Sri Jitamitra Tirtharu

saptha rAthram kRushNavENyoum

ushithvA punarutthitham |
jitAmitra gurum vandE
vibhudEndra karOdhbhavam ||

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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.
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 Period – 1490-1493

Ashrama Gurugalu – Sri Vibudendra Tirtharu

Ashrama Shishyaru – Sri Jitamitra 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
2. Sri Vishnu Tirtharu
3. Sri Jitamitraru
4. Sri Purushottama Tirtharu
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.
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 (Photo of Jitamitra Darshana –
sketch by Vaidya Srinivasa Achar)

(Alankruta Jitamitra Gadde whe re Jitamitraru disappeared)

Jitamitra gadde utsava murthy

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(photo source – Jitamitra.org)

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 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.
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Nitya pooja & Naivedya by Anantappa –

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 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
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named him as “Jitamitra Tirtha”. He entered Vrundavana at Tirunelveli.

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 In this way, Jitamitra Tirtharu became the pontiff of Sri Vibudendra Tirtha
Mutt.

Some of the miracles by Jitamitra Tirtharu :

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
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he could get up, a big garland fell on his neck. When he saw the tree, he
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saw a jnaanayogi meditating in the tree.

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 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 whe re Sri Jitamitra Tirtharu disappeared)

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 Whom to contact near Jitamitra sannidhana ?
Dr Jitendra Shivpur
Shivpur Post
Shivpur Village,
Shahpur Taluq,
Gulbarga District, Karnataka, Direct
Phone Number: 08532-592817
——————–

How to reach Sri Jitamitra Gadde, Shivpur

Train Route
1) 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

2) 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)
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 From Hyderabad
Bus route
Hyderabad Mehaboob Nagar Marikal Narayan pet
Sydapur
From Sydapur follow the route mentioned above.
( Distance approximately 270 km)

(Collection by Narahari Sumadhwa from various sources )

For www.sumadhwaseva.com email : Naraharisumadhwa@yahoo.in
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