The KumbhakoNam incident

[Guest guest]

Dear VishvamAdhvas & shrI Mani:

 

Another episode that would throw light on the veracity of the

MuLubAgil debate between AkShobhya TIrtha and VidyAraNya and

arbitrated by VedAntadeshika is a " copy-cat " or similar

incident that took place in KumbhakoNam in the 1500s.

 

This time it was not a philosophical debate but a wager so

to speak. The parties involved were Appayya DIkShita (Advaita),

TAtAcArya (VishiShTAdvaita) and Vijayendra TIrtha (Dvaita).

 

The quareel took place between the Advaitins who ran the

Kumbheshvara Temple and the shrI-VaiShNavas who ran the

shArangapANi (ViShNu with a bow) [not to be mistaken for

SArangapANi--Shiva with a deer] over rights in making use of

the tank (puShkaraNi) between the temples. This time, it was

us MAdhvas who were called in to arbitrate. Vijayendra TIrtha

it seems asked both authorities to be present at the temple

tank the next day. If saligrAmas were to be found, the tank

would belong to the shArangapANi Temple; and if shivalingas

were to be found the tank would belong to the Kumbheshvara

Temple. After the discovery of sAligrAmas, Vijayendra TIrtha

decided in favor of the shrI-VaiShNavas.

 

As a mark of gratitude, the shrI-VaishNavas turned over the

rights of the naivedya pUjA in the shArangapANi Temple

permanently to us MAdhvas. Even to this day that tradition

continues. In 1972 when I visited the shArangapANi Temple at

the naivedya time, all the AyyangAr priests came out and

within a few minutes the MAdhva priests brought the naivedya

to the melodious chanting of the dvAdasha stotra. Tears of joy

welled up in my eyes.

 

Anyway, this arbitration left behind a permanent legacy for us

to trace. My feeling is that unless such " dispute and

arbitration " techniques between the 3 traditions had a long

history, they would not have resorted to it. Great names like

AkShobhya TIrtha, VidyAraNya & VedAntadeshika MUST have set

precedents for these later and " lesser " gurus to follow. They

themselves otherwise would not have indulged in such things.

Thus the MuLubAgil incident must have taken place.

 

regards,

Hari-vAyu smaraNa

B.N.Hebbar