INTRODUCTION
Sri Brahmanya Tirtha is a lesser known stalwart from Dvaita school of Vedanta which has more than 800 years of recorded history.
Sri Brahmanya Tirtha’s first unique identity is that he was the Ashrama Guru of the much celebrated Madhva Guru, Sri Vyasatirtha.
It is well known that Sri Vyasatirtha lived during the heydays of Vijayanagara Empire. He acted as a spiritual advisor to six Vijayanagara emperors. He has acted as the overseer of Tirumala temple for 12 years between c.1484 to c.1496. Sri Vyastirtha also established two universities – one at Hampi and another at Penugonda.
Thus Sri Brahmanya Tirtha has a unique place in the Guru Parampara of Madhvas for more than one reason.
Above all, it is his Brindavana at Abbur in Karnataka that attracts one and all because of its spiritual powers and also for an exclusive iconographic feature.
This article explores that special characteristic of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha Brindavana at Abbur.
SRI BRAHMANYA TIRTHA – BIOGRAPHY
The early life of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha is shrouded in mystery. In the absence of contemporary literature such as a biography or inscriptions etc. not many details are available of his parents and childhood.
But a few descriptions are available in the biography of Sri Vyasatirtha i.e. “Vyasa Yogi Charitam.” Some more details can be obtained from the oral traditions but whose reliability is doubtful.
Though the details about Sri Brahmanya Tirtha are scant but the available information is sufficient enough to understand his greatness.
After all, he is the one who gave to the world a gem called Vyasatirtha!
SRI BRAHMANYA TIRTHA BRINDAVANA – ICONOGRAPHY
The Brindavana of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha (on Peetha c.1443-67) is at a small village called Abbur. It is 65 KMs away from Bangalore city on the way to Mysore.
There are few ancient temples in this village that affirm its antiquity. There is a small river called Kanva River that flows close to the village.
It is in this small village and on the banks of Kanva River that Sri Vyasatirtha consecrated the Brindavana of his Ashrama Guru with a unique feature.
A closer look at the top portion of the brindavana gives an hint about the exalted position of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha in the Dvaita world. Please observe the portion circled in red colour in the below image. You can see that the middle portion is in round shape and flanked by two petal shaped stones.
This is the most intriguing part of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha’s Brindavana as no other Brindavana of a Madhva Yati has such shape on it.
A comparison is provided below:
This peculiar iconography caused by Sri Vyasaraja hints that Sri Brahmanya Tirtha is an incarnation of Surya, the Sun. Sri Vyastirtha, in his stotra on Sri Brahmanya Tirtha hailed his Ashrama Guru as “brahmaNya bhAskaraM” [i.e. Brahmanya who is like the Sun].
This shloka, along with the iconography, serves as a an evidence to support the fact that Sri Brahmanya Tirtha is in fact an incarnation of Surya.
CONCLUSION
I heard from the scholars that Abburu is known as Bhaskara Kshetra i.e. the land of the Sun. Hence it becomes apt for Sri Brahmanya Tirtha to live and get enshrined in the land of his own!
It is also to be noted that among all the brindavanas of Madhva lineage, Sri Brahmanya Tirtha’s brindavana is the only one that has Sun or Surya icon on it.
Thus the epithet “bhAskara” that was used by Sri Vyasatirtha in his stuti is in fact revealing the mula roopa [original form] of Sri Brahmanya Tirtha as Surya.
May Sri Brahmanya Tirtha, the radiant Sun of Dvaita world, bless all of us with health and wisdom.
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