Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamigalu, the 23rd pontiff, ascended the Holy Seat in 1928, when he was hardly twelve and shared the responsibilities with his senior, Jagadguru Pattada Shivarathri Mahaswamigalu. Like his illustrious predecessor he was a firm believer in the good of one and all. Jagadguruji had been at the helm of affairs of the Math for more than half a century, a period full of events seeking nothing but the welfare of all.

A scholar in Kannada and Sanskrit Jagadgurugalu knew English also. He was a patron of arts and literature. He was thoughtful and sensitive to an astonishing degree. But he had, unlike others, mastered the art of turning every noble thought of his into a reality. The wisdom of all his predecessors seemed to have culminated in him. Every step he took was a step forward in search of new areas of service. That was how he could build an empire of educational institutions. But he was not an emperor seeking any sort of aggrandizement. Essentially he was a tireless worker, without any selfish ends.

However, the early years of his pontificate were not rosy. It was often reflected that he had to struggle relentlessly and staked his personal comforts to get even a small work done. A single minded dedication to a task aimed at the welfare of all alone goaded him to trudge a path of sacrifice. For this discipline, if we can call it so, he owed a deep debt of gratitude to his senior, Pattada Shivarathri Swamigalu. His Holiness attained Samadhi in 1986 and the shrine can be visited at Suttur.