Madhwa Vijaya - 5

Sarga 3 Part 1

The Nadillaaya (Madhyageha) couple, to please everyone with the delightful presence of their child, vended their way with their family towards Nidiyooru, close to Udupi, to attend a festival.

When the mother was busy greeting guests and seeing them off, the child made its way out of the busy place.

When people who spotted the child asked him, where he was bound to alone when he should be with his parents, the child merely smiled.

With quick steps the child proceeded to the Shankara-Naarayana temple at Kodavooru and prostrated to the idol. Then he went further to the Mahalingeshwar temple at Taalekude.

He returned to Udupi, with eyes that were lit up upon seeing the lotus-navelled lord, causing people’s minds and eyes to open up like lotuses upon seeing him, who was like the sun himself.

The Devas and the brahmins sang his praises declaring that each prostration of his to Naarayana exceeded the fruit borne by numerous Ashwamedha yagnas.

He who is in the constant presence of Hari and is forever in prayer, does not need to prostrate, or sing his praises otherwise. Yet, he demonstrates his devotion through these acts for people to emulate.

When Bhattaru discovered that their precious child had gone missing, he strode out, pausing at every step to ask people if they had seen his child.

Like he was blown by the wind, Madhyageha Bhatta went in the direction indicated by people, like a thirsty bee in search of nectar, and he was rewarded by the sight of his child whose face was like that of a lotus.

His eyes that had hitherto welled up with tears at the prospect of having been separated from his child, now welled up with tears of joy. Without letting them spill, he addressed his child thus:

“Oh child, tell me the truth. You have wandered so far without any known person accompanying you. Who was at your side all along?”

The lotus-eyed child took in his father’s question and answered sweetly, “The lord of Kodavooru accompanied me on both my onward and return journey”!

“And when I went to Taalekudi, the presiding deity, Hari, accompanied me till I reached the Chandramouleeshwara temple (close to the Ananteshwara temple)”.

Thus accompanied by the lord of that temple, I came to this temple and fell at the feet at the deity here, said the little child to the amazement of everyone around.

“Oh compassionate lord… please protect this little brave child that has had the misfortune of travelling on paths infested by evil spirits, without near and dear ones…” prayed Bhattaru to Hari.

The pious Bhattaru retraced his steps to his house with his wife and child. Thus, as the child grew up, like a rising sun he gladdened people whose faces bloomed like lotuses.

The Goddess Durga on Kunjaragiri also stood in protection of the child, otherwise how can the child’s solitary exploits be explained?

Bhattaru then initiated the child into learning through the ceremonial “aksharaabhyaasa”,* little knowing that the Goddess of learning herself was in perpetual reverence of him. *a ceremony that marks the child’s initiation to literacy and learning

The prodigious child expressed surprise when his father repeated his lessons the second round, much to the astonishment and delight of his father.

Marvelling at the child’s genius, yet fearing that envious people may bode him ill, he taught the child in seclusion.

The child who enraptured everybody with his pleasant talk, accompanied his mother to a festival in Nayamballi.

The wise one in the form of little Vaasudeva saw people seated around a preacher named Shiva from the Maddinaayana clan.

The child present in the group of listeners, charmingly and respectfully said, “Oh experienced one, what you have said is wrong, it goes against the principles expounded by the masters.”

Once the namesake of the son of Vasudeva began to speak, people lost all interest in Shiva Maddinaayana, for who pays attention to a howling jackal when the lion-cub begins to roar?

“Then how is it? Please explain…” said the assembled people. And when they heard the clear explanation provided by the child, they were astounded. The Devas hailed this newly sprouted seed of conquest of the world of true knowledge.

When mother and son returned home, the child related the incident to his father and said, “Please tell me father, was Shiva Puranika wrong? Or was I?”

“You were right, my child” said Bhattaru, in awe of the child’s innate brilliance, thanking divine benevolence for having granted him such a progeny.

Once, Bhattaru who was among the foremost puranikas (one who recites puranas) was addressing a large gathering, where the joy of the audience was doubled by the presence of the clever Vaasudeva.

When Bhattaru was elaborating on the various names of trees, he skipped explaining the word “Likucha*”. The child asked softly, “Father, why did you not give its meaning?”

The father was silent but this piqued the interest of all those who had gathered there. When they wanted to know about it, Vaasudeva won everybody’s hearts by telling them the name in Tulu**.

*The name that would come to be associated with the illustrious Trivikrama Panditaacharya (Likucha Tilaka) and Narayana Panditaacharya, the author of this work, (Likucha Tilaka Sunuhu) and other scholars/poets of their family (Likucha Vamsha)

**Peja in Tulu, Hebbalasu in Kannada

To be continued…