Sri Raghavendra Thirtharu engaged in several debates with Scholars of high repute from different schools of thought.  In all these debates he was successful by virtue of his wisdom, in depth learning and convincing skills.

On one occasion he was invited to participate in a debate by the King of Madurai Sri Tirumala Nayaka (1623-1659).  The minister Sri Neelakanta Dixit, an advocate of Shivaadwaitha, which adopts the system Bhatta Mimamsakas was the person to be faced in the debate by Rayaru. His intention was to test Rayaru in the subject of Bhatta Mimamsakas. However, Rayaru had all the perfection and through knowledge in the subject. By then he had written and made a compilation of Bhatta Sangraha. Sri Neelakanta Dixit going through this compilation was amazed at the depth of the knowledge of Sri Raghavendra Thirtharu and he had no much courage to take the debate forward. With high reverence to his immense knowledge and competency, Dixit placed all the works of Rayaru on the State Elephant and takes it around on a procession. This indeed was a remarkable gesture shown by the learned Dixit to the most learned Rayaru.

The grandfather of Neelakanta Dixit by name Appayya Dixit also had once lost in a debate with Sri Vijayendra Thirtharu- the Guru of Rayaru’s Guru.