Chaturmasya jnAnArjane saraNi - Madhwa Vijaya (a Gist in English) by Eminent scholars - Sarga 12

October 1, 2009

|| Sri Rama Krishna VedavyAsAya namaha ||

|| Sri Hanuma Bheema Madhwa MunibhyO namaha ||

namaste all,

We are in the last month of Chaturmasya with the dwidhaLa vratha starting from today.

Please find sarga #12 on this auspicious day.

You can refer to previous sarga at:

Sarga 11 - MadhwaYuvaParishat/message/11639

Here comes the Twelfth installment in this series.

|| shrI hari vAyu gurubhyO namaH ||

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

Sarga 12, by Sri K. T. Pandurangi

Book edited by Srimushnam V Nagaraja Rao

SRI MADHVA, THE INVISIBLE

â€œNone can veil the sun Sri Madhva, supported by the sky Sriman Narayanaâ€. In these words, the poet Sri Narayana Panditacharya beautifully sums up the theme of this chapter. In these words, Sri Narayana Panditacharya beautifully sums up the theme of this chapter. We find an account of the debates with contemporary scholars & their anguish & the rising popularity of the Tatva Vada of Sri Madhva. Sri Madhvaâ€™s mastery over the recitation of Vedic hymns & his deep scholarship in the interpretation of those hymns & clear exposition of the truth of Vedanta in a realistic manner were his strong points which were unassailable by the pundits of the rival schools. There is also a reference to the theft of Sri Madhvaâ€™s library & its recovery & a decided turn of public

opinion & royal patronage in favor of Sri Madhva & his Theism.

After completing his second glorious trip to Badarikashrama & extensive tour of North India, Sri Madhva settled down at Udupi for some time & conducted his discourses on Dvaita Siddhantha. Convinced by his effective, logical & higly intellectual exposition, great scholars like Sobhana Bhatta & Shyama Sastri became devout disciples of Sri Madhva. This philosophical revolution caused considerable alarm among those who were not able to resist the Tatva vAda of Sri Madhva. (verse 1). A few people particularly from the Chola & Keral regions gathered round Sri Pundarika Puri & Sri Padma Teertha who were the leading figures among their scholars & discussed the difficult situation facing them (verse 2). The first

speaker in the group said (verse 3)

â€œAccording to Brahma Atma Aikya vaada, there is only one reality (ekaM tatvaM) that is Brahma, who cannot be described in words (vAkyaiH avAchyaM) & the rest of the world is illusory (mAyAmayI), & even though it consists of mortals, Gods, demons, etc., the difference among these is not real (SI 4-5). As oon as Brahma Gnyana is acquired, the world is rendered like a piece of burnt cloth (dagdhavastra pratIpaM) in the Paroksha stage. And in the Aparoksha stage, the world completely vanishes like water drops sprinkled on red hot iron (tapta lohApta vArivat.h)â€™ (verse 6). This spearker continued:- â€œOur theories of Agnyana, Mithya vAda etcâ€¦ are complements to us in view of Vyavaharika & Paramarthika aspects of reality (satyaM satyaM vyAvaharyaM vidhatte) (verse 6). It is a bold

stand. We have rejected Bheda. Our Maaya vAda is basically opposed to the Tatva vAda of Sri Madhva. No doubt, those who meet Sri Madhva feel that he is perforce an embodiment of Sri Vedavyasa & Veda: -

vedavyAsonveSha vedo nu mUrtau divyAmUrtiryasya sA susmitasya

But we cannot help opposing him to uphold & substantiate the principles of Maaya vAda,â€ he concluded.

After prolonged discussion, it was decided to have an open confrontation with Sri Madhva. Sri Pundarika puri together with his companions went to Udupi & proposed a debate to which Sri Madhva readily agreed. In the first round of the debate, Sri Pundarika puri lost the ground (verse 7-28)

THE METHOD OF VEDA RECITATION

Then Sri Madhva gave a discourse on Veda with admirable recitations of hymns. In that assembly, there were many scholars well versed in Vedic recitations. Sri Madhva produced letters distinctly from their respective places like kaNTha (à¤•à¤£à¥à¤ ), tAlu etcâ€¦ & revealed them in their three stages f pashyantI, madhyamA, & vaikhari reflecting the presiding deities of these stages. Sri Narayana Panditacharya says:

uktA~NgebhyaH kAdikAn.h vya~njayanti tattan mAtrA vya~njanAdau pravINam.h |

trisro.avasthA stadguNairbhAvayanti devA dR^iShTvA vyasmaran.h devadevaM || 31 ||

The same shloka gives also another beautiful meaning that the devatas who were watching the enchanting recitation by Sri Madhva reflected on Sri Narayana. Ka means Brahmaa. The word â€˜Adiâ€™ indicates the other devatas such as Rudra, Chandra etcâ€¦ They emanated from different parts of the body of Sri Narayana (chandramA manaso jAtaH). The three (avasthA) are the Srishti, sthithi & Samhara & the three gunas are satva etc.. The tanmAtra are shabda, sparsha, rUpa, rasa & gandha. All these were created by Sri Narayana & the devatas were immensely pleased that Sri Madhvaâ€™s wonderful recitation reflected those truths (verse 31).

In reciting these Vedic words, Sri Madhva first adopted Vatsanu vritti mode i.e. reciting first letter of the word in Hrasva & adopted pAkavatI & pipIlikA modes. He revealed the purport of the Vedas as determined by the vedangas. (verse 32).

Adau hrasvatvena vatsAnuvR^ichyA mAtrApAdau vartayan.h dR^ishyamAnaH |

kurvan.h anyAshchAgrya rUpA vivR^ittIH govindashrIrAsa govindabhaktaH || 32 ||

Another meaning of the above verse (govinda bhakta) Sri Madhvacharya, while reciting the Vedas in a sweet & exhilarating manner, appeared to the onlookers so pleasant & so beautiful as Sri Krishna appeared charming & sweet looking to His another & other Gopikas in His Childhood (govindashrIriva = similarly as Sri Krishna) (Adau hrasvatvena) = In the early days, as a small child, Sri Krishna; vatsAnuvR^ichyA = by accompanying & playing with small calves & pAdau vartayan.h ) = walking beautiful with his charming & tiny feet; He delighted his mother Yashoda & other anyAshcha Gopikas (verse 32).

In the next shloka, the poet describes that the accents Udaatta, Anudaatta & Swarita & Ranga (nasalized letters) shone in his clear pronounciation (verse 33).

mA~NgalyA~Nga vyaktabhAvA trilokIM ra~NgArUDhA vismayaM prApayantI |

kR^iShNevAnyA mAnya vinyAsa pAdA reje mAdhvI susvarA vedavANI || 33 ||

Another meaning of the above verse: (anyA kR^iShNA mA~NgalyA~Nga) Young Draupathi in her bridal attire (vyakta bhAvA) bedecked with all the wedding ornaments, shining & extremely charmful & shlowly walking step by step (mAnya vinyAsapAdA), towards the Swayamvara mantapa (ra~NgArUDhA) appeared in a manner attracting the admiration of the men in the three worlds(trilokIM). Sri Madhvaâ€™s Veda Ghosha (mAdhvI susvarA vedavANI) Paancha Raatra (7) sapta vidyAkhya vAhaH) has pervaded the eastern horizon (pUrvAshAM ApUrya) & he is brightening the hearts & minds of the pious men in the world by the rays of his thrilling discourses. None can veil this Sun, Sri Madhva supported by the sky Sri Narayana, the Supreme Being of all the Kalyana Gunas, the supportor of all & who is established in Srutis

as Ananta Guna Paripoorna (verse 49 -50).

sarvAdhAraM brahmAsaMj~naM vihAyo ramyAkAraM shAradendIvarAbhamam.h |

sannirNItaM guNyalaM shabda bhedaiH madvAdityaM saMshritaM ko.apidhatte ||

SRI MADHVAâ€™S WEAPONS

The poet then comparing Sri Madhva to Sri Narasimha, emphasizes the truth that the Vedas proclaim Guna Poornatva of Brahma, the reality of the world & the differences among the jeevas. In shloka 53, Sri Madhvaâ€™s weapons are enumerated in an excellent poetic way. Sri Narayana Panditacharya says that â€œthis Narayana called Madhvaâ€ (madhvAkhya nArAyaNaH) had also his own five weapons with which he killed the ignorance in the world. This Narayanaâ€™s 1. Chakra was the Vedas, 2. His Shankha was the Brahma Tarka, 3. His Gada was the Puranas, 4. His bow was the pAncharAtra & 5. His Khadga (sword) was the IthihAsa (verse 53).

veda vrAta sudarshanaH parilasat.h tarkAkhya sha~NkhadhvaniH

vibhrAjiShNu purANa saMhatigadaH shlokaudha shAr~NgAnvitaH |

sat.h sUtreShvitihAsa nandakachaNo madhvAkhya nArAyaNaH

prApto vo nijighR^ixayA dravata he mAyAvidevadviShaH || 53 ||

The Sarga closes with a beautiful Maaginee Vrutta depicting the string of victories of Sri Madhva & Subhodaya to his devotees characterized by the metre. In the concluding verse, Sri Narayana Panditacharya says that the Acharya performed his ChaturmAsya sankalpa at Praagrya Vaata & continued his discourses & the worship of Lord Narayana & as usual showered His grace, on all the devotees. (verse 54).

SPECIAL NOTE

The facts are beyond doubt that in bygone centuries, the discourses & debates on philosophy were the life blood of the ardent scholars of different schools of thought who were ever in search of Truth. The language employed by the poet Sri Narayana Panditacharya is common to poetic diction & similar to that employed by the other schools of thought.

madhwa rAyara naMbirO nimma manda buddhigaLanella bidirO ||

vEdagaLinda sri hariyE vEdyanenuthabhEdhisi sarva shAstrava shOdhisuthavEda asatyaveMbO bheda mathagaLanookibhOdhisi tattva Shiri Krishnana, buddhiyoLittu mereva....

madhwa rAyara naMbirO

bhAratIramaNa mukhyaprANAntargata shrI kR^iShNArpanamastu

Picture Courtesy: SRS Mutt, Chennammanakere Acchukattu (Near TR Nagar)