Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra

Pōtulūri Vīrabrahmēndra
Religion	Hinduism
Personal
Born	Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh
Literary works	Kāalagnanam
Honors	Sri Madhviraat

Pōtulūri Vīrabrahmēndra Swami (Telugu: పోతులూరి వీరబ్రహ్మేంద్ర స్వామి Pōtulūri Vīrabrahmēndra, also romanised Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra) was a Hindu sage and oracle. He is considered to be the author of the Kālaṅñānaṁ, a book of predictions about the future.^[1] His prophetic texts are also known as the Govinda Vakyas.^[2] He also wrote Jeevaikya Bodha.

Vīrabrahmēndra's birth date and lifespan are unknown. Conflicting theories hold that he was born either in the ninth century (in order to accommodate predictions written in the Kālaṅñānaṁ about the fall of dynasties during the ninth century) or in the seventeenth century.

Legendary account

According to legend, Veerabrahmam was born to a religious couple, Paripurnayacharya and Prakruthamba, who belonged to a vishwabrahmin/vishwakarma/kammalar family near the river Sarasvati River in the village of Brahmandapuram. The couple abandoned Swamy at birth and Veerambrahmam was brought up at Atri Mahamuni Ashram near Kashi (present-day Varanasi). Later Veerabhojayacharya, Head of the Papagni Mutt, Chikballapur, Karnataka, was on a pilgrimage with his wife. The couple visited the Sage Atri Ashram, and Sage Atri gave the child to the couple. They received the child as a divine gift and returned to Papagni Mutt. The child was named 'Veeram Bhotlaiah'.

Veerabrahmendra Swamy, then known as the Veerambhotliah at Papagni Mutt authored the Kalikamba Sapthashathi (the manuscript written in praise of goddess Kali) at the age of 11. A few days later, Veerabhojayacharya made a sacrifice and Veerambhotlayya told his stepmother that he had refused to take homage responsibilities and started his spiritual journey. His first disciple was Dudekula Siddaiah. People started listening to Veerambhotlaya's chanting and philosophical poems, and as a sign of respect they called him 'Sri Madvirat Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra Swami'.^[3]

Legacy

• Brahmam gari matam in Kadapa district is a pilgrimage center in Andhra Pradesh. Veera Brahmendra Swamy wrote Kalagnanam in Kurnool district
• A sajeeva samadhi matham of Veerabrahmam at Kandi Mallayapalle is worshiped in Cuddapah district.
• Editor T Ganapati Sastri of the book BrahmaTatwa Prakasika of Sadasivendra Saraswati (Trivandrum Sanskrit Series No VII), published in 1909, makes passing mention of a Tamil work called Acharya-Darpana that supposedly details a wide description of his deeds.
• Srimadvirat Veerabrahmendra Swami Charitra is a 1984 film on his life. Late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao acted and directed. The film became a hit in Andhra Pradesh.

References

External links

• Swamy, Sri Kalagnani Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra. "Kalagnanam Predictions (Prophecies) of Veerabrahmendra Swamy".