Chaturmasya jnAnArjane saraNi - Madhwa Vijaya (a Gist in English) by sixteen Eminent scholars - Sarga 4, part 2 of 2.

August 12, 2009

|| Sri Rama Krishna VedavyAsAya namaha ||

|| Sri Hanuma Bheema Madha MunibhyO namaha ||

namaste all,

Here comes the fifth installment in this series.

You can check the previous postings at the urls below:

Sarga 4/1 - MadhwaYuvaParishat/message/10151

/message/6682

They inturn shall have the links to preceeding messages.

||shrI hari vAyu gurubhyO namaH ||

Madhwa Vijaya (a Gist in English) by sixteen Eminent scholars

Sarga 4, PART 2 by Sri Kasi Sripadacharya

Book edited by Srimushnam V Nagaraja Rao

VASUDEVA AS A SANYASIN

Soon after returning home from Guru Kula vasa, Vasudeva resolved to take up the mission for which he had come on earth. He put every tenet of the other systems of philosophy to critical examination & expounded their untenability from the point of view of the accepted cannons of interpretation. After a deep study of the conditions that prevailed then, Vasudeva came to the firm & final conclusion that he should enter the Hoply Order so that he could have full time to guide the pious souls by opening their eyes to the correct interpretations of the Vedas & the allied scriptures.

Vasudeva found a guru in the person of Sri Achyuta Preksha who, in addition to his admirable qualities of a good Yati, had also the distinction of having once (in his previous birth) been an honored guest in the house of pAndavas (verse 7). Achyuta Preksha was himself expecting a disciple who would bring him the light of Divine Truth as was prophesied by Lord Ananteswara in reply to his constant prayers for that purpose. Vasudeva went through the course of probation under Achyuta Preksha. We read in the later portions of this chapter that Vasudeva, though young as he was, had nothing wanting in any of the essential requirements of the Holy Order, namely intellectual, literary, or disciplinary. The Guru was surprised to find in him profound knowledge in many matters which he

himself did not know or penetrate. The Guru learnt a few intricate secrets of Special Acharane for a Sanyasi from Vasudeva. Achyuta Preksha being pleased with his worthy & noble disciple, initiated him into Sanyasa in the holy name of Poorna Bodha & coronated him to the sovereignty of the Vedanta- Samrajya after him (verse 33).

guNAnurUponnati 'pUrNabodha' ityamuShya nAma dvija vR^inda vanditaH || 33 ||

The name Poorna Bodha fitted his prodigious intellect & it is also the name indicated in the ancient Sruti where Vayu Deva is called â€œDasha Pramatiâ€ (synonymous to Poorna Bodha or Poorna Pragnya). The poet records that, after sometime, when Achyuta Preksha went with Poorna Pragnya (also called Ananda Theertha) to the temple of Lord Ananteswara of Rajata Peeta-Pura (Udupi), the Lord made a presentation of Ananda Theertha to the Guru Achyuta Preksha saying through the lips of an inspired person. â€œTake thou the fruit of your long penance.â€

chirAtsutatvaM prabubhutsunA tvayA niShevaNaM me yadakAri tatphalaM |

imaM dadAmItyabhidhAya so.amunA tadA praNIya pradade.achyutAtmane || 38 ||

AN INTERESTING VERSE

This Chapter has many verses of exceptional merit. One verse of interest (Verse 48) is taken for full comment. The context of the verse is this:

Achyuta Preksha had not fully sized his Shishya who in fact, was a prodigy. He was naturally anxious to train him up into a learned scholar fit to occupy the â€œseat of knowledgeâ€ when he should vacate it. In all enthusiasm & eagerness he started to teach the young Shishya. The work that was chosen for study was â€œIshta-Siddhiâ€, one of the five Siddhi works famous in the literary tradition of Advaita. The very first verse presented a hurdle. Achyuta Preksha, however distinguished & a master of those verses in Advaita literature, was no match for the precocious young Poorna Pragnya. The Shishya raised 32 objections, none of which the Guru could answer. Evasive replies could not silence the student. The teaching broke down where it

started. Pressed by the pundits present, Sri Madhva himself explained the Advaitic point of view which he refuted & began his discourse thereon. Thus, the young Poorna Pragnya gained full command of the learned audience & began his à¤…à¤–à¤£à¥à¤¤à¥‹à¤ªà¤¨à¥à¤¯à¤¸à¤¨à¤‚ uninterrupted discourse. The poet says:

akhaNto panyasanaM visaMshayaM sasaMpradAyaM pravacho dR^iDhottaram.h |

samAgaman.h shrotumanuShya sAgrahA janAH shrutADhyAH chaturA bubhUShavaH ||

The interest of this verse lies in the fact that it portrays a great teacher & the method of his discourse. It was a great wonder indeed that one who, for all practical appearance, was a novice or a beginner, was discussing so fluently a subject which he had no occasion to learn till now.

à¤œà¤¨à¤¾à¤ƒ à¤…à¤®à¥à¤·à¥à¤¯ à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤µà¤šà¤ƒ à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥‹à¤¤à¥à¤‚ à¤¸à¤®à¤¾à¤—à¤®à¤¨à¥â€Œ People assembled in great numbers tohear the discourse of Sri Poorna Pragnya. Sri Madhva was not talking to laymen but in an assembly of Pandits well trained in their respective branches of learning (à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥à¤¤à¤¾à¤¢à¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤ƒ à¤šà¤¤à¥à¤°à¤¾à¤ƒ à¤¬à¥à¤à¥‚à¤·à¤µà¤ƒ). Nevertheless, they were eager to improve their knowledge on the subject. Such was the reputation of the versatility of Sri Madhva that even scholars felt that they had something to learn from the young & shining Yateeswara. Their interest in the discourse was sustained & the poet expresses this by the word à¤†à¤—à¥à¤°à¤¹à¤ƒ which means with passion or strong enthusiasm. The word à¤…à¤–à¤£à¥à¤¤à¥‹à¤ªà¤¨à¥à¤¯à¤¸à¤¨à¤‚ means that the talk was one of uninterrupted flow implying depth of learning & command of language & confidence to meet any opposition. It was à¤µà¤¿à¤¸à¤‚à¤¶à¤¯à¤‚ i.e. never faltering or hesitant, but sure of every step taken and unshakable from the position taken. It was (à¤¸à¤¸à¤‚à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤¦à¤¾à¤¯à¤®à¥â€Œ) the discourse proceeded in strict conformity with the tradions of Advaita in explaining the Advaita point of view. The discourse was also characterized by decisive replies to questions (à¤µà¤¿à¤¸à¤‚à¤¶à¤¯à¤‚ à¤¦à¥ƒà¤¢à¥‹à¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤°à¤®à¥) leaving no room for further clarity, explanation or revision. All these qualities of the discourse were a fore taste of Sri Madhwaâ€™s greatness as the future author of the great Bhashya.

The study of Sri Su Madhva Vijaya leaves many a good lesson in our minds. Actions of Sri Madhva, the world teacher, have always a purpose just as the various Leelas of the Lord are full of inner purposes. Sri Vayudeva followed the example of the Lord to fulfil his mission always as ordained. This chapter contains a very valuable advice, followed by Sri Madhva (Poorna Pragnya). It is like this: â€œIf you are learned, then teach; if you are not, learn; there is no alternative to secure release from bondageâ€.

Sri Madhwa places study (à¤µà¤¿à¤·à¥à¤£à¥à¤¶à¤¾à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥à¤°à¤µà¤¿à¤®à¤°à¥à¤¶à¤¨) above contemplation, & teaching à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤µà¤šà¤¨ still higher. In the Maadhva tradition which is but an injunction of Veda itself, study & teaching (à¤¸à¥à¤µà¤¾à¤§à¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¯) and à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤µà¤šà¤¨ take precedence over everyother religious discipline.

The brief survey of the fourth Sarga of Sri Madhva Vijaya will not be complete without at least a brief reference to the author of the poem & its hero. The author Narayana Pandita is a Master Poet, son of an equally great, if not greater, peot & belongs to a line of poets, a rare phenomenon. It is therefore in the fitness of things that the poetic fervor of the author should be so much in evidence in the poem under study