Vyaasa Tirtha Part 2

Aradhane

The word “aradhane” literally means worship. But when used as a suffix to a seer’s name, it refers to the annual remembrance of the day the seer entered brindavana. Only two saints in living memory have entered their respective brindavanas while still alive… Vaadiraja Tirtha and Rayaru (Raghavendra Tirtha). This kind of entry while still alive is called “sa-shareera brindavana”.

Many aradhanes are performed over three days, the previous day (poorvaradhane), the actual day (madhyaradhane) and the next day (uttaraaradhane). On these days devotees gather in large numbers at the main brindavana and at their mathas elsewhwere and the saints are worshipped with fervour.

The birth and early life of Yathiraja

Ballala was childless despite having two wives. When his first wife was blessed with a vision of Vedavyaasa and Bramhanya Tirtha blessing her, the couple were told by Bramhanya Tirtha himself that they would soon be parents. He also told Ballala to give up their third (last) child to the Abbur matha. Knowing fully well that their child would be ordained a “yathi” (sanyaasi), they named him Yathiraja. Yathiraja was born in the year 1447.

In a version different from that mentioned in Spiritual Nugget 12, Yathiraja is said to have had his “aksharabhyaasa” ( the symbolic beginning of formal education) at five, upanayana at seven followed by four years of education at a gurukula.

Yathiraja was the epitome of patience, humility and grace, handsome as Manmatha and erudite as Brihaspathi. The apple of his mother’s eye, Lakshmidevi his mother, spent her days in agony awaiting the call from the matha. And the call came when Yathiraja was around 16.

The parents, unable to send off their beloved and virtuous son alone to the matha accompanied him, and true to their word, offered the boy to Bramhanya Tirtha.

Bramhanya Tirtha was moved by this, and declared that Ballala was no less than Harishchandra* himself. He also promised the parents that true to his name, their son would indeed be a “Yathi-Raja”!

*Harischandra, usually called Satya Harishchandra was truthfulness personified and has been immortalised by his integrity and ability to keep up his word.

Bramhanya Tirtha was immensely pleased by Yathiraja’s knowledge. He undertook the task of further teaching upon himself. But like Madhwaachaarya, Yathiraja was an “Eka Santha Grahi” and lost no time in catching up on all there was to be learnt. The only thing that remained was his passage to sanyaasa.

But Yathiraja was plagued by a strange anxiety, he kept wondering whether he was up to the onerous task of dissemination of Tattvavaada and if the time was right for him to become a sanyaasi. One such fateful day, lost in thought, Yathiraja wandered far away from the matha. Finally he sat down to rest under the shade of a tree and drifted to sleep. As he was coming back to a state of full consciousness he was blessed with a vision of Lakshmi and Narayana on Garuda, accompanied by singing of hymns and chanting of mantras.

The revelation

Narayana is said to have addressed Yathiraja thus, “You are among my foremost devotees, you are my beloved Prahallada! You are destined to accomplish colossal divine work, set aside your worries.”

Yathiraja woke up drenched in sweat and tears of joy. Filled with devotion and bliss, he returned to the matha and sat quietly in front of Bramhanya Tirtha. Neither spoke to each other.

Bramhanya Tirtha had instructed the inmates of the matha to leave Yathiraja alone, for he was in a trance, bathed in the ecstasy of the divine vision.

The next day, a composed Yathiraja approached Bramhanya Tirtha and expressed his readiness to become a sanyaasi.

Realising that the time was ripe, Bramhanya Tirtha had the boy perform “atma-shraadha*” in preparation for the sanyaasa.

*A ritual where the aspirant performs the death rites of his body to signify that the body is no longer associated with the old identity. The body then becomes a revered vehicle of God, to be used only for godly activities, in the case of ascetics. It is sometimes performed by householders who are either childless or are unsure if their children will perform their death rites after their actual death.

The birth of Vyaasa Tirtha

As was the custom, the new sanyaasi had to be given a new name. Brahmanya Tirtha chose the name “Vyaasa Tirtha” for three reasons. First, Yathiraja was born by the grace of Vyaasa, second, his parents were great devotees of Vyaasa, and third, the name came to BramhanyaTirtha as divine inspiration at the time of selecting a name.