SRI VADIRAJA'S TEERTHA PRABANDHA - STEP 3

SRI VADIRAJA’S TEERTHA PRABANDHA – STEP 3

HIS LITERARY WORKS

The greatness of Sri Vadirajaru is something beyond ordinary perception, expression or diction. It is indeed a privilege, grace of Sri Hari, Sri Vayu and Sri Vadirajaru for anyone to take a peep into some outstanding works of Sri Vadirajaru. What is more heartening to note is that Sri Vadirajaru has written in Sanskrit as well as Kannada. It is unfortunate that many of his works are not available and a few published works are also not accessible at present. Some are still to be published. According to scholars, about twelve works of Sri Vadirajaru are of great value. He has written independent philosophical books in poetic form, several commentaries on Puranas; poetry, Stotras, devotional songs or Keertanas and a few translations from Sanskrit to Kannada.

1.   YUKTIMALLIKA

Yuktimallika is considered to be an exceptional work by Sri Vadirajaru. It comprises of 5,379 Shlokas or stanzas. It is said that such an exemplary poetic work of outstanding literary features is not there in any other language anywhere in the world. A book of great literary value and excitement composed to protect the tenets of Dwaita philosophy is considered to be the magnum opus of Sri Vadirajaru. It consists of several Yuktis or solutions that are like the Jasmine flower, which is not only attractive but also pleasantly fragrant. Mallika means Jasmine. It has five sections namely Guna or quality; Shuddhi or purity; Bheda or divisive technique; Vishwa or universe and Phala or the positive result. Sri Vadirajaru has divided the work into four parts namely Samanvaya, where he asserts that Lord Hari possesses all qualities; AvirODha, where he contends that there is a least doubt about these qualities of the Lord; Sadhana, where he furnishes the path to impress and propitiate the Lord and Phala, where he tells us what will happen when the Lord is impressed with us. Sri Vadirajaru has cited excerpts from Shastra, Purana, Smruti, Lokanyaya (Universal Law) and the paths or ways mentioned in the Four Cantos of Brahma Meemamsa. What is most relevant is that in this work, Sri Vadirajaru has clearly explained that it is only Sri Mukhyaprana who can guide a person to the path of Moksha or salvation and that Sri Madhwacharya is an incarnation of Sri Mukhyaprana.

2, HARIBHAKTILATA

Sri Haribhaktilata is an anthology of 300 poems that explain the meaning of Shrutis. Sri Vadirajaru beautifully establishes in Sri Haribhaktilata that Lord Shankara is a dedicated devotee of Paramatma and that Lord Hari is the only God who can grant or sanction Moksha for anyone. The title Haribhaktilata is in itself a beautiful and meaningful word. Haribhakti means devotion to Lord Hari and Lata means a creeper. Sri Vadirajaru states in this work that his Haribhaktilata is very close to the heart of “Turagavadana”, where Turaga means horse and Vadana means face. He mentions that Lord Hari or Hayagreeva loves Haribhaktilata.

3.   SARASABHARATI VILASA

In all, there are as many as 696 spiritual texts in Sri Sarasabharati Vilasa. He wonderfully, interestingly and logically mentions that only Lakshmi, Brahma, Vayu, Saraswati and Bharati possess pure , unbiased, comprehensive and unambiguous devotion to Lord Hari. Stating that these deities cannot be touched or troubled by Kali, he divulges that all others have drawbacks and their actions, expressions and attitude are subject to errors and omissions. To provide authenticity to his principles, Sri Vadirajaru quotes and explains those quotes drawn from Upanishat, Mahabharata and other texts.

PLEASE READ, COMMENT AND SHARE. SDN  

SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY'S SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI

(In the previous episode a question had been raised as to why only Lakshmana, and not Bharata or Shatrughna, accompanied Sri Rama. Sri Lakshminarayana Upadhyaya provides clarification for this query. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

The word Anuja contained in the compound word “mantrAhrudanujasahitastATakAm” provides the answer to this question.

There are words like BhrAta, Anuja, Sahaja in Sanskrit to say younger brother. But, the word “Anuja” means “Anu” + “Ja” which means one who followed his elder brother in character, conduct, behaviour, attitude and every walk of life. Moreover, Lakshmana was born after the birth of Sri Rama to merely ‘follow’ his brother, which is not indicated in Bhrata or Sahaja and so on. Yet again, the fact that even Bharata and Shatrughna were born after Sri Rama gives room for suspicion. The answer is that Lakshmana, the name itself suggests that his whole and sole aim in life was the “Lakshy” or the goal of propitiating Sri Vishnu. Although Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are all Anujas, Lakshmana, who was an incarnation of Adi ShSha, was superior in terms of devotion and other qualities, than Bharata, who was an incarnation of Manmatha manifested in the Holy Disc Sudarshana, and Shatrughna, an incarnation of Aniruddha manifested in the Holy Conch Panchajanya. Therefore, Lakshmana was most qualified to be Anuja of Sri Rama. In recognition of the devotion that Lakshmana inherited, Sri Rama took him.

Sri Lakshminarayana Upadhyaya states that Sri Raghavendra Rayaru has deftly employed the compound word “mantrAhrudanujasahitaha” in another sense. Apart from breaking the word as “MantrAhrut” and “Anujasahitaha”, it can be further precipitated. The word “MantrA” has been formed from “MantRu” by considering it in the Truteeya Vibhakti, which becomes an adjective of Vishwamitra. The word Vishwamitra becomes “VishwamitrENa” in Truteeya Vibhakti. The word “MantRu” is a derivative of “Manu” which, if explored further to find the root word, reads as “Manu avabODhanE”, which means ‘supreme knowledge’. Substantiating the “mantrAhrut” by invoking this grammatical method, it becomes ‘MantrA VishwAmitrENa neetaha”, which means Sri Rama was taken by most knowledgeable Vishwamitra.

In the eleventh Sarga of Bhagavata it is mentioned “JnAnee priyatamO (a)tO mE jnAnenAsau biBharti mAm”. Sri Hari has great love for knowledge and knowledgeable persons. He says, “A knowledgeable person always carries me in his heart due to his knowledge and therefore such a person is my beloved.” There are several instances in our Scriptures where Lord Hari delivers such statements and therefore, Sri Rama followed Vishwamitra in appreciation and in recognition of his devotion.

It is further stated that the heart is the most important organ in all beings. The word “Hrudanujasahitaha” means that along with younger brother, who was like his own (Rama’s) heart. Sri Rama followed Vishwamitra, along with Lakshmana, who was like his own heart.

In the expression “AhalyA shApam cha”, the word “cha” has been used with a high degree of care and great reverence by Sri Raghavendraru, according to Sri Lakshminarayana Upadhyayaru. “Cha” means that apart from the rare and miraculous acts symbolically indicated in this particular stanza, Sri Rama displayed several other mysterious, astounding, inexplicable and exemplary acts. Sri Raghavendraru has indicated with the word “cha” that many such acts have been mentioned and explained in Moola Ramayana, Sangraha Ramayana, Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya and other texts, though are still short of many more things that are beyond common perception.

A few more misconceptions will be clarified in the coming episodes.          

SRI MADHWAVIJAYA - PANCHAMA SARGAHA SHLOKAS 8 AND 9

(In these two stanzas, arrival of two more scholars at Udupi to have a Vakyartha has been explained. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

SamastavAdeendragajapraBhangadashcharannavanyAm pratipakShakAnkShayA|

VEdadviShAm yaha praThamaha samAyayau sa vAdisihmO(a)tra sabudDhisAgaraha||8||

SUMMARY: A scholar named “Vadisihma”, who could overpower or confront the elephants in the form of greatest advocates and was in the forefront of those despising the Vedas, along with another scholar called “Buddhisagara”, who was searching across the globe to find a person capable of indulging in a debate with him, arrived at Udupi once.

Sri Vadirajaru in his Bhavaprakashika provides details about Visihma and Buddhisagara:

VaishEShikavishEShajnO vAdisihmABhiDhO dwijaha|

Maheem vijitya samprAptO BaudDhAgryam BudDhisAgaram|

KhanDitastEna pAnDityAt tatwakShApEkShakO(a)Bhavat|||

Tau shrutwA maDhwavaidagDheem prAptau tadgurumUchatuhu|

Vadisihma was a Brahmin who was following the Vaisheshika school of philosophy. After getting defeated by Buddhist scholar called Buddhisagara, Vadisihma had become his disciple.

However, in the Chalari Achar’s commentary, there is a slightly different version of this instance. It is mentioned there that it was Buddhisagara, who came to Udupi, along with Vadisihma. Both the names Vadisihma and Buddhisagara appear to be titles conferred upon these scholars by some king or kings in appreciation of their debating capabilities.

Achyutapreksha sends for Ananda Tirtharu  

TasyOrudurgarvavatO jigeeShayA nishAtamAdatta mukundaDheerdrutam|

SwashiShyahastEna maThAntarEShuDhEhe supakShadakSham suKhateerThamArgaNam||9||

SUMMARY: With the inention of scoring victory over that scholar, who was brimming with insipid and bald pride, Achyutapreksha picked from his quiver called ‘different mutt’ and placed on to his hands a sharp arrow adorned with very `capable wings called Sukhateertha.

Sri Narayana Paditacharyaru has employed a figure of speech in this stanze by comparing Sri Poornaprajna to a sharp arrow and the ‘capable wings’ symbolically mean the wide and extraordinary knowledge he possessed. Sri Achyutapreksharu sending words to Sri Poornaprajnaru to vanquish the vanity-ridden scholar has been described as a valiant picking up a sharp arrow from his quiver to end the glory of the warring foe.  

The word “Mathantara” means a person of different and more acceptable reasoning because Sri Poornaprajnaru was able to prove the doctrines of 21 isms as wrong with citations drawn from epics and Scriptures.

It is said that Mathantara referred to in this context is a popular place in Udupi belonging to Bhadarakere Mutt.

The instance of Sri Poornaprajnaru taking on the scholar and his defeat will be explained in the next two stanzas. SDN

SRI VADIRAJA'S "TEERTHA PRABANDHA - STEP TWO

(Initially, a question had been raised about the relevance of Ashwa or the Horse standing with two of its feet on the shoulders of Sri Vadirajaru and consuming the food held by Sri Vadirajaru on his head. Yes, the Ashwa was the Hayagreeva form of Lord Vishnu, who used to come and receive the Hayagreeva, a very popular sweet dish, offered by Sri Vadirajaru. Further explanation of this instance will be furnished later while dwelling on the life history of Sri Vadirajaru. There was another suggestion to use a better phrase than ‘divine person’ for Sri Vadirajaru and the word suggested for use was ‘celestial’. Celestial pertains to all those beings who are believed to be living in the space at different and appropriate levels. They include Apsaras, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Kimpurushas and so on. “Divine” is perhaps the nearest word to God and Godhood as Sri Vadirajaru is believed to be the successor of the present Lord Vayu, who will be succeed the present Brahma in the next Manvantara.  Please read, comment and share. SDN)

The words “Teertha Prabandha” means commentary on sacred places, though Teertha, literally means a place where a holy river flows. Commentators are of the view that the Dhyana Snana or a bath in meditation is more important than mere visit to a holy place, a dip in a sacred river or a visit to a popular temple. The heart and mind should be purified with the prayers offered to Lord Vishnu, who manifests himself in all other deities and empowers them to grant the sane desires of devotees. This is not to belittle the significance or merits of pilgrimage. The Shloka:

Apavitraha pavitrO vA sarvAvasThAngatOpi vA|

Yaha smarEt PunDareekAkSham sa bAbhyABhyantaraha Shuchihi||

This means: Whoever remembers or recalls the name Pundarekaksha, his corporal body as well as the heart and mind, the interior of the body, will be cleansed, irrespective of whether he is in a sane or insane state or in any other position beyond words.

The Teertha Prabandha of Sri Vadirajaru comprises of 235 stanzas. Scholars are of the opinion that both Teertha Prabandha and RukmiNeeSha Vijaya of Sri Vadirajaru are outstanding for the use of figures of speech that are out of this world.

There is an interesting incident related to the circumstances under which Sri Vadirajaru penned Sri RukmiNeeSha Vijaya. During his pilgrimage, Sri Vadirajaru was passing through Pune, where he saw a procession being taken of a work titled “ShishupAla VaDha” by poet Magha as the scholars in and around that city were of the common opinion that “Shishupala Vadha” was a work of highest value and quality. Sri Vadirajaru told those people that he was possessing a better work than Shishupala Vadha in all respects. He also committed that very soon he would arrange to present that book. He composed the nineteen cantos of Rukmineesha Vijaya at the rate of one canto a day and sent it to the scholars in Pune. They found that Shishupala Vadha was no way near the quality, literary value and content of Rukmineesha Vijaya. They conceded the superiority of Rukmineesha Vijaya and organised a procession of this work, besides honouring Sri Vadirajaru with grand donations and presentations. They also conferred a title “Kavikulatilaka” on Sri Vadirajaru. He explained later that Shishupala Vadha was also in praise of Lord Krishna but the title was highly questionable. Even in the dream of dreams, Sri Vadirajaru does not deviate from his ideology of Hari Sarvottamatva.

A brief note on a majority of works by Sri Vadirajaru will be provided in the coming editions. Please share any good pictures of Madhwa pilgrim centres for use in this submission. SDN          

SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY'S SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI

(RAmanAma and VishwAmitrENa have been substantiated in this episode. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

Importance of “RAmanAma”: Although only ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu appear to have become very popular, there are several known and unknown incarnations of Lord Vishnu. In fact, Sri Madhwacharyaru in his Bhagavata Tatparya Nirnaya and Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya has clearly stated that unless Lord Vishnu empowers a being to do something extraordinary, outstanding and unparalleled act, none can do anything worthwhile. That is precisely what is meant by “TEna vinA TriNamapi na vichalati”, which means, “Without his grace, not a grass can ever shake”. It is also a known fact that the forms of Lord Vishnu are infinite, inexplicable and inexorable. It is his decision to promote, propagate and popularise a particular form and the name attached to that form. Rama is one such name which Lord Vishnu wanted to teach the humanity the real human passions, the life pattern, the duties, responsibilities, inter-family bonding and so on. In this Ramavatar, we come across several occasions when Sri Rama simply behaves like an ordinary person. For instance, when Seetha Devi was abducted, Rama pretends to be very unhappy. In reality, Vishnu and Lakshmi are inseparable. These pretentious acts and exaggerated exhibition of emotions are only to mislead the atheists and the Tamasis. Every single Scripture, every single syllable in those Scriptures has or signify three levels of meaning, at least. Tamasis or those obsessed with worldly pleasures conceive only Tamasic or misleading meaning; those having Rajas attribute perceive the texts to that extent alone. Satviks will never misunderstand any form, name or action of the Lord. Depending on the Karmic inheritance, the perceptions vary from moment to moment, place to place and so on.         

The words “VishwAmitrENa neetaha” means Sri Rama was taken away by Vishwamitra. A question arises here as to why Sri Rama followed Vishwamitra, leaving his ardent devotees Dasharatha and Kausalya behind. Sri Lakshminarayana Panditacharyaru explains this conception:

“Neetaha” originates from “Nee”. The “Neeng prApaNE” that explains the meaning of this “Neetaaha” as “taking away”. Accordingly, the initial or overt explanation springs as “Vishwamitra took away Sri Rama”. Yet, “Neetaha” can also be divided as “Ni” plus “itaha”, where “itaha” originates from “I” Dhatu, which is explained under the related original sound “iN gatau”, which means “Gamana” or movement or journey. When “ni”, an upasarga is prefixed to “iN gatau”, it means “a very sacred journey” or “a journey in honour of devotion and dedication”. In this context, “Neetaha, VishwAmitrENa” means “Sri Rama was taken by Sri Vishwamitra with love, affection, devotion and dedication”.

The intention of Vishwamitra was to somehow “surrender” to Sri Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, convince him and take him to his “Vishwamitra’s” hermitage so that the Ashram becomes holy; further, worship Sri Rama and seek his blessings to get rid of Tataka and other ‘wicked people’, who were a thorn in the flesh of society. Vishwamitra wanted to relieve the universe from the torture that some demons had meted out to Sajjans. Sri Rama, who is Lord Vishnu Himself, knew that Vishwamitra had done a very long and committed penance for thousands of years and therefore Sri Rama wanted to honour the sage by accompanying him to the Ashram and by receiving the Shastras and Astras he wanted to actually get rid of because he did not want them as a sage. Moreover, he wanted to reach them to the ultimate preceptor to whom every sacrifice, every salute, every hymn is addressed. He is the only recipient and manifestation of everything he receives or acknowledges. He has no pleasure to get or displeasure to sustain by receiving anything from anyone. For that Sri Rama, who could convert a grass into Brahmastra to ‘teach a lesson to Kakasura’, no Astra or Shastra was needed to kill Ravana. Therefore, Vishwamitra surrendered the most precious ‘weapons’ he was possessing to the Lord of his very existence, Lord Vishnu.

The question of why Lakshmana, neither Bharata nor Shatrughna, alone was taken by Rama and Vishwamitra to be explained in the next episode. SDN    

SRI MADHWAVIJAYA - PANCHAMAHA SARGAHA - STANZAS 6 AND 7

(In the sixth stanza, the defeat of some scholars  has been exposed. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

Logicians surrender

HEtOrativyAptiravAdi tairyadA sakautukaistUrNamasAvavismayaha|

Na shuktirUpyAdi matam yadanyaThAmatam tadityAdivadan jigAya tAn||6||

SUMMARY: Puzzled by the retort, they (Logicians) tried to counter Sri Poornaprajna by stating that ‘whatever is being seen is true is infinitive’. Sri Madhwa then said that the concept of truth should be purported by tangible evidence as otherwise it would suffer from a fallacy called unsound analogy by citing the example of a shell, which might appear like silver as it shines under sunlight. This cannot actually be accepted since it is based on fake or false or incomplete and mistaken knowledge. The Logicians conceded their complete defeat after Sri Poornaprajna proved their contentions as erroneous.  

Details of this debate and defeat of Logicians are available in PrapanchamithyatwAnumAna Khandana, TattvOdyOta, ViShNutattwanirNaya” and other works of Sri Madhwacharya.

Bhavaprakashika mentions:

GhaTAdinidarshanamasampratipannamiti chEt shuktirajatAdi cha bADhyatwAdasatvEnAnuBhUyamAnam sadasadvilakShaNatayA na sampratipannam” Tat sADhayiShyatE cEdidam pratyakShENa sADhitamityuttaramiti ityAdishabdABhiprEtam|

  

TatvE(a)pyatattvE vimatE(a)numAm vadamstadapratiShThAm pratipAdukaha swayam|

Vijitya vishwAn viduShaha saBhAswasau jagAma nAmnA(a)pyanumAnateerThatAm||7||

SUMMARY: Thus Sri Madhwacharyaru became popular as “Anumanatirtharu” in scholarly conventions by effectively proving that Logic or logical analyses alone cannot be an independent proof as he pointed out, demonstrated and contended through counter argument, that there are lose ends, inconsistency and inadequecies in theology and insensible hypotheses.

Debators indulge in wilful argument with the power of their eloquence, dexterity and some inherent capacity. However, hypotheses, like Pratyaksha and Agama, cannot stand as a concrete, perceptible and undoubtable verdict. This is what Sri Madhwacharyaru has substantiated and demonstrated here.

Sri Madhwacharyaru liberally drew from Brahmasootras, explained the inner meaning and proved that whatever others were contending with Pratyaksha and Agama citations was dubious, untenable and hence unacceptable. Since it was Sri Madhwacharyaru who first demonstrated the correct status of hypothetical and illusory theories, he came to be known as Anumana Tirtharu, where Anumana means hypothesis. Hy also decried the supremacy of logical interpretation and said that logic alone cannot be conceived as the ultimate knowledge.

“TarkatAnDava” by Sri Vyasarajaru dwells in detail on how Sri Poornaprajnaru pushed or dumped the various theories that were existing then.     

SRI VADIRAJA VIRACHITA "TEERTHA PRABANDHA"

“Teertha Prabandha” is an exemplary lyrical extravaganza penned by one of the most revered saint philosophers of Dwaita School Sri Vadirajaru, who belonged to the lineage of seers headed by Sri Vishnu Tritharu, a pre-sainthood brother of Sri Madhwacharyaru. The most striking aspect of this work of Sri Vadirajaru is that it is perhaps the first-of-its-kind type of work in Sanskrit dedicated to some of the most important pilgrim destinations of the country. Sri Vadirajaru has mentioned the names of all holy places he had visited and thereby provided a cryptic referendum of sacred places. It must be noted here that Sri Vadirajaru visited all the place by foot and recorded the details pertaining to every place in poetic form. In all the stanzas, Sri Vadirajaru has mentioned names of places, presiding deity, their historical significance and he has also described in his own inimitable style Lord of Lords, Sri Maha Vishnu.

The pilgrimage of Sri Vadirajaru began from his native precincts of Tulu Nadu or Taulava Kshetra, as it is respectfully known. Commencing from Rajatapeethapura, the erstwhile name of present Udupi, Sri Vadirajaru touched Pushkara in the west; beginning from Krishna River, he touched the northern most point of Badari; in the eastern side, Sri Vadiraja launched his entourage from Jagannatha Puri and went on to travel up to Kumbhakona in south-west. He started from Sri Rangam in the south and touched Anantashayana. It is beyond the imagination of the present generation to even think of travelling in all directions by any means of conveyance, leave alone by walk. Only divine persons like Vadirajaru can undertake such arduous tasks.

What is significant from modern perspective about Teertha Prabandha is that Sri Vadirajaru has provided mythological and historical importance of each place and deity he visited. It should be noted that Sri Vadirajaru did not have or did not employ any of the modern technology to explore the history of the places visited by him. He could do so only because of his mystic, divine power. He has liberally provided links that every place has with Ramayana, Mahabharat, eighteen Puranas, Vedas, Upanishats and so on. After Canterbury Tales by William Chaucer, Teertha Prabandha is perhaps the most authentic, extraordinary, brilliant and outstanding travelogue to date.

More about Teertha Prabandha and Sri Vadirajaru will be following. Subsequently, an attempt will be made to substantiate the information provided in each stanza of Teertha Prabandha with the grace of Sri Hari, Sri Vayu and Sri Vadirajaru. GurubhyO Namaha. SDN