Sri Vidyaranya Swamy ( 1302- 1387)

Sri Vidyaranya Swamy was Advaita pontiff, probably at Kudali/Sringeri Pitha.  who mainly toured Karnataka. Many believe he is Madhavacharya in Purvashrama, who is a renowned author in Vedanta and Public affairs. He is known as brother of Sayanacharya, commentator on Vedas. He is included in Guru Parampara of Kudali- Sringeri Mathas. Works written by him such as Panchadashee, Jivanmukti Viveka are well known in Pundit circles. His notable commentary on Parashara Smriti goes by the name Parashara Madhaviyam. however, there only one inscription at Mulabagilu in the name of Kriyashakti Vidyaranya during the reign of Harihara and Bukkaraya, dated 1323. 

Quite surprisingly except a couple of copper plates, no stone inscriptions are preserved in the name of Sri Vidyaranya. Few books about Vidyaranya in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi have more stories, historical details or inscriptional data absent or confusing !! As of now, he is considered as 12th pontiff of Sringeri Shankara Pitha. However, there are a couple of stone inscriptions with the name Kriyashakti' attached to Vidyaranya. The name Vidyaranya appears strange since it is generally ' Tirtha/Bharati/Saraswati in main stream Shankara Advaita tradition. 

There quite a number of anecdotes connected to him are popular. Telugus claim his nativity to Warangal, and others to a place near Sringeri. Both Kudali and Sringeri Mathas claim him in their line of pontiffs. We can say since both Kudali and Sringeri were a single institution, often changing headquarters frequently, on the banks of Tunga and Tungabhadra rivers. There are at least two Vidyaranyas another going by the name ‘ Kriyashakti’, who belonged to Kalamukha group.    Mallappa, historian opines both Kriyashakti and Madhava Vidyaranya are identical! Paul Hacker another historian opines that Matha tradition started only after 1450 or so, Further research is needed in accordance with historical evidence, but the issue seems to be closed. 

Vidyaranya Swamy salutes in his treatises, Vidyatirtha, Bharati Tirtha and Shankarananda,  as his Gurus, Some say he was mainly instrumental to form Karnataka Rajya. There is a story that he showered gold on the State, praying goddess Bhuvaneshvari. All said and done, nothing is known historically about him. they say his  Samadhi is at Sringeri Vidyaranyapura and others say  also at Hampi, Pushpagiri Matha, behind Virupaksha temple, which is not very clear.  Surprisingly, a supposed great builder of Karnataka Empire has no grants/records of his time! However, his books like Pachadashi, Jeevanmukti Viveka and Sarvadarshana Sangraha are popular among students of Vedanta, specifically Advaita. 

 

Sringeri/ Kudali, Tunga - Shankaracharya

With due respects to Acharya Shankara,  I am curious to know the antiquity of Sringeri and Kudali on the banks of Tunga and Tungabhadra. Sringeri as i understand has  least or poetic connection with Rishya Shrinshiga. It is traditional belief that Adi Shankaracharya from Keralam wanted to settle down for some time on banks of Tunga/ Tungabhadra. Whether he set up any Ashrama/ Matha here has no historical links to know. 

Some say, the name Sringeri comes from one Sringara Bhatta, an accompaniment of Vidyaranya Swami, who is said to have removed his miserable Pretatva. Earlier to Vidyaranya, possibly Madhava Vidyaranya, who flourished in about 1450 CE, there was no established Shankara Pitha/ Matha, since it was presumably a Jain Center of learning. Earlier history of Advaita Matha here says, Swamis used to shift between Sringeri and Kudali. 

Some like P Hacker, even say, the Matha institution came only after 1450 in South India. There was a monument for Vidya Shankara Tirtha/Vidya Tirtha built on banks of Tunga by 1400. It has Samadhi of Vidyashankara  Swami, with several Jain and Vaishnava figurines and architecture of those times. Tradition says the Sharadamba shrine adjasent to this structure was built several times, first with a golden image of Sharadamba, later Sandalwood image and now  a bronze replica installed by around 1850. 

Advantages for Advaita

There was a time when teachers of Philosophy said that true Indian thought is basically Advaita supposed to be thought of Upanishads. Advaita was made to look like National Philosophy of India! They also sent a silent, yet powerful message that other Schools of thought are based on Theology, not pure philosophy, modelling on Western Philosophies.

While most of such dialogues happened outside India in English, local religious heads of Vaishnava thought were not aware of its consequences later on young minds, who were for a large part English educated and trying to move abroad for various reasons. Gurus ranging from Ramana till Chinmayananda, preached Gita and Upanishads as pure Advaita Vedanta while others are ‘Sects’ which spread locally! Later, most among English knowing students and scholars agreed, as maximum number of Books on advaita were readily available than other two schools, which confined to Kannada and Tamil. 

Since we do not know exactly when Shankaracharya’s Advaita trickled across the subcontinent, it was possible through Christian Missionaries like Maxmuller. Originally, they made a study of Buddhist thought and Advaita but ignored Vaishnava schools like that of Ramanuja- Madhvacharya for reasons best known to them! Hence there continued a wider but not accurate information carried through English language. This again received a massive support from the likes of Dr S Radhakrishnan, Prof. M Hiriyanna and a gamut of their students across India. While Dvaita remained in Karnataka and Ramanuja thought in Tamil Nadu.

 

Meeting Dr BNK Sharma

 

It was a great opportunity in 1990 April, for me to meet one of the greatest scholars of our time, when I had an opportunity to interact with Dr BNK Sharma ( Bhavani Narayana Rao Krishnamurty Sharma)  when I was working with newly formed Dvaita Vedanta Studies & Research Foundation, based in a single room at RR Choultry, near Bangalore Medical college. , I had heard, but not personally interacted earlier. He had retired from his Professorship at Ruparel College, Mumbai, devoting himself fully for research and writing. He was given a separate room at Vyasaraja Matha, Basavanagudi. The task before him was getting 2 of his books translated to Kannada. I was fortunate to take up the task of translating some portion of his Engish book on HIstory of Dvaita school.

My relative Sri VB Murty was assisting him. I was introduced to the great Professor by Prof KT Pandurangi and VB Murthy. Clad in simple white shirt and dhoti, speaking Coimbatore's Kannada, he was jovial yet much attentive to his work on hand. he would ask the translator to read out to him twice to ascertain the quality. He never wasted a minute in doing work and getting work done either. . I was fortunate to translate about 50 pages of his Magnum Opus HDVL , it was a wonderful experience to work with a renowned scholar worldwide, unfortunately ignored by traditional scholars for reasons best known to them!

I could even meet him at his house in Raja street, Coimbatore after sometime. my dream of showing my Synopsis on Vaishnava TEmple Architecture. Those were days of no camera/ whatsap or social media to record all that. But my memory is filled with useful moments I spent with this magnanimous professor of all times!

Prof. LS Seshagiri Rao

 

 

Professor Lakshmeshvara Swamy Rao Seshagiri Rao, an important figure in the field of Kannada literature, has been a witness to the growth of Kannada Literature from the Navodaya period onwards. He taught us English literature at Government College, Kolar for 3 years. Affectionately called by his students as LSS,  he showed us a model of how language could be taught by using simple words avoiding glamour and fanfare. I still remember him quoting FR Leavis, ‘Shakespeare crated tragedy by dropping a handkerchief’’. In a career spanning over 5 decades, his books have educated generations about not only some of the best works in Kannada but also in English literature. Lakhs of students in Karnataka, including me would have referred to the English-Kannada dictionary put together by Prof. LSS Rao. History of English Literature in Kannada and English Drama are some among his Works. His translation of Bhagavadgita in Kannada is popularly read. Prof. LSS was awarded Sahitya Akademi Award, and also presided over Kannada sahitya sammelana at Udupi. 

He was a simple man, brimming with scholarship and curiosity and was ever happy to guide youngsters in fields of translation, editing of books and paly witing both in Kannada and English. he taught English at Govt. Colleges, Kolar, Madikeri, later at Bangalore University, where he retired from service. He was with Kannada University, Hampi.  He was first Chairman of Book Authority, Karnataka. had he lived now, he would have turned 100. 

Worship in Linga form of other deities

 

Sri Narasimha swamy, Seebi, near Tumakuru. 

There are,  several temples dedicated to divinities other than Shiva worshipped in Linga form in South and North of our land. Narmada Linga is worshipped in a temple in Madhya Pradesh where the river goddess is worshipped in Linga form. Down South, Durga Parameshvari in Kateelu, Bappanadu and elsewhere in Dakshina Kannada district are worshiped in the form of Linga, with an outer cover of metal. Out of 9 famous Durga Parameshvari shrines near Udupi-Mangaluru, 4 are in the form of a dome or mound, looking like Shiva linga.

It is very difficult or unclear why of this type of statues there. These statues are lost in a nearby river due to intermittent floods in the coastal area. Worship of Divinities in the form of Ant-Hill or mound is somewhat primitive in nature, replaced later by beautiful sculpted images of Devi, Subrahmanya generally in this part of South. Even Ananteshvara form of Vishnu, in Udupi is in Linga form, worshipped as Anantasana  Vishnu, who in fact is Parshu Rama Avatar. 

Sri Vadirajatirtha,  noted Madhva saint of Udupi writes in his travelogue Tirtha Prabandha: 

  शिवान्तर्यमिताम् स्वीयां प्रियान् प्रति निबोधयन् |

दया वारिधिनिधिः शैवीं शिलामाश्रित्य शोभते ||

Sri Vishnu, as if reminding his Antaryami ( indweller )  in Shiva, is present here in form of Shiva linga. 

Anantasana is the reclining posture of Padmanabha, a form of Creation also known as Sesha Shayana, reclining on Ananta the Sesha, his bed.  This temple is pre-madhva built by local rulers of Hoyasala/ Alupa dynasties which ruled this area for over 250 years.

Sri Mukambika Sannidhi, Kolluru. Kundapur Tq. 

Kartaviryarjuna

  Yadu dynasty is very ancient family of Kings, Chieftains and warriors, and naturally finds a prominent place in Mahabharata and Bhagavata. Several great kings were born in this lineage. While king Yadu had five sons, the family continued later with great names up to Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

Arjuna, better known as Kartaviryarjuna, belongs to this family. He was born as one among grandsons of Kanaka, whose forefathers were rulers of cities of Vranaasi and Mahishmati on the banks of Ganga.  They belonged to Hehaya clan of Yadus. Arjuna was a brave son of Kritavirya. Hence his name Kartaviryarjuna.

Arjuna was born brave and adventurous, mastered art of warfare and other branches of learning, which prepared him to be a worthy successor of his father. He was a great devotee of Bhagavan Dattatreya, an avatar of Sri Vishnu. He observed  severe penance to have blessings of Dattatreya. He was granted one thousand arms whenever  he needed to attack an enemy. Lord Dattatreya blessed him with 4 boons. He was already blessed with one thousand arms. Apart from this, he requested another strange boon:

अधर्मे वर्तमानस्य सद्भिः तत्र निवारणं

‘Adharme vartamanasya sadbhih tatra nivaranam’-

whenever he went against Dharma, by any means, some noble soul should correct him’.

The third boon was:

सङ्ग्रामान् सुबहून कृत्वा  हत्वा वीरान सहस्रशः

‘ I need to rule the entire earth keeping my subjects happy and peaceful’, by  waging wars and if necessary, killing other heroes who obstructed my way’ .

The fourth boon he requested the lord was:

संग्रामे वर्तमानस्य वधं चाप्यधिकद्रणे

‘in case I die during a war, that killer  person shall be very much stronger than me’.

Bhagavan Dattatreya granted all four boons requested by him. Hence, Arjuna grew up as strongest warrior prince of his times. He would get 1000 arms whenever he needed them. By this, he could win over all 7 dvipas ( great island states), known for prosperity in his time.  He successfully conducted 100 yajnas there for the good of his subjects, pleasing various dieties.

Arjuna the great, was known for his generosity towards the poor, scholars, brahmanas, the weak and helpless. He was a household name in provinces he ruled, due to his benevolent nature.

There was a saying during his time:

न नूनं कार्तवीर्यस्य  गतिम् यास्यन्ति पार्थिवाः

यज्ञैः दानैः तपोभिर्वा विक्रमेण श्रुतेन वा||

• None can equal Kartvaveeryarjuna in performing either yajnas, giving gifts, tapas, and bravery and knowledge indeed’.

Kartavirya Arjuna, even threatened Ravana, great ruler of Lanka, humiliated him taking him a captive to his city of Mahishmati.  Later Pulastya, grandfather of Ravana, and a great Rishi has to get him released  from this captivity. Arjuna,

though a great Yogi-warrior against cruel kings of his times, once did a grave mistake of burning the Ashrama of great Rishi, Vasishta.

Vashishta cursed him: ‘You might have done several good deeds ,since  you have burnt away my Ashrama, you will certainly be killed by another braver person’. He also predicted who will kill him!

रामो नाम  महाबाहुः जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान 

तपस्वी ब्राह्मणश्च त्वां  वधिष्यति स भार्गवः ||

‘Arjuna! know for sure, you will be killed by a brave Brahmana warrior by name Rama,  very soon’.

After some time, Arjuna the great was killed by Bhagavan Parashurama, son of Jamadagni, and an avatar of Mahavishnu,  when the latter started killing all Kshatriyas on earth’.