Shreemad Raghuchandra teertha
Deeksha Guru : Shree Digvijaya Ramachandra teerth
Shishya sweekar : Shree LakshmiNarayan teerth.
Mahanirvan Srisaka 1604 Dundhubhi samvatsara Pushya Shukla Poornima.Budhavar
Vrindavana Rama Mandira at Honavar
Ruled on Gurupeetha : 13 years 10 months 19 days .
Ruled from March 1669 to 13th January 1883
History of Swamiji
सृष्टुमष्टौ मठान्येन महान्यत्नः कृतोsपि सः ।
विष्णुना चोदितस्त्यक्तो रघुचंद्रगुरुं भजे।।
- Shreemad Raghuchandra teerth Swamiji is 8th in the lineage and Sri Digvijay Ramachandra teerth initiated Him
- Sriman Madhwacharya initiated eight brahmacharis into sanyasa and established eight maths to worship Shree Krishna at Udupi on a rotation.
- Srimad Raghuchandra teerth Swamiji aimed to start a similar system for Partagali math and selected eight Vatus, performing preparatory rites.
- Three Vatus were given sanyasa deeksha, but two of them attained Haripada soon after, leading Swamiji to stop initiating more Vatus into sanyasa based on divine guidance.
- Only three Vatus remained: Shree Lakshmi Narayana teerth, Shree Vyasa teerth, and Shree Samyameendra teerth, all great scholars following sannyasa dharma.
- Shree Samyameendra teertha left for Kashi, and Sri Vyasa teertha continued shastrabhyasa and worship at Partagali, later attaining Haripada.
- The Vrundavanas of Sri Vyasa teertha and Narahari teertha are on the east side of Yajna shala.
- Shree Lakshmi Narayana teerth was handed over the responsibilities of the matha and society by Sri Raghuchandra teerth Swamiji.
- Swamiji travelled for dharma prachara and stayed in Shree Rama Mandira in Honavar.
- During 13 years on Gurupeetha, Swamiji visited Varanasi three times and purchased land with proper documentation.
- Swamiji attained mukti on Pousha Shukla 15, 1604 dundubhi samvatsara, corresponding to Tuesday, 2-1-1683, at Shree Ram Mandir, Honavar, where the Vrindavana is present.
The great personality of Sri Swamiji has been brought out by the renown scholar and grahastha shishya of Swamiji Sri Sagar Ramacharya in two of his granthas.
गोकर्ण-सत्क्षेत्र-वरेऽनवद्यः श्रीविठ्ठलं कोङ्कण-विप्रवन्द्यः |
अपूजयद्यो रघुचन्द्रतिर्थः संजुष्ट्-गङ्गादि-समस्ततीर्थः ||
यतीश्वराद्योऽखिल-लोकहृद्यो विरक्तिभूषः परिभूतदोषः |
शास्त्राभि-चन्द्रो हरिभक्ति-सान्द्रो भवेत्प्रसन्नः परमो गुरुर्नः ||
One, who is faultless, worshipped by Konkana brahmanas (Gauda sarasvata brahmanas); one who worshipped Sri Vittahala in the holiest place of Gokarna; one who visited Ganga and all other tirtha kshetras; the foremost among saints, the one loved by everyone; who wears desire lessness as a jewel; one who has conquered all passions; the one who is like the moon the ocean of shastras; the one in whom devotion towards Lord Hari is saturated; may such Raghuchandra Tirtha, the supreme saint, be pleased with us.
–Sagar Ramacharya in Suniti Bhagavath
सन्तापं शमयन् तमांस्यपहरन् गोभिर्जगज्जीवयन्
सत्कामं परिपूरयन्-खलगणान्-विद्रावयन्-मायिनः |
शान्तिं साधु भजन्-अनन्तकुमुदाद्यार्तिं च सन्नाशयन्
पूर्णश्री रघुचन्द्र उत्तमगुरुनित्यं हरेन्मे तमः ||
The one who removes heat/grief and dispels darkness; the one who wakes up people through aphorisms/teachings; the one who fulfils the desires of sajjanas; the one who shoos away Maayins (Mayavadins); the one who removes the endless pain and afflictions related to this samsara; the one who is full of auspiciousness; let such best of the Gurus, Sri Raghuchandra, dispel my ignorance.
(This verse compares Shree Raghuchandra Tirtha to the full moon with similar auspicious attributes.
The moon removes heat and dispels darkness; moon keeps people awake through its moonlight and increases the best of the desires/helps in growing Kaama in our minds; moon removes the pain of kumudas/night lotus; the one who is full of brightness; let such best of the entities, the moon, dispel my ignorance.)
–Sagar Ramacharya in Sanniti Ramayana