The Likucha Vamsha
Madhwaacharya and Likucha
When little Vaasudeva*’s father Madhyageha Bhattaru was delivering a discourse, he skipped explaining the meaning of the word “Likucha”. Vaasudeva, who was then 6 or 8 years, asked him why he did so. The father honestly replied that he did not know the meaning. Vaasudeva said, “It is Peja”. Peja is the Tulu word for the Kannada word, Hebbalasu**.
It was and is a common practice in Tulunadu, now called South Canara, to use the name of a plant/ tree that grew around their house to identify families, which would later go on to become their family names. Rashmi Tenginkai. Adhering to this practice, Trivikrama Panditaacharya’s family was called Likucha Vamsha, owing to the presence of the tree/ trees in their lands. The later generations who were identified by this tree are known as “Pejathayya”.
It would not be an exaggeration to proclaim that one of the purposes of the avataara of Madhwa was to liberate the people who belonged to the Likucha vamsha, to which belonged the illustrious poets and scholars, Subramanya Panditaacharya, Trivikrama Panditaacharya, Naarayana Panditaacharya, Vaamana Panditaacharya, Shankara Panditaacharya and Kalyani Devi.
*Madhwaacharya in his poorvaashrama
**The Wild Jack (Artocarpus hirsutus) is a tropical evergreen tree endemic to Kerala and Karnataka, lands which were referred to as Tulunadu..
Vishnu-sthuthi
While the Vayu-sthuthi is commonly chanted and is a household name among the Maadhwas, Vishnu-sthuthi remains in obscurity. It is believed that Trivikrama Panditaacharya, prior to embracing Tattvavaada, would recite the Vishnu-sthuthi composed by Adi Shankaraacharya. After he rejected Shankara’s teachings and became a follower of Madhwaacharya, he composed a new Vishnu-sthuthi, in the Sraddhara chandassu (metre). It is called a “Kaavya-shaastra”, meaning it contains the essence of the scriptures rendered in the form of a poem. This sthuthi denounces the theory of God being formless (Niraakara). God is both formless and with a form. Trivikrama Panditaacharya equates his efforts at singing the glory of God to a baby’s attempt at speech by babbling.
The flow of this sthuthi is unique in that 21 letters are chanted in one breath with a minute pause after the 7th and 14th letters. Thus, it is… 21/3=7. This 32 shloka sthuthi sings the praises of Vishnu starting from his feet* (dust below his feet) and ending at the top of his head, that is, hair*. Trivikrama Panditaacharya has described Vishnu’s thighs, his “udadhaara**”, his navel, his expansive chest, his shoulders, four arms (fearless and granting fearlessness), the auspicious face, the earrings that dangle from his ears, his eyebrows, his perfect nose, red lips, teeth that peep from the slight gap between the lips, his smile…
*paada, kesha
**A thin chain tied at hips by boys
He has prayed to the Sudarshana Chakra, which pales the rays of the sun, to destroy one’s ignorance; and to the Paanchajanya (conch) to bestow sound knowledge.
Trivikrama Panditaacharya has begun the sthuthi by describing the infinite joy Lakshmi derives from eternally singing hymns in praise of Vishnu, and has beseeched her to bless us with an infinitesimal fraction of that joy.
He has described Lakshmi as the epitome of perceptiveness of Vishnu, yet forever eagerly, cheerfully discovering new aspects of the Lord. He has implored Vishnu to fill our hridaya (thymus gland) with the soft light that shines like moonlight which emanates from the edge of his toe nail.
He has described the brilliance of the jewel (Kaustubha) that lies on Vishnu’s chest as that of 12 suns shining at the same time, yet its brilliance is overshadowed by the soft moonlight like glow of Lakshmi’s face.
Trivikrama Panditaacharya has concluded the sthuthi by paying obeisance to his guru, Ananda Tirtha, and by praying for the wisdom to tread the path of spirituality along with enlightened people.