Madhwa Vijaya - 17

Sarga 8 Part 2

‘Raama along with his brother Lakshmana, (Krishna with Balaraama), left for the city of Janaka Maharaaja-Mithila (Vasudeva-Mathura). The moment he* entered the city, the men and women looked at his etherealbeauty in amazement’.

*Raama/ Krishna

‘The bow of Shiva was broken effortlessly (by Raama), just as the vanity of Kamsa, and his life, were destroyed with ease (by Krishna). The one who was the preceptor of Chaturmukha Bramha himself, now presented himself as a student to Vishwamitra ( and Sandipini), impressing them with their infinite capabilities’.

‘He wedded the princess, who was Ramaa herself, (Sita, Rukmini), after defeating the fearsome Parashuraama (Krishna defeating the princes vying for the hand of Rukmini, and their armies). The former, with his bride, reached Ayodhya inaccessible* as the sea, while the latter, with Rukmini, reached Dwarka fortified by the sea’.

*well-fortified

‘To show respect to his (step-) mother (Kaikeyi), Raama went to the forest with his beloved wife and his closest ally Lakshmana, who was also a symbol of his invincibility. To relieve his mother’s (Aditi, mother of the Devas), Krishna went to the supposedly invincible fortress of Narakaasura, with his gutsy wife Satyabhaama, seated on his representative of victory, Garuda’.

‘Crossing dense forests and insurmountable mountains, Raama destroyed ancient demons like Khara and Dooshana, in a manner befitting their vile nature. Accessing the impregnable fort, after killing the demon Mura, Krishna killed the one who had created a Naraka (hell) for the oppressed and shoved him into eternal misery’.

‘Raama, along with Sita, resided in his beautiful hut in Panchavati, glowing with the triumph of eliminating evil demons who had gone astray; while Krishna, along with Satyabhaama carried home with him the divine tree Paarijatha, which had been uprooted from the heavens and had lost its way ever since’.

‘Raavana, the ten-headed demon, who had terrorised the celestials and had abducted Raama’s wife, (Mahalakshmi-the embodiment of wealth), was held irreverent by Raama. Duryodhana was slighted by Krishna when he usurped the wealth of the Paandavas accumulated by defeating kings of all ten directions’.

‘Celebrated by the sons of Vayu (as Hanuman and Bheema), he (as Raama) killed the son of Indra (Vaali) with a single arrow and redeemed the son of Indra (Arjuna) by rendering the Geetha, as Krishna. He established the son of Surya (Sugreeva and Yudhistira) on the throne that was theirs.

‘Relieved to hear the news about his wife, through the words of Hanuman, Raama proceeded to the island, Lanka, situated in the deep ocean, accompanied by an army of monkeys. Delighted to hear about the exploits of the Pandavas during their agnyaathavaasa (year of exile spent incognito), through the words of Bheema, Krishna proceeded to the island, Dwarka, situated in the deep ocean, along with his fiery discus’.

‘With their mighty arrows and fiery discus, Raama and Krishna rid the earth of her burden of evil beings, the likes of Kumbhakarna, who has been compared to a raging elephant, and the wicked who feared none and thought they were invincible, whose foreheads and temples were like that of an elephant’.

‘He whose wife entered fire (Sita emerging unscathed; Rukmini ending her life on a pyre), he who along with his companions, returned to Vaikunta, to assume his moola-rupa (original form)’.

‘Born to the pure-minded Vishnuyasha, to annihilate the wicked with a blazing weapon (Kalki-avataara), born to the devotee of Vishnu (the son of Bramha), Vishaala, to establish the Vaishnava dharma (Mahidaasaavataara*), he thus assumes various forms, time and again’.

*He is also called Aithereya, son of Etara. As he imparted spiritual knowledge during the yagnyas performed by the Devas,overcome with devotion they surrendered to him, and thus he came to be called Mahidasa. As the knowledge he imparted was‘guhya’ (mystical), this avataara has not been elaborated upon.

‘Born to the pure ascetic Ruchiprajapathi and Manu’s daughter Aakoothi(Yagnya-avataara), he became the lord of the Devas and through Mahalakshmi, as Dakshina, gave birth to twelve highly devout sons called Yaamas. To another ascetic, Kardama, forever engrossed in penance, and his wife Devahuthi(also daughter of Manu), was born the one (Kapila-avataara) who granted the ‘Saankhya-shaastra*’ to the world’.

*the explanation of the cosmos through numeration, ref HKS

‘Through the friction between liquid (ocean of milk) and solid (Mandara mountain) arose a bewitchingly handsome form of Naarayana (Dhanwantri-avataara) carrying nectar in his hand. And even as the asuras were clamouring for their share of the amritha, there came into being a female form (Mohini-avataara) more beautiful than even Maha-lakshmi, who mesmerised the asuras and distributed the nectar amongst the Devas’.

‘Naarayana, whose attributes are infinite, chose to be born to Anasuya, the chaste wife of Rishi Atri, (Dattatreya-avataara) and then as the virtuous young boy (Sanath Kumara-avataara), in order to purify the devout and to grant them deeper spiritual knowledge and salvation’.

‘For the upliftment of his devotees, he came down to earth again and again (Rishabaavataara) and in the form of a swan, renowned for its power of discretion,(Hamsaavataara) and expounded the Vedas to the four kumaras’.

‘Incarnating as the brother of Nara (Shesha) as Krishna, as the son of Dharma, as Hari, aren’t all these various forms of Naarayana himself?’

‘Salutations, salutations, to the one and only god, who bore ten avataaras, the one who has a hundred-thousand forms, the unchanging one, the one who reveals his infinite self to the deserving, the one who is the embodiment of joy and awareness’.

Ruminating on the attributes of the lord, Poornapragnya prostrated to Naarayana. Experiencing the welcome of the lord, Poornapragnya seated himself, after Vedavyaasa had paid obeisance to Naarayana.

Naarayana engaged Vedavyaasa on a variety of topics, and looked at his pleasant face with affection. Later, in solitude, he spoke to Ananda Tirtha, who had bowed down to him.

‘Listen to my words carefully. You must boldly undertake an onerous task that would please Vyaasa, that only you are capable of carrying out, that which will make your avataara meaningful’.

‘By interpreting the Bramhasutras in any way they please, the true meaning of the shruthi* and smrithi* has been clouded, causing people to lose all knowledge and awareness’.

*Vedic literature, that which is heard and that which is remembered

‘To correct these errors perpetrated by the wicked, I request you to write the Bhashya (commentary) on the Sutras, leading those who are floundering back to the path of true knowledge. O capable one, weave all meanings together in a coherent fashion, with the right interpretation’.

‘The lord of all living beings (Mukhya-praana), most reluctant to be parted from the two divine beings, spoke politely…

…Bhagwan, please permit me to be here, in your divine presence forever. There is no greater joy in all three worlds than being in your company’.

‘The world is full of ignorant people, Kali has ensured that there are no true seekers anymore. Imparting sacred spiritual knowledge to these undeserving people is like feeding a dog, the holy offerings meant for gods’.

In reply, Naarayana said, ‘O dear peaceful one…there still remain deserving but misguided souls in the world, scattered about like beads that are no longer strung together. With your compassion, absolve them of their sins, wash away their ignorance and lead them to the clear waters of true knowledge’.

‘Your brilliance will be upsetting to the wicked and gladdening to the virtuous, like the rays of the sun upset the owls and cause the lotuses to bloom. Especially so since it is my mandate’.

These words that flowed out from the mouth of Naarayana like a river emerging from a cave in the mountains, saturated with Vyaasa’s grace, like the rivers swelling by the effect of the moon, merged with the swollen sea that was Madhwa’s already brilliant mind.’

Understanding that this was the wish of both the divine beings, the Achaarya stolidly took upon himself the onus that none but he could bear.

The three divine figures, Vyaasa, Naarayana, Madhwa, appeared like the three Vedas* themselves; the three Vedic fires/agnis** that burn sins; like the three worlds*** that were upheld by them!

*Rig, Yajur, Saama

**Dakshinagni, Garhapatya, Ahavaniya

***Bhoo, Bhuvah, Swah

End of Sarga 8