Prameya Ratnaavalii of Shriila Baladeva Vidyaabhuushana - Introduction

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Dear devotees,

 

During the early days of the Achintya list, there was some request

for discussion of Prameya Ratnaavalii. The original Prameya

Ratnaavalii was written by Shrii Madhvaachaarya, and it discussed

nine prameyas or propositions which were integral to his school of

Dvaita or Tattvavaada. Shriila Baladeva Vidyaabhuushana also wrote a

Prameya Ratnaavalii in which he addressed these same nine prameyas.

 

I would like to post Shriila Baladeva's Prameya Ratnaavalii here,

section by section. As this is the translation of a nondevotee (Rai

Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu - the same one who translated the Govinda

Bhaashya), standard disclaimers apply. Also, the devanaagarii script

in my edition is not very distinct, so I apologize in advance for any

errors in transliteration.

 

PRAMEYA RATNAAVALII BY BALADEVA VIDYAABHUUSHANA

 

INTRODUCTION

 

jayati shriigovindo gopiinaathaH sa madanagopaalaH |

vakShyaami yasya kR^ipayaa prameyaratnaavalor suukShmaam || 1 ||

 

Let Shrii Govinda, the Lord of Gopiis, the Protector of the universe,

the Giver of joy to His devotees, be ever victorious. Through His

grace I shall describe briefly the various categories or Prameyas. (1)

 

bhaktathaamaasenaapi toSha.m dadhaane | dharmaadhyakShe

vishvanistaari naamni ||

nityaanandaadvaitachaitanyaruupe | tattve tasmin nityamaastaa.m

ratirnaH || 2 ||

 

Let our hearts be ever inclined towards that Lord, whose essential

form is intelligence (Chaitanya), eternal bliss (Nityaananda), and

peerlessness (Advaita). He is satisfied with the Jiivas, if they show

the slightest semblance of love twoards Him. He is the Lord and

Establisher of Justice, and the mere utterance of His name saves all

souls in this universe. (2)

 

aanandatiirthanaamaa sukhamayadhaamaa yatirjoyaat |

sa.msaaraarNavataraNi.m yamiha janaaH kiirttayanti budhaaH || 3 ||

 

Let that ascetic be ever victorious, whose name is AanandaTiirtha,

who is the abode of joy, who is the ship to cross the ocean of

transmigratory existence, and whom the wise ever praise in this

world. (3)

 

bhavati vichintyaa viduShaa niravakaraa guruparamparaa nityam |

ekaantitva.m sidhyati yayodayati yena haritoShaH || 4 ||

 

The free-from-all-faults should constantly meditate on the faultless

sucession of teachers, because by such meditation is obtained the one-

pointedness of devotion, and there arises the grace of the Lord Hari

on the man. (4)

 

(note: this is why we worship our guru paramparaa all the way back

through Madhva even though we have a different Vedaanta commentary)

 

yadukta.m padmapuraaNe |

sampradaaya vihiinaa ye mantraaste viphalaa mataaH |

ataH kalau bhaviShyanti chatvaaraH sampradaayinaH ||

shriibrahmarudrasanakaa vaiShNavaaH kShitipaavanaaH |

catvaaraste kalau bhaavyaa hyutkale puruShottamaat || 5 ||

 

The Mantras which are without any Sampradaaya (which do not belong to

any schools), are considered fruitless. Hence in the Kali age there

will arise four founders of schools, namely Shrii, Brahmaa, Rudra,

and Sanaka. All these are Vaishnavas, sanctifying the earth, and will

arise from the Supreme Person in Utkala, in the Kali age. (5)

 

raamaanuja.m shriiH sviichakre madhvaachaarya.m chaturmukhaH |

shriiviShNusvaamina.m rudro nimbaaditya.m chatuH sanaH || 6 ||

 

Shrii inspired (made her own) Raamaanuja, the four-faced Brahmaa

inspired Madhvaachaarya, Rudra inspired Vishnu Swaamii, and the four

Kumaaras, Sanaka and the rest, inspired Nimbaaditya. (6)

 

tatra svaguruparamparaa yathaa |

shriikR^iShNabrahmadevarShibaadaraayaNasa.mj~nakaan |

shriimadhvashriipadmanaabhashriiman nR^iharimaadhavaan ||

akShobhyajayatiirthashriij~naanasindhudayaanidhiin |

shriiviDhyaanidhi raajendra jayadharmaan kramaadvayam ||

puruShottama brahmaNya vyaasatiirthashcha sastumaH ||

tachchhiShyaan shriishvaraadvaita nityaanandaan jagadguruun |

devamiishvarashiShya.m shriichaitanya~ncha bhajaamahe |

shriikR^iShNapremadaanena yena nistaarita.m jagat || 7 || iti ||

 

The first Guru is Lord Shrii Krishna, whose disciple was Brahmaa,

whose disciple was the divine sage Naarada, and whose disciple was

Baadaraayana, whose disciple was Madhva, whose disciple was

Padmanaabha, whose disciple was Narahari, whose disciple was

Maadhava, whose disciple was Akshobya, whose disciple was Dayaanidhi,

whose disciple was Vidyaanidhi, whose disciple was Raajendra, whose

disciple was Jayadharma, whose disciple was Purushottama, whose

disciple was Brahmanya, whose disciple was Vyaasatiirtha. We pray to

these all in succession. The disciple of Vyaasatiirtha was

Lakshmiipati, whose disciple was Maadhavendra, who had three

disciples; namely Iishvaraachaarya, Advaitaachaarya, and Nityaananda,

all these are world-teachers. We bow to all these. We bow also, with

adoration, to Lord Chaitanya, the refulgent, who was the disciple of

Iishvaraachaarya, and who saved the world, by showering on it the

love of Lord Krishna. (7)

 

atha prameyaaNyuhishyante |

shrii madhva praaha viShNu.m paratamamkhilaamnaayavedhya~ncha

vishva.m satya.m bheda~ncha jiivaan haricharaNajuShastaaratamya~ncha

teShaam ||

mokSha.m viShNava.mghrilaabha.m tadamalabhajana.m tasya hetu.m

pramaaNam pratyakShaaditraya~nchetyupadishati hariH

kR^iShNachaitanyachandraH || 8 ||

 

Now are described the categories. Shrii Madhva has said that Lord

Vishnu is the highest substance, and is to be known through all the

revelations, tht the universe is real and so also are real the

differences that exist therein; that the Jiivas are all servants of

the Lord and are real, and so also are real the differences that

exist between them. That salvation (Moksha) consists in obtaining the

feet of Vishnu; that the cause of getting this release is worshipping

Him with purity of heart, without desiring fruit, and that the proofs

are three -- perception, inference and sacred testimony. Thus teaches

Hari, Lord Krishna Chaitanya. (8)