HARI SARVOTHAMA - PART 2

SRI HARI

At the time of creation, after the Supreme has been sleeping for some time, the first productions from the breathing of Lord Maha-Vishnu are the personified Vedas who serve Him by waking Him from His mystic sleep. They begin to enthusiastically sing His glories, pastimes, and praises, just as a King is awoken in the morning by poets who recite his heroic deeds. This shows the eternal nature of the Vedic literature. They are not merely the writings of men, but they are spiritual vibrations that exist before and after the material creation, and which originate from the Supreme Lord.

       In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.87.50) when the personified Vedas are offering their prayers to Lord Narayana [Maha-Vishnu], they relate His all-powerful position. “He is the Lord who eternally watches over this universe, who exists before, during and after its appearance. He is the master of both the ambiguous material energy and the spirit soul. After sending forth the creation He enters within it, accompanying each living entity. There He creates the material bodies and then remains as their regulator. By surrendering to Him one can escape the embrace of illusion, just as a dreaming person forgets his own body. One who wants liberation from fear should constantly meditate upon Him, Lord Hari, who is always on the platform of perfection and thus never subject to material birth.”

       Once the Lord is awoken, He casts His glance upon the material energy of maya. This glance is how the Supreme fills material nature with all the original seeds of the living beings. Thus, the Lord does not personally touch the material energy, but by His functional expansion He places the living entities into the material nature by His glance. Then maya, the material nature, becomes agitated. This functional expansion of the Lord takes the form as Shiva, known in this activity as Shambhu. It is Shambhu who carries the living entities in the glance of the Lord into the material energy.

       So the Supreme Being in His feature as Maha-Vishnu fills the material nature by His glance. Through this glance, which is the impregnation of consciousness, and by the influence of the time element, the countless living beings appear. The Supreme Being then, out of His own body, sowed the seeds of universal appearance within the mahat-tattva. In this way, the Lord, who is the controller of all energies, by His own potency creates eternal time, the fate of all living entities, and their particular nature. At the end of the cosmic creation He again merges them back into Him.

       The Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.9.16-18) relates that the Lord of the universe, Narayana, Maha-Vishnu, is the worship able Lord of all beings. With no other assistance, the Lord creates the universe by His own potency, and at the time of total destruction He destroys the universe through His expansion of time. He withdraws the complete universe and all materially conditioned living beings into Himself. In this way, His unlimited Self is the shelter and reservoir of all potencies. The Lord stands alone after the universal annihilation. He is the supreme worship able object for all beings, such as liberated souls, demigods, and ordinary conditioned souls. He is eternally free from the material energy and constitutes the totality of spiritual bliss, which one can experience by seeing the Lord’s spiritual form. Thus the Lord exhibits the full meaning of liberation.

       The countless souls that appear within the material energy in the multicolored species of life are all spiritual in nature, they are all spiritual beings. However, they can also become fooled by material energy. When they are thus mistaken, they long for material activities and attractions. In order to accommodate this, the Supreme provides this material world as a playground in which they can work out their material desires. This means that regardless of species, whether it is Lord Brahma, or humans, animals, birds, or even tiny insects, material nature is the mother and the Supreme Lord is the seed-giving, universal Father.

       After agitating material nature into three qualities, which are the modes of nature in the form of passion, goodness and ignorance, they become active and material nature begins to give birth to the total material energy known as the hiranya-mahat-tattva. This is the sum total of cosmic intelligence. Thus, material nature becomes agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls as determined by the influence of the modes of nature. Simply by the glance of Maha-Vishnu consciousness is created, which is known as the mahat-tattva. The predominating Deity of the mahat-tattva is Lord Vasudeva. This explains how the material energy is like the mother of the living beings while the Lord is the Supreme Father of everyone. Just as a woman cannot give birth without the contact of a man, or at least his seed, so material nature cannot create without the contact of the Supreme Being.

       So first the total material energy is obvious, and from this arises the three types of egotism, which are the original sources of all the demigods [the minor controlling deities], the senses, and material elements. By combining the different elements, the Supreme Lord creates all of the unlimited universes. Once the material elements have been established, and the full potential for creating the universes has been established, the innumerable universes begin to originate from the pores of the body of Maha-Vishnu, and from His exhalations. They appear just like atomic particles that float in sunshine and pass through a screen. When Maha-Vishnu inhales at the time of the universal annihilation, they return to His body. In this way, Maha-Vishnu is the Super soul of all the universes.

       Brahma, the demigods, and each universe remain alive for the duration of one of His exhalations. However, there is no limit to the exhalations of Maha-Vishnu.

       Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, who is known within the universe as Hiranyagarbha and Antaryami, the Super soul, is glorified in the Vedic hymns. He is the master of each and every universe and shelter of the external or material energy. However, being inspirational, He is completely beyond the touch of the external energy.

       Next is the third expansion of Vishnu, called Kshirodakashayi Vishnu, who is the incarnation of the quality of goodness. He is the universal form of the Lord and expands Himself as the Super soul within every living entity. He is known as Kshirodakashayi Vishnu because He lies on the ocean of milk (kshira) on the island of Svetadvipa. These are the three expansions of Lord Vishnu who oversee and make the creation of the material worlds possible.

       Before the creation within the universe takes place and after the Lord enters the universe, there is a period of non-activity for one thousand celestial years. All of the living entities that have been injected into the mahat-tattva are divided among all the universes with each incarnation of Garbhodakashayi Vishnu, and all of them are as if asleep in the Lord until the birth of Lord Brahma. From Brahma all other demigods and living entities are born.

       Once all of the universes are created, which are unlimited, Maha-Vishnu expands Himself into unlimited forms and enters each universe as Garbhodakashayi Vishnu. Once He is in each universe, He sees that there is no place to reside. Then, after some consideration, He fills half of the universe with water from His own perspiration.

       On that water He creates his own residence as an expansion of Vaikuntha and rests in the waters on the bed of the great serpent, Lord Ananta, Seshanaga.  Although He appears to be in inactive, enjoying inspirational happiness in his internal potency, His eyes are slightly open. When He is ready to begin the act of creation, a golden lotus springs from his navel that becomes the birthplace of Lord Brahma. Within the stem of that lotus are the fourteen planetary systems. Then Lord Brahma is shown as described in the previous chapter.

       Not only do the creations and total destruction of the cosmos go on continually, but the maintenance of the universe also takes constant supervision. It is explained that as long as the Supreme Being as Maha-Vishnu continues to glance upon nature, the material world continues to exist. Thus, the multicolored flow of universal creation continually reveals through reproduction. So, we can see that time and natures have no power to act independently, but are under the supervision of the Supreme.

       However, it is also described that it is not only the material nature that is maintained, everyone in it is also given the ability to act and function through the power of the Supreme in His form as the Super soul. He creates the entire multicolored universe and then enters into it as the Supersoul. Through this means He provides the life force and consciousness of everyone, and, thus, maintains the creation. As Sri Krishna further explains, “As the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, always rests in ethereal space, know that in the same manner all beings rest in Me.” As the Supersoul, He also enters into each planet, and by His energy they maintain their orbits. Thus, the Lord’s energy enters each planet, every living being, and even each atom, by which everything is appropriately manifested and maintained. Without this, everything would revert back to chaos and deterioration.

       Another way that the Lord maintains the universe is by personally appearing within it, or by manifesting His plenary expansions. The scriptures proclaim that Lord Krishna descends to take away the burden of the earth. Lord Vishnu primarily engages in maintaining this universe. It is Lord Vishnu who makes the adjustments for the proper administration of the cosmic creation. In this way, all other lila or pastime incarnations, the yuga-avataras, the manvantara incarnations, and as many other incarnations as there are, even Lord Vishnu, all descend in the body of Sri Krishna when He appears. Thus, He is the complete Supreme Personality and can do whatever He likes to exhibit His power and maintain the universe when He descends.

       The Supreme Being also sets up the universal demigods to continue overseeing the maintenance of the universe. For example, it is explained that Indra, after receiving approval from the Supreme Lord, maintains the living beings by pouring sufficient rains all over the planets. Furthermore, in every yuga, the Supreme Lord assumes the form of Siddhas, such as Sanaka-kumara, to preach transcendental knowledge. He assumes the form of great saintly persons such as Yajnavalkya to teach the way of karma. He assumes the form of great souls, such as Dattatreya, to teach the system of mystic yoga. In the form of Prajapati Marici, the Supreme creates offspring; becoming the king, He kills rogues and thieves; and in the form of time, He annihilates everything. All of the different qualities of material existence are aspects and a display of the energy of the Supreme Absolute Truth.

       So because of the blessing and power given by the Supreme to the demigods, they can provide the living beings with all necessities. However, Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (3.14-15) that all living entities survive on food grains, which are produced from rains, which is manifest through the performance of spiritual activities prescribed in the spiritual writings of the Vedic scripture and the teachings of the Lord and great sages. Consequently, the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.

       This is all a part of the process of how the Lord and His expansions of Vishnu maintain the world. As mankind engages in acts of sacrifice or spirituality, which simply means the worship of the Supreme, the Lord and the demigods are automatically satisfied to supply everyone with all necessities of life. In this way, there can be proper cooperation between man, nature and God so that everyone can be peaceful and content with the facilities for living in this world.

Hari Sarvothama Part 1

Hari Sarvothama

VISHNU – SRI HARI

    Lord Vishnu is the all-pervasive Lord who expands into everything. He is the maintainer of the universe and the complete cosmic creation. He is called Vishnu because He overcomes all.¹ He represents sattva-guna, or the mode of goodness by which everything is sustained. He is also called Narayana, which means the shelter, resting place or ultimate goal of all living entities. It also means the one whose abode is the causal waters (Karana Ocean), and one who lives in the hearts of all living beings. It is this sattva nature which gives the living beings the tendency to grow toward a higher truth, the light, a more cohesive and intense reality. In this sense, Lord Vishnu is also called Hari, or one who removes the darkness of illusion. This illusion ultimately means the idea that the living beings live separate from, or without connection to, the Lord.

It is told by our ancestors that while waking up from bed we should say Hari – Hari seven times visioning his roopa. Let’s see the possible ways to imagine him.

1.    Lord Vishnu is seen resting on the coils of the serpent Shesha, also called Ananta Sheshanaga. We see that the thousand heads swinging to and fro over the form of Lord Vishnu, creating a shelter and couch for the Lord, all turned inward, representing a peaceful mind, and looking toward the Absolute Truth of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu is also seen in the yogic sleep called yoga-nidra. The yoga-nidra (yoga or the root yuj meaning to connect or join) is a cosmic sleep wherein the Lord is focused on the Infinite Reality of His own identity.

Ananta means endless, and Ananta is endlessly singing the praises and glories of the Lord from His thousand hoods without ever reaching the end. His hoods are also supporting the many planetary systems in the cosmic creation that are orbiting throughout the universe above His heads. Ananta also means endless in terms of the endlessness of cosmic time. This is also represented by His thousand hoods as divisions of time. The material worlds are created within the element of time, and are thus sustained by time. During the process of the universal annihilation, time ceases to exist, in which case the material planets are also forced into obliteration.

       Lord Shesha is often seen floating on the causal waters of the Garbhodaka Ocean, which exists on the bottom of the universe. Lord Vishnu is thus resting on Sheshanaga as They float on the ocean. At other times, They are viewed floating on the Kshiramudra, or an ocean of white milk. This represents the Prakriti or the ingredients of the unmanifest material nature in its purest form.

2. 2.    Lord Vishnu is also seen standing on the whirl of a lotus flower with four hands, which represent the four directions and indicates His absolute power in the four corners of the universe. Each hand holds an item, such as a disc, lotus, conch, and mace.

Sankha, Chakra, Gada, Padma:

 Conch - represents the five universal elements. When the conch is blown, it is said to produce a sound related to the original vibration of universal creation. When the conch is blown, it is said to produce a sound related to the original vibration of universal creation. The Lord also blows His conch in calling everyone to turn to the higher reality rather than remaining in the darkness of material existence. This calling is the inner voice which nudges all beings of conscience to seek the Absolute Truth. If man does not heed the call, then the Lord may still use His conch to cut asunder the ego and material attachments of those who do not turn toward the spiritual path.

The disc or chakra- signifies the universal mind or awareness. It rids all darkness wherever it appears, and thus shows the path to higher awareness. The disc is called Sudarshan, the limitless power and light that destroys all forms of ignorance. Thus, Lord Vishnu allows it to cut off the heads of envious demons. It has six spokes and shows the revolving nature of the universe (maya) around an unmoving and changeless center. The Sudarshana Chakra, when shown alone, is often viewed as a person with four, eight, or sixteen arms, holding such items as a bow, arrow, trident, noose, and a poker. These are said to represent the will and power of the Lord to not only create but to also destroy the universe.

The mace - represents the cosmic intellect or knowledge. It is called Kaumodaki, meaning that which captivates the mind. It is also associated with time, which destroys all, and is thus also related to Kali, the power of time. When pictured as a deity, it is viewed as a female with two hands, positioned in respect. The lotus being twirled in His hand shows the revolving or changing nature of the universe. It also indicates the real purpose of human existence, which the Lord invites all to follow.

       The Vaijayanti garland (garland of victory) with five rows of flowers that the Lord wears indicates the five senses and the Lord’s illusory power which affect the senses. Its fragrance represents the subtle elements found within the material manifestation. All this reflects the Lord’s mastery of the whole universe, which is created out of the mixing or revolving of the five elements and the universal mind and intellect. The Srivatsa or lock of hair on the Lord’s chest, which indicates the Goddess of Fortune, represents the products of the material creation, or the objects of enjoyment for which all living beings seek. And the gem, called Kaustubha (Treasure of the Ocean) represents the one who enjoys these products. Thus, this world of the enjoyer and the enjoyed is but a piece of decoration for the Lord, a spark of His energy.

       Lord Vishnu is also sometimes seen with additional items, such as a bow, called Sharnga. This represents the darker form of false-ego that makes one think he is nothing but the material body, not connected to the Lord. The arrows are the activities of the intellect, which can cut through false-ego when used properly. His fish shaped earrings represent the two processes of knowledge, such as through the sankhya (intellectual) and yoga (intuitive) methods. His armlets represent the three goals of worldly life, namely dharma (righteousness), artha (economic success) and kama (pleasure). Lord Vishnu’s crown represents the highest and incomprehensible reality. The yellow cloth that He wears (Pitambara) is said to indicate the Vedas. Through the Vedic hymns the divine reality is revealed, just as the Lord’s dark color can be seen through the cloth that He wears. And His sacred string, made of three threads, is said to indicate the three letters of the hallowed word AUM (Aumkara/Omkara).

       The various forms of Lord Vishnu are composed of the different arrangements of the four symbols He holds in His four hands. For example, in one form He holds the conch in His lower right hand, the disc in His upper right, the mace in His upper left, and lotus in the lower left. In this form He has the name of Keshava, meaning the Lord with long hair, according to the Padma Purana(Book Four, Chapter 79). In other forms, in which case He holds the items in different hands, He has the names that include, Narayana (the universal shelter), Govinda (saver of the Earth and protector of cows), Madhava (Lord of knowledge), Madhusudana (the destroyer of the demon Madhu), Trivikrama (the one who conquered the three planetary systems), Vamana (the dwarf incarnation), Shridhara (the possessor of fortune), Hrishikesha (Lord of the senses), Padmanabha (whose navel produced the universal lotus), Damodara (who is self-restrained), Sankarshana (who reabsorbs), Vasudeva (one who dwells within), Pradyumna (who has the most wealth), Aniruddha (who no one can oppose), Purushottama (best of all men), Adhoksaja (the expanse of the universe), Nrisimha (the half-man and half-lion form), Achyuta (the inconceivable), Krishna (the dark and all-attractive one), Hari (He who removes obstacles or sorrow), Janardana (He who gives rewards), and Upendra (the brother of Indra). Many other names of Lord Vishnu are found in the Vishnu-sahasranam, the Thousand Names of Vishnu, located in the Anushasan Parva (149.14-120) of the Mahabharata.

       Lord Vishnu is also called Nilameghashyama for having a dark blue complexion. This represents a number of things, including pure consciousness, the infinite, and the all-pervading power.

3.     Sometimes, Lord Vishnu is also seen riding on his carrier bird, Garuda. This is a half-man and half-eagle bird, whose name means “Wings of Speech.” It is described that he is huge and has a fierce expression. His color is that of molten gold. He has the head of an eagle with a red beak and feathered wings, and two arms like a man. Different divisions of the Vedas are parts of the body of Garuda. The sound of his wings reflect the utterances of the Vedic hymns, which can carry a person to another world with the speed of light and power of lightning. Thus, it is also the sound of the Veda that carries Lord Vishnu, and which can also transport Him into the hearts and minds of people.

       According to the Puranas, Garuda is a son of Kashyapa and Vinata, who was a daughter of Daksha. He is also the younger brother of Aruna. Garuda is known for his dislike of snakes, which he will eat. One reason for this is explained in the Mahabharata (1.20-35). Vinata once quarreled with her co-wife, Kadru, who was the mother of the serpent species known as nagas. It was from her that he inherited this enmity toward snakes. Then Garuda, with his wife Unnati, produced six sons, from whom descended all the bird species that eat snakes.

4.    Lord Vishnu is often portrayed with Lord Mahalakshmi (Lakshmi Narayana)

Vishnu's consort is Lakshmi the goddess of wealth also known as Maya. The samvit (the primary intelligence) dark matter of the universe is Vishnu, while the other five attributes emerge from this samvit and hence Maya or dark energy of the universe is Lakshmi is his ahamata, activity, or Vishnu's Power. This power of God, Maya, is personified and has multiple names: Shree, Lakshmi, Maya, Vishnumaya or Mahamaya. She is said to manifest as kriyashakti, (Creative Activity) and bhutishakti (Creation). This world requires Vishnu's creativity. He therefore needs Lakshmi to always be with Him. Her various avatars as Lord Vishnu's are Varahavataram (Bhudevi) or Bhumi, Ramavataram Sita, Krishnavataram (Radha andRukmini) and Venkateswara (Padmavathi Vedavati).

5.    Ten avatars of Lord Vishnu

Vishnu’s earthly incarnations have many avatars. His ten avatarsare Matsyavatara (fish), Koorma (tortoise), Varaaha (boar), Narasimha (the man lion), Vaamana (the dwarf), Parasurama (the angry man), Lord Rama (the perfect human of the Ramayana), Lord Krishna (the divine diplomat and statesman), and the yet to appear 10th incarnation called the Kalki avatar.

6.    Lord Hari saving gajendra

Briefly speaking the story of Gajendra Moksha tells about how the intense & non-verbal prayer of a desperate elephant caught by crocodile was answered by God.

Essence of the story: This is a story of all most everybody. When we are in life or death situation, we suddenly realize that our ego and intellectual reasoning cannot save us. We suddenly become humble before the higher power. We realize how insignificant our power is towards controlling the situations in the real world. We all become devotees in desperate situations (even if this may last only for some time for atheists). This story teaches us that HOPE is a good thing.

7.    Srinivas Kalyana

It is a blessing for the people to see srinivasa kalyana and all their abheeshta will be fulfilled. We all know that thinking of srinivasa kalyanam gives a happiness and peace to our mind since it’s an auspicious function happening.

On the crisp

Hari is superior to everyone and everything.

Vayu is superior in Jivas

HARI SARVOTHAMA VAYU JEEVOTHAMA

Why Hari Sarvothama:

Sri Hari is the omniscient and omnipotent.

To begin explaining  Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.6.42) describes that, “Maha-Vishnu (Karanadakashayi Vishnu) is the first incarnation of the Supreme Lord in the process of creating the material worlds. He is the master of eternal time, space, cause and effects, mind, elements, material ego, the modes of nature, senses, the universal form of the Lord (Garbhodakashayi Vishnu) and the sum total of all living beings, both moving and nonmoving.”

       It is further explained that Maha-Vishnu, who appears in the Karana Ocean (also called the Viraja River, which is the border between the spiritual and material world), becomes the resting place of the jiva-shakti. This is the collective energy of the individual spirit souls, the jivatmas. “There is one marginal potency, known as the jiva. Maha-Vishnu is the shelter of all jivas.” It is this Shri Hari who is the original source of all living entities because they are expansions of His marginal potency. Some become conditioned by the material energy while others are under the protection of the spiritual nature.

       Lord Maha-Vishnu is the source of thousands of avataras in His thousands and thousands of subjective portions. He is the creator of countless individual souls. He is also known by the name of Narayana, meaning the shelter of all the individual jiva souls.

Hari sarvothama Vayu Jeevothama

Why Vayu Jivothama:

Vayu Devaru is superior among all the jivas. Because of Vayudevaru we all are breathing. (It has been thoroughly discussed in Vayu avatar – Madhvanama)

There are many facts and reasons to say Vayu as jeevothama. Few among them are

1.     Swaroopa yogyatha of Vayu is very high compared to other Jivas. He is known as “Riju”

2.     No one equals Vayu in qualities like Bhakthi, Gnana, Vairaagya  (Among jivas)

3.     There is no kali prevesha for vayu deva. (This is same for all Parashukla thrayaru**)

4.     He does not do any activities against the will of Lord

5.     He is the first among Ekaanta Bhaktas. (Bhaktas donot ask anything from Lord for their seva is called Ekaanta Bhaktas. They don’t even ask Moksha from God.)

6.     When all the Tathvaabhimani devatas in our body leaves a person is able to survive. But when Vayu devaru leaves the human body then the person cannot survive. The mere existence of all Jivas is dependent on Vayu devaru.

7.     Even though he is having Linga deha (bondage) it does not have any effect on Vayu devaru.

(All the qualities given here also applies to Brahma devaru. As Vayu and Brahma are equal in Yogyatha)

**

Parashukla Traya

The concept of Parashukla Traya is very important in Dvaita Philosophy. It stands for the purity of Knowledge, which only, few highest souls are blessed with. The word Parashukla Traya means परे शुक्लानां त्रयम् "those three who are pure in the knowledge of the Supreme" With regards to knowing Vishnu, due to Asura-Avesha, even higher souls sometimes err, dis-respect or go against Vishnu. We have many examples from the Puranas about Shiva and Indra, standing against Vishnu and even waging a war against him. Though they are great devotees of Vishnu, they sometimes, due to ignorance, act in such manner. अन्ये भागवतत्वेपि छिन्नधर्मा क्वचित् क्वचित्. The only souls who never go against Vishnu or doesn’t know something wrongly about him are Laxmi, Brahma (Vayu) and Sarasvati (Bharati). They are always pure in knowledge. Hence they are called Para Shukla Traya. Shri Madhwacharya, in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya, says - तस्मादेको वायुरेव धर्मे भागवते स्थितः ।लक्ष्मीस्सरस्वती चेति परशुक्लत्रयं श्रुतम् ।। As only Vayu, Lakshmi and Sarasvati are the only ones who always follow Bhagavata Dharma, they are called by the Vedas, as Parashukla Trayam. Here it may be observed that Shri Madhwcharya has not explicitly named Brahma and Bharati. But the clever inclusion of Vayu and Sarasvati (instead of Vayu and Bharati or Brahma and Sarasvati), implies that Brahma is to be understood by Vayu and Bharati by Sarasvati. The reason, why their names are taken implicitly is to substantiate the fact that apart from Lakshmi the other four Brahma, Vayu, Sarasvati and Bharati, who qualify as Parashukla's should be grouped into two categories thus making the Triad (त्रय). If all of them were to be named explicitly then the count would be five and one would not be very clear as to why they are called as Parashukla Traya. They would rather be called as Parashukla Panchaka

MADHVANAMA - FINAL PART

jaya jayatu durvAdimatatimira mArtanDa

jaya jayatu vAdigajapanchAnana

jaya jayatu chArvAkagarvaparvata kulisha

jaya jayatu jagannAtha madwanAtha ll28ll

jaya jayatu = victory

durvAdimatatimira = the darkness caused by bad philosophies

mArtanDa = the sun

jaya jayatu = victory

vAdigaja = a majestic elephant in debates (and discussions)

panchAnana = an epithet for a lion

jaya jayatu = victory

chArvAkagarvaparvata = the mountain of chArvaka's pride

kulisha = implement of destruction

jaya jayatu = victory

jagannAtha = Lord of all the worlds (an epithet for nArAyaNa)

madwanAtha = madhvAchArya

May he, who is the sun that drive out the darkness brought about by bad doctrines,

destroy our dark ignorance. May he, who is a aggressive lion to proud opponents

(elephants), give us the courage and strength to oppose avidya, wherever we see

them. May he, who demolishes the mountain-like pride of chArvAkas (pleasureseekers)

destroy our ego and ignorance. May jagannAtha and madhvanAtha bless us

with devotion, knowledge and detachment (bhakti, gyAna, vairAgya).

In this verse, shrIpAdarAjaru uses similarities from shrI sumadhva vijaya and shrI

narasimha nakha-stuti to describe and salute the greatness of shri madhvAchArya.

jayatu jayatu

This phrase has been used in each line of this verse. Normally "jayatu" means

"Hail" or "Victory to". However, in this verse the target of the phrase is

jIvOttama. He is an example of devotion, purity and dedication to the Lord.

He also personifies strength, knowledge and auspiciousness. Unlike other lesser

gods, kali has no effect on him. He does not suffer from ignorance or

misconceptions, at any point in time. Nor, does he ever taste defeat or failure

in anything he does. So, interpreting "jayatu" as "Hail" would be excessive

and thus has to be considered as a secondary or unimportant meaning of the

phrase. The primary interpretation must be to treat each usage as a prayer to

vAyu to bless us with the specific attribute highlighted in that line.

durvAdimatatimira mArtanDa

This is a continuation of the representation used by the sumadhvavijaya (refer to

posting 27 on verse 23 for more details). Prior to the advent of shrI

madhvAchArya, the darkness created by the union of wrong doctrines and

interpretations of the brahmasUtras blinded good souls and lead them away from

the path of true knowledge. Just as sunrise dispels all traces of darkness, the

advent of shri madhvAcharya dispelled all spiritual darkness and lead all

sAtvikas away from the path of gloom and despair.

May this sun of true knowledge dispel our ignorance and destroy our wrong

knowledge.

jaya jayatu vAdigajapanchAnana

It was not enough to merely dispel the spiritual darkness through correct

knowledge, efforts had to be made to ensure that they did not rear their head

again. Since followers of wrong philosophies were too strongly rooted, it

was necessary to engage them in direct debate and defang them.

This line uses a different representation to describe this. Imagine a herd of wild

elepahants running riot. They leave behind a trail of destruction and despair.

They brook no obstacle or opposition, trampling and ruining everything that

comes in their way. So is the case with followers of wrong doctrines. They

spoil our holy scriptures, take phrases out of context, ignore anything that

fight against the concepts that they adopt and use the brute force of

their stubbornness to create paths where there are none. They leave good souls

soaking wet their hands in frustration. Into such an environment came a lion called

shri madhvAcharya; a lion that fearlessly faced and decimated herd after herd of

wild elephants without much to do.

May this lion among philosophers bless us with the courage and strength to stand

upto our convictions, even in the face of adversity, and emerge victorious.

(Those who are familiar with the meaning of the narasimha nakha stuti will

recognize the similarity in the analogies used.)

jaya jayatu chArvAkagarvaparvata kulisha

'chArvAka' is the name of a school of philosophy that propounded "the grossest

form of atheism or materialism".

shrI madhvAchArya refuted this philosophy, along with all the others that

existed before his time. However, there is a reason why this particular term

('chArvAka') has been used. This is also the name of a rAkshAsa who was a friend

of duryOdhana and an enemy of the pAnDavas. In the mahAbhArata, there are

several instances where he tries to mislead other good souls. Hence, in this

verse, this term symbolizes every philosophy that misinterprets the scriptures

and attempts to mislead sAtvikas.

Another representation has been used to describe this. indrA's vajrAyudha cut off the

wings of arrogant mountains and decimated their ability to fly and cause havoc

amongst people. Similarly, shri madhvAchArya's arguments were like vajrAyudhas

(lightning bolts) that cut down the mountains called misleading doctrines.

(Once again, this very similar to the analogy used in the narasimha nakha

stuti).

May the thunderbolts of his philosophy demolish destroy mountains of our sins

and ego.

jaya jaya jagannAtha madvanAtha

In this verse, through a clever use of words, shrIpAdarAjaru salutes both shrI

hari and vAyu.

jagannAtha is a well-known name of the Lord. He is also 'madhvanAtha', i.e, the

nAtha or Lord of madhvA. 'jagannAtha' also means one who is accepted as the

'nAtha' or leader by all souls i.e., one who is the jIvOttama. 'madhvanAtha' is

also the direct name of shrI madhvAchArya. Thus shrIpAdarAjaru salutes jivOttama

and parmAtma together and prays for true devotion, knowledge and detachment

(bhakti, gyAna, vairAgya).

tungakulaguruvarana hrutkamaladoLu nelesi

bhangavillada sukhava sujanakella

hingade koduva guru madhwAntarAtmaka

rangaviTTalanendu nere sArirye ll29ll

tungakula = heredity of superior gyAnis

guruvarana = the guru equal to excellence

hrutkamaladoLu = in the lotus of his heart

nelesi = residing

bhangavillada = without break or obstacles

sukhava = happiness

sujanakella = to all good people

hingade = without any reduction

koduva = the one who gives

guru = preceptro

madhwAntarAtmaka = resident within madhva

rangaviTTalanendu = the one named ranga viTTala

nere = everwhere

sArirye = spread

Ranga ViTTala (nArAyaNa) resides in the heart of shrI madhwAchArya, the guru

equal to excellence, in the line of superior gyAnis. He gives happiness that is without

blemish or break to good people, without any reduction. Spread this

fact everywhere.

tungakulaguruvarana

The term 'tungakula' refers to the line of superior souls. These are the jIvas

who are blessed with knowledge of the Lord. They are basically 'sAtvikas'.

brahma and vAyu are the primary gurus for this line of sAtvikas. Our scriptures

refer to brahma (vAyu) as the Adi jIva (first or primary soul).

hrutkamaladoLu nelesi

Our religious works refer to the presence of a 'ashTa daLA kamala' (a lotus with

8 petals or parts) in the inner space of the heart of the jIva. The Lord resides

in the middle of the this lotus. He is the bimba-mUrti of the jIva. At His feet

and facing Him, stands vAyu with his hands folded in prayer. The jIva resides

near the feet of vAyu. This is true of every jIva. However, in the case of vAyu

and others equal or above him, there is nobody else other than the Lord.

bhangavillada sukhava

'bhanga' means that which is interrupted or corrupted, something that is

temporary in nature. Thus "bhangavillada sukha" means happiness which is eternal,

free of blemishes and never reducing in intensity. Obviously such a state of

happiness is possible only in mukti or liberation, when the jIva experiences bliss

that is intrinsic to its nature. All other happiness is temporary, subject to

interruptions and diminishing over time.

sujanakella

'sujanaru' means people who are 'sAtvic' by nature. They are eligible for

liberation. vAyu provides them with bhakti, gyAna and vairAgya and ensures that

they perform their sAdhana (penance) in accordance with the wishes of the Lord.

Once they have accomplished their sAdhana they are eligible for liberation,

which is granted at the Lord's pleasure. vAyu too has the power to recommend

jIvas for mukti (this power has been given to him the Lord).

hingade koDuva

This has several interpretations. First, granting of happiness (liberation) to

worthy souls in no way reduces or diminishes the happiness of the Lord, or

anybody else. In other words, each soul experiences happiness that is intrinsic

to itself and independent of what is experienced by other souls. This concept of

liberation is unique to dvaita.

Second, once the jIva achieves liberation, its happiness never reduces over

time. Nor is this happiness ever marked with sorrow of any sort.

Third, the Lord's power to grant liberation has never reduced and will never do

so. In other words, God has been doing this from times immemorial and will

continue to do so forever. Another interpretation is that this power to grant

liberation rests only with Lord hari (and anyone He delegates this power to).

guru madhvAntarAtmakaAs stated before, the Lord resides in the heart

 of every jIva. However, His sannidhAna (special presence) in vAyu is

the highest and purest. That is why when we pray, the object of our

worship is always 'bhArati ramaNamukhyaprANAtargata' (the Lord who

resides in mukhya prAna, the husband of bhArati dEvi).

rangaviThThalanendu nere sArirye

'rangaviThThala' is the ankita or literary signature used by shrIpAdarAjaru.

There is an interesting story on how he got this ankita. He once went to

panDharApura and performed pAnDuranga's sEve (service) with great fervour and

devotion. That night, pAnDuranga appeared in a dream and asked him to get a

certain spot on the banks of the bhIma river excavated. When this was done,

shrIpAdarAjaru found a golden box containing an idol of 'ranga viThThala',

decorated with many precious jewels. He was overjoyed and with the idol on his

head, danced with ecstacy. From that day onwards, this idol has been worshipped

with great devotion by every saint who has headed the MaTha of shrIpAdarAjaru.

He also started the tradition of composing dEvaranAmas (religious songs) in the

name of his favorite icon. This tradition was continued by other saints like

shrI vyAsarAyaru, shrI vAdirAjaru etc.

jagannAtha dAsAru

 jagannAthadAsAra phala stuti - Verse 1

sOmasUryOparAgadi gO sahasragaLa

bhUmidEvarige suranadiya taTadi

shrI mukundArpaNavenuta koTTa phalamakku

I madhwanAma baredOdidarge ll30ll

sOmasUryOparAgadi = during solar and lunar eclipse

gO = cows

sahasragaLa = thousands

bhUmidEvarige = bhUsuraru = gods on earth (learned brahmins)

suranadiya = the divine river (ganga)

taTadi = on the banks

shrI mukundArpaNavenuta = saying "krishnArpaNamastu"

(i.e. dedicating the fruits of this action to Lord shrI Krishna)

koTTa = to give

phalamakku = the fruits (or results)

I madhwanAma = this prayer called madhvanAma

baredOdidarge = to those who read and write

Anybody writing and reading this sthOtra will get a benefit equal to offering a

thousand cows to learned and worthy brahmins, during a solar or lunar eclipse,

on the banks of the celestial river ganga, and dedicating that to Lord Mukunda

(nArAyaNa).

In the first verse shrI jagannAtha dAsaru gave us an idea of the enormous merits

that accrue to a person reading and writing the madhvanAma. While this may be

enough for gyAnis, there may be others who seek more tangible, material

benefits. To such people he replies "This is sUtranAmaka, that you are praying

to. Once he is pleased there is no limit to what you can get. You want children?

You will get children. You want name, fame, wealth, relief from enemies? You

will get all that. Why, you can even avoid untimely death! What more can you

possibly want?!"

sUtranAmaka samstuti

vAyu is also known as sUtra since he is the controller and regulator of all the

celestial entities in the body (indriyAbhimani and tattvAbhimani devatas and

daityas). Every single action performed by every jIva (subordinate to him),

everywhere in creation is done under his explicit supervision.

samstuti refers to prayer that is tinged with devotion and correct knowledge.

Once this sUtranAmaka is pleased, then the sky is the limit; all doors open,

everything falls into place and there is nothing that is out of reach.

putrarilladavaru satputraraiduvaru

A simple translation is "Those without children will get good children". However

to get the full meaning of the verse, one needs to go beyond the simple meaning.

Nothing happens without a reason. Why are some people childless? There may be

medical causes preventing childbirth, but these are mere manifestations rather

than the actual cause. The root of the problem lies in the sins committed by the

persons and their prArabda karma. In olden days, kings and noblemen performed

yagnas like "putrakAmEshTi" to wipe out their sins and obtain progeny. In this

time and age, it needs potent prayers and the grace of celestials to overcome

this problem. In the opinion of shrI jagannAthadAsaru, this prayer to vAyu is

equal in potence to the "putrakAmEshTi" yAga in blessing supplicants with

offspring.

sarvatradali digvijayavahudu sakala shatrugaLu keduvaru

The gIta says that our authority ends with action; success or failure lies in

the hands of the Lord, and is decided by Him based on the jIvA's inherent nature

and his/her karma. As the gIta says "yatra yOgeshwarah kRishNo ..... tatra

shrIvijayO bhUtirdruvA nitir matir mama". vAyu is His primary abode and agent.

Needless to add, one who is subject to vAyu's grace will be victorious

everywhere.

The question is: what kind of victory should one aspire for? There are different

types of successes, but our scriptures attach a lot of importance to

 "indriyajaya" - conquest of the senses. The sky is the limit for somebody who can do

this.

This line also says "All enemies will fail". What kind of enemies are we talking

about? We are very familiar with external enemies and would obviously like to

win over them. But the more potent enemies are the internal ones; our scriptures

where they warded off untimely death in deserving cases.

Our scriptures say that when a person dies, vAyu departs from the body along

with jIvatma and paramAtma. Such being the case, is it necessary to add that a

person enjoying the grace of vAyu will never die an untimely or untoward death?

I now propose to list the detailed explanation of the third (and last) verse in

the Phala stuti by shrI jagannAtha dAsaru. In the first and second verses he

gave us an idea of the enormous merits accruing to a person who reads and

writes madhvanAma. Here he sums up everything and outlines the real benefit that

anybody can hope for - liberation.

jagannAtadAsAra phala stuti - Verse 2

putrarilladavaru satputraraiduvaru

sarvatradali digvijayavahudu sakala

shatrugaLu keduvaru apamRutyu baralanjuvudu

sUtranAmakana samstuti mAtradi ll31l

putrarilladavaru = those without children

satputraraiduvaru = will get very good children

sarvatradali = everywhere

digvijayavahudu = will get victory

sakala = all

shatrugaLu = enemies

keduvaru = will perish or fail

apamRutyu = untimely death

baralanjuvudu = will be scared to approach

sUtranAmakana = an epithet for vAyu

samstuti = prayer coupled with devotion and knowledge

mAtradi = just by

Those without children will get good children, they will be victorious

everywhere, all their enemies will perish, and untimely death will be scared to

approach them. All these benefits will accrue by praying to sUtranAmaka (vAyu).

In the first verse shrI jagannAtha dAsaru gave us an idea of the enormous merits

that accrue to a person reading and writing the madhvanAma. While this may be

enough for gyAnis, there may be others who seek more tangible, material

benefits. To such people he replies "This is sUtranAmaka, that you are praying

to. Once he is pleased there is no limit to what you can get. You want children?

You will get children. You want name, fame, wealth, relief from enemies? You

will get all that. Why, you can even avoid untimely death! What more can you

possibly want?!"

sUtranAmaka samstuti

vAyu is also known as sUtra since he is the controller and regulator of all the

celestial entities in the body (indriyAbhimani and tattvAbhimani devatas and

daityas). Every single action performed by every jIva (subordinate to him),

everywhere in creation is done under his explicit supervision.

samstuti refers to prayer that is tinged with devotion and correct knowledge.

Once this sUtranAmaka is pleased, then the sky is the limit; all doors open,

everything falls into place and there is nothing that is out of reach.

putrarilladavaru satputraraiduvaru

A simple translation is "Those without children will get good children". However

to get the full meaning of the verse, one needs to go beyond the simple meaning.

Nothing happens without a reason. Why are some people childless? There may be

medical causes preventing childbirth, but these are mere manifestations rather

than the actual cause. The root of the problem lies in the sins committed by the

persons and their prArabda karma. In olden days, kings and noblemen performed

yagnas like "putrakAmEshTi" to wipe out their sins and obtain progeny. In this

time and age, it needs potent prayers and the grace of celestials to overcome

this problem. In the opinion of shrI jagannAthadAsaru, this prayer to vAyu is

equal in potence to the "putrakAmEshTi" yAga in blessing supplicants with

offspring.

sarvatradali digvijayavahudu sakala shatrugaLu keduvaru

The gIta says that our authority ends with action; success or failure lies in

the hands of the Lord, and is decided by Him based on the jIvA's inherent nature

and his/her karma. As the gIta says "yatra yOgeshwarah kRishNo ..... tatra

shrIvijayO bhUtirdruvA nitir matir mama". vAyu is His primary abode and agent.

Needless to add, one who is subject to vAyu's grace will be victorious

everywhere.

The question is: what kind of victory should one aspire for? There are different

types of successes, but our scriptures attach a lot of importance to

"indriyajaya" - conquest of the senses. The sky is the limit for somebody who can do

this.

This line also says "All enemies will fail". What kind of enemies are we talking

about? We are very familiar with external enemies and would obviously like to

win over them. But the more potent enemies are the internal ones; our scriptures

where they warded off untimely death in deserving cases.

Our scriptures say that when a person dies, vAyu departs from the body along

with jIvatma and paramAtma. Such being the case, is it necessary to add that a

person enjoying the grace of vAyu will never die an untimely or untoward death?

I now propose to list the detailed explanation of the third (and last) verse in

the Phala stuti by shrI jagannAtha dAsaru. In the first and second verses he

gave us an idea of the enormous merits accruing to a person who reads and

writes madhvanAma. Here he sums up everything and outlines the real benefit that

anybody can hope for - liberation.

jagannAtadAsAra phala stuti - Verse 3

shrIpAdarAja peLida madhwanAma

santApa kaLedakhiLasoukhyavanIvudu

shrIpati shrI jagannAtaviTTalana tOri bhava

kUpAradinda kadehAyisuvudu

shrIpAdarAja peLida = the (prayer) stated by shrIpAdarAjaru

madhwanAma = madhvanAma

santApa = sorrow

kaLedakhiLasoukhyavanIvudu = kaLedu + akhila + soukhyavanu + Ivudu

= (sorrows will) end and one will get all good things in life

shrIpati = the husband of shrIdEvi (i.e., hari)

shrI jagannAtaviTTalana = the form of the Lord known as jagannAtha viTTala

tOri = (will) show

bhava kUpAradinda = from the pit or well called sansAra

kadehAyisuvudu = will help you cross

This madhwanAma told by shrIpAdarAja will destroy all sorrows, provide all types

of happiness and well-being, and in addition, will show you shrIpati

jagannAtaviTTala and take you out of this well (or ocean) called samsAra.

All the benefits described in the previous verses of the phalastUtu were

basically material in nature - wealth, health, progeny, happiness, freedom from

enemies etc. But all of these pale in comparison to the main benefit that this

prayer can confer. It offers what is ultimately the highest benefit that anybody

can hope for - liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. shrI jagannAtha

dAsaru saves this for the last because once one gets the desire for this

benefit, then the other benefits pale in comparison and lose their

attractiveness totally.

Numerology behind phalastuti

The first question to consider is why did shrI jagannAtha dAsaru compose a phala

stuti with 3 verses? Why not 4 or 2? To answer this, look at the number of

verses in the madhvanAma composed by shrIpadarAjaru. It is 29. By adding a phala

stuti with 3 verses the total number of verses comes to 32. There is a symbolism

associated with this number 32. All of vAyu's incarnations are supposed to

possess perfect physiques with 32 distinguishing marks. So it is in the fitness

of things that the prayer to an entity with a perfect physique (having 32

distinguishing marks) should comprise of 32 verses.

shrIpAdarAja peLida madhwanAma

Just as shrI vEdavyAsa composed the purANas for the sake of those who are not

eligible for reading the vEdas, shrIpAdarAjaru wrote the madhvanAma for the

benefit of those who have no access to the harivAyu stuti and the sumadhva

vijaya. That is why he chose to use kannada, the language of common people, as

the medium. This is in keeping with his stature as the pitAmaha of all dAsa

sahitya (there is a school of thought that shrI narahari tIrtharu was the first

one to compose dEvaranAmas in kannada and that shrIpAdarAjaru revived this

glorious tradition).

Before dismissing this stOtra as another kannada dEvaranama, one needs to

remember that shrIpAdarAjaru was an amsha of dhruva, an aparOksha gyAni, and the

vidya guru of vyAsarAyaru. He has infused this stOtra with pristine bhakti and

gyAna. So, in terms of spiritual content and value, it is worthy of adoration

and worship.

santApa kaLedakhiLasoukhyavanIvudu

The term "santApa" normally means sorrow or unhappiness. However, in this

context, a better interpretation would be 'tApatraya' - the three kinds of

miseries which human beings have to suffer in this world - 'adhyAtmika',

'Adhidaivika' and 'Adhiboutika'.

akhiLasoukhyava means every possible happiness or wellbeing. This should be

understood to include all types of happiness - materi 'Adhidaivika' and 'Adhiboutika'.

akhiLasoukhyava means every possible happiness or wellbeing. This should be

understood to include all types of happiness - material as well as spiritual.

shrIpati shrI jagannAtaviTTalana tOri bhavakUpAradinda kadehAyisuvudu

The word 'tOri' is a pointer to 2 concepts. The first is the initial sAkshAtkAra

or meeting with the Lord, at which point the jIva becomes an aparOksha gyAni.

All of his/her sanchita and AgAmi karmas get wiped out, and the jIva has to

endure only his/her prArabda karma.

The second concept is that the when the jIva goes for liberation, he meets with

different bhagavad rUpas (forms of the Lord). The penultimate form is vAsudEva

and the final form is nArAyaNa. This is very subtly captured in the prAtahsankalpa

gadya by rAyaru. There is a translation available in the archives (it

was by shrI Bannur Ramachandra Rao, and posted by Naveen Bannur). Interested

readers may refer this for more details.

The term 'shrIpati' should be understood in the context of what our AchArya has

stated so beautifully in dvAdasha stOtra ("shrIryat katAksha balavatyajitam

nAmAmi"). The essence of this is that every deity (brahma, rudra, garuda, indra,

sUrya, chandra etc) is able to function only because of Lakshmi's grace, and

that She derives her power from Him. So, one should this have this anusandhAna'

(understanding) when one utters this prayer.

Importance of praying to vAyu

There is a common misconception that only mAdhvas give primacy to vAyu, whereas

others consider him as just one of several important deities. This is a very

wrong perception that does grave injustice to our scriptures, which proclaim

vAyu's primacy in an unambiguous manner. There are any number of reasons why it

is necessary to pray to vAyu in order to get hari bhakti. He is the foremost

amongst all jIvas, and the primary guru for all creation. He is the Lord's

dearest devotee; so dear that when he departs from the body, the Lord too

departs immediately. He is acknowledged in all the three worlds as 'bhagavat

kArya sAdhaka'. He performs 21,600 hansa japas per day in each jIva and submits

it to the Lord on our behalf. Ignoring him, or not according to him the status

that is his due, would tantamount to 'guru-droha' and is a sure way of incurring

the Lord's displeasure and the wrath of every other deity.

Study our itihAsas (mUla rAmAyaNa and mahAbhArata) and purANAs. You will not

find even one instance of somebody earning vAyu's grace and suffering

misfortune. On the contrary, you will find several instances of people

benefitting from his association. Look at how vibhIshana, sugrIva and arjuna

benefitted from vAyu's grace, whereas karNa and vAli suffered because of enemity

with him. As purandaradAsaru says "hanumana matavE hariya matavu, hariyA matave

hanumana matavu" (there is total identity of views between hari and vAyu).

That is why in the sumadhva vijaya, shrI nArAyaNa panDitAchArya says that he

wishes to get hari bhakti that originates from guru bhakti ("mukundabhaktyai

gurubhaktijAyai ...").

So, even if one is not born a mAdhva, it is still essential to obtain his

blessings in order to obtain correct viShNu bhakti and gyAna. Of course, if

someone is a mAdhva by birth, then it is their privilege and duty to develop

correct vAyu bhakti as a prelude to hari bhakti.

CONCLUSION:

This posting concludes the series on madhvanAma.

shrI nArAyaNa panDitAchArya, the esteemed author of sumadhva vijaya and other

great works, calls himself 'mandha budhdhe' (dull witted) and says that only

deities like sEsha or rudra can do justice to the task of describing the

greatness of vAyu. If this is the case with an enlightened soul like him, then

one wonders about others! Still, there is not even a shadow of doubt in my mind

that whatever has been accomplished has been done only because of the immense

grace of shrI shrIpAdarAjaru.

It is our hope that while going through this series you experienced at least a

small fraction of the devotion that this great saint had for his 'kula guru

rAya'. If that is indeed the case then this series has more than served its

purpose.

na mAdhva samO devo, na cha madhva sama guruh

na tadvAkyam samam shAstram, na cha tasya samah puman.

(shrI kRishNArpaNamastu)