Aradhane of Sri Jitamitra Tirtha

|| Hari Sarvothama Vayu Jivothama ||
|| Sri Vibhudendra Jithamitra Tirtha Gurubyo Namaha ||

Aradhane of Sri Sri Jitamitra Tirtharu will be celebrated on 24/12/2011. All credits and Thanks goes to Sri Narahari for the below detailed article on his holiness.It is considered that his holiness took his next avatara as Sri Sudindra Tirtha(Gurugalu of Sri Raghavendra Swamigalu) and his gurugalu Sri Vibhudendra Tirtha took avatara as Ajaya Sri Vijayindra Swamigalu(Kumbakonam)

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Sri Jitamitra Tirtharu -by Sri Narahari Sumadhwa
सप्तरात्रम् क्रुष्णवेण्यौम् उशित्वा पुनरुत्थिथं।जितामित्र गुरुं वंदे विभुदेंद्र करोध्भवं ॥
ಸಪ್ತರಾತ್ರಮ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣವೇಣ್ಯೌಮ್ ಉಶಿತ್ವಾ ಪುನರುತ್ಥಿಥಂ|ಜಿತಾಮಿತ್ರ ಗುರುಂ ವಂದೇ ವಿಭುದೇಂದ್ರ ಕರೋಧ್ಭವಂ ||
saptha rAthram kRishNavENyoum ushithvA punarutthitham|
jitAmitra gurum vandE vibhudEndra karOdhbhavam ||

Meaning – Once when he was doing Paata to his students,  under a Gum Tree near Krishnaveni floods of Krishna River came and all the shishyaas ran away leaving the Gurugalu Sri Jitamitraru.    Sri Jitamitraru was fully immersed in the water.  The flood was there for seven days.  The students thought that the Gurugalu also gone missing in the floods.   But  even after seven days, when the floods stopped, they were surprised to see Jitamitraru at the same place, without being even wet.  Swamiji had sat totally absorbed in meditation.   There was no sign of water touching his body at all.   The students were amazed at this.  That is why the Charamashloka included the same story which tells that he was sitting in Krishnaveni for seven days.

Period – 1490-1493
Ashrama Gurugalu – Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu
Ashrama Shishyaru – Sri Raghunandana Tirtharu
Poorvashrama naama – Anantappa
Amsha – Rudramsha
Gotra – Vishwamitra Gotra
Aradhana – Margashira Bahula Amavasye (ellamavasye day)

He is the second after Srimadacharyaru to disappear.  Those who have disappeared and for whom no Vrundavana is available are :

1. Sri Madhwacharyaru (Entered Badarikashrama)
2. Sri Vishnu Tirtharu (disappeared)
3. Sri Jitamitraru (disappeared in a tree)
4. Sri Purushottama Tirtharu (entered Gruha & disappeared)
5. Sri Lakshminarayana Tirtharu (went to Badarikashrama)

Vrundavana –
There is no vrundavana for him.   But there is one Jitamitra Gadde, in a Gonada Tree  (Gum tree) 30-32 kms from Raichur Krishna-Bheema River basin, Shivapura, Shahapur Taluk in Gulbarga District.  It is the place where he was last seen and disappeared.  It is believed that he is still there in Jnaana Roopa in the tree.   That is why this place has been maintained as a monument.

(Photo of Jitamitra Darshana –sketch by Vaidya Srinivasa Achar)
  
(Alankruta Jitamitra Gadde where Jitamitraru disappeared)

Jitamitra gadde                                                  utsava murthy

Ananthappa, and his childhood –

Ananthappa lost his father at a very early age.   He had a elder sister, who also had lost her husband at her young age itself.      Even though she was young lady, she was expert in land management.    She herself carried the entire responsibility of the family.    At his age of 8, he got upanayana.

Assisting his sister in the fields –
Anantappa after getting upanayana, used to do sandhya vandana, and all other related pooja.   Then he used to go to the fields alongwith his sister, was assisting his sister in all her land related works, plouging the fields, grazing the animals, etc.  He used to wear Yagnopaveetha only during Sandhyavandhane and during Bhojana.  During other occasins, he used to hang to a shelf in his house.
Meeting with Vibudendra Tirtharu – At the same time, Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu, was searching for his shishya whom he can give sanyasashrama.   Once when he was passing, he saw Anantappa.  He was attracted by the boy.  Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu seeing the boy ploughing in the fields, asked him where is his Yagnopaveetha?.  The Boy told that he has hanged it in his house.  Then Vibudendra Tirtharu appraised him the importance of Yagnopaveetha,  and taught him as to how to do proper sandhyavandane, pooja, etc.    He visited his house at Agnihaalu, spent some days in his house, did the Ramachandra Devara pooja at his house itself for several days.  Daily he used to give discourses  on various paramathma and vayu devara tattva to Ananthappa.

Narasimha saligrama given to Anantappa –
After staying in his house, for several days, Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu, was very pleased with Ananthappa, and gave him narasimha Saligrama which he was daily worshipping and instructed him ” Do daily snaana, ahnika, do the abhisheka to this Saligrama unfailingly,  offer Gandha-akshate,  and do the naivedya”.  Vibudendra Tirtharu knew that this Anantappa is none other than Rudramsha sambootha and Narasimha devaru is the upasya moorthy for Rudradevaru.  That is why he gave that saligrama to Anantappa.

Nitya pooja & Naivedya by Anantappa –
After Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu gave him the Narasimha saligrama, Anantappa was thrilled.  He used to do as per the instructions of Vibudendra Tirtharu, by taking bath early in the morning, he was doing pooja, alankara, etc.   He had prepared naivedya for Narasimha Devaru.  One day he wanted to do the samarpana of naivedya directly to the mouth of Narasimha Saligrama.   He had thought the saligrama will take the naivedya directly, so he offered naivedya to the saligrama, in vain.    Then he told Narasimha devaru, that if he is not opening his mouth and accepting the naivedya, he will hit himself with the saligrama.  He started hitting his head with the saligrama, then Saligrama’s mouth opened.  Ananthappa fed the food which he had kept for naivedya and Narasimha devaru ate it.   Like this daily, he used to offer food for Narasimha Devaru, which used to accept the naivedya.  And only after Srihari in his Narasimha roopa accept the food, Anantappa and his sister used to eat the food.   Years went on like this.

Vibudendra Tirtha’s return –
Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu who had gone to North India visit to defeat some advaitha vidwaans there, returned to Shivapura.  Anantappa who came to know about this went immediately to see Vibudendra Tirtharu and appraised him of the entire episode wherein, he was daily offering Naivedya of Rice to the narasimha saligrama’s mouth and the same is being accepted by the Srihari.  Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu was very happy at this and was surprised.
Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu wanted to see Sri Narasimha devaru eating the food directly.   Anantappa tried to feed the saligrama, but it was not opening its mouth at all on this day.     Ananthappa thought that he has told a lie to his Gurugalu Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu as the Saligrama was not opening its mouth, so he wanted to end his life, by hitting his head with a sharp stone.  Immediately the saligrama’s mouth opened and accepted his food in front of Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu himself.

Sanyasa to Anantappa –
On seeing the Narasimha Devaru eating directly from the hands of Anantappa, Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu was very happy that he got a great shishya, and he thought of giving ashrama to him only.    Anantappa who readily accepted his invitation, was very happy.  Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu gave the sanyasashrama and the entire samstana box to Anantappa and named him as “Jitamitra Tirtha”.   He entered Vrundavana at Tirunelveli.   In this way, Jitamitra Tirtharu became the pontiff of Sri Vibudendra Tirtha Mutt.
Some of the miracles by Jitamitra Tirtharu :

1. 1. Gujjala Village – It is about 1 km from Krishna Railway station –   Sri Jitamitraru had done ‘nagabandhana’ with his yogic and mantric power had built a structure on the upper part of the gate to the village.    If a cow is affected by a disease called ‘kundu’,  is made to encircle that katte (structure built by Jitamitraru), the cow’s disease will be disappearing very quickly even without use of any medicines.  Even today many villagers are taking their cows to that place and getting their cow cured from its disease.    The Village was named as Gurujaala (Guru means – Jitamitraru and Jaala means mantrik shakti of gurugalu).  The same place is now called as Gurjaala or Gujjala.
   2. Gonada Tree –   Many people are getting relieved of their diseases by just by doing seva to the Gonada Tree  (Gum Tree) at Jitamita sannidhana.
   3. Jangama darshana – Every day, a jangama used to come to listen to the paata by Jitamitraru.   Sri Jitamitraru used to wait till that Jangama came and sit in front of him before he could start his paata to his disciples.    It is believed that the jangama  (Rudradevaru) was coming just to hear the pravachana of Srimadacharya (In Jitamitraru, while doing paata, Srimadacharya’s sannidhana was there).
   4. Rudramsha of Jitamitraru –  Once Sri Susheelendra Tirtharu had visited Jitamitra Gadde.   Sri Susheelendra Tirtharu did the moola ramadevara pooja  just opposite to the Gondal Tree, where there is the sannidhana of Jitamitraru is there.   During the pooja, he saw a jangama wearing Vibuthi and rudrakshi sara.    The same evening Susheelendraru visited Sangameshwara temple in the village,  where the same Jangama, whom he had seen in themorning came and entered the Garbhagudi and disappeared.   Then he came back to near Gondal Tree, there he saw the same Jangama who came near the Gondal Tree and disappeared.  After witnessing all this, he declared that Jitamitraru is none other than Rudramsha sambhootha.
   5. Darshana to Suyamindraru –   In 1945 Sri Suyameendra Tirtharu visited the Gondal Tree, who did the pooja of moolarama and gave the hastodaka to Jitamitra Tirtharu and did sastanga namaskara.  Before he could get up, a big garland fell on his neck.  When he saw the tree, he saw a jnaanayogi meditating in the tree.
   6. Anugraha to Kudluru Krishnacharya – Krishnacharya, was an illiterate came to Gondal Tree 125 years back and did the seva for seven days.  On the seventh day, he got a dream wherein Jitamitraru came and blessed him, gave him upadesha and wrote Bijakshara on his tongue.    The previous day he was an illiterate, the next day he wrote Jitamitra Stotra with 27 verses, wherein he has narrated the Rudramsha of Jitamitraru.  This is with the Anugraha of Jitamitraru.  Kadluru Krishnacharya’s Shri Jitamitra gurustotra is known to grant the desires for those who recite it with devotion even today.
   7. Disappearance of Sri Jitamitraru –  It so happened in 1493 Margashira Bahula Amavasye that he was sitting under the same tree meditating .    There itself he disappeared.   Subsequently when the devotees were searching for the swamiji they heard that he had disappeared and they need not vrundavana for him and that his sannidhana will be there very much in the tree.   As such, the same tree is being worshipped by many even today.

(Vruksha where Sri Jitamitra Tirtharu disappeared)
Whom to contact near  Jitamitra sannidhana ?
Dr  Jitendra Shivpur,Shivpur  Post,Shivpur Village,Shahpur Taluq,Gulbarga District, Karnataka, Direct Phone Number: 08532-592817
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How to reach Sri Jitamitra Gadde, Shivpur
Train Route: Preferred route:Get down at Yadgir railway station and from there take either Bus or any local vehicle to Sangam get down at Jitamitra Gadde.
(Bus timings are 8:00, 14:00 and 19: 00) Distance: approximately 50 Km
From Raichur Railway station
Raicur (take Intercity train @ 7:00 am)   get down at Sydapur Station (Narayan pet road)
From here take either own vehicle or auto and follow the below direction
Mungal   Sangwar  Kondapur  Joladagi barrage/ bridge   Gwanal  Shivpur  Jitamitra Gadde
Distance (from Sydapur station) – approximately 30 km
Bus (road) Route From Raichur
Raichur   Gabbur    Googal Bridge / Barrage   Bendegambli   Shivpur Jitamitra Gadde  (Distance approximately 80 km)
From Raichur
Raichur  Shaktinagar   Chegunta   Badiyal  Kondapur Joladagi barrage/bridge   Gwanal   Shivpur   Jitamitra Gadde
(Distance approximately 75 km)
From Hyderabad Bus route
Hyderabad   Mehaboob Nagar   Marikal Narayan pet  Sydapur
From Sydapur follow the route mentioned above. ( Distance approximately 270 km)

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