Madhwa Vijaya - 15
Sarga 7 Part 2
‘For the one treading on the path of saadhane, the one who is higher than him is his guru. If such a saadhaka contemplates on the glowing, rounded knees of Vedavyaasa, he is granted a taste of the bliss that is Vaikunta’.
‘If the lord grants whatever the heart desires when one nears him even once, what can be said of the fortune of the nadudhaara (the cord that men tie around their waist) which is forever in such close vicinity of the lord, helping him maintain his yogic posture… oh, blessed, blessed it is…’
‘The beauty and brightness of the deer-skin that is spread below his thighs, is enhanced hundred-fold by virtue of being around the lord’.
‘The one who has a lotus stemming from his navel and contains the entire cosmos within his stomach, is present here with a deep but small navel, narrow waist and a very lean stomach with three folds of skin’.
‘This lord upholds the lucid interpretation of the Vedas in his mind and heart, for the benefit of seekers, embodied in the form of Bramhasutras (the text and the holy thread)’.
‘Vyaasa’s neck, adorned with the supreme gem Kaustubha a symbol of victory and presented to him by Chaturmukha, shone like a thousand suns’.
‘His hands which bear the auspicious markings of the conch and discus, soft and pink like the petals of the lotus, are beyond compare’.
‘The hand (right) held in gnyaana-mudra rids the devout of their ignorance (agnyaana) and the other hand which is held in the abhaya-mudra drives away the fear of samsaara’.
‘The three lines on his neck, resembling the lines of a conch, seem to represent the three Vedas that spring out of his throat effortlessly’.
‘His face, like a diadem worn on the heads of the other gods, shines like a radiant full moon’.
‘His teeth, gleaming between his lips half-parted in a smile, outshine rows of pearls swathed by pieces of ruby’.
‘Oh, he is Veda-pathi, master of the Vedas, who by using Saraswathi* can fill the thousands of wells of profound, intriguing questions asked by the rishis.’
*words used for answering/ the river
‘The very glance of his lotus-eyes, accompanied by his mesmerising smile, seem to embrace and caress me’.
‘The tulasi leaf tucked above his ear seems to be whispering intimately into his ears, “Oh master, please do not allow flowers like the lotus rob me of my position and privilege…”’.
‘The slightest movement of his eyebrows is all it takes to create or destroy the entire cosmos along with the likes of Bramha, Rudra and others’.
‘The red mark at the centre of his forehead shines like the red of the sun glistens atop the sapphire mountain’.
‘Blessed am I for having seen this divine being (like lightning), whose head is swathed by his matted locks (like the bluish-grey clouds)’.
‘Ramaa who is forever trying to comprehend the infinite attributes of the lord, is hardly able to grasp what maybe contained at the tip of his toenail. If such is the case with the divine mother, who could possibly describe his attributes?’
‘It would be astonishing if I were to look at this supreme being without astonishment, despite the fact that I look at the entire cosmos, complete with its nine* layers without astonishment’.
*the 5 elements, ahankaara, mahattattva, and the 3 gunas (ref HKS part 1)
As he was thus pondering, Poornapragnya made his way to the hermitage of Vedavyaasa, and he who was merely in the line of sight was now in physical proximity.
His head bowed with reverence for the guru, he stood there with folded hands and half-closed eyes, offering a mental prayer.
The fortunate Poornapragnya prostrated* to the supreme being.
*ashta-ang pranaam : head, eyes, speech, mind, chest, knees, hands and feet, in surrender
Vedavyaasa hastened to raise the prostrate Poornapragnya by his shoulders.
Then Vedavyaasa whose heart was filled with love, whose eyes were shining and wide open, whose face bore a slight smile, embraced Poornapragnya.
The two forms looked like the confluence of the dark waters of Yamuna (the dark skin-tone of Baadaraayana*) and golden waters (like Poornapragnya’s golden-hued body).
*Vedavyaasa
Although Brahmins by birth, had they not been clad in simple attire, but had worn finery befitting royalty, they would have seemed like the Kshatriyas* which they were in the previous yuga!
*Bheemasena and Krishna
The sages who were watching the scene marvelled at the whole-hearted love that Vedavyaasa bestowed on Poornapragnya, which even Shukachaarya* was not entitled to.
*Vedavyaasa’s son
Perceiving the intent of their guru, the rishis reverentially offered a seat to Madhwa, just like the Devas would, to Chaturmukha.
Then, the son of Satyavathi said “Sit” and sat down, following which Madhwa too sat down, smiling at the rishis.
The rishis who had heard of Achaarya Madhwa from their guru, Vedavyaasa extended a warm welcome and delighted in listening to the exchanges between them.
Thus, Vishnu and Vayu, descended on earth as Vedavyaasa and Ananda Tirtha to disperse true knowledge among sincere seekers, spread radiance in the hermitage with their divine presence.
End of Sarga 7