Stay at Kumbhakonam

Soon SriSudhindratirtha grew old. As he was contemplating on handing over the charge, one night his aradhya daivata SriMoolaramachandra appeared in his dreams and told him to ordain the eligible Sri Venkatabhattacharya into sanyas and to make him the Pithadhipati. When the Guru related this dream sequence to Venkatanatha, he refused believing that he was not eligible for it. He very politely said to his Guru, ‘How canT, such an insignificant one, be considered for taking charge of a Pitha, that is such a great empire of knowledge ?’ The Guru replied, ‘Your humility coupled with our blessings shall give you the strength to accept the charge’. Venkatabhatta commented, ‘Wife is so young, son’s munja has not been conducted yet’, and went away home. But when the process of sanyasa was to be his destiny, who could stop it from happening ?
In the early hours in brahmi-muhurta, he saw in his dream a divine heart-stealing scene which seemed so real. Vidyadevi, the goddess of knowledge appeared in the dream, whispered a mantropadesha in his ear and instructed, “I am Vidyalakshmi, bom from Vedavyasa and liked by Anandatirtha. Now there is no one but you who is eligible for this vidya-samsthana. Only sanyasis are eligible to perform the pujas to Srimoolarama. I reside in only such sanyasis. In the event you deny the sanyasa,
I, Vidyadevi will be in a critical condition and everything will be overwhelmed by the adwaita. Having sought refuge with you I do not even dream of any other sanyasin. You alone have to become the Pithadhipati, compose several treatises, explain the path of the principle, and tell the mankind of SriHari’s existence and greatness through exposition”. Venkatanatha, who had a deep knowledge of philosophy, very well knew that the happiness from wife, children and the material world is but momentary; yet he was worried that his stepping into sanyas would leave his family in a dire state. But who can alter destiny? He accepted the fate as SriHari’s wish and following his Guru’s orders performed his son’s munja and gave him the Brahmopadesha.

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