Madhwa Vijaya - 1

Sarga 1 Part 1

I bow to Naarayana, within whom all divine qualities are ensconced. His form is resplendent as the rising sun, he is the beloved of Ramaa (Lakshmi) and the lord of Bharathi-Mukhyapraana.

I bow to Krishna, the one who is blue as the clouds, who provides a safe sanctuary as Vrindavan, and who is dear to the husbands of Droupadi… I bow to Krishna-Dwaipayana (Veda Vyaasa) who has impeccably expounded the Vedas, beyond reproach or doubt.

The glory of Achaarya Madhwa which surpasses the brilliance of our sun, lights up the three worlds and beyond. I pray for this light to dispel the dark ignorance within us and grant us clear knowledge.

I bow my head to the venerable guru* Trivikramapanditha, whose “Tattvapradeepa” emanated from his moonlike face and dispelled darkness casting its light on Tattvavaada.

*his father

I will describe the great and pious deeds of the avataaras of Mukhyapraana, as Hari-bhakthi develops from the seed of Guru-bhakthi, which will bestow constant grace to his followers.

I pray to well-wishers and the wise to bestow their grace on my humble effort to encapsulate the glory of him, whose glories are sung by the likes of Rudra and Indra.

When Mukhyapraana is responsible for every micro and macro function of the cosmos, how can I pick and choose certain acts and pronounce them as glorious? Yet, for the sake of cleansing our inner selves, I will describe his salient exploits.

While stringing the beads of these glories, I might have, by my clouded sight and anxiety, strung them in an incorrect or repetitive order. I request to be forgiven over and over for such oversights.

Thus was born the supreme among the jeevas, as the child of Kesari and his wife, at the behest of the Devas, to serve the lord of the three worlds and to guide noble souls as their guru.

The most exalted devotee of the lord, the epitome of all virtues, he is known as Hanumantha.

He, who is revered in the courts of the Devas, served in the court of Sugreeva, eagerly awaiting the holy consort of Ramaa, incarnating as Raama.

With overflowing devotion, the supreme among the Vaanaras fell at the lotus feet of the PuraanaPurusha, who lovingly raised him with his lotus hands.

Striking an arrow through the row of Mathi trees (Terminalia arjuna) and felling them, Raama defeated the son of Indra (Vali) and joined forces with the son of Surya (Sugreeva), who dispatched the valiant Hanumantha to search for Sita.

Raama, fully aware of the extraordinary qualities of Hanuman, drew him close to share a secret, and as if an arrow was released from the bow strung close to the ear, leapt Hanuman, striking terror in the hearts of the wicked while being benevolent to the noble ones.

Hanuman talked sweetly to Sita, infusing hope (like a rain-laden cloud drizzling on tender saplings); setting afire the demons and their possessions with his tail (like lightning destroying groves of trees), leapt and returned to the feet of Raama (like the ocean rising and meeting the skies).

Garuda has wings and thereby flies carrying Vishnu, Hanuman is wingless and yet carried the lord, who holds up the entire cosmos, on his shoulders (and as a bonus, carried Shesha too, in the form of Lakshmana). The word Bhoga is used to mean snakes which are the natural food of Garuda, to which he is partial; and also to mean sensual pleasures which are spurned by the celibate Hanuman.

Building a bridge over the ocean which trembled at the sight of the knitted eyebrows of an angered Raama, who is the pride of the Raghu dynasty, strode to Lanka and punched the ten headed demon with his powerful fist, as a fitting reply to having troubled Sita.

In the yagna which was the battle between Raama and Raavana, Sugreeva was the “yajamaana”, the person who performs the yagna, Raama was the sacrificial fire, and Hanuman was the chief priest, with Lakshmana lending support.

When Hanuman lifted the mountain with herbs like Sanjeevini, he carried it with one hand, expending lesser effort than one would, to carry a basket of flowers to worship Raama.

Hanuman followed the ParamaPurusha, slayer of enemies, who was accompanied by the daughter of Janaka, resplendent as purified gold that emerges from the fire.

Hanuman drank in the beauty of the lord of Ayodhya, with his smiling face, broad shoulders and long limbs, lotus eyes, gait of an elephant, blue skinned elegant body…

When the coronation ceremony of Raama drew to a close, Sita granted Hanuman the boon of everlasting compassion under the pretext of presenting him with her precious pearl necklace, prompted by Raama to bless the best among his devotees.

His heart bursting with love, Raama blessed Hanuman by caressing his head and thus blessing him, with nothing less than the positon of Bramha in the next cycle of creation.

There was none dearer to Raama than Hanuman. And there was nothing that was not his for the asking in Raamaraajya, yet Hanuman wanted nothing else but to serve Raama. This is the supreme example of detachment.

Salutations, salutations, O lord! Salutations, salutations, to you! Salutations, salutations, O Raama! Salutations, salutations, to you! Again and again I prostrate at your lotus feet, said he, filled with joy.

Words cannot describe this greatest among the Vaanaras, the source of joy to the consort of Sita! Even as he left the earth, Raama left behind a part of himself with Hanuman for him to joyously serve for eternity.

Residing in Kimpurushakhanda, immersed in the glory of Raama, Hanuman bestows bliss to true seekers.

To be continued…