Reṇukāchārya ( kn, ರೇಣುಕಾಚಾರ್ಯ)(also known as Revaṇārādhya or Revaṇasiddha) was one of the five
acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a tit ...
s who came in the
Kali Yuga
''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...
to teach and preach Vīraśaivism. He is said to have been born from the Someśvara linga, but to have travelled all over India to teach Vīraśaivism. The Someśvara temples are located in Kollipāki or Kolanupaka in
Aler
Alair is a town in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is a municipality and one of the constituencies in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. It is located in Alair mandal of Bhongir revenue division.
Alair is known ...
City,
Yadadri district,
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Texts date this mythical saint to the time of the Rāmāyaṇa since he was the teacher of the great sage
Agastya
Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the I ...
of Pañcāvati. This saint is said to have consecrated 30 million liṇgas at the behest of
Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He a ...
's brother,
Vibhīṣaṇa, after Rāvaṇa's death.
He finally established the Rambhāpuri maṭha at
Balehonnur
Balehonnur is a town in Narasimharajapura taluk, a township of the Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located 286 kilometres west of Bengaluru, 226 kilometres north-west of Mysuru and 142 kilometres north-east of ...
, a village in
Narasimharajapura
Narasimharajapura is a town panchayat and tehsil headquarters in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India. It resides in the Malenadu region of Chikmagalur district. The nearest Towns that connect to it are in Bhadravathi (52 km), Channagiri (85), Shimoga ...
taluk,
Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Reṇuka gotra of the Vīraśaivas is named after him.
References
{{Authority control
Rishis
Indian Hindu missionaries