Shri Bhuvanendra Dayavanadhi | Talacheri Vasudeva Shanbhag

As  given in Gaud Saraswat Brahmanakhyan book, by Talacheri Vasudeva Shanbhag

Composer: Taḷacēri Vāsudēva Śyānubhāga, Mūlki

Rāga: Mukhāri | Tāḷa: Ēkatāḷa (Tune: Śrī Voḷalaṅkēśāya Namō)

Pallavi:

Śrī Bhuvanēndra dayāvānadhi | sujanābdhi kalānidhi ||

Meaning:

O revered Guru Bhuvanendra Thirtha, an ocean of compassion! You are like the full moon that causes the ocean of noble and virtuous people to swell with joy.

Kāśīmaṭha paramparēyoḷati prakā | śīsiha Sumatīndratīrtha yati niya ||

maśīla karāmbujabhava nirata ja | rāśiravyāsa Rāma caraṇārcaka || 1 ||

Meaning:

Born from the lotus hands (karāmbujabhava / initiated as a disciple) of the disciplined ascetic Sri Sumatindra Thirtha, who shone brightly in the lineage of the Kashi Math Samsthan, you constantly worshipped the lotus feet of Sri Vyasa and Sri Rama.

Dhikkarisutta viṣayasukhavanu tā | pakkoḷagāgi sadyōdhēyiṁ mūrkhara ||

Tikkutuddharisalājñānāṭhavi huta | bhukkenisida dvijakamala divākara || 2 ||

Meaning:

Firmly rejecting sensual pleasures and embracing spiritual austerities (tāpa), you guided the ignorant with true righteous instruction. Like a forest fire that consumes the woods of ignorance, and like the sun that makes the lotus of the twice-born (dvija) blossom, you uplifted society.

Vandya nipuṇakōmala rūpada vada | nēnduvirācita vaibhavadi surēṁ ||

drandivadōḷu merediruvōl dvijaroḷa | guṁ diṅgēśadi kīrtiya beḷesida || 3 ||

Meaning:

Endowed with a venerable, skilled, and gentle form, and a countenance luminous like the moon, you shone like Indra reigning in the heavens, spreading your fame in all directions among the community.

Ratavirakti kīlakābdadoḷage sa | vvatiyāśrama hondutālapaḷḷeya ||

Natarājana satkāradoḷātana | matadiṁ kelakālamalli nelasida || 4 ||

Meaning:

Devoted to deep detachment, in the cyclic year Kilaka (1848-1849 A.D), you accepted the holy order of sannyasa (chaturthashrama). Honored by the ruler (natarāja) of Alappuzha (Aalappuzha/Alleppey), you resided there for some time according to his devout wishes.

Bhēdadoḷipa Vasudhēndrara cittada | krōdhanivārisi vinaya beḷasu tavar ||

Mēdiniyanu toreda vārteyiṁ duḥ | khōdadhiyoḷu muḷugida yamiratnavē || 5 ||

Meaning:

Resolving the differences and quelling anger in the mind of Sri Vasudhendra Thirtha, you fostered humility and harmony. When the news arrived that he had departed this mortal world, you—the jewel among ascetics—were plunged into an ocean of sorrow.

Raudriyoḷallinda mañjuḷāpura | bhadra nṛsiṁhana kāṇlakkalliya ||

Kṣudravivāda nivārisi sṛjana sa | mudradoḍane mūlikēgāgamisida || 6 ||

Meaning:

In the cyclic year Raudri (1860-1861 A.D), traveling from there to Manjeshwar (Manjulapura) to behold the auspicious Sri Narasimha, you resolved petty disputes, pacified the community, and arrived in Mulki amidst a vast sea of virtuous devotees.

Nantara śiṣya samājada sēveya | nuṁ taḷedallim mundarisi nagara ||

Prāntyadi biridina vāda gelidu śrī | manta rāyariṁ mānyava paḍediha || 7 ||

Meaning:

Graciously accepting the devotional service of your disciples, you journeyed further into the royal city province, triumphing in prestigious philosophical debates and receiving high honors from affluent kings and chieftains.

Gauḍasārasvata dvija caritava | prauḍhararuhuttallalli sthāpaneya ||

Dauḍininda dēvālaya maragaḷa | nauḍettadante gaida mahātmara || 8 ||

Meaning:

Elucidating the noble history and traditions of the Gowd Saraswat Brahmins to elders and scholars, this great soul ensured the steady foundation and restoration of temples and sacred heritage groves without letting them fall into neglect.

Kārakaḷadi dāriyagōsuga vyava | hāra naḍeyalada jaisutta mañjuḷa ||

Ūrali dhātuvinoḷu Varadēndrari | gārādhya caturthāśramavittiha || 9 ||

Meaning:

When a legal dispute arose in Karkala regarding access pathways, you successfully resolved it. Later, in the cyclic year Dhatu (1876-77 A.D) at Manjeshwar, you initiated your disciple Sri Varadendra Thirtha into the venerable fourth ashrama (sannyasa).

Maṅgaḷūrali maṇēlakārara pra | saṅgavēḷe Gōkarṇa Kāśi kala ||

Hangaḷoḷ jātyādhikārava sthāpisi | Gaṅgāsnānake vijayaṁ gaidida || 10 ||

Meaning:

During the assembly of the Manelkar family in Mangalore, you settled contentious jurisdictional disputes between the Gokarna and Kashi maths, reaffirmed religious and social order (jātyādhikāra), and then proceeded on a victorious pilgrimage to take a holy dip in the sacred River Ganga.

Kāśiyoḷiha Kavaḷeya maṭhavanyara | pāśadoḷidduda biḍisuta yātrēya ||

Tōṣadi puraisuta sanvādada | lēsininda Vasupurakke dodagida || 11 ||

Meaning:

In Varanasi (Kashi), you liberated the branch of the Kavale Math from the clutches of unlawful claimants. Completing your holy pilgrimage with great joy and engaging in scholarly discourses, you arrived peacefully at Basrur (Vasupura).

Mārgaśīrṣa sita pāḍya vayyadali | vargada durdaśe īkṣisalārade ||

Nirgamisidare sakalaru gōḷiḍe | svargavāsamaṁ taḷeda suguṇamaṇi || 12 ||

Meaning:

On the first lunar day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Pratipada) in the month of Margashirsha, unable to bear the spiritual decline of the world, this repository of noble virtues attained his heavenly abode (Mahasamadhi at Basrur), leaving all devotees weeping in grief.

Hariyē sarva vidyā guṇa bhāgyada | śiriyannode viyōgaduḥkha maha ||

Śaradhiyoḷaddu kaṅgāṇadēmmanu | ddhṛriste Varadēndrariṁ karuṇadi || 13 ||

Meaning:

O Lord Hari, while we were submerged in the deep ocean of sorrow caused by the departure of our Guru—the treasure of all knowledge and virtues—You compassionately protected and uplifted us through his successor, Sri Varadendra Thirtha.

Satya kṣamāguṇa niyatanītiyā | gatyavāda kramagaḷa ērpāṭu ||

Jātyabhyudayada cintane kīrtiyu | nitya beḷagali prakṛta guruvaḷōḷivu || 14 ||

Meaning:

May truth, forgiveness, moral conduct, necessary institutional arrangements, welfare of the community, and eternal glory forever shine brightly through the grace of our present Guru.

Vāsudēvaśāṇṇavi mūlikeya ni | vāsiyu sakalaranujñeyinda raci ||

Sī sṛtti sabheyoḷu Voḷalāka | dhīśa Nṛhari Śrīramēśagarpisida || 15 ||

Meaning:

Vasudeva Shanbhogue, a resident of Mulki, composed this work with the permission and blessings of all elders, and offered this hymn in the holy gathering to Sri Narasimha and Sri Ramesh (Venkataramana), the sovereign deities of Volalanka.

(Acrostic note: The first syllables of the verses read as "Śrī Rāmacandrana bhaktanāda guruvē namma..." [O Guru who is the devout servant of Sri Ramachandra!]).

Kashi Math and Gokarna Math: From Jurisdictional Rivalry to Reconciliation

The history of the relationship between the Śrī Kashi Math Samsthan and the Śrī Gokarna–Partagali Jeevottam Math is an important but comparatively little explored chapter in the history of the Gauda Saraswat Brahmin community. The two institutions shared the same broad religious world, the same Dvaita-Vaishnava inheritance, and overlapping constituencies along the western coast of India. Yet, during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, their relationship became marked by rivalry, competing claims of religious jurisdiction, and restrictions concerning mantropadeśa and mudrādhāraṇa. By the second half of the nineteenth century, however, the relationship had changed dramatically. Personal contacts, mutual hospitality, institutional gestures and deliberate initiatives gradually replaced hostility, eventually producing the close relations between the two Maths that are evident in later records.

The surviving evidence suggests that this was not a simple, uninterrupted conflict. Rather, it was a fluctuating relationship in which cooperation and rivalry alternated, and in which questions of religious authority were closely intertwined with the social organization of the Saraswat community.

The rise of a more explicit Math jurisdictional conflict

The situation becomes clearer when we examine the generation of Srimad Sureendra Tīrtha and Srimad Vibhudendra Tīrtha.

Srimad Sureendra Tīrtha was the Kashi Math pontiff at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Vibhudendra Tīrtha was his disciple and became an important travelling representative of the Kashi Math. The Kashi Math's historical account describes Srimad Sureendra Tirtha as spending much of his time at Alleppey while Srimad Vibhudendra Tirtha undertook extensive digvijayas. Srimad Vibhudendra Tirtha was active in the coastal Karnataka region, including Manjeshwar and Mangalore.

Srimad Vibhudendra Tīrtha and the prohibition on Gokarna Math initiation

A record concerning Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha provides an unusually direct reference to Srimad Vibhudendra's intervention.

At the beginning of Srimad Pūrṇaprajña's pontificate, he travelled through North and South Kanara. On Phālguna Śukla Pratipadā, Śaka 1752 (1830 CE), while at Bhatkal, he issued a rāyas to the members of his community in Karnataka. He instructed them not to receive mantropadeśa or mudrādhāraṇa from the Kashi Math Ācārya.

The reason given was explicit: when Srimad Pūrṇaprajña's guru had earlier travelled in that region, Kashi Math Ācārya Srimad Vibhudendra Tīrtha had imposed a similar prohibition upon their Swami.

This is a crucial piece of evidence. It establishes that Srimad Vibhudendra was remembered by the Gokarna–Partagali side as having personally intervened in the question of religious initiation and mudrādhāraṇa. It also places the dispute squarely in the sphere of competing religious jurisdiction, rather than merely social disagreement.

The geographical setting is equally important. The rāyas was issued from Bhatkal, one of the major Saraswat centres of the coastal region. The Gokarna–Partagali Math itself traces an important part of its early history to Bhatkal, where its first pontiff, Srimad Narayana Tīrtha, established a Math and organized the Saraswat community.

Thus Bhatkal was not merely a convenient stopping place. It was a significant arena in which the religious allegiance of Saraswat families could be contested.

The importance of mantra and mudrādhāraṇa

The repeated appearance of mantropadeśa and mudrādhāraṇa is unlikely to be accidental.

The Kashi Math's foundational tradition itself emphasizes that the Kashi Math was entrusted with authority over the religious affairs of its Saraswat followers, including the right to administer mudrās. The Kashi Math's account of its foundational copper plate records that the Kumbakonam Math granted Srimad Yadavendra Tīrtha and his successors authority to imprint mudrās upon the Brahmins of their community and to settle disputes within that community.

Consequently, the question of who could give mantra and who could perform mudrādhāraṇa was not merely ceremonial. It was a means of establishing religious affiliation and jurisdiction.

The 1830 exchange can therefore be understood as a reciprocal assertion:

Kashi Math: its followers should not receive these marks or initiation from the Gokarna Math.

Gokarna Math: its followers should not receive them from the Kashi Math.

The underlying issue was thus whether a Saraswat family belonged, for purposes of religious authority, to one Math or the other.

The 1825 Basrur meeting: evidence that the relationship was not continuously hostile

Yet the evidence does not support a picture of uninterrupted hostility.

In Śaka 1747 (1825 CE), Srimad Ānanda Tīrtha, the Gokarna Math pontiff, and his disciple Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha met the Kashi Math's Srimad Sumatīndra Tīrtha (disciple of Srimad Vibhudendra Tirtha) at the Digvijaya Viṭṭhala Math in Basrur. The two parties subsequently travelled together as far as Nagara Math.

This is striking because it occurred between the earlier phase of Srimad Vibhudendra's career and the retaliatory rāyas issued by Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tirtha in 1830.

The meeting demonstrates that the two institutions could still maintain cordial relations even while questions of jurisdiction remained unresolved.

The relationship should therefore not be described simply as a continuous feud. A more accurate description would be periodic institutional rivalry superimposed upon an underlying tradition of personal and religious interaction.

1830 A.D : renewed assertion of separate jurisdiction

The 1830 Bhatkal rāyas nevertheless shows that the underlying issue had not disappeared.

Srimad Pūrṇaprajña's guru was Srimad Ānanda Tīrtha. The official Partagali Math chronology places Srimad Ānanda Tīrtha's pontificate in the early nineteenth century and Srimad Pūrṇaprajña's subsequent accession to the Gokarna Math seat. The Partagali Math describes Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tirtha as having been initiated by Srimad Ānanda Tīrtha and succeeding him in Śaka 1750.

Srimad Pūrṇaprajña's 1830 A.D action can therefore be read as an institutional response to an earlier Kashi Math assertion of authority. The language of the document is particularly revealing because it does not merely prohibit ordinary social contact: it specifically addresses mantra initiation and mudrādhāraṇa, the mechanisms by which religious affiliation was formally expressed.

The conflict thus had acquired a distinctly institutional character.

Samadhi of Srimad Vibhudendra Tirtha and a new Kashi Math crisis

Srimad Vibhudendra Tīrtha attained samādhi in 1834 A.D. His death was followed by an internal succession dispute within the Kashi Math itself.

His two disciples, Srimad Sumatīndra Tīrtha and Srimad Vasudendra Tīrtha, became involved in a dispute over succession and the division of Math property. Srimad Vasudendra Tirtha eventually sought partition through the courts. The Kashi Math's own records state that a decree favouring partition was obtained, but that the situation changed when Srimad Sumatīndra Tirtha initiated Srimad Bhuvanendra Tīrtha and later died in 1851. Due to Srimad Bhuvanendra's humble and persistent requests, Srimad Vasudendra Tirtha then abandoned his claim to divide the Math and accepted Srimad Bhuvanendra Tirtha as his ward, thereby preserving the unity of the institution.

This internal crisis is relevant to the history of Kashi–Gokarna Math relations because it shows that the Kashi Math itself was undergoing a major institutional transition during the very decades when its relationship with the Gokarna Math was changing.

Srimad Bhuvanendra Tirtha emerged from this crisis as the 17th Kashi Math pontiff, and his later career appears to mark a significant change in the relationship between the two Saraswat Maths.

Srimad Bhuvanendra Tīrtha and the beginning of reconciliation

The documentary evidence supplied by the Marathi historical account places the first clear signs of reconciliation in the 1860s.

In Śaka 1786 (1864 CE), Srimad Bhuvanendra Tīrtha arrived at Manjeshwar, where he stayed for 10 days while the two Swamis (Srimad Bhuvanendra Tirtha and Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha) remained together.

An even more detailed account concerns the journey of Srimad Padmanābha Tīrtha (Gokarna Math), disciple of Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha. After an extensive pilgrimage through South India, Srimad Padmanābha Tirtha reached Manjeshwar in Śaka 1787 (1865 CE) and met Srimad Bhuvanendra Tīrtha.

The conduct described in the record is dramatically different from the earlier period:

• the two Swamis visited each other's Maths;
• they accepted bhikṣā from one another;
• they maintained reciprocal hospitality;
• they visited Saraswat temples together;
• Srimad Bhuvanendra Tirtha invited Srimad Padmanābha Tirtha to the Narayanacharya Math;
• Srimad Padmanābha Tirtha received pāda-pūjā;
• they travelled together to the Venkataramana temple at Mangalore, the Ullal Narasimha temple and Kanva Tīrtha;
• they subsequently proceeded to Manjeshwar together.

These were not merely private conversations. They were public acts of mutual recognition.

The evidence suggests that the reconciliation was therefore taking place through repeated personal contact between the leaders and representatives of the two Maths.

The 1868 A.D letter

The next milestone is particularly valuable because an actual documentary reference survives.

On Śrāvaṇa Śukla 5, Śaka 1790 (1868 CE), Srimad Bhuvanendra Tīrtha wrote from Cochin in Sanskrit to Srimad Padmanābha Tīrtha, disciple of Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tirtha.

He stated that he was sending a chatra (ceremonial umbrella) as a gift to Gokarna Math and invited them to inform him if anything further was required.

This letter is important because it moves the relationship beyond personal hospitality into the sphere of institutional courtesy.

A ceremonial chatra was an item associated with the dignity and public status of a religious pontiff. Sending one explicitly as a gift to the other Math therefore represented more than ordinary generosity. It was a visible acknowledgement of the standing of the other institution.

The Marathi historical account regards this as the first documentary evidence that the hostility between the two Maths was diminishing. But the fuller chronology suggests something slightly more nuanced: the process of reconciliation had already become visible in the personal meetings of 1864–65, while the 1868 letter represents its clearer institutional expression.

The 1878 Chaturmasya: reconciliation becomes normal

An even more striking development occurred in Śaka 1800 (1878 CE).

Srimad Bhuvanendra Tīrtha and his disciple Srimad Varadendra Tīrtha performed their Chaturmasya at the new Kashi Math at Mangalore Rathabīdi, a Math established by Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha.

This is a remarkable reversal of the situation recorded in 1830.

Less than fifty years earlier, Srimad Pūrṇaprajña Tirtha  had instructed his followers at Bhatkal not to accept mantropadeśa or mudrādhāraṇa from the Kashi Math Ācārya. By 1878, the pontiff of Kashi Math and his disciple could perform their Chaturmasya at an institution associated with the Gokarna Math lineage.

The earlier jurisdictional antagonism had evidently ceased to prevent ordinary religious interaction.

Further, Srimad Padmanabha Tirtha stayed with Srimad Bhuvanendra Tirtha at the community temples in towns such as Sirsi, Siddapur, and Yellapur, thereby creating a conducive atmosphere for reconciliation.

Subsequently, Srimad Padmanabha Tirtha, accompanied by Shri Varadendra Tirtha, travelled through places such as Ullal, Mulki, and Gurupur, and helped remove the estrangement that had developed between the followers of the two maths.

From reconciliation to permanent settlement

The Marathi source attributes the final end of the unpleasant rivalry to Srimad Indirākānta Tīrtha, who took the initiative several years after the first signs of rapprochement. This was made important due to the Eki-Beki dispute which had stirred up and threatened the unity and integrity of the entire Gaud Saraswat Community.

This is consistent with the later historical memory preserved by the Gokarna–Partagali Math. Its official history states that by the time of Srimad Indirākānta Tīrtha, disagreements between the Kashi and Gokarna Maths had ceased and the two institutions had developed strong ties. The succeeding pontiff, Srimad Dwarakanatha Tīrtha, continued this policy of amicable relations, which was continued by Srimad Sudhindra Tirtha of Kashi Math. This is exemplified by the joint Chaturmasya of Kashi Math, Gokarna Math and Kavale Math in Karkala, an unfulfilled dream of Srimad Indirakanta Tirtha, which was engineered by Srimad Sudhindra Tirtha in 1963.

What caused the original rivalry?

The surviving evidence does not permit a single definitive answer.

It is possible that two different historical processes became intertwined:

1. older regional and social divisions among Saraswat communities; and
2. later competition between the Kashi and Gokarna Maths concerning religious jurisdiction.

The western coastal Saraswat community was geographically dispersed across Goa, North Kanara, South Kanara and Kerala. Both Maths had temples, followers and institutional interests throughout this region. The possibility that the same family or local community might have access to both traditions naturally created questions about who possessed authority to administer mantra, mudrādhāraṇa, religious privileges and community discipline.

The Kashi Math's own historical tradition emphasizes the authority of its pontiffs over Saraswat religious affairs, while the Gokarna–Partagali Math likewise developed a strong role as an organizing institution for the Saraswat community.

The rivalry therefore appears to have been less a theological disagreement between two incompatible schools than a competition between two closely related institutions for overlapping religious constituencies.

Conclusion

The history of the Kashi Math–Gokarna Math relationship is therefore not best understood as a permanent sectarian conflict. It was a long process of negotiation over overlapping religious authority within a single Saraswat community.

References

1. srimad.org - https://srimad.org/?p=323

2. Books by Shri Chandrakant Keni at https://www.partagalimath.org/e-content

Lakshminarayana Subraya Shanbhag (Buva Maam)

 Taken from Saraswat Bhushan by Shri M. Ramachandra Sharma

दक्षिण कर्नाटक प्रांतांत पडबिद्री येथें राहणारे वैष्णव संप्रदायी स्वकीय ज्ञाति गृहस्थ ह.भ.परायण लक्ष्मीनारायण सुबराय शानभाग हे एक दोघा स्नेह्यांसह पायीं चालत श्रीक्षेत्र पंढरपुरावरून मुंबईस आले. आणि वाळकेश्वर येथें कांहीं काल प्रांपचिक जीवनार्थ व्यवसायांत घालवून पुढें ईश संकेतानुसार परमार्थाकडे वृत्तिधर्म वळल्यामुळे त्याच्या पूर्ततेसाठीं साधन म्हणून लोकाश्रयावर द्रव्यानिधी जमवून ह्या देवालयाची उभारणी केली. देवालयाकरितां विलेपालें येथें सोनारी रोडवर स्वतंत्र जमीन खरेदी करून तेथें शके १८५७ युवनाम संवत्सरीं ज्येष्ठ शु० ९ मी दिवशीं श्रीसंस्थान काशीमठाधिपति श्रीमत्सुकृतेंद्रतीर्थ स्वामि यांचे हस्तें देवस्थानाची प्रतिष्ठा करविली.

Translation

Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa Subrāya Śānabhāg, a Vaiṣṇava by religious affiliation and a householder belonging to the GSB community, who was residing at Padubidri in the South Kanara region, came to Mumbai on foot from the sacred city of Paṇḍharpur, accompanied by one or two friends.

After spending some time at Walkeshwar engaged in a worldly occupation for the purpose of earning his livelihood, his inclination and way of life subsequently turned towards the spiritual path (paramārtha), in accordance with what he regarded as divine direction.

For the fulfilment of that spiritual purpose, he collected funds from the public through popular/community support, as a means of accomplishing the undertaking, and constructed this temple.

For the temple, he purchased an independent plot of land at Vile Parle, on Sonari Road, and there, in Śaka 1857, in the Yuva-nāma Saṃvatsara, on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeṣṭha (Jyeṣṭha śukla navamī), he had the consecration (pratiṣṭhā) of the temple performed by the hands of Śrīmat Sukṛtendra Tīrtha Svāmī, the Ācārya/Pontiff of the Śrī Kāśī Maṭha samsthana.

About Bhatkal Kashi Math and other Temples

From H.L. Kamath's notes in Itihaasada Rashmigalu

Paraśurāma and Dāmodara Devasthānas

This is a temple in which these two deities, Paraśurāma and Dāmodara, are installed in two separate rooms. It is situated near the Śrī Kāśī Maṭha, opposite the Kāmākṣī Temple.

It is said that this temple was established by descendants of Dāma Prabhu, who came to Bhatkal from the Maṭhagrāma of Goa.

Their descendants presently living in Bhatkal are:

• Rāma Prabhu, son of Charda Prabhu;
• Paraśurāma Prabhu;
• Gopāla Prabhu, son of Paraśurāma Prabhu.

When Dāma Prabhu, son of their ancestor Viṭṭhala Prabhu, was living in Madgaon, a copper-plate charter was issued to him by Bhujabalarāya of Vidyānagara in Śaka 1374. This copper plate was preserved in this temple.

A copy of the inscription is available at the end of the article.

It is said that the said inscription may have been taken away by the sister of Nāgūr Vāsudeva Pai, the widow of the last surviving member of the family of the priest (bhaṭṭa) who served the deity. This matter should be investigated and ascertained.

Tirumala Devasthāna

The father of the aforementioned Rāma Prabhu, namely Charda Prabhu, gave the site where the Kāśī Maṭha now stands, together with some property, to Śrī Bhuvanendra Svāmī in the year 188_.

Note - The above seems to be gifted due to the below incident given in Shri V.A. Shenai's book.

"On another occasion, when H.H Shri Swamiji was in Bhatkal, one Cherdayya Prabhu (63 years) belonging to Goud Sarasvata Brahmana community approached H.H Shri Swamiji with his wife and narrated their pitiable condition, for they had no issues. Filled with compassion H.H Shri Swamiji gave them a mantra pinda. Later a son, was born to the couple. Shri Rama Prabhu, the son lived upto a ripe old age and died some years ago."

Because of this, Śrī Bhuvanendra Svāmī constructed the Kāśī Maṭha at its present location. Previously, the Kāśī Maṭha had been situated in Hoṇḍada Keri.

It is said that the Maṭha at Hoṇḍada Keri had originally been constructed by the Malyas. His son Joga Malya subsequently issued a gift charter to Śrī Yādavendra Tīrtha Svāmī in Śaka 1529, in the year Parābhava.

A copy of this inscription is given at end of the article.

This Maṭha was formerly known by the name Tirumala Devasthāna. It continues to be known by that name even today.

There are also separate gift charters given to this Maṭha during the time of Bhuvanendra Svāmī by members of the aforementioned Prabhu family.

Note - The original Samadhi of Srimad Yadavendra Tirtha seems to have been present in the Hondada Keri area, close to Gopi River. Considering that it was in dilapidated state and overcome by the river, Srimad Sudhindra Tirtha Swamiji had constructed the mritika samadhi for Srimad Yadavendra at present site, in current Kashi Math premises in Bhatkal. (source - srimad.org)

A mritika samadhi is constructed by taking the soil from the original samadhi location and building a new samadhi over the soil in new location. This is followed by Raghavendra Math related temples, that establish samadhi shrines wherever they build their temples.

Śrī Kāmākṣī Devasthāna

The aforementioned Kāśī Maṭha had originally been constructed by the Malyas at Hoṇḍada Keri. According to the inscription written by Joga Malya for Yādavendra Tīrtha of the Kāśī Maṭha, the Malyas also constructed the Kāmākṣī Temple adjacent to the Maṭha at Hoṇḍada Keri.

The same temple was subsequently brought from Hoṇḍada Keri and reconstructed along the roadside at the place where the Kāśī Maṭha now stands.

This is a family deity temple (kuladevasthāna). It has kullavi families such as Vaḍēra Beṭṭu Kamath, etc. 

The building is in good condition.

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Copper-plate charter of Bhujabal(a) Raya, the grandson of Ramaraja

[From Saraswat Bhushan, by M. Ramachandra Sharma]

( सारस्वत ब्राह्मण दामप्रभु याचा सन्मान करून त्याला पालखी इत्यादि सत्कारचिन्हें दिलीं, त्याविषयीं. शके १३७४.)

।। अचिंत्याव्यरूपाय निर्गुणाय गुणात्मने ।। समस्तजगदाधारमूर्तये ब्रह्मणे नमः ॥

नमस्तुंगशिरश्चुबिचंद्रचामरचारवे ।। त्रैलोक्यनगरारंभमूलस्तंभाय शंभवे ।। 

स्वस्ति श्रीजयाभ्युदनृपशालिवाहनशक १३७४ ने प्रजापतिसंवत्सरफाल्गुनशुद्ध ५ कुजवार श्रीमत्महामंडलेश्वरसंनिहितपुरवराधीश्वर सद्धर्मकथाप्रसंगादिसमस्तराज्यवन्तु प्रतिपालिसिविद्ध रायराजाधिराजराजराजपरमेश्वर बत्तीसपुत्तलीसिंहासनके वोप्पुव क्षत्रियवंशक्के उत्पन्नराद विद्यानगरद रामराजरायरवर कुमारकराद कृष्णरायरवर कुमारकराद भुजबळरायरू विठ्ठलप्रभूमग दामप्रभू आमगंदिरीगे कोट्टपट्टेभाषाक्रमवेत्यंदरे नावु नम्म सतीसुतरू

बंधुबांधवरू सहा पश्चिमसमुद्रयात्रेगे विजयमाडिद्दलि वब्ब कोंकणदेशद ब्राह्मणनु नंम दळक्के पडिपानंगळु नडशिद्दल्लई ईतगे नावु मेच्चि आव देशद ब्राह्मणनेंदु परशुरामविजय तरशि नोडिद्दल्लई परशुरामसृष्टियाल्लो गोमाचलपर्वतदल्लि दक्षिणदिशाभागदल्लि हाटकेश्वरपाताळलिंगद पूर्वदिशाभागदल्लु सासष्टिग्रामक्के मुख्यवाद अष्टग्रामक्के मुख्यवाद मठग्रामद विश्वामित्राघमर्पणकौशिकगौत्रद्दलि उत्पन्नराद विठ्ठलप्रभूमग दामप्रभू आमगंदिरीगे नावु मेच्चि कोंडु येनु बेकादु बेडी यंदु अप्पणे पालिशिद्दल्लई नीनू निंन सतीसुतरू एकस्तरागि नंम कूडे नंम चित्तक्के ओहुद्दीनिशि कोंडु बेडिडु नंम वर्गदवर तलेहोरे सुंकउ पालेनयागि विट्ठु पालिसेवकेंदु विन्नहा माडिद्दल्लै नावु कोट्टद्द निंन वर्गदवर तलेहोरेसुंकउ पालनेयागि बिठ्ठुकोट्टेबु लन हासु मुत्तिन सेसे कोळलतपटे उभयचामर नानावाद्य आनमेलिन मेरवणिके पलंकीनेरि नंम हजारक्के बंदु इळदु तेजीमंदणेसलुवदु आवदोंदु मर्यादेयूनिंन संततिपारंपर्यागि आचंद्रार्कस्थायागि नडकोंडु

बाहलिके कोट्ट पालनेपट्टे ई तप्युदक्के आदित्यचंद्रावनिलो० १४ मंदि साक्षिगळू ॥

इदन्नु प्रतिपालिशिदवरीगे काशी गया प्रयाग क्षेत्रदल्लि अश्वदान गोदान ब्राह्मणप्रतिष्ठे कन्यादान लिंगप्रतिष्ठे माडिद पुण्यक्के सलुवदु ॥ 

दानपालनयोर्मध्ये दानाछ्रेयोनुपालनं ॥ दानात्स्वर्गमवाप्नोति पालनादच्युतं पदं ॥ 

स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरेत वसुंधरां ॥ षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि विष्टायां जायते कृमिः ॥

( हा ताम्रपट कर्नाटक अक्षरी भट्टकळ येथें दामोदर देवस्थानीं आहे. )

Translation

Subject: Honouring the Saraswat Brahmin Dama Prabhu and granting him a palanquin and other marks of honour.

Śaka 1374.

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2. Sanskrit invocation

अचिंत्याव्यरूपाय निर्गुणाय गुणात्मने ।
समस्तजगदाधारमूर्तये ब्रह्मणे नमः ॥

“Salutations to Brahman, whose form is inconceivable and imperishable, who is beyond the guṇas yet is the essence of all qualities, and whose form is the support of the entire universe.”

नमस्तुंगशिरश्चुम्बिचंद्रचामरचारवे ।
त्रैलोक्यनगरारंभमूलस्तंभाय शंभवे ॥

“Salutations to Śambhu (Śiva), whose splendour is like a moon-whisker touching the lofty summit, and who is the foundational pillar upon which the city of the three worlds is established.”

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3. The royal charter

“Hail! Prosperity!

In the victorious Śālivāhana Śaka year 1374, in the year named Prajāpati, on the fifth lunar day of the bright half of Phālguna, on Tuesday—

[There follows the long royal titulature:]

The illustrious Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara, the lord of the eminent city, the protector of the entire kingdom through the promulgation of righteous teachings and other matters of governance, the Rāyarājādhirāja-rājarāja-Parameśvara, seated upon the Thirty-two-Putali throne, born in the Kshatriya lineage—

[The charter then identifies the genealogy:]

Rāmarāja Raya, of Vidyānagara;
his son Kṛṣṇa Raya;
and Kṛṣṇa Raya's son, Bhujabal(a) Raya—

gave this charter to Dāma Prabhu, son of Viṭṭhala Prabhu, of Āmagandiri [reading uncertain].

Having honoured him as follows:

‘Among the Brahmins of the Koṅkaṇa country, who accompanied our army and performed various services for us and our wives, sons, relatives and kinsmen during our victorious expedition to the Western Sea, we were pleased with this particular Brahmin.

Having examined the Paraśurāma-vijaya [account/record of the Paraśurāma creation], we found that, in the land created by Paraśurāma, in the Gomāñcala mountain, in its southern region, to the east of the Hāṭakeśvara Pātāla-liṅga, among the sixty-six villages, the eight principal villages, and the Maṭha village, there were Brahmins belonging to the Viśvāmitra–Āghamarṣaṇa–Kauśika gotra.

Among them is Dāma Prabhu, son of Viṭṭhala Prabhu.

We, being pleased with him, asked him:

“What do you desire? Ask for whatever you wish, and we shall grant it.”

Then you, together with your wife, sons and descendants, having become united with us in affection, asked that we should grant you, through the officers of our establishment, the following privilege:

[grant concerning] head-tax / tala-hore, sunku (customs/tax) and their administration/collection [some wording is difficult to read].’

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4. The honours and privileges granted

“We therefore granted to you the right of administering/receiving the tale-hore and sunku [the precise fiscal terms are somewhat uncertain in the transcription], and also granted:

• a golden palanquin,
• a pearl [ornament/decoration],
• a silk/ceremonial cloth,
• two chowries (fly-whisks),
• various musical instruments,
• a ceremonial procession,
• and the privilege of travelling in a palanquin,

together with the right to come before us with your people, and to alight [from the palanquin] before us.

We have granted these things as marks of honour, to be enjoyed by you and your descendants in perpetuity, from generation to generation, for as long as the sun and moon endure.

This grant is to be observed and maintained.

There were fourteen witnesses to this grant.”

The text then gives the customary religious sanction:

इदन्नु प्रतिपालिशिदवरीगे काशी गया प्रयाग क्षेत्रदल्लि अश्वदान गोदान ब्राह्मणप्रतिष्ठे कन्यादान लिंगप्रतिष्ठे माडिद पुण्यक्के सलुवदु ॥

“To whoever protects and maintains this grant shall accrue the merit obtained by making gifts of horses and cows, establishing Brahmins, giving a daughter in marriage, and establishing a liṅga at the sacred places of Kāśī, Gayā and Prayāga.”

Then the standard Sanskrit injunction:

दानपालनयोर्मध्ये दानाच्छ्रेयोऽनुपालनम् ।
दानात्स्वर्गमवाप्नोति पालनादच्युतं पदम् ॥

“Between making a donation and protecting a donation, the protection of a donation is superior. By giving, one attains heaven; by protecting [the gift], one attains the imperishable state.”

And:

स्वदत्तां परदत्तां वा यो हरेत वसुंधराम् ।
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि विष्टायां जायते कृमिः ॥

“Whoever takes away land given by himself or by another becomes a worm in excrement for sixty thousand years.”

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5. Note concerning the plate

हा ताम्रपट कर्नाटक अक्षरी भट्टकळ येथें दामोदर देवस्थानीं आहे.

“This copper plate, written in the Karnataka script, is at the Dāmodara temple at Bhatkal.”

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Donation Charter issued by Joga Malya

A copy of the donation charter issued by Joga Malya, son of Ananta Malya of Bhatkal, to Śrī Yādavendra Tīrtha Śrīpāda Vaḍēra:

namastuṅga-śiraś-cumbi-candra-cāmara-cārave
trailokya-nagarārambha-mūla-stambhāya śambhave ||

“Salutations to Śambhu, whose lofty head is kissed by the moon, who is beautiful like a cāmara, and who is the foundational pillar upon which the city of the three worlds rests.”

---

Svasti. In the victorious Śālivāhana Śaka year 1529, Parābhava year, on Vaiśākha Śukla 15, Monday, to the revered Śrī Yādavendra Tīrtha Śrīpāda Vaḍēra, who was the great-grand-disciple of the revered Surendra Tīrtha Śrīpāda Vaḍēra, who was himself born from the lotus-like hands of the revered Vijendra Tīrtha Śrīpāda Vaḍēra, the worshipper of the divine lotus feet of Śrī Rāmacandra Deva, the great Paramahaṃsa Parivrājakācārya, thoroughly versed in the oceans of pada, vākya and pramāṇa, independent in all branches of knowledge, and the great preceptor who established the Śrī Vaiṣṇava doctrine—

Joga Malya, son of Ananta Malya of Bhatkal, gives this religious endowment (dharma-sādhana).

Description of the boundaries and the endowment

The wording of the grant is as follows:

“Previously, my father Ananta Malya constructed the temple of our village deity Kāmākṣī. Subsequently, I constructed the Viṣṇu shrine, Tirumala Temple, on the site where our house and residential quarter stood.

Its four boundaries are as follows:

• to the south, the wall/boundary of the Kāmākṣī deity's temple;
• to the south, the boundary wall (pāgāra) that I constructed for this site;
• to the west, the Nadavarāja street;

and within these four boundaries stands the Tirumala Deva Temple.

I hereby give to you, with formal transfer of the endowment, the Tirumala Deva, the deity installed there, together with the Dindi festival, the various worship services and other ritual arrangements connected with the deity, so that the worship may be performed.

For the expenses of the services conducted in the presence of the deity, my father Ananta Malya had previously assigned certain lands as religious endowment from the huttalli [temple endowment] property.

These included:

• in Tāmbana, Nālkoṇḍa-gadde — 2½ muḍi;
• in Gōḷī-aḍikoḍage — 3 muḍi;
• another field — 3 muḍi;

and land yielding 13½ muḍi of rice annually, etc.

In my father Ananta Malya's name, at the presence of Tirumala Deva in the temple, the following religious services are to be conducted, including aṅgaraṅga naivedya, feeding/charity (anna-satra), and other observances.”

Specific ritual endowments

The charter then specifies the following provisions:

• For the Amṛtapadi of Tirumala Deva — 5 muḍi of rice.
• For the rice requirement on Dvādaśī, for 12 persons — 1 hāṇe of rice.
• For the Dvādaśī observance — 15 muḍi? / 3½ muḍi [the manuscript wording/numerals here are difficult].
• For the Harijāgara on the 15th of the month of Kārtika — rice.
• For the great festival at night on Uttāna Dvādaśī — 1 muḍi of rice.
• For the Vanabhojana festival on Kārtika Śukla 15 — 1 muḍi of rice.
• For Ekādaśī jāgaraṇa — oil, 9 hāṇe, and rice, 1 muḍi.
• In Kārtika, Vaiśākha and other months, for the lamp used during the night reading of the Nāga Purāṇa — 5 hāṇe of oil and 1 muḍi of rice.
• In the Dhanurmāsa, for the naivedya offered after the morning bath — rice for 15 days, amounting to 13½ muḍi.

“You shall continue to administer this religious endowment of 13½ muḍi of rice.

At the Tirumala Deva shrine, whenever the prescribed festivals are held, I and the sthānikas shall come and participate in the religious services and dedicate them to Kṛṣṇa.

Likewise, Martumallya [probably a member of the same family] had previously established a perpetual lamp (nandādīpa) in the name of his father Nārāyaṇa Mallya. The property associated with this, consisting of the rights/interest connected with eight houses of Śeṭṭi Keri, was written over as religious property of the deity.

The original garati [a specified payment/endowment] of Īramma Śeṭṭi, amounting to Rs. 2-0-0, is attached to the perpetual lamp maintained in the presence of Kāmākṣī Devī.

The tax (teru) on this property is payable to the palace.

In addition, two eḷaṇa āḍada taxes [term unclear] are to be paid by Tirumala Deva, and the perpetual lamp in the name of Nārāyaṇa Mallya is to be maintained.

You have been conducting the worship in this temple up to the present.

If, at any time, you have to leave on a pilgrimage, you shall entrust the worship to a suitable Brahmin of our community.

You shall continue to carry out the renovation and customary upkeep of the temple.

We, who have been the sthānikas, have been overseeing the administration of this temple.

Under this written deed, you shall continue together with your disciple lineage and my descendants.

This is the deed granted accordingly.”

Witnesses

“The witnesses to this agreement are:

• Lakabāḷa Prabhu, son of Nārāṇa Prabhu;
• Lakaraśa Kamati, son of Lakaraśa Kamati;

and, with the mutual consent of these persons, this deed was written by Kāvaya, son of Ravaḷappa Śānubhoga."

Poet-laureate Talacheri Vasudeva Shanbhag, Mulki

He was a recipient of the grace and blessings of Sri Bhuvanendra. His signature/name used in his compositions was “Sri Vasudeva.” In the kirtana “Sri Bhuvanendra Dayā Vanadhi”, if the first letters of the first through fourth charanas (stanzas) are read together, they form the phrase:

“Sri Kāśīmaṭhādhipati Bhuvanendra Gurave Namaḥ”

(Salutations to Guru Bhuvanendra, the head of Kashi Matha.)

This kirtana contains a comprehensive account of Bhuvanendra's life and also brings out the social problems of that period.

His composition “Ekādashi Māhātmya” is worthy of being recited regularly. The kirtana “Sri Voḷalaṅkeśāya Namaḥ” contains the complete history of the deity of Mulki.

It explains that the deity Vittala was given by their Guru to the Gowda Saraswata Brahmins who came from Bhatkal to Mulki, and that the deity was subsequently installed at Mulki. It further states that Vijayendra Tirtha of Kashi Matha brought Sri Narasimha from Krodhapura; that Bindu Madhava, who was found by one of the ascetics of Kashi Matha on the banks of the Ganga, came here as the processional (utsava) deity; and that Kālabhairava, who was on the banks of the Ganga, came to Mulki and settled there by the command of Venkataramana, rather than going to Tirupati.

The kirtana also describes the temple: Jaya and Vijaya stand at the main entrance; Hanuman is in the south-east; Ganesha in the south-west; Lakshmi in the north-west; and Garuda in the north-east, all serving and worshipping the Supreme Being.

It further states that, apart from the Brahma Rathotsava held on Rama Navami, and the Narasimha Vardhanti celebrated on Shirsha Purnima, daily festivals (nityotsava) are also conducted. All these details are described in this kirtana.

Some of his kirtanas also contain considerable humour/satirical wit.

3. Paragraph

The kirtana beginning “Bappa Shubhāśubha Tappadādare” itself bears witness to this.

The kirtana “Mandharadharana Nōḍi” describes the splendour and glory of Sri Krishna of Udupi.

In the mangala padya (auspicious concluding verse) of one of his works, he says, “Prāsa viṣhamagaḷa kṣhamisuva”, requesting the Supreme Being to forgive the poetical defects or irregularities in his compositions.

4. Footnote

The late Talacheri Vasudeva Shanubhaag, although originally belonging to Talacheri, was a resident of Mulki. He was also the second hereditary Moktesar (trustee/manager) of the Sri Venkataramana Temple, Mulki.

His grandsons live in Bengaluru, while the grandsons of his younger brother, the late Janardhana Shanubhaag of Mulki, continue to reside in Mulki even today.

Shri Volalankeshaya Namo | Talacheri Vasudeva Shanbhag, Mulki

As  given in Gaud Saraswat Brahmanakhyan book, by Talacheri Vasudeva Shanbhag

Rāga: Mukhāri
Dhāṭa (tune): Śrī Bhuvanendra Dayāvanadhi

Tāḷa: Eka-tāḷa 

ಶ್ರೀ ವೋಳಲಂಕೇಶಾಯ ನಮಃ | ದುರಿತೌಘನಿವಾರಕ | ಶ್ರೀ ||

Śrī Voḷalaṅkēśāya namaḥ | duritaugha-nivāraka | Śrī ||

Salutations to Śrī Voḷalaṅkeśa, the remover of the multitude of sins and afflictions.

 

ಭಟ್ಟಕಳದಿ ಪೊರಟಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಬಂದಿಹ | ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಗೌಡಸಾರಸ್ಯತದ್ವಿಜರಿಗ ||
ಭೀಷ್ಟ ಪಾಲಿಸಲ್ ಗುರುಗಳೀಯಲು ಪ್ರ | ತಿಷ್ಠೆಯೊಂದಿರುವ ವಿಠಲಮೂರುತಿ ||1||

Bhaṭṭakaḷadi poraṭallige bandiha | śrēṣṭha Gauḍasārasvatadvijariga ||
Bhīṣṭha pālisal guruvaḷīyalu pra | tiṣṭheyiruva Viṭhalamūrutī || 1 ||

When the distinguished Gauḍa Sarasvata Brahmins came from Bhatkal,

their Guru, in order to fulfil their wishes and protect them,

gave them a Vittala image, which had [its place of] consecration/installation

ಕಾಶಿಮಠಾಧಿಪ ವಿಜಯೇಂದ್ರರ ಸಹ | ವಾಸದಿ ಕ್ರೋಢ ನಗರದಿಂ ದೀನರ ||
ಪೋಷಿಪ ತವಕದಿ ಗಮಿಸೀ ಪುರದೊಳು | ವಾಸಿಸಿಹ ನರಮೃಗೇಶ ದರ್ಯಾಣವ ||2||

Kāśīmaṭhādhipa Vijayēndrara saha | vāsadi krōdha nagaradiṁ dīnara ||
Pōṣipa tavakadi gamisi puradoḷu | vāsisihanaramragēśa daryāṇava || 2 ||

During the residence/association of Vijayendra, the head of Kashi Matha,

he came eagerly from Kroḍha-nagara, desirous of protecting and nurturing the afflicted,

and in this town there resides Nara-Mṛgeśa, [the deity of Narasimha].

ಕಾರಕಳದಿ ತೊಡಗಲವಾಂತರ ಜನ | ವಾರ ಸಹಿತ ಬಿಜಯಂಗೈದಿಲ್ಲಿಯ ||

ಊರವರನು ಪೊರೆಯಲು ನೆಲೆಗೊಂಡಿಹ | ವೀರ ವೇಂಕಟನಪಾರಸುಖಪ್ರದ ||3||

Kārakaḷi doḍagalavāntara jana | vāra sahita bijayangaidillīya ||
Ūravaranu poreyalu nelegoṇḍiha | vīra Vēṅkaṭanapārasukhaprada || 3 ||

Having come from Karkala, together with the people accompanying him,

he arrived here;

and, in order to protect the people of the town,

Vīra Veṅkaṭa, the bestower of immeasurable happiness, established himself here.

ವಾರಣಾಸಿ ಸಂಯಮಿಗಳಿಗಂಗಾ | ತೀರದಿ ಸ್ನಾನಸಮಯ ಮೈದೋರುತ ||
ಕಾರುಣ್ಯದೊಳಿಲ್ಲಿಯರ್ಪಿಸುತ್ತಿಹ | ಭೂರಿ ವಿಭವಪಡೆವ ಬಂಧುಮಾಧವ ||4||

Vāraṇasi saṁyamigaḷigaṅgā | tīradi snānasamaya maidōruta ||
Kāruṇyadoḷilliyarpisuttiha | bhūri vibhavapaḍeva Bindhumādhava || 4 ||

At Varanasi, at the time when the ascetics (saṃyamis) were bathing on the banks of the Ganga,

Bindu Mādhava appeared to them;

and, out of compassion, [he] was brought and installed here,

becoming a deity of great splendour and prosperity.

ಭಾಗೀರಥಿಯಿಂ ವೇಂಕಟಾದ್ರಿಯೆಡೆ | ಗ್ಹೋಗಿಹ ಕಾಲ ಭೈರವಂಗೀ ಸ್ಥಳ ||
ದಾಗಮ ವೃದ್ಧಿಸಿ ಕಾಣಿಕೊಳುವವು | ದ್ಯೋಗವಿತ್ತು ಸೇವೆಯ ಕೈಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ||5||

Bhāgīrathiyiṁ Vēṅkaṭādriyēḍe | ggōgiha Kāla Bhairavaṅgī sthala ||
Dāgama vṛddhisi kāṇikekoḷḷuvavu | dyōgavittu sēveya kaikoḷḷuva || 5 ||

From the banks of the Bhāgīrathī (Ganga) towards Veṅkaṭādri,

Kālabhairava came to this place;

having established himself here and increasing [the sacred tradition],

he accepts the service and offerings made to him.

ದ್ವಾರದಿ ಜಯವಿಜಯರುಗಳಾ ಗೇಯದಿ | ಮಾರುತಸುತ ನೈಋತ್ಯದಿ ವಿಘ್ನನಿ ||
ವಾರಕ ವಾಯವ್ಯದಿ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯು ನಾ | ಗಾರೀಶಾನ್ಯದಿ ಓಲೈಸುತ್ತಿಹ ||6||

Dvāradi Jaya-Vijayaru gaḷāgnēyadi | Mārutasuta nairṛtyadi vighna ni ||
Vāraka vāyavyadi Lakṣmiyu nā | gārīśānyadi ōlaisuttiha || 6 ||

At the entrance stand Jaya and Vijaya.

In the south-west is the son of Maruta, Hanuman, the remover of obstacles.

In the north-west is Lakshmi,

and in the north-east [Garuda] worships/attends upon the Lord.

ಛತ್ರ ಠಕ್ಕೆ ಚಾಮರಧ್ವಜ ತೋರಣ | ವೇತ್ರ ವ್ಯಜನ ವಿಚಿತ್ರಯಾನಗಳ್ ||
ಮಿತ್ರ ಜ್ಯೋತಿ ದೀವಟಿಕೆ ಖಜಿನಿ ಬಿರು | ಸಿತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳಿಂ ನಿತ್ಯದಿ ವಿಹರಿಪ ||7||

Chatra ṭhakke cāmaradhvaja tōraṇa | vētra vyajana vicitrayānagaḷ ||
Mitra jyōti dīvaṭike khajini biru | dityādilim nityadi hirehipa || 7 ||

The deity is daily adorned and worshipped with regal honors: parasols (chatra), royal insignias (ṭhakke), fly whisks (cāmara), festoons, cane staffs (vētra), hand fans (vyajana), palanquins, torches, ceremonial crackers, and standard emblems.

ವಾದ್ಯಭೇರಿ ಕಹಳೆ ನಗಾರಿಯು ಶಂ | ಖಧ್ವನಿ ಶ್ರುತಿಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ಸಾಮಗಾನವು ||
ಗದ್ಯವೇಣುವೀಣಾನರ್ತನದಿಂ | ಪದ್ಯಗೀತ ಶ್ರುತಿಗಳನಾ ಕರ್ಣಿಪ ||8||

Vādyabhīri kahaḷe nagāriyu śaṅ | khadhvani śrutiśāstra sāmagānavu ||
Gadyavēṇuvīṇānartanadiṁ | padmagīta śrutigaḷanā karṇīpa || 8 ||

The temple echoes with kettle-drums (bhīri), trumpets (kahaḷe), nagaras, the blowing of conches, chanting of the Vedas and Sama Veda, poetic prose, flute and veena melodies, dance, and devotional songs (pada-gīta), which the Lord lovingly hears.

ರಾಮನವಮಿ ದಿನ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮರಥೋತ್ಸವ | ಪ್ರೇಮದಿ ಮಾರ್ಗಶೀರ್ಷ ಪೌರ್ಣಮಿಯೊಳು ||
ಭೂಮಿಗಧಿಕ ನೃಹರಿಯ ವರ್ಧಂತಿಯ | ನೇಮದಿ ಬಹು ನಿತ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ ಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ||9||

Rāmanavami dina brahmarathōtsava | prēmadi Mārgaśīrṣa paurṇamiyoḷu ||
Bhūmigadhika Nṛhariya vardhantīya | nēmadi bahu nityōtsava koḷḷuva || 9 ||

The Lord partakes in the grand chariot festival (Brahmarathotsava) on Sri Rama Navami, celebrates the divine appearance day (Vardhanti) of Lord Narasimha on the full moon of Margashirsha, and receives continuous daily rituals and festive offerings.

ದುಷ್ಟರ ಕಾರ್ಯಕೆ ಕೈಗೊಟ್ಟವೊಲೊಡ | ಬಟ್ಟಂತೋರುತ ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹಿಸಿ ಕಡೆ ||
ಗೊಟ್ಟು ದೋಷಬಾಧಕದಿಂ ಗರ್ವವ | ಕುಟ್ಟ ಕಳೆವ ಶಿಷ್ಟರಿಷ್ಟಪ್ರದಾಯಕ ||10||

Duṣṭara kāryake kaigoṭṭavoloḍa | baṭṭantōruta prōtsāhisi kaḍe ||
Goṭṭu dōmabādhakadiṁ garvava | kuṭṭa kaḷeva śiṣyariṣṭapradāyaka || 10 ||

Appearing initially to humor the wicked, the Lord ultimately shatters their arrogance and afflictions, while lovingly fulfilling every prayer and desire of His devoted disciples.

ಜಂಬುದ್ದೀಪದ ಭರತಖಂಡವೆಂ | ದಂಬೀ ಭಾರತ ವರ್ಷದಿ ಪ್ರವಹಿಪ ||
ಶಾಂಭವಿತಟ ಮೂಲಿಕೆಯೊಳು ಶರಣರ | ಬೆಂಬಿಡದಿಹ ವಾಸುದೇವ ಮಾಧವ ||11||

Jambūdvīpada Bharatakhaṇḍaveṁ | dambī Bhāratavarṣadi pravahipa ||
Śāṁbhavītaṭa mūlikeyoḷu śaraṇara | bembiḍadiha Vāsudēva Mādhava || 11 ||

In the sacred land of Bharata within the continent of Jambudvipa, residing on the banks of the holy Shambhavi River in Mulki, Lord Vasudeva Madhava remains the eternal, unwavering protector of all surrendered devotees.

Sheth Lalji Naranji: The Bombay Merchant, Industrialist and Philanthropist

Sheth Lalji Naranji was one of the prominent Indian merchant-industrialists of early twentieth-century Bombay. A figure whose name appears in commercial, political, philanthropic and Gandhian records, he belonged to the generation of Indian entrepreneurs who helped build Bombay's indigenous commercial and industrial institutions.

Today, his name is considerably less familiar than those of contemporaries such as Jamsetji Tata or Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas. Yet the surviving record reveals a remarkably substantial career: Lalji Naranji was associated with the Bombay textile trade, the firm of Mulji Jetha & Co., cotton mills, the Indian Merchants' Chamber, the Bombay Legislative Council, Gandhi's political and fundraising activities, and several major commercial enterprises.

He is also of particular historical interest because a later account of the pioneering aviator Shivkar Bapuji Talpade identifies a Lalji Narayanji, described as a prominent merchant of Mumbai, as one of the witnesses to Talpade's alleged 1895 aviation experiment at Chowpatty.

The identification appears highly plausible, but the 1895 connection remains a historical question requiring further documentary confirmation.

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A Bombay commercial magnate

The historical record describes Lalji Naranji as a Bombay merchant and commercial magnate.

One account of the development of Indian capitalism describes him as the proprietor of Mulji Jetha & Co., a major Bombay commercial concern. The firm was associated with Mulji Jetha Market, one of the great centres of the city's piece-goods trade.

Mulji Jetha Market occupied an important place in Bombay's textile economy. The Maharashtra Gazetteer records the importance of the market to the city's wholesale cloth trade, while historical accounts of Indian capitalism place Lalji Naranji among the Indian merchants who combined textile commerce with industrial investment.

This is significant because it places Lalji Naranji within Bombay's established indigenous mercantile community well before his later prominence as a mill-owner and public figure.

His career therefore appears to have followed the characteristic trajectory of several successful Bombay merchants of the period:

textile commerce → property and trading interests → industrial investment → public and institutional leadership.

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Lalji Naranji and the textile industry

Lalji Naranji subsequently became associated with the Bombay mill industry.

The records of the Bombay Millowners' Association identify him as a prominent member of the industry. A 1923 report records Lalji Naranji in connection with:

Jam Shri Ranjitsinghji Spinning & Weaving Co. Ltd.

and

The Khandeish Spinning & Weaving Mills Co. Ltd.

The same industrial record identifies him as an M.L.C., or Member of the Legislative Council.

The Jam Shri Ranjitsinghji Spinning and Weaving Mills were established in 1907, with Lalji Naranji among the principal promoters. Modern corporate histories of Jamshri likewise identify Lalji Narayanji, described as an entrepreneur from Jamnagar, as the founder of the enterprise.

The differing forms of his name—Naranji, Narayanji and Narayanjee—occur in different historical sources and appear to represent the same individual.

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The name: Naranji, Narayanji and Narayanjee

One difficulty in researching Lalji is the variation in the spelling of his name.

The most consistently documented form in Bombay commercial and Gandhian sources is:

Lalji Naranji

Other sources give:

• Lalji Narayanji

• Lalji Narayanjee

• Laljee Naranji

• Laljee Narayanjee

The form Lalji Narayanjee is particularly useful when searching Anglo-Indian records, while Lalji Naranji is the form found in Gandhi-related and Bombay commercial records.

The Talpade literature generally uses Lalji Narayanji.

Given the remarkably similar descriptions of the man as a prominent Bombay merchant, and the independent documentary record surrounding Lalji Naranji, there is strong reason to investigate these forms as variants of the same historical personality rather than immediately treating them as different individuals.

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A donor to the Bombay Presidency Famine Relief Fund

One of the earliest independent documentary traces located so far comes from the Final Report of the Subcommittee of the Bombay Presidency Famine Relief Fund, covering the period from October 1899 to June 30, 1908.

In its list of subscribers appears:

Lalji Naranji — Rs. 12

The appearance of his name in this record is significant for two reasons.

First, it independently establishes the name in the Bombay Presidency's philanthropic world around the turn of the century.

Second, it provides evidence that Lalji Naranji was already participating in major public charitable efforts before his later prominence in Bombay's industrial and political institutions.

The entry occurs alongside other contributors in the official subscription list.

This record should not, however, be used to infer an exact address or occupation by itself. It establishes the donor, but the commercial and biographical details must be supplied from other sources.

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Lalji Naranji and Gandhi

Lalji Naranji later became an important supporter and associate of Mahatma Gandhi.

A historical account of Gandhi's fundraising activities describes:

“Lalji Naranji, a commercial magnate from Bombay whose help Gandhi received from time to time for augmenting the funds.”

This description is consistent with the wider documentary record of Lalji's wealth and standing in Bombay.

Gandhi's own correspondence provides particularly valuable evidence.

A 1926 correspondence record identifies:

Sheth Lalji Naranji

Ewart House

Tamarind Lane

Fort, Bombay

Gandhi's correspondence also records direct communication from Lalji Naranji.

This gives us something especially valuable in reconstructing his biography: not merely a later description of him, but a contemporary record giving his title, name and Bombay address.

The evidence establishes that Lalji Naranji was personally known to Gandhi and was sufficiently wealthy and prominent to participate in Gandhi's fundraising and political activities.

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Lalji Naranji and the Indian Merchants' Chamber

Perhaps the clearest indication of Lalji Naranji's position within Bombay's Indian commercial community is his association with the Indian Merchants' Chamber.

The Chamber's historical list of presidents records:

Lalji Naranji — 1920–21

and again:

Lalji Naranji — 1926–27

The presidency of the Indian Merchants' Chamber was not a minor distinction. The institution represented the interests of Bombay's Indian business community at a time when commercial organizations were becoming increasingly important in public and political affairs.

Lalji Naranji's repeated election to its presidency therefore provides strong evidence of his standing among Bombay's Indian merchants and industrialists.

His later prominence also explains why contemporary and retrospective sources describe him as a commercial magnate or prominent merchant of Bombay.

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Lalji Naranji in Bombay public life

Lalji Naranji's activities eventually extended beyond commerce.

The Bombay Millowners' Association records identify him as an M.L.C., while the Maharashtra Gazetteer places him among the prominent representatives of Bombay's Indian business and industrial community who entered public life.

He appears in the same broader circle as figures such as:

• Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas

• Homi Mody

• Pheroze Sethna

• Jehangir Petit

• other leading Bombay merchants and industrialists

His participation in public affairs illustrates the increasing political role played by Bombay's Indian commercial elite during the first decades of the twentieth century.

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Lalji Naranji and the Bardoli movement

His association with Gandhi continued during the nationalist movement.

The Maharashtra Gazetteer records that Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas and Lalji Naranji of Bombay went to Ahmedabad to meet Gandhi in connection with the Bardoli movement.

This provides another independent confirmation of the relationship described in Gandhi's fundraising records.

Lalji was therefore not merely a passive financial contributor. He belonged to the circle of influential Bombay businessmen who interacted directly with Gandhi during important phases of the nationalist movement.

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Lalji Naranji & Co.

Another important component of his commercial career was Lalji Naranji & Co., Bombay.

Industrial and labour records identify the firm and its partners. Later legal records also refer to Lalji Naranji & Co. in connection with major commercial enterprises.

A Bombay High Court case records Lalji Naranji's association with the Jupiter General Insurance Company, describing Lalji Naranji as, or as having been, chairman of its board and referring to Lalji Naranji & Co. as managing agents.

Thus his commercial interests extended well beyond textile trading and cotton mills.

His career encompassed the increasingly diversified business world of interwar Bombay:

textiles • mills • property • insurance • commercial organizations • public institutions.

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The Lalji Naranji Memorial

The importance attached to Lalji Naranji by Bombay's commercial community is also reflected in the Lalji Naranji Memorial.

The Indian Merchants' Chamber building at Back Bay Reclamation, Fort, Bombay, became associated with his name:

Lalji Naranji Memorial

Indian Merchants' Chamber Building

Back Bay Reclamation, Fort, Bombay

The Western India Automobile Association records that its headquarters were subsequently located at the Lalji Naranji Memorial Building, Indian Merchants' Chamber, Churchgate, Bombay.

A memorial of this nature is a useful indication of the esteem in which Lalji was held by Bombay's commercial institutions.

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Lalji Naranji and Shivkar Bapuji Talpade

The most intriguing episode associated with Lalji Naranji is also the one for which the evidence is least secure.

The later literature concerning Shivkar Bapuji Talpade states that Talpade's aircraft, Marutsakha, made an alleged flight over Chowpatty in 1895.

According to this account, the demonstration was witnessed by:

• Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Maharaja of Baroda

• Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade

• Lalji Narayanji, described as a prominent merchant of Mumbai

The identification of this Lalji Narayanji with Sheth Lalji Naranji is striking.

The descriptions are almost identical:

Talpade account:

“a prominent merchant of Mumbai”

Gandhian account:

“a commercial magnate from Bombay”

Independent records show that Lalji Naranji was indeed a major Bombay merchant and industrialist.

This makes it highly plausible that the Lalji Narayanji mentioned in the Talpade tradition was the same person.

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But did Lalji Naranji actually witness the 1895 flight?

This question must remain open.

At present, the evidence establishes the identity and prominence of Lalji Naranji, but it does not yet establish from a contemporary 1895 source that he witnessed Talpade's alleged flight.

The surviving Talpade account naming Lalji appears in much later literature, rather than in a newspaper report from 1895.

Therefore the evidence should presently be stated in this form:

A later account of Talpade's 1895 demonstration names a prominent Bombay merchant, Lalji Narayanji, among the witnesses. Independent records establish the existence of a prominent Bombay merchant and industrialist named Sheth Lalji Naranji, making the identification highly plausible. However, a contemporary 1895 document directly placing Lalji Naranji at the Chowpatty demonstration has not yet been located.

This distinction is important.

The existence of Lalji Naranji is not in doubt.

His prominence in Bombay is not in doubt.

His association with Gandhi is not in doubt.

The unresolved question is specifically whether this Lalji Naranji was the witness named in the later Talpade account.

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Why Lalji Naranji matters

Lalji Naranji represents an important but under-researched strand of Bombay's history.

He belonged to the Indian merchant class that transformed itself during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries from trading houses into diversified industrial and institutional enterprises.

His career crossed several worlds:

Commerce

He was associated with major Bombay textile trading interests and Mulji Jetha & Co.

Industry

He became associated with cotton spinning and weaving enterprises, including Jam Shri Ranjitsinghji Mills.

Finance

His name is associated with Lalji Naranji & Co. and insurance interests.

Philanthropy

He contributed to the Bombay Presidency Famine Relief Fund.

Public life

He served as a member of the Bombay Legislative Council and participated in public affairs.

Commercial institutions

He twice served as president of the Indian Merchants' Chamber.

National movement

He maintained a personal and financial relationship with Gandhi and participated in discussions surrounding the nationalist movement.

Bombay's commercial memory

His name was preserved in the Lalji Naranji Memorial Building.

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A preliminary chronology

Period	Event / evidence
Late 19th century	Associated with Bombay's established mercantile community; later sources identify him with Mulji Jetha & Co.
1895	Later Talpade tradition names a “Lalji Narayanji,” prominent Bombay merchant, as a witness to Talpade's alleged Chowpatty flight. Contemporary confirmation not yet found.
1899–1908	“Lalji Naranji” appears as a contributor to the Bombay Presidency Famine Relief Fund.
1907	Associated with the establishment of Jam Shri Ranjitsinghji Spinning & Weaving Mills.
1920–21	President of the Indian Merchants' Chamber.
1920s	Prominent Bombay industrialist and member of Bombay's public institutions.
1923	Bombay Millowners' Association records his connection with Jam Shri and Khandeish Spinning & Weaving Mills and identifies him as an M.L.C.
1926	Gandhi correspondence gives his address as Ewart House, Tamarind Lane, Fort, Bombay.
1926–27	President of the Indian Merchants' Chamber again.
1928	Recorded with Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas in connection with a visit to Gandhi concerning the Bardoli movement.
1930s	His commercial interests include Lalji Naranji & Co. and insurance-related enterprises.
Posthumously	His name is commemorated in the Lalji Naranji Memorial / Indian Merchants' Chamber building.

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Sources and archival leads

The following sources are particularly valuable for reconstructing Lalji Naranji's life:

Bombay Presidency Famine Relief Fund, Final Report, 1899–1908

Contains his name in the official subscription list.

Gandhi correspondence, 1926 onward

Provides his title, Bombay address and direct relationship with Gandhi.

Bombay Millowners' Association records

Document his participation in Bombay's textile industry and his association with Jam Shri and Khandeish mills.

Indian Merchants' Chamber records

Record his two terms as president.

Maharashtra Gazetteer

Provides information on his commercial and political activities in Bombay.

Commercial and legal records concerning Lalji Naranji & Co.

Document the firm's activities and his involvement in insurance and other enterprises.

Jamshri historical records

Provide the connection between Lalji Naranji and the Jam Shri Ranjitsinghji Mills established in 1907.

Later Talpade literature

Provides the alleged 1895 connection with Lalji Narayanji, Sayajirao Gaekwad and M. G. Ranade, but this claim requires further primary-source investigation.

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Conclusion

Sheth Lalji Naranji deserves to be remembered as one of the important Indian merchant-industrialists of early twentieth-century Bombay.

His career demonstrates the rise of an indigenous commercial elite that moved from textile trading into manufacturing, finance, institutional leadership and public life.

He was a Bombay merchant, industrialist, philanthropist, legislator and leader of the Indian commercial community. His association with Gandhi places him within the political history of India's nationalist movement, while the Lalji Naranji Memorial preserves his institutional legacy in Bombay.

There is also a fascinating possibility that he has an earlier place in the history of Indian aviation.

The later account of Shivkar Bapuji Talpade's alleged 1895 Marutsakha demonstration names “Lalji Narayanji”, a prominent merchant of Bombay, as one of the witnesses. The independent documentary record of Sheth Lalji Naranji fits that description remarkably closely.

For now, however, the responsible historical position is to regard the identification as highly plausible but not conclusively proven.

The discovery of a contemporary 1894–1896 Bombay directory entry, newspaper report, commercial record, or Talpade exhibition catalogue naming Lalji Naranji would be the crucial piece of evidence needed to close that gap.

Until then, Lalji Naranji's own documented career is substantial enough to merit recognition in its own right.

He was not merely a name attached to the Talpade story. He was a significant figure in the commercial history of Bombay.