sarasa bhArati vilAsa by shri vAdiraja guru sArvabhoumaru

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|| hariH om ||

sarasa bhArati vilAsa

This is the first in series of postings, comprising english translations of shri sarasa bhArati vilAsa by shri vAdiraja guru sArvabhouma. This translation is based on kannada translation by shri Acharya savaNUru bhIma bhaTTa (Second edition, printed at shri ranga printers and binders, Bangalore)

 

Introduction:

 

In mAdhwa sampradAya parampara, shri vAdirajaru doesn¢t need any introduction. Many people hold him as none other than shri bhAvi samIra lAtavya.

 

His literary works revel in the astonishing tatvA-s of the sat siddhAnta, the madhva siddhAnta. Every individual work of his, irrespective of whether it is a massive or a small one, is a shining jewel, in throwing a new light on the subject of shrI hari sarvottamatva.

This poem by name sarasa bhArati is comprised of 711 shlokAs. The poem is divided into 12 divisions, each known as a vilAsa. The last shlOkA of every vilAsa is the same.

Lord hari gives parama prasAda, in the form of moxa, only when the jIva gets the knowledge of vishNu sarvottamatva.

 

yamevaisha vruNute tena labhyaH |

 

This sarvOttamatva jnyana should necessarily accompany dEvatA tAratamya jnyana.

 

dEvatAtaratamyaM cha sarvotkrishTaM cha kEshavaM | jnyAtvaiva muchchyate hyasmAnnAnyathA tu kathanchana || (paingI shruti quoted by madhvAcharya in rig bhAshya)

 

It needs to be realised that at the zenith of this tAratamya is lord shri hari alone.

 

indriyebhyaH parA hyarthA arthebhyascha paraM manaH | manasastu parA buddhi buddherAtmA mahAn paraH || mahataH paramavyaktamavyaktAt.h purushaH paraH | purushAnnaparaM kinchit.h sA kAshTA sA parA gatiH ||

- (kaThopanishat.h)

 

Superior to indriyAbhimAni devata-s are the arthAbhimAni devata-s, then come manobhimAni devata-s, then buddhyAbhimAni, then mahatatvAbhimAni, then avyaktatatvAbhimani mahA laxmi devi in this order. Superior to mahA laxmi devi is the parama purusha shabda vAchya shri hari. There is none superior to this purusha. He is the parama prApya.

 

shrimad vAdirAja composed sarasa bhArati vilAsa, in the form of shishyopadesha, to promulgate the above esoteric tatva-s and many more,.

 

In the first vilAsa, he pays obesiences to paramAtmA to obtain His grace, and from second vilAsa onwards, he proceeds to offer praNAmA-ss, starting from mAhA laxmi and, as per tAratamya, to other devatA-s. His offering obesiences to other devata-s is on behalf of bhaktA-s and to seek blessings from their antaryAmi. He then propounds the different prameyA-s that he wishes to bring forth, in an eloquent manner.

 

shrutescha sammataM sarvaM nR^iNAM bhaktipradaM harau | ante vimuktidaM tasmAt kIrtanaM dine dine ||

-31 - vilAsa 12

All the prameyas propounded here are acceptable to shruti, and confer devotion to hari and thereby also confer moksha in the end. Hence, these are to be chanted and sung everyday (.. are fit for pArayaNa).

 

Next: Index of chapters.. with a brief on the contents.

 

 

sarvaM shri krishnArpaNamastu..

 

sriram nayak