Jaya Madhvacarya

[Guest guest]

Let us offer our respects to Sri Madhvacarya, whose dissappearance

anniversary is today. Madhva was the chief and most robust opponent of

impersonal Mayavada (illusionism). He rarely missed an opportunity to

attack Sankaracarya's nonsensical Advaita. Madhva worshipped Lord Krsna

at Udupi in South India.

It is said that Madhva diappeared while expounding on the Aitareya

Upanisad, which was his favorite sruti. The exact spot where he used to

teach, and where he was sitting when he literally disappeared, is still

preserved even today in the Sri Anantesvara Siva temple, at Udupi. The

Aitareya Upanisad discusses creation, birth, and atman. We are indebted to

the Aitareya for the following rhetorical question, which Srila Prabhupada

sometimes paraphrased in his own preaching (3.1-4):

 

"Who is this self (atman)? That is how we venerate.

 

"Which of these is the self? Is it that by which one sees? Or

hears? Or smells odours? Or utters speech? Or distinguishes between what

is tasty and what is not? Is it the heart and the mind? Is it awareness?

Perception? Discernment? Cognition? Wisdom? Insight? Steadfastness?

Thought? Reflection? Drive? Memory? Intention? Purpose? Will? Love?

Desire? But these are various designations of cognition."

 

"It is brahman; it is Indra; it is Prajapati; it is all the gods.

It is these five immense beings--earth, wind, space, and waters, and the

lights; it is these beings, as well as those that are some sort of mixture

of trivial beings, living beings of various sorts--those born from eggs,

from wombs, from sweat, and from sprouts. It is hprses, cattle, men, and

elephants. It is everything that has life--those that move, those that

fly, and those that are stationary.

"Knowledge is the eye of all that, and on knowledge it is founded.

Knowledge is the eye of the world, and knowledge, the foundation. Brahman

is knowing.

 

"It is with this self consisting of knowledge that he went up from

this world and, having obtained all his desire in the heavenly world up

there, became immortal."

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

Sri Dvadasa Stotra of Sripad Madhvacarya (stotra nine):

 

(1)

O Lord Kesava, of beautiful hair, O chastiser, I worship You. O

Lord worshipped by Yama, who holds the noose! O transcendental Lord of the

heroes, Narayana, deliverer of the immortals, cause of causes, most

perfectly worshipable one, I bow to You.

 

(2)

O Madhava, husband of the goddess of fortune Laksmi, O purifier, I

revere You. O harasser, enlightener, O pure trance personified, O Govinda,

Lord of the cows, O Purandara, whose feet are worshipped by Skanda and

Sanandana, I worship You.

 

(3)

Lord Visnu, creator, consumer, O Krsna, O tormenter of those who

harm the devotees, O self-courageous one, I worship You. O Madhusudana,

vanquisher of the demons (like Madhu), You please the godly, and Your feet

enlighten them. I bow down to You.

 

(4)

O Trivikrama, who traversed the universe in but three steps, You

are beyond constraints, and are mighty; I bow to You. O Lord of noble

deeds, Your mouth vibrates "hum" at the time of universal cataclysm. O

dwarf-incarnation Vamana, O demanding one, I bow to You. O promulgator of

the Sama Veda, You lead beyond the bounds of sastra, O pacifier, O summit

and support of all.

 

(5)

O Sridhara, holder of Laksmidevi, bearer of auspiciousness, I bow

to You. O bearer of the earth, bearer of water, bearer of the clouds, O Lord

of the senses, Hrsikesa, of beautiful hair, O transcendental Lord, I bow

down to You, who are the shelter of Your expansions such as Siva, Brahma,

and other controlling deities. You are the Lord of power and happiness.

 

(6)

O Lord with a lotus-navel, source of auspiciousness, I bow to You.

You support the maintainers of all the worlds, and are of many forms. O

Damodara, You exist both within and far beyond; I bow to You. You are the

conveyance of the liberated souls, and are higher than the highest.

 

(7)

This song of Lord Hari is composed by Anandatrtha, the king of the

wise, out of profound reverence. It is the sunlight with which to glimpse

the transcendental world, and is the most potent increaser of devotion to

Lord Hari.