Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, May 8: Vishva Vijaya, the former junior seer of Pejawar Math has approached District Vacation Court at Udupi, seeking its intervention to declare the selection of Puthige Math’s newly appointed junior pontiff Sushreendra Theertha Swami (Prashanth Acharya) as null and void.
In his petition filed against Sugunendra Theertha Swami, the pontiff of Puthige Math as well as Prashanth Acharya and pontiffs of other Math, Vishva Vijaya contended that Prashanth Acharya is not fit for the post.
In his petition Vishva Vijaya writes, “The proposed junior pontiff, though an engineer in qualification is illiterate in vedic knowledge or Vedanta and he had no basic knowledge in Sanskrit, vedas and religious thoughts of Sri Madhwacharya and hence is not fit person to continue the said Peetadhipathi of the Puthige Math.”
Vishva Vijaya also writes that Sugunendra Theertha Swami the senior pontiff of Puthige Math has violated the Ashta Math rule of crossing the sea by travelling to USA. However, after his return in spite of protest and objection of other Mathadhipathees and public, he took charge of the ‘paryaya’ and performed pooja of Lord Krishna.
Vishva Vijaya pointed out that after Sugunendra Theertha returned from the USA, the whole system of him selecting the junior pontiff is null and void. He claimed that the Sugunendra Theertha is not a fit person to head the Puthige Math.
He has also named the pontiffs of the other Ashta Math in his petition and claimed that they are scheming the selection of junior pontiffs at their own wish, without following the customs.
It is interesting to note that Vishva Vijaya was forced to resign as junior pontiff in 1987 as he had travelled to the US.
“It is an open secret that the pontiffs of the Ashta Math are living an immoral life,” Vishva Vijaya claimed in the petition.
Speaking to mediapersons, Vishva Vijaya said, “When I left for the USA, all Ashta Math’s swamijis decided to expel me from junior position at Pejawar Math. Now Puthige Swamiji too travelled abroad and has violated the custom of Ashta Math which are being followed from centuries. Recently, Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji appointed his successor Prashanth Acharya. Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji must be expelled from his position, because Ashta Math swamijis had done the same thing with me. But nothing happened as such and he is continuing in the same post without any issues. All eight swamijis are answerable for that and I want justice. Hence, I decided to drag them to court to settle the issue.”