Renukacharya

Reṇukāchārya (Kannada: ರೇಣುಕಾಚಾರ್ಯ)(Marathi : रेणुकाचार्य )(also known as Revaṇārādhya or Revaṇasiddha) was one of the five acharyas who came in the Kali Yuga 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 City, Yadadri district, Telangana, India.^[1]

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Texts date this mythical saint to the time of the Rāmāyaṇa since he was the teacher of the great sage Agastya of Pañcāvati.^[2] This saint is said to have consecrated 30 million liṇgas at the behest of Ravana's brother, Vibhīṣaṇa, after Rāvaṇa's death.^[3] He also gave linga dikhsha to Jagadguru Shankaracharya (Chandramoleshvar Linga).^[4]

He finally established the Rambhāpuri maṭha at Balehonnur, a village in Narasimharajapura taluk, Chikkamagaluru district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Reṇuka gotra of the Vīraśaivas is named after him.^[5]

There is a reference in the “Guruvamshakavya” published by the Sringeri Sharada Peetham that the sacred Chandramouleshwara Linga (Shiva Linga) that is one of the presiding diety of the Sringeri Mutt was given by Jagadguru Renukacharya of the Rambhapuri Peetham to Adi Shankaracharya in 8^thCentury BC. This is clear evidence of the fact that there existed no distinction between Veerashaiva-Lingayats and other Hindu Brahmin practices.^[6]

In the Siddhanta Shikhamani the sage Agastya asks Renuka to preach the Siddhanta that is expounded in the text.^[7][8][9] The work is in the form of a dialogue between Jagadguru Renuka and Agastya Maharshi and in the question Agastya explicitly refers to it as the doctrine that is acceptable to the Vedas :

"Hence I would like to hear from you the Siddhänta, which is acceptable to the Vedas. O omniscient one, please tell me the doctrine which is directly associated with Shiva, which is the means for attaining all rewards, which brings immediate achievement for the people, which is resorted to by all the best sages, which is not even smelt by the persons of illconduct, which is accepted by the knowers of Veda"

And Renuka explicitly responds as follows, clearly stating that this Siddhanta of Shiva is the fullest following of the Vedas.

O Agastya, who is the lion among the sages and who is well versed in all the Ägamas, I shall tell you the Siddhanta which inculcates the knowledge of Shiva; listen to it with respect.

O Agastya, there are (many) Siddhanta which are well known, which differ according to aptitudes, which are associated with various practices and which propound various tenets.

Sankhya, Yoga, Pancharatra, Vedas and Pashupata, these are the Siddhanta which are quite authoritative and which should not be refuted with arguments.

O Great sage, among these, Sankhya, etc., Veda is predominant. The authoritativeness of these is decidedly on the ground that they follow Veda.

O sage, Pancharatra, Sankhya and Yoga are based on some parts of Veda, while Shaivasiddhanta is based on the entire Veda.

O great sage, compared to Sankhya, etc, which are based on some parts of Veda, the Shaivasiddhanta, which follows the entire Veda, is superior.

It goes onto say Vedas and this Siddhanta are the same doctrine

"The Shivagama called Siddhanta is said to be acceptable to Veda because it advocates the Dharma that is taught in Veda and also because it opposes whatever that is outside or unacceptable to Veda. Veda and Siddhanta are one because they propound the same doctrine. Authoritativeness of the two should always be grasped as similar by the learned.

And finally it talks of how the Veerashaiva doctrine is Supreme.

In the latter part of the great traditional lore called Siddhanta which starts with Kamika and which is taught by Shiva, the supreme doctrine of Veerashaiva is advocated.