MADHVAS IN MY MEMORY

 

I lived in my hometown Mulabagilu, Kolar district, till 1979, later shifted to Bengaluru. It was very painl to leave the place where I lived more than two decades. By then many of my friends and school mates had migrated either to the nearby Kolar Gold Fields or Bengaluru. Like many other small towns, our town had minimum facilities, no water resources except underground water during rainy season. Our lands were sold for a pittance for a neighbouring farmer.
Education and employment were only our life’s goals, settling down elsewhere was inevitable. Brahmins here with social groups of Smartas and Madhvas, with floating polulation of Iyengars, numbered about 50 houses, of which many youngsters had already migrated.
In a town where 500 Madhva families lived, by 1970s it was reduced to about 55. Surprisingly and shamelessly I would confess we never felt what is poverty, as we thought struggling for two square meals a day might be that! In the Agrahara where we lived, we had several stories to share and boast of. Ghosts well dressed speaking Telugu would dole away with some gift like a bronze vessel or a copper pot, two with me now.
We spoke about greats like Sripadarajaru, Vyasarajaru walking in our streets about 400 years ago speaking in chaste Sanskrit. Among Madhva Brahmanas, we had more of Shastikas ( Aruvattoklu) than Deshastas. While there is no clear cut differences, we Deshastas, once Marathi or to be specific Maharashtra was spoken in houses, had a misnomer of selling Bharat Khanda for few lumps of Shrikhand!!
Though there was Sripadaraja Matha, direct lineage of Padmanabha Tirtha, direct disciple of Acharya Madhva existed, many here were affiliated to either Vyasaraja Matha or Uttaradi Matha, as their Pontiffs frequently visited the town. Apart from regular schooling some of us, went to have Patha on basic Madhva texts, like Stotras and Sandhyavandane, after Upanayana. Since the scholars of Sripadaraja Mutt were not available, we had to depend on Uttaradi Matha scholars only, very puffed up, foul speaking men of either Tamil Nadu or Dharwad area, who gave compliments like … Magane… affixed by all sorts of equivalents to a widow’s son.
However, I never received any compliment like this as a quick learner! For reasons well known to my ancestors, we belonged to the dreaded U Matha! The lean, sharp looking Swamiji would invariably arrive at our town, on his way to either Madras/ Tirumala. We had to assemble there and chant what we knew. He was highly short tempered. I along with others, was taken to the Swamiji like goats for Bali, by our Guru Vattangad Hayagrivacharya, a great soft spoken scholar, but poor when he came to our town.
The Swamiji looked at me, and asked to chant what I knew, I had memorised easily entire Madhva Vijaya of 10006 slokas, Vayustuti, and more. He was looking somewhere, when I recited some shlokas from Madhva Vijaya, and asked my Guru who I was, and my father’s name made known to him. His facial expression changed and he reluctantly thrust a .050 coin in my hand and moved to the next aspirant, who was son of a person, later turning a Swamiji. The boy muttered something which none of us could hear, he was given a silver rupee and an angavastram. I returned home crying for the insult which others did not make out.

However, I never forget those Gurus who taught Samskrit Grammar, Shlokas and Kavyas before I studied them at school. Sri Vyasacharya, disciple of Satyadhyana Tirtharu, Vattangadu Hayagrivacharya, Subbu Narasimha Shastry, and other scholars who came in my life thereafter.

MADHVA SECTS - SHASTIKAS

 Madhvas in Karnataka are mainly comprised of Deshastha and Aruvattokkalu sects. While some Deshasthas spoke Marathi in those areas, others spoke onlly Kannada. Shasthtikas are 60 families of various Gotras migrated to Karnataka from Ahichatrapura, Punjab, during Pre-Vijayanagar period.

ಷಾಷ್ಟಿಕ ವಂಶ ಪ್ರದೀಪ ( Aruvattu Okkalu) of Dr Ranya Raja rao, published in 1981 says Madhva Gurus like Sri Akshobhya tirtha, Jayatirtha, Sripadaraja, Vyasaraja, Vijayindra, Vibudhendra- Raghavendra Tirtha  (Bigamudre - of keeping keys ) were  born in the celebrated families of Ministers of Jamakhandi Province, ruled by various rulers. 

The ancestors of Yatis, belonging to 27 Gotras were highly intelligent, wise, some warriors, finance advisors, Commandants of the Empire. Sri Akshobhya was paternal uncle of  Jayatirtha, Rajendra Tirtha,  Sripadaraja, Brahmanya Tirtha, Vyasatirtha were born in matrilineal line of the family. The 227 Page book is now relegated to the background.

Sri Vedavyasa Avatara.

 

वेदव्यास गुणावास विद्याधीश सतां वश |

मां निराशं गतक्लेषं कुर्वनाशं हरेनिशम् ||

Sri Madhvacharya describes Vyasa Avatara in 10th chapter of MBT. nirnaya. Sage Vasishta had 100 sons, of which Shakti is one who is the father of Parashara. He performed Tapas to get Sri Hari himself as son. He married Sattyavati, daughter of chief of fishermen. Varna system in Dwaparayuga was different. Satyavati is the daughter of Vasu, hence called Vaasavi. Sri Hari was born to her as Dvaipayana. He was dark in complexion, called Krishna, born in an island, hence the Name Krishna Dwaipayana. Some call him as a Virgin's child, Kaaneena, which is incorrect. HeVedavyasa revealed himself amidst river Yamuna.

Krishna was a bright child and he immediately asked his father Parashara to perform Upanayana. His Upanayana went on for 7 days, which was graced by all Rishis.Soon after, the LOrd went to Meru, with Brahma and Rishis and immediately began arranging Vedas which were distorted by Asuras. HEnce called Arranager- Vyasa. He composed Vedanta Sutras, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and Puranas.All DEvatas learnt these from the LOrd. Vedavyasa toured along three worlds to enlighten noble people.

Meanwhile Rudradeva performed Tapas to be born as his son, as SEva to Him to preach noble thought on the world for mortals. he was granted the boon, and Rudra is born as Shuka to Vyasadeva. He was born to Vyasa without contact of a women. Vayudeva entered him and is the driving force to preach Shastras to all deserving Souls. Hence Vyasadeva could directly impart the core knowledge of Vedic lore directly to him. Similarly the 4 shishyas of Vyasadeva are inspired by Sesha, Garuda, Brahmaa, and Indra in Paila, Sumantu, Vyashampayana and Jaimini.

The Lord began putting Puranas straight by editing them. Based on their content, they were classified as Satvika, Rajasa and Tamasa Puranas. THere ae 6 Satvika Puranas- Vishnu, Narada, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha. 6 Rajas Puranas- Brahma, Brahmanda, Brahmavaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavishya and Vamana puranas. Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Shiva, Skanda and Agni Puranas are Tamasa Puranas based on their content. Satvika Puranas are based on Pancharatra, Rajasa on suerficial referenes in Vedic lore and Tamasa ones are based on Pashupata Agama.

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Sri Jayatirtha ( Teekakritpaada) ( 1365- 1388)

 

Anyone desirous of keeping thoughts of Madhvacharya intact, will have to be highly grateful to his second generation successor Sri Jayatirtha. He is the Master Commentator on 18 works of Acharya Madhva which are the only source now to us to understand the cryptic style of Madhvacharya, unlike other Acharyas.

We have only some stories about the great Saint’s life. Though we have 3 Vijaya Granthas, two by Vyasatirtha, his disciple(?) and another by Chalari Sankarshan Acharya have more fiction than facts. Even his place of birth is not properly recorded, Mangalvedhe, near Pandharpur or  as Vrishtiketha instead of Manyakheta! He is believed as son of a local ruler, and himself a horse rider. He is said to have got married at about 17 to two girls from rich families. We have to believe it as a story and move on!

Sri Jayatirtha is author of 22 books, out of which 18 are commentaries on Madhva texts. Nyayasudha,  Vadavali and Padyamala are his independent works. He is a master logician, grammarian and presenter of Madhva thought of all times, honoured rightly as Teekacharya. He is remembered with utmost respect by Sri Vyasaraja as:

चित्रैः पादैस्च गंभीरैः वाक्यैः मानामखन्दितैः  

 गुरु भावं व्यञ्जयन्ती भाति श्री जयतीर्थवाक् |

( Nyayamritam)

 

 

 

 

 

Cases of unidentified Brindavans

 

There are 25 Madhva mathas, with the present head as 34 or 35th in line of succession. Madhvas have a tradition of daily Puja, Naivedyam and Aradhanas. In case of vrundavanas in field, temples, river banks, which are occassionally under water, it is dificult to maintain daily rituals.

. There are at least 50-60 unidentified such monuments, earlier possibly pujas done by local teacher/ archak, scholars or retired person of our community. with changed circumstances, youngsters have shifted to cities, and Puja stopped, or once a week. Only respective Mathas have a list of Gurus, and are supposed to take care of them. Government will not fund such things, Particularly in TN, AP, TS, Karnataka villages, we cannot expect any support. Each place needs atleast 20000/ month to manage such monuments. It is upto Mathas to take up such projects so that tradition is not ignored.

Sri Svaapna Vrindavanakhyanam,

 लक्ष्मीकान्तं भूवराहं भजेऽहं बादरायणम्

वादिराज ह्रुदंभोज मन्दिरं वाजिकन्धरम् ||

Sri Svaapna Vrindavanakhyanam, is a highly spiritual effective Paarayana Text, an esoteric work on Sri Sri Vadiraja Swamiji and his immediate Mahimas, revealed in a Dream-experience, in 22 chapters composed by himself, after his disappearance from public view to a mooka brahmana, later brought to light by Sri Vedavedya tirtha, a later pontiff of Sode Vadiraja Matha, Udupi-Sode. This edition is published by Sri Vadiraja Matha, during Paryaya of Sri Vishvottama Tirtharu, in 1997. The Book serves as Parayana Book for daily chanting by ardent devotees of Sri Vadiraja Gurusarvabhoumaru.