A devout and pious couple, Sri Govindacharya and Smt. Kamalamma, were praying to Lord Krishna for a righteous son who would bring lustre to the family. In 1961, their prayers were answered with the birth of a boy they named Hayavadana. Right from his childhood it was obvious that Hayavadana was not an ordinary child. His interest in religious and spiritual matters astounded his teachers and delighted his elders.

Shri Sugnanendra teertha the pontiff of Puthige maTha was searching for a worthy successor. Hundreds of horoscopes were painstakingly studied and meticulously analyzed to find the right person. After all the analysis was completed, all the astrologers were unanimous in their final verdict - Hayavadana was the best and most illustrious candidate available to take over the mantle from Shri Sugnanendra Teertha and guide the destiny of the Matha. Accordingly, in 1974 he was initiated into sanyasa (asceticism) at the tender age of thirteen and became Shri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji.
Hayavadana’s parents had prayed for a Suguni son (a boy with good character) but the magnanimous Lord gave them Sugunendra! The young ascetic spent the first few years after sanyasa in strict self-discipline and arduous study under the renowned Sri Vidyaranya Theertha Swamiji.

In 1976 it was the turn of Puthige Matha to manage the Sri Krishna temple under the paryaaya system. Unfortunately, the elderly pontiff Sri SugnAnendra teertha attained Samadhi unexpectedly and the entire burden of managing the Matha and the Sri Krishna temple fell on the very young shoulders of the young Sri Sugunendra Theertha, just within 2 years of taking sanyAsa. In the entire history of the Sri Krishna Matha spanning over 750 years, nobody else had managed the Paryaaya at such an young age!
Even his ardent well-wishers had misgivings as to whether the young Swamiji would be able to cope with such an enormous burden, with little or no background. But they need not have worried! The Swamiji carried a wise head on his young shoulders and possessed administrative acumen far beyond his age and experience. He conducted the paryaaya with pomp and splendor, in a manner befitting the greatness of the Puthige Matha, earning for himself the unstinting admiration of all.
After completing the arduous task of managing the paryaaya any ordinary person would have taken it easy for a few years, but not Sri Sugunendra teertha! He was not a person to rest on his laurels. His intense thirst for knowledge prompted him to resume the study of scriptures with a perseverance that was matched only by his unswerving devotion. He embellished his in-depth study of the Sudha with mastery over Tarka, Vyaakarana, Mimamsa etc. (these are all supplementary sacred texts needed to complete mastery over the scriptures). He celebrated "Sudha Mangala" several times for scores of students.