Modern day seer: Brahmarshi Devarata

[Guest guest]

praNAm all,

 

A year and a half back, I heard about a seer from Gokarna, Brahmarshi

Devarata devarAta) who was with Vasishta Ganapati Muni since his

childhood days. During his dhyAna one day, Devarata began to chant

something loudly which was not known during the time. When Ganapati

Muni heard it, he started writing it down since he knew that it was

part of the Vedas, then extinct. These were later recognized to be Rik

mantras by Vedic pandits and called as chhAndoga darshana. Ganapati

Muni has himself written an introduction/ commentary to the same. In a

book exhibition at Honnavara, I managed to fetch an old, torn, copy of

the same, but unfortunately its no longer in print. Perhaps,

hopefully, there are efforts going on to reprint the same.

 

Around a month back, Devarata's idol was inaugurated at Gokarna where

he had set up a Vedic school long back which got washed away due to

its proximity to the sea. Its not so much of an ashram, but just two

rooms built one over the other, with the idol on the 1st floor and

plans to make Devarata's photos and books available on the ground

floor. The ashram is at a 10-15 minute walk from Gokarna kshetra,

a.k.a. dakshiNa kAshi. A book was released in Kannada on Devarata's

life by swarNavalli maTha, recently, at Sonda, Sirsi, Karnataka. Those

interested may kindly contact the maTha.

 

On my visit to Gokarna last month, I returned with a feeling of shame

that not much support is provided by the govt to preserve works of the

only (?) known modern day mantra dRshTa, much less publicizing it!

 

Om tat sat,

--Praveen Bhat

/* Through what should one know That owing to which all this is known!

--Br.Up. 4.5.15 */