Raghavendra Swami

Raghavendra Swami

Sri Raghavendra Swami (1595–1671 CE) was a Hindu saint and philosopher who served as the head of the Sri Mutt in Kumbakonam from 1624 to 1636. He wrote a commentary Sudha Parimala on the Nyaya Sudha, an exposition of Dvaita philosophy. His Jeeva samadhi in Mantralayam in the present-day Andhra Pradesh is an important place of pilgrimage. The numerous miracles he performed have led to him being worshipped even today in the form of god and he is believed to be the saviour for those who placed faith in him.

Sri Raghavendra Teertharu was born as Venkatanatha in the town of Bhuvanagiri in the present-day Tamil Nadu to Kannada-speaking Madhwa Brahmin parents in 1595, 1598 or 1601. After having his initial education under his brother-in-law Lakshminarasimhachar, Venkatanatha was admitted to the Sri Mutt in Kumbakonam where he took sanyasa and adopted the name Raghavendra Theertha. Raghavendra succeeded his guru Sudheendra Theertha as the head of the Sri Mutt and served from 1624 to 1636. He travelled all over South India expounding Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy and is attributed with a number of miracles. In 1671, after assuring his disciples in a speech that he will be in spirit with them for the next eight hundred years, Raghavendra attained Jeeva Samadhi at Mantralayam.