Similarly Swami Desikan, like his guru Bhagawat Ramanuja, chose Karnataka as his second home. While Ramanuja spent considerable time at Thirunarayanapuram in Mandya district, any narration of Swami Desikan’s life and times would be woefully incomplete without a mention of Sathyagala, a village in the Kollegal Taluk of Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka, for its close association with this Acharya. It would be no exaggeration to say that apart from Srirangam, Kanchi, and perhaps Tiruvaheendrapuram, Sathyagala is the only kshetram where Swami Desikan spent between 12 and 40 years of his extremely productive spiritual life. And according to most versions of his history, Swami Desikan dwelt here for two fairly long spells, making Sathyagala a definite place of pilgrimage for Desika bhaktas.

It is only in the fitness of things that Sri Ahobila Mutt is closely linked to the state of Karnataka. The history of the Mutt traces more than six centuries into Vijayanagar period in the 14th Century. The young Srinivasacharya, son of Kidambi Kesavacharya, was born on 18th August 1379 AD at Thirunarayanapuram (Melkote) near Mysore in Mandya District of Karnataka. Swami Kesavacharya comes from an illustrious family with orthodox views and with high literary and cultural attainments. With remarkable display of mental, reasoning and perceptive abilities, father Kesavacharya decided to send his son to Kancheepuram near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, a well-known seat of learning like Kashi, to study in the famous Ghatikasatham Ammal school. The founder Swami Ghatikasatham Ammal or Chinna Ammal is the grandson of illustrious Vaathsyavaradan or more popularly known as Nadadoor Ammal (1165-1275 AD) and who is the guru of Swami Vedanta Desika. The Ghatikasatham Ammal swami was so known because of his extraordinary creative skills where he could pen 100 slokas in a Ghatika’s time (1 Ghatika is 24 minutes). Also Chinna Ammal was the foremost disciple of Sri Brahma thanthra swathantra Swamy who established Parakala Mutt. No wonder Kesavacharya Swami decided to put his son there so as to make him a brilliant scholar. Young Srinivasacharya learnt Sribhashya, Bhagavad Vishaya and Geeta Bhashya at the feet of Chinna ammal. When he was hardly twenty years of age in 1398 AD, Srinivasacharya wakes up in an excited mood. The dream he witnessed a little while ago is the cause of it. Lord Lakshminarasimha of Ahobilam appeared before him, commanding him to come to Ahobilam, don the robe of a sanyasi and be instructed in his future mission of life from there. Could this vision be true, he kept asking himself again and again. He of course knew Ahobilam located in the present Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh. To pilgrimage there is not an unusual occurrence in those days. But that God should have chosen him of all people, left him amazed. He went about his morning ablutions as usual but in the same ecstatic mind. Taking permission from his parents, he then hurried to his Guru Ghatikasathakam Ammal and told him of his vision. The old Master told his disciple Srinivasacharya to obey the mandate without any delay. Blessed by his guru he wended his way to Ahobilam. Meanwhile Mukundaraya, the local chieftain there also reached the place to receive him on divine command. According to Ahobila Kaifiyat (the Urdu word for narrative), the Lord Narasimha also appeared in the dream of King Prataparudra of Kakatiya dynasty (who later became a Vaishnava) to renovate the Ahobilam Mutt and let one Srinivasacharya to lay down the daily puja rituals etc. Having arrived there, the boy Srinivasacharya climbed the hill amidst dense forest (which Thirumangai Azhvar describes as one which none can reach except Devas), had a dip in the river Bhavanasini, took up abode in that wilderness and started meditating. Lord Narasimha appeared before Srinivasacharya in the form of a sanyasi, initiated him with the "Preshamantram", offered him tridanda, gave him 'Sanyasa Asrama', named him 'Satakopa Jeeyar', commanded him to go door to door to preach the message of Vaishnavism as expounded by Azhwars, Ramanuja & Vedanta Desika, and instruct them in the Ashtaksharam, Dwayam and Charama Slokam. Thus was born Sri Ahobila Muth more than 600 years ago and its First Jeeyar Srimath Adivan Sathakopa Yatindra Maha Desikan who is the spiritual and titular head of this muth. This episode is sculpted on one of the pillars of the Ranga Mantapam in Lower Ahobilam.

The Jeeyar though anxious to start on his mission right earnestly, could not decide on the 'Utsava' Moorthi he could take with him as instructed to him by the Lord. He, therefore, went into meditation and prayed that the most suitable Moorthi' should come and bless him. Legend has it that immediately the 'Utsava Moorthi' of Malola Narasimha came flying from the Mutt and seated Himself on the outstretched palms of the Jeeyar.