SWAMI SRI VEERABRAHMENDRA

A Monograph on Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra Swamy

The main shrine in the mutt contains the samadhi of Veerabrahmam and his consort Govindamma. Their faces are engraved on the brass ‘Kavachams’ (Shields) adorning the sivalingams on their samadhis. Some close relatives of the Swami including his grand¬daughter, Isvaramma (Eshwaramma), lie buried in the adjoining struc¬tures. The annual income of the mutt is estimated by some sources to be in the neighborhood of Rs. 20,00,000. The Aradhana Utsavam of Veerabrahmendra Swami, lasting for six days, is held in the month of Vaisakha (April-May). Some estimate the concourse on the occasion at even half a lakh. Anyway, only the assemblages at the Pushpagiri, Anantapuram and Atterala utsavams or jatras attract devotees in comparable numbers. The Kalyana Utsavam at the mutt during Sivaratri attracts a very large gathering, it is said the poor are fed at the place on special occasions. The archaka (Purohith) at the mutt is a Viswabrahmin.

Various Mandapams, Choultries and other structures have been built at Kandimallayapalle in recent years. The most arresting of the structures within the premises of the mutt is the Bhajana Mandiram executed by sculptors from Gumperumanudinne in the Allagadda Taluk of Kurnool District. An interesting fact about this structure was that its cost was met by Oddes of Proddatur taluk and also of Kurnool district out of the profits earned by them in the Karnataka State.

The mutt of Dudekula Siddaiah, the noted disciple of the Swami, is located at Mudumala, where he was born. This Village lies to the south of the Porumamilla - Mydukur road. The respect in which he is held by the followers of Veerabrahmam is evident by the popular saying that there Is no guru like Veerabrahmam, no disciple like Siddaiah, and no yogi like Vemanna. He served his Swami unfailingly in spite of much opposition. His songs and sayings are very much alive among the devotees of Veerabrahmam.

In the unimpressive hamlet of Kandimallayappalle a small old house is pointed out by the local resident as the place where the Swami used to live”*

The untiring efforts of the Editors of the Cuddapah District manual for gathering this information about the Swami are laudable.

The information opens new channels for discussion by the curious research scholars on the Swami’s biography.

The following points pave the way for fresh chapters in this monograph.

* A- P. District Gazetteers - Cuddapah (Revised” Edition) 1967 by Bh. Sivasankara Narayana, M. A., State Editor, District Gazetteers, A. P 1) Veerabrahmam is said to have been born about the beginning of the 17th Century A, D. 2) Though some of his devotees characterise his preaching as ‘Achalamatam’ and some others as ‘Sivadvaitam’ they represent basically the Advaita philosophy. 3) His preachings reveal his anxiety for the eradi¬cation of untouchability and for bringing about common fellowship among the members of the various castes and communities. If atleast an approximate date of birth of the Swami is arrived at, my job to write this monograph becomes easier. In the next chapter I shall place before my readers some authentic findings of a few scholars who did extensive research work to arrive at the date of the Swami’s birth.