॥ यो विद्यारण्यविपिनं तत्त्वमस्यसिनाच्छिनत्।
श्रीमदक्षोभ्यतीर्थार्यहंसिनं तं नमाम्यहम्॥
|| yo vidyAraNyavipinaM tattvamasyasinAchChinat |
shrImadaxobhyatIrthAryahaMsinaM taM namAmyaham ||
Shri Akshobhya Teertha is one of the famous saints who took sanyasa directly from Shri Madhvacharya. His name before he became the disciple of Sri Madhvacharya was Govinda Shastri. He is supposed to belong to the northern karnataka region. With the tours of Shri Madhvacharya, the fame of Shri Madhvacharya spread to all corners of the country. Sri Govinda Shastri listened about the erudition, works and the disciples of Shri Madhvacharya and went to Udupi. He was a follower of a non-Vaishnava ('advaitin') line before meeting and surrendering to Shri Madhvacharya.
Shri Akshobhya Teertha was the last of Madhvacharya's direct disciples to sit on the Vedanta Pitha. After initiating Akshobhya Teertha into sanyasa Shri Madhvacharya gave him the Deity of Aja-Vithala. (Krsna standing with His hands on His hips, accompanied by Shri Devi and Bhudevi, though some say this is Krsna with Rukmini and Satyabhama).
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