Madhwa Navami celebrations at the Satyadhyan Vidyapeetha

February 5, 2007

Madhwa's Teachings

No.MT4/MN1/50207

Madhwa Navami celebrations at the Satyadhyan Vidyapeetha, Mulund.

Dear Reader,

The follwing is the report on Madhwa Navami celebrations at the Satyadhyan Vidyapeetha, Mulund on 27th, Jan 2007

On Saturday the 27th January, Madhwa Navami was celebrated at the Satyatdhyan Vidyapeeth. Right from the morning the premises of the Institute were observed to be abuzz with people engaged in different activities. While some students were busy performing Sumadhvijaya parayana, others were doing pradakshana reciting the Sumadhavijaya. Some other students were busy decorating the Sanctum sanctorum with flowers, while some students were busy with preparations for pooja. A few students were busy with the preliminary work of preparing panchamrit, the work of which was gradually taken over by devotees, women folk in particular, who had come early to offer seva.

Festive mood was prevalent at the place to which was added the heavy scent of marigold flowers; a fragrance that characterizes any temple in South India, contributing to the enhancement of the sanctity of the complex. Kulapati Vidyasimhacharya looking far more lustrous than usual began the special pooja amidst chanting of the Vedic mantras by students. By then the large hall was packed to capacity. Maha Panchamrut Abhishek to the Nava Vrindavan was thereafter performed when even devotees joined students in reciting mantras. It was a scene worth watching.

After the abhisheka, it was time for Rathotsava. The chariot with Sarva Moola Granthas by Madhwacharya having been placed in it and duly decorated with flowers was ready at the main entrance of the complex for parikrama. Kulapati led the parikrama followfed by students and devotees amidst the chanting of stotras composed by by Madhwacharya and slogans- Hari sarvottam, Vayu jeevottam in between. Gents clad in dhoti and uttareeya pulled the chariot, while ladies most of whom wore saris in the traditional manner followed the chariot singing devotional songs. The parikrama, which lasted for an hour or so, was indeed a rare scene to watch.

A devotee, who visited the Vidyapeetha for the first time, was so excited by the grandeur of the event that he could not resist the temptation of expressing his feelings "Oh what a celebration! What an experience!" he said. Addressing the author, the devotee, evidently a highly educated senior citizen said, "I used a wrong word Sir. I should have said commemoration and not celebration, for Madhwa Navami marks the day of Madhwacharya's departure".

"No Sir" said the writer "You have used the correct word. No doubt it was the day Madhwacharya left Udipi never to return again, but his departure was not an ordinary event. It was, like his life itself, an event truly extra ordinary in nature and as you will observe, the word celebration only justifies it", he said.

"Science", continued the writer, "is yet to provide man with a means to view moments frozen in time. Neither has it so far been able to invent a machine like the one mentioned in the renowned author H.G.Wells' famous book Time Machine, that could take us on a journey into the past to enable us to see events obscured by passing of time, but I do distinctly remember my father's explanation of the event furnished to my elder brother when I was still a boy", he said and explained the extraordinary event as below:

On Magh Shuddha Navami, in the year 1318, in the evening, Madhwacharya, who had relentlessly propagated his philosophy for almost seven decades, gave a discourse on Aitareya Upanishad at the Anantasana temple, Udipi. Madhwacharya's discourses were always a treat to hear, but that day it excelled his other known discourses in terms of depth of its contents. It was truly extraordinary because those who had come to listen to the discourse had an experience they had never had before in their lives. The discourse opened the portals of God's kingdom within. They, all of them, went into a state of trance in which they witnessed a scene where Madhwacharya radiating a far greater divine lustre giving discourse, when flowers from Heaven were showered on him. On coming out of trance, to their great amazement, they found a huge heap of flowers at the place where Madhwacharya had been seated. To their utmost astonishment, they realized that the floral shower that they had seen in the trance had taken place in reality. Spell bound, they waited in pin drop silence for Madhwacharya to emerge from the heap of flowers that blanketed his tall and athletic figure, but there was no movement in the heap. When tried after some time, the heap was found to contain nothing but flowers. There was no trace whatsoever of Madhwacharya underneath. He had just disappeared form under the heap of flowers! Incredible, but quite true.

Witnesses revealed that some days earlier, he had informed some of his disciples that he would retire to Hire Badri where he would be available at the hermitage of his master Bhagawan Vedvyasa, but he would be accessible only to the very highly evolved souls of angels and at the same time, he would remain at Udipi, being invisible to human beings.

The Sumadhvijaya says that there are proofs that confirm Madhwacharya's statement but it has maintained silence in furnishing them. The Mahabharata describes Hire Badri and Bhagawan Vedavyasa's hermitage in the Himalayas, but inaccessible to mortals, being located in the unknown place in the vast Himalayan mountain range. In the Kali Yuga, there are no authentic records of any one other than Madhwacharya having visited Hire Badri. Neither are we likely to have any for the simple reason that an angel born as a human being would never reveal of his visit to Hire Badri, if he visits, for it would amount to his real status being made public; a thing angels never do.

However, there are proofs that confirm the latter part of Madhwacharya's statement. A highly evolved soul once decided to install an idol of Madhwacharya at the place he had disappeared from, but he had to abandon it because Madhwacharya appearing in his dream forbade him to do so saying that he lived there but in an in invisible form.

The conclusion would be that Madhwacharya always spoke the truth. Besides, if the latter part of his statement is true, the former part also must be a fact. In other words, Madhwacharya left for Hire Badri on Magh Shuddha Navami in 1318, but he has continued to "live" at Udipi. The event, which is a paradox, calls for celebration! Therefore, Madhwa Community celebrates Madhwa Navami every year.

As for the depth of the discourse and the extraordinary experience the people had at the Anantasana temple, the discourse was actually meant for the angels who were present there invisible to the humans. They were very happy with the elucidation of the Upanishad. They showered flowers on Madhwacharya. It was a fitting "send off" to Madhwacharya. It was the presence of angels and of their being very pleased that enabled those assembled there to witness the " send off", but in a state of trance.

"I am also very happy today", said the new acquaintance. "Is it likely that some angel has come to witness the celebration and pooja by Kulapatiji"? He asked.

"It may be so. I do wonder. But I do know that late Shri.M.R. Gopalacharya, the founder of this Institute was a great soul and that he took keen interest in the performance of all religious activities at the institute. He personally saw to it that devotees celebrated every event with sincere devotion on a large scale involving the participation. Perhaps he may be witnessing the event", said this writer.

With best Regards,

Ramchandra. Tammannacharya. Gutti.

Tel. No. 95-22-25613546

February 6, 2007

Hare Srinivasa,

namaskAra

It is said that Shri VadirajaTheertha had visited Urdhva Badri, met Shri Vedavyasa and offered his work"Laxaalankara", a special commentary onMahabharatha.

I request the scholars in thisforum to confirm the same.

namaskAra

B.GopalakrishnaVarna

On Behalf Of RamachandraGutti

Dear Reader,

The follwing is the report on Madhwa Navamicelebrations at the Satyadhyan Vidyapeetha, Mulund on 27th, Jan 2007

.. The Mahabharata describes Hire Badri and BhagawanVedavyasa's hermitage in the Himalayas, but inaccessible to mortals, beinglocated in the unknown place in the vast Himalayan mountain range. In the KaliYuga, there are no authentic records of any one other than Madhwacharya havingvisited Hire Badri.

It is said that Shri VadirajaTheertha had visited Urdhva Badri, met Shri Vedavyasa and offered his work"Laxaalankara", a special commentary onMahabharatha.

I request the scholars in thisforum to confirm the same.

****************************************************************************************

Note: If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Thank you.

****************************************************************************************