Lord Narayana has been incarnating in different forms to reinstate Dharma throughout history. Some of these incarnations, known as Jnanavataras, were aimed at spreading the right knowledge, including Hamsa, Vedavyasa, Hayagreeva, Kapila, Mahidasa, and Dattatreya. Among these, Lord Narayana, in the form of Hamsa, has been instrumental in creating, reinstating, and spreading this knowledge through a lineage that includes Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanathkumara, Sanathsujatha, Lord Brahma, and Rishi Durvasa.
By the 12th century, the Sanatana Bhagavatha, Vedic Sampradaya, faced a decline, leading to the rise of other beliefs. This situation necessitated the revival of the ideology, beliefs, and practices rooted in Vedic principles and the teachings of Lord Vedavyasa. With the blessings of Lord Narayana, Lord Vayudeva incarnated to restore true knowledge. This incarnation appeared as Sri Ananda Tirtha, better known as Madhwa, who refuted non-Vedic ideologies and reinstated the True knowledge (Tatvavada).
Sri Madhwa appointed disciples to continue his lineage and spread this knowledge across the country. Among these disciples, those under Sri Padmanabha Tirtha played a pivotal role. This lineage included great peethadipathis like Sri Narahari Tirtha, Sri Akshobhya Tirtha, and Sri Jayatirtha (Teekacharya), who authored the great commentary on Brahmasutras, Sri Nyaya Sudha, Vidhyadhiraja Tirtha, and Sri Surendra Tirtha.
Sri Surendra Tirtha, recognizing the need for a Guru peetha for the Gowda Saraswatha Brahmin (GSB) community, ordained Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha (previously Sri Vishnu Tirtha), a student of Sri Vyasaraja, to undertake this responsibility. The GSB community, descendants of Rishi Saraswath who had migrated to southern India, invited Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha to perform Chaturmasya in Cochin. Impressed by their devotion, Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha agreed to establish a Matha for them.
On the advice of Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha, the Mahajanas of Cochin secured land on Brahma Ghat in Kashi (Varanasi) to build the Matha. A boy from the GSB community was identified, trained, and ordained into Sanyasa by Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha, who named him Sri Yadavendra Tirtha Swamiji, the first pontiff of the newly established Kashimath Samsthan in 1542. The Matha received idols of Sri Ramachandra, Vedavyasa, a Saligrama, and Pooja paraphernalia from Sri Surendra Tirtha, marking the formal beginning of its spiritual activities.
Over time, Shree Kashimath Samsthan expanded its presence across India, from Varanasi in the north to Rameshwaram in the south, and throughout the West Coast, including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, North Kanara, and Goa. The GSB community, with allegiance to Kashimath, spread to various parts of India, including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum, Bengaluru, and Chennai. Today, the Samsthan has about 35 branches across India.
In addition to its religious duties, Shree Kashimath Samsthan is renowned for its charitable activities. These began in 1869 with the establishment of “Sri Vyasa Raghupathi Sanskrit Vidyashala Fund ®” at Karkala, under the blessings of H.H. Shrimad Bhuvanendra Thirtha Swamiji, the 17th pontiff of the Samsthan. The 20th pontiff, H.H. Shrimad Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji, established 17 additional Trusts, focusing on education, healthcare, and other social welfare initiatives. These efforts have been continued and expanded by the current Mathadipathi, H.H. Shrimad Samyamindra Thirtha Swamiji, who continues to guide the Samsthan in its charitable endeavors.
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