Madhwa Vijaya - 20

Sarga 10 Part 1

Like the Sun enters the Venus owned constellation of Taurus in the second month (Vaishaaka), Madhwa made the wicked in the entire coastal regio (Parashuraama*-kshetra**) feel the heat, by disseminating the glories of Naarayana.

*Bhrigu-kula-tilaka

**Udupi, and the entire Konkan

A disciple of Poornapragnya composed a poetic rendition using assorted metres to describe the hero (his guru), for the followers who were eager to learn more, by saying:

“Even the phenomenal life-span of the celestials is insufficient to extol the virtues of Madhwaachaarya. Yet, an attempt is being made to describe a fraction, for the sake of those who are longing to listen to his preeminence”.

“Once, a ruler by name Ishwaradeva, trying to construct a reservoir was compelling way-farers to do the digging. When the Achaarya was expected to do so, he simply said, ‘Please demonstrate how to’…

The clueless ruler who began to dig, in order to demonstrate, was unable to stop digging, and the Achaarya went on his way…

Such is the power of this Mukhyapraana, who holds every single jeeva under his sway, the only exception being the Parama purusha (Naarayana and Lakshmi, implied).

This verse is so interesting in Sanskrit that it is presented here for you: Naanenenaanenaanenonunena nanu nunnaaha
Naanaanaa no noonum naanenaanoonanaanunnaha.

When he is capable of evaporating the sea of misery that afflicts the jeeva by merely calling his name to his mind and whose praises are sung by the likes of Yama, Shesha, Rudra, is it a matter of surprise that the wicked ruler, Ishwaradeva, was subdued by Mukhyapraana!

The foremost among the Vaishnavas, Madhwaachaarya once came to the banks of the Ganga, accompanied by his disciples, where the boatmen had abandoned their boats and rafts due to the presence of fearsome enemies.

Just as Mukhyapraana aids the devout cross the river of life and safely reach the banks, Madhwaachaarya leading from the front, made his disciples form a link and cross the waters of the river with ease.

Then the soldiers of the Muslim (Persian) ruler of the land rushed towards them shouting, “Stop them, stop them, they are enemies. Beat them, kill them before they reach the shore!” But their attack was thwarted by Madhwaachaarya’s powerful voice speaking in their own tongue.

“Oh foolish ones. Do not rush towards the waters and jump in. We are few in numbers and we pose you no threat. We have come to meet your sultan. Why are you picking a fight?”

With these words he froze the soldiers in their tracks, like a toxicologist (visha-vaidya) renders the snake’s venom invalid with the power of his mantra. And he became the succour to his disciples who were in mortal fear of drowning and death.

He strode ahead in the midst of hundreds of soldiers, fearlessly, like a lion walks amongst a pack of wolves.

When the sultan, from the upper storey of his palace, saw the able-bodied Achaarya, who could not be defeated by the Devas and Asuras themselves, striding forward, he said:

“Oh gracious saint! My soldiers have taken it upon themselves to do to death every person who passes this way, on the suspicion of being a spy. They are as merciless as your messengers of death (Yama-dhootaru). How did you come past them unharmed?”

“How did you cross the Ganga without a boat? What is the purpose of your visit?” To this, the foremost devotee of the supreme lord answered (in Persian):

All that you mentioned have been accomplished by the grace of the supreme lord, Hari. We are north-ward bound.

The sultan was so impressed by the depth of Achaarya’s personality, his dignified demeanour and piety, his brilliance and his statesmanship, that he offered half his kingdom to the Achaarya.

Thus, the one who was deemed fit to be killed (by the soldiers) was now deemed fit to rule (by the sultan). The Achaarya who could have gone ahead by use of force, chose this civil manner of negotiating, in order to provide an example of the behaviour to be followed, in times of difficulty and distress.

Spotting a band of thieves who would ambush them, the dauntless Achaarya pushed aside his disciples and appeared before the thieves with a bundle in his hand. Convinced that the bundle held something valuable, the thieves fell upon each other trying to grab the bundle for himself and thus killing each other. Thus Madhwaachaarya eliminated the danger with one stroke, just as Arjuna had finished the large contingent of Samsaptakas with a single astra.

In another incident, when a band of robbers intent on killing them surrounded them, the intrepid Achaarya inspired his lone disciple* to snatch their own axe and chase them away.

*Upendra Tirtha, the founding saint of Puthige matha

The Achaarya created an illusion (of them appearing like boulders) to avert an attack by marauders. When they were able to see the true forms of the Achaarya and his disciples, overcome by remorse and awe, they fell at his feet.’

When his disciple Satyatirtha was on the verge of being attacked by a demon in the form of a tiger, at the foothills of the Himalayas, the Achaarya sent the tiger (demon) flying by a mere swing of his hand (just as he protects his devotees from distress effortlessly).

At Uttara Badri, Vyaasa gifted Madhwa eight fistfuls* of holy stones** resembling idols in which dwelt the nemesis of the wicked, Naarayana along with Lakshmi.

*Vyaasa mushti

**Saaligrama shile

Then, the son of Paraashara and composer of the Mahabhaaratha, knowing that there was none who could do a better job of explaining the Bhaaratha**, entrusted Madhwa with the task of writing the Mahabhaaratha Taatparya Nirnaya.

*Vyaasa

**the Para-tattva or supreme truth contained in the epic

To be continued…