Charama Shloka :

ಸದ್ಯಾಚಿತಾಮರತರುಃ ಹೃದ್ಯಾಶ್ಚರ್ಯಪ್ರಭಾವವಾನ್ | ವಿದ್ಯಾಶ್ರೀಸಿಂಧುಯತಿರಾಟ್ ದದ್ಯಾದ್ವಿದ್ಯಾಂ ಮುರದ್ವಿಷಃ ||

सद्याचितामरतरुः हृद्याश्चर्यप्रभाववान् | विद्याश्रीसिंधुयतिराट् दद्याद्विद्यां मुरद्विषः ||

sadyācitāmarataruḥ hṛdyāścaryaprabhāvavān | vidyāśrīsindhuyatirāṭ dadyādvidyāṃ muradviṣaḥ ||

About Sri Vidyashrisindhu Tirtha
Sri Vidyashrisindhu Tirtha was ordained the 31st Peethadhipati. Hailing from Rathangapura Vamsha, Shaunaka Gotra and a Yajurvediya belonging to the Aravelu Kutumba, his ancestors embraced Tattvavada after getting Taptamudradharane from Kambaluru Ramachandra Tirtha. Sri Lakshminatha Tirtha, Tippanikararu for Vyasatraya did Paramanugraha on this Vamsha. Our Guruparampara starting from Shesachandrikacharyaru to Sri Vidyasamudra Tirtharu, including this saint, belongs to this Vamsha.

Krishnacharyaru, Purvashrama name of this saint, performed Shastradhyayana under his grandfather Sri Vidyapurna Tirtha, believed in tradition to be Aparavatara of Sri Vyasarajaru and was fifth in succession from Sri Vidyavallabha Tirtharu. It is known from existing records that this scholarly saint in his Purvashrama had debated with scholars of other prevalent schools of thought at important pilgrimage centres of the south such as Srirangam, Kanchi and Madurai and upheld Acharya Madhva’s Tattvavada. But it is sad to note that all documentary evidence for the above were lost during a flood event at Sosale in the last century.

The Saint was renunciation – Vairagya – personified. At the behest of His Guru, he embraced the fourth order, Sanyasashrama without any inhibitions at a very young age despite having a son who was barely five years and a fairly young wife. He then started a long Sancara for a period of five years visiting all the important pilgrimage centres.

Tradition records that the saint was described as Vividha Shastra Nikshepa Bhuh which would roughly translate as a personality likened to a minefield of Shastraic treasure! This is not a surprise since the saint had extended Shastraic education with His illustriously long-lived predecessor Shri Vidyapurna Tirtha who occupied the Vedanta Samrajya for half-a-century. Shri Venkateshacharya, one of the many Grihastha Shishyas of this saint who had composed the Taratamya Prabandha prays to the saint in the Mangalacharana Shloka

|| Vidyāśrīsindhu Tīrthānam Matguroḥ Pādapaṅkajĕ
Namaskṛtya Pravakṣyāmi Tāratamyam Vimuktidham ||

Vicitra Carithakruti is another adjective that is seen to be employed in the same work. On one occasion, the saint decided to undertake Chaturmasya Sankalpa at Sosale. Due to the monsoon season, the river Kaveri was in spate. However, the saint desired to visit Tirmakudalu Narasipura and take the blessings of his paramaguru Sheshachandrikacharyaru before commencing the Vritha. It is said, he walked effortlessly over the river and had the darshana of his Guru’s Mula Vrindavana and walked back to Sosale! This incident is also alluded to in the Carama Shloka of the saint composed by his successor Shri Vidyashridhara Tirtharu in the following manner.

|| Sadyācitāmarataruḥ Hṛdhyāścaryaprabhāvavān
Vidyāśrīsindhuyathirāṭ Daddhyād Vidyāṁ Muradviṣaḥ ||

The reason for the avatara of this saint is recounted as follows: Divan Purnaih of Mysuru submitted his entire material wealth at the feet of Shri Vidyavallabha Tirtha and requested the saint’s grace for which the Saint is supposed to have said

Dhanyaṁ Karoti Tvām Sindhu Dhānyīkṛtya Suvarṇakam

which would roughly translate as “Vidyashrisindhu would bless you by converting all this material wealth (Gold) to grain”! This was a prophecy made fifty years well before the occurrence of a severe drought of 1877–79 at which time Shri Vidyashrisindhu Tirtharu adorning the Pitha used up all this wealth to feed everyone in the Sosale region for a prolonged period of time and came to be affectionately known by one and all as ‘Akki Bele Swamiji.’

Being an Aparoksha Jnyani and knowing that his departure is approaching, he ordained Shri Vidyashridhara Tirtharu as his successor a year before and ensured that the teaching of Tatvasara, commentary on Brihati Sahasra composed by Sheshachandrikacharyaru was completed before entering Vrindavana. Pattabhiramacharya, saint’s Purvashrama son became a great scholar and did Shastradhyayana under his successor with his blessings.