Madhwa Vijaya - 19

Sarga 9 Part 2

The Achaarya was not only praised by eminent scholars but also by celestials like Rudra-Indra-Brihaspathi and so on.

As the Achaarya journeyed along, the shaastras he expounded enriched the minds of noble ones, like rainwater filling up depressions in the ground, but did not benefit the wicked, just as water glides over rocky surfaces.

Even as people were worshipful of the Achaarya as he travelled toward Udupi, he fell at the feet of Hari in the form of Ananteshwara, upon his return to Udupi.

Achyuthapragnya’s joy knew no bounds when he sighted Poornapragnya, the beloved of Achyutha.

The senior scholar of the Likucha vamsha delighted to have had received a copy of the bhaashya, had been waiting in anticipation for this day when he would see the pleasant face of the Achaarya.

When he, like the clouds, drew up water (knowledge) from the ocean that was Ananda Tirtha, and showered it as rain (disseminated the knowledge), he continued to be like a rain-swollen cloud (brimming with knowledge).

The Achaarya described the bhaashya in vivid detail to Achyuthapragnya, who by nature was pious and pureminded but was cloaked by Maaya, thanks to the power of Kali.

The Achaarya lost no opportunity to illustrate his beliefs for the benefit of Achyuthapragnya, just as a doctor would not give up trying to cure his patient.

He strove to eradicate the influence of Kali that had caused the deep embedding of the false principles (Advaita) in the mind of Achyuthapragnya, like the elegant swan drives away the wretched crow from agitating the placid waters of the Maanasa-sarovara, with the strokes of its wings and its piercing cry.

Slowly but surely Achyuthapragnya’s heart and mind became clear like the full moon and expanded like a lotus in bloom.

Mired obstinately in the dirt of the dubious beliefs, Achyuthapragnya reveled in the new knowledge that he began to absorb and appreciate, like a thirsty man hitherto sipping salt water and stumbling upon the joy of sipping nectar.

Achyuthapragnya began to propagate Madhwa-siddhanta, and both the ascetics cast light, according to their respective capacities like the moon and the sun, dispelling darkness that had enveloped the people.

The devout were blessed with su-darshana (the right path/ the emblem of the chakra) along with the shanka (the emblem of the conch*) both of which are capable of reducing mountains of sins, but are naturally displeasing to the sinful.

*the tapta-mudra-dhaarane where a sanyaasi performs Sudarshana homa and brands the arms of the devotees with hot seals of shanka and chakra

During his stay at Udupi, the Achaarya was seized with a compassionate desire to help the devout who had none but Hari, whom they had surrendered to, to overcome the spiritual hurdles they faced.

The Achaarya had a few of his disciples wash and place the idol made of stone-of the darling of the gopis, the consort of Siri (Lakshmi).

Then he lovingly bathed the idol, infusing it with divinity by the touch of his holy hands and rendering it impossible to be moved by less than 30 powerful people, and carried the idol effortlessly.

The Achaarya installed the pleasant-faced, smiling idol, the cherished child of Nanda-gopa, the one who is not visible to mortal eyes, the one who is worshipped by all; adhering to all spiritual guidelines.

(Readers may note that Naarayana Pandithaachaarya has made no mention of the popular story of Madhwa waving his upper cloth and rescuing a ship in distress, laden with gopichandana, in which was concealed the idol of Krishna, etc. Surprisingly there is no reference to the source of the idol.)

A Vedic scholar, Jaraghathita, also known as Maradithaaya* filled with insolence after having received a boon from Rudra, subdued the righteous and thought of himself as the only one worthy of performing yagnas, and like Jarasandha and his allies obstructing the yagna being performed by Dharmaraja**, he opposed the performance of a yagna by Vaasudeva, a son of one of Madhwa’s poorva-ashrama teacher.

*Reference to a person belonging to the Maradithaaya family, a Shivalli Brahmin

**Yudishtira’s Rajasuya yagna performed in Dwaapara yuga

Poornapragnya with the grace of Vaasudeva defeated him and his ilk just as Bheemasena had destroyed those causing hindrance to Dharmaraja’s Rajasuya yagna.

Poornapragnya was hailed by all for his remarkable victory and yet again* facilitated the performance of the yagna, by the pious Vaasudeva who was the son of his guru.

*just as Bheemasena had facilitated Dharmaraja’s Rajasuya yagna in his earlier avataara

Poornapragnya’s brother (who would later become Vishnu-Tirtha) officiated this yagna pleasing the gods, by chanting the various invocation mantras (anuvaakhya rruk and yaagnya rruk), followed by the yagna itself and concluded by the offering of ‘gharma’ (oblation) chanting the ‘abhishtava mantra’, thus performing a ‘pravargya homa*’.

*a homa performed systematically adhering to procedure

The sharp-witted brother, with the use of the ‘Vaishwa-deva mantra’ (like a warrior using his might to distribute riches to the deserving and preventing greedy ones from partaking it), offered to the gods (sacrificial oblations), what was rightfully theirs but would otherwise have been grabbed by raakshasaas.

There was none on the entire earth who could attempt to describe the glory of the yagna facilitated by Vayu devaru himself as Madhwa, who as Vayu had outstripped every celestial three times in a row and had partaken ‘soma’(the liquid offering made in Vedic sacrifices).

Madhwaachaarya made it clear to those forever contemplating on the supreme lord that in addition to worship, penance and meditation, carrying out one’s prescribed karma* in a detached manner (without expectation of fruit) is also a means to attaining salvation.

*explicitly stated in one of his dwadasha naamas:

Kannada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMkuNFp2AzU

Thus the intriguing words and inspiring ways of Poornapragnya shone like a beacon light, guiding seekers.

Having crossed numerous rivers (ignoring pleas) that provide succour to people (to lead a life that provided for his upkeep), crossing over mountains (giving up his gotra/ adopting sanyaasa), he trod the path dear to Vyaasa (taking up the spiritual life/ composing bhaashya), he effortlessly reached Vyaasa-ashrama in Badri, once again.

Having already granted* him the ultimate boon in Madhwa’s previous avataara as Hanuman, Vyaasa, immensely pleased with the Bramhasutra-bhaashya, but unable to offer a higher reward than the post of Bramha, reinforced the boon and granted him sovereignty over Satya-loka.

*as Raama

After respectfully taking Vyaasa’s leave, the majestic Poornapragnya, desiring to confer his grace to the world, returned with his disciples to Udupi, to be in the presence of his beloved Hari.

End of Sarga 9