boy and asked him what he wished to be and the youngster nonchalantly replied that he wanted to be a Sanyasi- Swami. Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swami said that he would take him as a Shishya. Coming events cast their shadows before. What was perhaps said in a lighter vein turned out to be true. Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swamiji did initiate as his Shishya the young Giri Mallya then only in his tenth year in June 1876. That was at Manjeshwar on Jeshta Pournami of Dhatu Samvatsara Sh.Sh. 1798- Tuesday, 6th June, 1876. The 3rd Prathishta of Lord Venkatapathy- Cochin Thirumala Devaswom was performed by Bhuvanendra Tirtha and his Patta Shishya Varadendra Tirtha in 1881. That year’s Chaturmasa was also at Cochin.

Shri Varadendra Tirtha Swamiji was destined to be a leader and a great spiritual personality. He had the benefit of being with the Guru for over 10 years. He camped at Varanasi for a long time for his studies and became a great scholar. He was a multifaceted personality and his scholastic attainments were wide and varied covering almost every aspect of human endeavour. Apart from his great mastery of Vedanta and Sanskrit he was a multi linguist- having deep knowledge of more than 14 languages including foreign ones. Sanskrit, Konkani, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Latin, Urdu, German, French, English, Portuguese and Japanese. He also had great technical knowledge and expertise. He had Mantrasiddhi too. He was also a scholar in Mathematics, Astrology, Palmistry and Ayurveda.

On Bhuvanendra Tirtha Swamiji attaining Mukti in 1886, Shri Varadendra Tirtha Swamiji ascended the Peetha of Shri Kashi Math Samsthan at the age of 20. He lived to the maximum of his potential. Once the chirping of the birds disturbed the recitation of the students of the Patashala. They complained to Swamiji. His Holiness drew a circle around the students and the birds who came inside the circle lost their voice because of Swamiji’s mantra shakti. After the recitation he again drew the circle and the birds regained their voices. Some magician came to Swamiji to show his prowess and by his magic brought out the conch- sankha in the pooja room. Swamiji then asked him to send it back to the pooja room. But try as much as he did, he could not. Then Swamiji with his spiritual prowess and Mantrashakti got the better of the magician and sent back the conch.

It is said that early in the morning His Holiness himself would pluck the flowers and arrange them for the pooja. Swamiji has been known to have repaired watches, clocks and time pieces as also the telegraph machine. Once the train in which he was travelling was not moving due to some problem. Swamiji went to the engine and set right the problem and the train could proceed with the journey. Modern engineering and mechanical gadgets held a fascination for him. He would open an instrument- see its inside- examine- detect the problem and set it right. He had made for himself a chair and writing table which is now displayed at the Dahisar Math Museum. He thus excelled in carpentry too. Swamiji founded a printing press known as Sachidananda Mudralaya in Basrur in order to print various manuscripts on religious works which were in the Math. His efforts in composing, printing and book binding were marvellous. During the hours between worship and late nights- he would engage himself in reading and writing and also book binding. He was planning to construct a building for housing all the books lying unattended in all the Maths from Rameshwar to Varanasi and the library was to be named Bhuvanendra Granthalaya. That however did not come about. Lord Wellingdon the Governor of Bombay and later Viceroy of India visited the Walkeshwar Math to pay respects to Shrimad Varadendra Tirtha. Swamiji arranged some mechanical device and pressing a button from where he was seated had two elephant statues at the entrance garland the Governor and his lady to their utter joy and astonishment.

It is worthy of note that Swamiji excelled in all this without any formal education having taken sanyas when he was barely ten and achieved all this in a short life span of less than 48 years. Swamiji was very fond of children. Once while at Manjeshwar His Holiness arranged for the circus company to come near the temple to perform the circus for the whole day so that the children could see, enjoy and entertain themselves. What would have been the whole day’s collection for the circus company but for their coming to the temple, was given by Swamiji. It was also during Varadendra Tirtha’s time that the practice of giving crackers to children on the occasion of Diwali was started and it is still continued.

His Holiness was a patron of fine arts, music and literature. He was himself a versatile literary figure- his poetic genius finding expression in many wonderful compositions in praise of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and others. Someone who had filed a court case against the Math sought His Holiness’ blessings. Swamiji replied that truth alone would win and gave him gandhaprasad. Of course he lost the case- but continued to receive Swamiji’s affection. His Holiness was invited to the Palace and honoured by the Maharaja of Travancore.

On Sravana Bahula Chathurthi of Paridhavi Samvatsara, Sh.Sh. 1834 corresponding to Sunday, 31 August, 1912 Swamiji gave Sanyasa Deeksha to a vatu- Srinivasa Prabhu and named him Shrimad Sukrathindra Tirtha. Shrimad Varadendra Tirtha Swami did not have a long time on the physical plane thereafter. HH’s parting message to the Shishya was that he should perform pooja and worship with sincerity, devotion and dedication, that there was nothing to fear and that God would take care of everything and all would be well. That is the eternal message to all. Varadendra Swamiji attained Mukti on Ashada Shudha Dvitiya of Ananda Samvatsara, Sh.Sh. 1836 - Wednesday 24 June, 1914 at Walkeshwar, Bombay. HH’s Vrindavan is there by the side of the illustrious Vrindavan of Shrimad Madhavendra Tirtha.