The ageement of 1590 AD | Yadu Tirtha and Jeevottama Tirtha in Cochin

As per a theory, Yadavendra Tirtha was given to the Kumbakonam Math from Gokarna Math. They were the shishya of Srimad Jeevottama Tirtha. A record for the danda parivartana (transfer of danda) and how should the collections during a digvijaya be divided exists in Gokarna Math.

It speaks about the agreement between Saraswat Mahajanas of Bhatkal and Cochin, who were the important stakeholders in this transfer. This means that Bhatkal and Cochin were among the major settlements of Saraswats in the 15th Century, after they moved out of Goa.

The record is referenced in two places, and the wordings are slightly different. The books are available on archive.org. 

Both are given below.

1. From "The History of Dwaita Vedanta" by Dr. B.N.K Sharma

2. From "Itihaasada Rashmigalu" - Compilation of notes by Shri H. Lakshminarayana Kamath, from the histories of Kashi Math and Gokarna Math.

From Shri. B.N.K. Sharma's Book

Below two records are present in the Gokarṇa Mutt. First is a Kaḍita in Sanskrit, recording the Puṇyatithis of the Pontiffs of that Mutt; 

and the second is a Sanskrit record of an agreement reached in 1590 A.D., in Cochin, between (Aṇu)Jivottama Tīrtha of the Gokarṇa Maṭha and Yādavendra Tīrtha of Kāsī Maṭha, regarding their respective privileges and rights over collections made from the disciples of their community.

अथ जीवोत्तमशिष्याणां विजयीन्द्रकरावाषाढपरिगृहीतानां तिथिक्रमः ।
आषाढे कृष्णपंचमी यादवेन्द्रमुनेस्तिथिः ।। * * *

Translation - "Now follows the chronological sequence of the [mukti] tithis of the disciples of Jīvottama Tīrtha who had been given over to Vijayīndra Tīrtha and received by him.

“Yādavendra Muni’s tithi was Āṣāḍha Kṛṣṇa Pañcamī.”

This information is repeated in the record of the agreement reached between Aṇujivottama and Yādavendra and their followers :

4691 गतकलि एकनवत्यधिकषट्शतैश्चतुःसहस्राब्दके ( = 1590 A.D.) कोच्चीमहादेवस्थाने श्रीवेंकटेशसन्निधौ वदिकप्रभृतिसर्वं गृहस्थैश्चैकत्र मिलित्वा, श्रीमद्ध्वीयजीवोत्तमानुवादपूर्वकं, भट्टकलस्थसंमत्या, सर्वेषामस्मदीयानां 

कोच्चीपट्टणस्थानां च संमत्या, विजयीन्द्राणां च अस्मासु अतीव प्रीतिः । नितरां च सत्प्रतिपक्षित्वदर्शनेन च, तद्धस्तात् दण्डपरिवृत्तिः क्रियते यदूद्वहतोर्थेन । इति सकलसमत्या चैकं ताम्रपट्टं लिखित्वा अस्माकं तेषां च मर्यादा यथायोग्यतयेति तत्त्रापि पट्टे लिखितमस्ति । अस्मद्दिग्विजयाजितं यद्वसु तत्तृतीयांशः तेभ्यः । तथा तैरर्जितस्यास्मत्तः तत्तृतीयांशोऽस्माकमिति ॥ अस्माभिर्यदाजितं तत्सर्वं पूर्वं विठ्ठलार्पणं विधाय युष्मद्वर्गपालनं कर्तव्यम् । एवं वृत्तं, तस्य कारणं सर्वं लिखित्वा, गोकर्णेऽ (णु) जीवोत्तमस्वामिस्वहस्तेनलिखित्वा, गोविन्दाचार्यस्य निकटे स्थापितमिति ॥

Shri. H.L Kamath's notes

The same agreement document. from H.L. Kamath's notes, as handwritten and given to him by young Anant Vaikunth Bhatt, of Kumta, in 1945. This was done under authority from Srimad Dwarakanath Tirtha Swamiji of Partagali Math.

ಶ್ರೀ ವೇದಾವ್ಯಾಸಾಯ ನಮಃ 4691 ಗತ ಕಲಿಃ (ಶಾಲಿವಾಹನ ಶಕ 1512
ವಿಕ್ರಮ ಸಂ| ) ಏಕನವತ್ಯಧಿಕ ಷಟಿಶತೇಶ್ವತು ಸಹಸ್ರಾಬ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ಕೊಚ್ಚಿ ಮಹಾ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನೇ
ಶ್ರೀ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ ಸಂನಿಧೌ ವೈದಿಕಪ್ರಭೃತಿ ಸರ್ವೇ ಗೃಹಸ್ಥಾಶ್ಚ ಏಕತ್ರ ಮಿಲಿತ್ವಾ | 
ಶ್ರೀಮದ್ಯತೀಯ ಜೀವೋತ್ತಮಾನುವಾದ ಪೂರ್ವಕಂ ಭಟಕಳಸ್ಥ ಸಮತ್ಯಾ ಸರ್ವೇಷಾಂ
ಅಸ್ಮದೀಯಾನಾಂ ಕೊಚ್ಚಿ ಪಟ್ಟಣಸ್ಥಾನಾಂ ಚ ಸಮತ್ಯಾ ವಿಜಯೀಂದ್ರಯತೀಂದ್ರಾಣಾಂ
ಚ ಅಸ್ಮಾಸು ಅತೀವಧೀತಿಃ ನಿತರಾಂಚ ಸತ್ಪತಿ ಪಕ್ಷಿತ್ವ ದರ್ಶನೇನ ಚ ತದ್
ಹಸ್ತಾದ್ದಂಡಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿ ಕೀಯತೇ || ಯದು ತೀರ್ಥೆನ ಇತಿ ಸಕಲ ಸಮತ್ಯಾಚ ಏಕಂ
ತಾಮ್ರಪಟ್ಟ ಲಿಖಿತ್ವಾ ಅಸ್ಮಾಕಂ ತೇಷಾಚ ಮರ್ಯಾದಾ ಯಥಾಯೋಗ್ಯತ ಯೇತಿ
ತತ್ರಾಪಿಪಟೀ ಲಿಖಿತಮಸ್ತಿ ಅಸ್ಮಾಭಿರ್ದಿವ್ಯಜಯಾಜಿತೇವದ್ವಸುತ್ ತೃತೀಯಾಂಶಾಸ್ತೇಭ್ಯಃ
ತಥಾಚೇತೇ ರಾಜಿತಸ್ಯಾಸ್ಮಚಃ ತತ್ತಿಯಾಂಶೋಸ್ಮಾಕಂ ಮಿತಿ ಅಸ್ಮಾಭಿಃ ಯದಾರ್ಜಿತಂ
ತತ್ಸರ್ವಂ ಪೂರ್ವಂ ವಿಠಲಾರ್ಪಣಂ ವಿಧಾಯ ಅಸ್ಮದ್ವರ್ಗಪಾಲನಂ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯಂ
॥ ಏವಂ ವೃತ್ತಂ ॥ ಏತಸ್ಯ ಕಾರಣಂ ಸರ್ವ ಲಿಖಿತ್ವಾ ಗೋಕರ್ಣೀ ಅಸ್ತಿ ॥

Translation

Śrī Vedavyāsāya namaḥ.

In Kali year 4691 (Śālivāhana Śaka 1512, Vikrama year), corresponding to 1590 CE, at the Kochi Mahādevasthāna (Tirumala Devaswom), in the presence of Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa, all the Vaidikas and householders, having assembled together, and with the consent of Śrīmad Yatī (Anu)Jīvottama, with the approval of those at Bhaṭkal, and with the consent of all our people residing in the town of Kochi, and [in view of] the great affection which Vijayīndra Yatīndra had towards us, and especially on account of his having demonstrated himself to be a worthy and righteous protector, the Daṇḍa-pravṛtti [Daṇḍa-parivartana] was effected by his hand, by Yadu Tīrtha.

Thus, with the unanimous consent of all, a single copper-plate charter was written. The respective maryādās—rights, privileges and established conventions—of ourselves and of them, according to what was appropriate, were also recorded on that plate.

Of whatever wealth was acquired by us through our digvijaya, one-third shall belong to them; and likewise, one-third of what was acquired by them [in connection with us] shall belong to us.

Whatever we have acquired, after first offering the whole of it to Viṭṭhala, we shall undertake the maintenance and protection of your group.

Thus it happened. Having written down all the circumstances and the reasons for this arrangement, [the document was] at Gokarṇa.

Notes - 

1. 4691 गत कलिः Corresponds to 1589 ~ 1590 AD, considering traditionally 3102 B.C. is held as the year Shri Krishna passed away in Dwaraka and Kali Purusha was finally able to make its complete presence felt. This is the opinion of all old commentators on our shastras.

Which means that the Cochin Venkatesh Temple was already present in 1590 AD.

2. Apart from Bhatkal, Basrur was also another major settlement of Saraswats. It is from here that our community started spreading to other towns and established itself. We can corroborate this from the age of the temples which were built.

Bhatkal has among the oldest temples of Saraswats. Our presence in Udupi happened much later in history.