Sriman Madhvacharya – Chapter 2

Sri Narayana Panditacharya covers the background of the parents of Acharya Madhva who lived in Paajaka kshetra, where he was born. Some of Madhva’s childhood sporting exploits (up to the age of three) are also described.

Gods pray to Mukunda

Due to the Kali yuga, the sun-like effulgence of the correct Tatva Jnana leading to redemption had set and darkness in the form of the series of evil commentaries (of Brahma Sutra) pervaded every where. The good people lost their way in understanding the correct knowledge and fell to the wrong paths. The gods were greatly depressed and took Chaturmukha Brahma in the lead and prayed to Sri Narayana for alleviation of their distress, who is the only giver of Redemption or Moksha.

Note: Gods (devatas) consider it as their duty to guide the good souls in the path of redemption.

Vishnu orders Mukhya Prana to incarnate on earth

The Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself does not desire to incarnate in the fourth Yuga and is hence called Triyuga hoothi (one who incarnates in three Yugas). Chaturmukha Brahma does not have any incarnations. The Smiling Lord looked at the all-knowing Mukhya Prana, who gives life to all creatures of the world and who alone had the requisite capacity to do the work. He spoke to him.

Oh, the fair faced one, the good people of the world fit for Moksha and devoted to me, are suffering sorrow due to their being unable to choose the right path shown by Vedanta (by their own efforts). They have no other succour and hence deserve our kindness. They should be made happy by your incarnation in an auspicious part of the world in another form and by your giving decisive commentaries (on Vedanta and Shastras) which clearly show my infinite auspicious attributes.

Mukhya Prana accepts

Mukhya Prana accepted the command of the Supreme Being with head bent, folded hands (held in front for receiving gracious gifts) and complete humility like a great priceless crown, lustrous with jewels (placed on his head) in the form of well-spoken benedictory words. The prayers of other gods to him (for the same purpose) were worn on his breast like a precious necklace. He decided to incarnate on the earth to save His devotees.

Indication for Mukhya PraNa’s incarnation

During the time when the gods were praying to the Supreme Being for Mukhya Prana’s incarnation, here on earth, groups of good people were filled with anxiety about the correct method of obtaining redemption as they were unable (by their own efforts) to get the essence of the ageless meaning and purport of the Vedanta as determined by the Brahma Sutras.

Note: The quest for redemption is natural for any thinking individual – more so for one with faith in the creator. Thus, the need for a convincing Moksha Shastra was felt seriously by many good people. See the incidents of conversions of Shobana Bhatta, Trivikrama Pandita and others later.

For giving happiness to such people, the Supreme Being residing in RajatapeeThapura (Udupi Ananteshwara temple) entered into a person on the occasion of a festival of great importance when there were huge crowds and commotion, causing great curiosity and interest in the people. (The festival of Makara samkranti is referred to as indicated in Bhava Prakashika).

Note: Even now Makara Sankramanotsava is very important in Udupi.

Note: Sri Ananteshwara in Udupi is actually Sri Hari in the form of Linga. When Lord Hari incarnated as Parashurama, he “studied” under Shiva. To commemorate this student-teacher relationship, Lord Anantashayana (Hari) entered the Shivalinga and stayed there. Another old temple in front of Ananteshwara, called the Chandramouli temple, is truly devoted to Shiva. Chandramouli is in the front, and Ananteshwara is in the back. In fact Lord Hari is always “behind” His devotees.

Parents of Madhva

In this world with its seven continents and seven seas, in whose center is the land called Bharatha, known as Karma Bhumi (being suitable for the performance of all auspicious acts leading to redemption), in Kali Yuga there lived a Brahmin born of pure lineage and who was like the crest jewel of his family, known by his dwelling as the Middle house (Madhyageha). (NaDillaaya in the local Tulu language)

Note: In the incident with the Shudra King, (Chapter 16 – 4), when Madhva demonstrates the efficacy of the Veda Mantras, he says that Adhikara (capacity) for achieving the results stated there in is also dependent on the person having the prescribed qualifications right from birth. Mukhya Prana would be born only in the house of the purest and best parents!

It is well known that there is a resplendent village called ShivarUpya adorned by the temple of Ananteshwara, known as the Lord of the RajaThapeetha pura and Vedadri mountain, where in the excellent Brahmin lived. This is similar to Ilavrutha khanda which is adorned by the king of mountains, the golden Meru mountain and Rudra (who lives there).

He was the most prominent person in the lineage of three families and lived in Paajaka kshetra.

Paajaka Kshetra

Udupi is a small town situated in the coastal area of Karnataka. Eight kms to the south-east of Udupi, there is a small and village called Paajaka. This place is adorned by Vimanagiri (Kunjaaru Giri) by its side, decorated by a garland in the form of the deity Durga installed and consecrated by Parashurama on its crest. Perennial water is available here in the form of a pond and four Tirthas created by the Lord Himself (in His incarnation as Parashurama). These tirthas are: Parashu tirtha, Dhanus tirtha, Baana tirtha and Gadaa Tirtha. All the four tirthas are sacred and lead to Moksha for the deserving people.
(Note: There is a fifth tirtha called Vasudeva Tirtha, which was created by Madhvacharya himself; explained later)

Education and Marriage of Madhyageha Bhatta

He obtained sacred knowledge of the Vedas and married a suitable bride. They provided him with the four Purusharthas – Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha and would also give a great gift (knowledge of God Himself, Madhva). He received them as appropriate to himself from an excellent Brahmin (well versed in the Vedas, father of the bride). The Vedas were composed of well-enunciated letters, just as the bride wore golden ornaments.

He sported with her, a great devotee of the Lord, with pure mind and great wisdom, free from false attachments to worldly things, to beget his son, who would be known in future as Ananda Tirtha. This was like a person of great wisdom delighting in the study of the faultless Upanishads (Vedas), which are not composed by any one. Similarly, it was also like a pure minded devotee delighting in devotion to the Supreme Hari or like a philosopher with no false attachments reveling in his bliss in Mukti, which is of his own essence.

People called him by the name Bhatta, as he was well versed in the secrets and intricacies of Mahabharata and Puranas (recited by him). Though learned, he was very humble and was engaged in correct observance of his daily rituals and duties. He offered his constant devotion at the feet of his family deity Ananteshwara.

His discourses of the delightful stories of Govinda which were like Nectar, not only gave pleasure to the ears and minds of the human listeners, but did the same even to the gods worshipping the lotus feet of Lord Ananteshwara, the Lord of Lakshmi in Udupi (Rajathapeethapura).

Parents of Madhva serve Lord Anantashayana

In this manner, though he was fully satisfied with the recitation of the auspicious qualities of Hari, he was also being influenced strongly by those who held that Hari (Supreme Being) has no attributes (Advaita or Mayavada). Though his great intellect had been purified and sharpened by repeated listening (recitation) of the Shastras, he was still full of doubts about the true tenets of Vedanta due to the influence of time (Kali age). So, he thought about what he should do.

A son is called Putra as he saves his parents from the hell called Puth. But, such full protection (from hell) is not possible through a son who is not all knowing. Therefore, what are the methods by which one can get a son who is like an ocean of knowledge, and is free from ignorance or wrong knowledge.

Let us take shelter with Narayana, our family deity, who has infinite and perfect auspicious qualities, which constitute his body and is an ocean of kindness. He was the deity whom Kardama, Parashara, Pandu and others worshipped in the past, by which they were granted the boon of having sons who were full of auspicious qualities.

Note: The Madhyageha couple had a daughter before Madhva was born.

Having thought over this subject thus, he (Bhatta) with pure mind and having none other than God as his saviour, performed austerities for twelve years to Lord Ananteshwara in Rajathapeethapura (Udupi) who has the serpent Shesha as His bed and who can give the most desired boons, with such great devotion as would lead to redemption from the fear of the ocean of Samsara

While he was offering devotional austerities to the lotus like feet of the Lord along with his wife, he reduced further those little pleasures in day to day living which had already been reduced earlier. His controlled mind was further controlled and they purified their bodies further, after they had already done so.

That couple desirous of having a son who would be an ocean of auspicious qualities performed a number of important, extremely difficult and arduous austerities such as living only on milk, etc. Due to their devotion and sincere efforts which were impelled by the Supreme Being immanent in them, Narayana, who is the complete person with infinite auspicious qualities was fully pleased with them, as he had been with Aditi and Kashyapa in the past. (when the Lord incarnated in the Vamana form)

They were sanctified by the nectar of God’s great kindness (being sprinkled on them) and due to the special presence of the Supreme Being and His consort Goddess Lakshmi in their thin bodies. The divine radiance obtained after continuous observation of many difficult austerities, indicated the very great purity of their bodies.

Note: The constant, prolonged austerities with single minded devotion of a couple who were extremely pious and God fearing by nature described here, show that a great soul like Madhva would only be born in a very special family. There can be no doubt that the Madhyageha couple who gave the world TWO wonderful children – Madhvacharya and VishnuTirtha – were themselves very great persons. Reference to the immanence of Narayana and Laskhmi in them is indicative of the future birth of Mukhya Prana.

Madhvacharya (Vasudeva) is born

That daughter of a great Brahmin and wife of Bhatta wearing a clean garment conceived from her husband, a great devotee of the Lord, on a suitable day a foetus that would be free from ignorance and give happiness to the world and thus had her ardent desire fulfilled. This was like the night with a clear sky having a full moon with bright moonlight flooding all the directions and dispelling darkness (in the bright half of the lunar month). Her foetus grew like the white orb of the moon in the brighter half of the month and she delivered the baby.

770 years in the past, (1238 AD), 4339th year of Kaliyuga, Vijaya dashami day following the Navaraatri, in the bright half of the month Ashwina in the Vilambi samvatsara was a day of great festivity. On that day afternoon, Acharya Madhva’s mother delivered baby !

Mukhya Prana, who had been ordered by God, came to RupyapeeTha (Udupi) and after offering his prostrations to the Lord there (Ananteshwara) went to his future abode with a part of himself.

He, who was the Lord of all the worlds and endowed with six auspicious possessions (Shadgunaiswarya) entered the body of the new born baby which possessed all the (32) auspicious attributes and was extremely beautiful having nine main entries, by sending away its earlier occupant. This was like a king entering a great city with all attractive features with nine main gates.

Note: As Mukhya Prana is not obliged to suffer the privations of a long stay in the womb, there was another inferior soul which did it and which was sent away when he entered the body.

Bhatta comes to know

There were deep sounds of divine drums from the heavens which were heard even on earth by curious listeners. It was as if they were saying – let the groups of good people of the world rejoice and evil persons become miserable, as Vayu has now incarnated on the earth.

The learned Bhatta had worshipped his Deity Ananteshwara in Udupi and was coming back being at a place not far from his house. He heard the celestial sounds and auspicious drums which were being beaten by another party. He was extremely happy due to such auspicious omens indicating his son’s birth. Knowledge can be a cause of happiness, even when received indirectly.

Bhatta performs Jathakarmas

He, who always performed auspicious actions, entered his house and seeing his son with a moon like face praised and admired him. He offered his earnest gratitude and prayers to Mukunda for His kindness. He performed all the prescribed ceremonies (on the occasion of birth) for his new baby who was seen to possess a large number of good qualities.

Baby is named Vaasudeva

He gave the name of Vasudeva to the new baby. Gods in heaven thought that this was appropriate as he was Mukhya Prana (Asudeva) born for the specific purpose of redeeming correct knowledge and he had constant and great devotion to the Supreme Being who had incarnated as Krishna, the son of Vasudeva.

Gift of cow for the baby’s milk

A neighbour living in the east (Poorvalaya or mUDillAya) gave the gift of a cow for giving milk to the young baby. He was born later as his own grand son and received the right knowledge of the Supreme Being which redeems one from Samsara. A gift given to a very deserving person will always give great returns.

Baby is offered to Ananteshwara

One day, Bhatta, the learned scholar offered his precious baby with large wide open eyes, completely fearless disposition and with the effulgence of his body similar to the newly rising moon to his Lord Ananteshwara as a gift. This was similar to offering a priceless, flawless, polished Gem having the colour of the rising moon and with great lustre to his master.

Baby shows its might in midnight

After prostrating in front of Hari (Ananteshwara) dwelling in Rajatapeethapura (Udupi) to seek protection from all harm and securing of all desirable blessings for the child, he went back home during midnight itself along with his son and other members of the family.

In the dark and fearful forest at midnight, an evil spirit dwelling there tormented one of the party, who vomited blood. Some one seeing this fearful sight exclaimed – it is a wonder that this fiend has not tormented the baby.

The fearsome spirit entered the person who vomited blood and said – I am capable of killing all those who come here at the time of our sport (midnight), but all of you have been protected by the Lord of the world (who is in the form of the child). It is a wonder that the Lord of the world (Mukhya Prana) is showing himself off as a mere child.

Baby is fed horsegram by innocent sister

Once, the gentle mother took the baby at her breast and fed him fully. Though she was unhappy to leave the baby alone, she had to go out from her house for some work and entrusted the task of looking after the baby, who is the protector of the entire world in reality, in her absence, to her obedient young daughter (elder sister of Madhva).

When the baby started crying loudly, the young innocent girl tried to console it to stop it from crying by saying in lisping words – my beautiful baby, oh little one, do not cry, mother will soon be back with delicious things for you.

When the crying of the baby continued and increased further and the mother did not come back even after a long time, the girl took him in her arms and started looking out again and again for the return of the mother.

When she did not do what to do (to stop the baby crying) she gave him all the freshly cooked horse gram (huruLi) to eat. On the other hand, the baby’s mother had always given cooled milk to the baby for drinking to avoid intake of hot milk causing increase in “heat” (Ushna).

Note: This indicates that the baby which was fed with cooked horse gram was still breastfed and when milk was given it was given after cooling to avoid problems with its digestion.

My baby must certainly be needing to be fed and must be crying bitterly. I have been engaged in doing works for others and have been without kindness and consideration for my own baby. Shame on me – thought the anxious mother, as she came back to the house and saw her baby with his belly full and smiling.

She enquired about the (unexpected) condition of the baby from the girl and came to know all that had happened. She thought – what was fed to the baby being not easily digestible even by the young adults, how can the baby digest it. She was very angry with her daughter and scolded her severely, while at the same time she was very much worried about the baby’s health.

But the baby continued to be healthy as ever and the mother was filled with surprise. The mother took the baby in her arms and repeatedly breast-fed the baby. The father took him on his lap and repeated sacred incantations to ward off evil. Even other people tried to make it play with them. This was because all of them were anxious to see the charming smile on the baby’s face, which was like a rejuvenating potion to them.

Lakshmi, the mother of Mukhya Prana, who is also the mother of all the three worlds, who knew his capacity to perform all actions, was never surprised when he took the Kaalakoota poison which came up when the milky ocean was churned (by the gods and demons) and swallowed it (without any ill effects).

Note: There is a misconception that only Shiva drank the Kaalakoota poison. But the Rig Veda Keshi Sookta clearly states (10.136) thus:

vAyurasmA upAmanthat.h pinashTismA kunannamA |
keshI vishasya pAtreNa yadh rudreNApibath saha ||

vAyuH = Vayu;
asmA = asmai = for him (for Shiva)
upAmanthat = squeezed well (that poison);
pinashhTismA = kneaded and crushed;
kunannamA = evil punisher (vAyu);
keshI = who has the Lord’s sannidhAna;
vishhasya pAtreNa = with the vessel full of poison;
yad = which;
rudreNa saha =along with Rudra;
apibat = drank.

Vayu squeezed, kneaded and crushed a small portion of poison, thus weakening it, and gave it to Shiva to drink, and drank the potent part of poison himself along with Shiva.

rudreNa saha = along with Rudra. So Vayu is the main consumer of the poison. Rudra is a secondary participant.

Vasudeva starts lisping words

Vasudeva started lisping his first words unclearly. This commencement of speech as the sport of goddess Saraswati on his tongue and lips was anxiously and reverently awaited by the gods and other good people.. But gradually the words and voice became clear and sweet. This was similar to Goddess Saraswati entering the court of Chaturmukha Brahma (her husband), behind veils and curtains, shyly at first, being greeted by assembled gods and saints with reverence and slowly becoming fully visible to the court.

The baby started crawling on all fours and then slowly stood up holding other supports (like the mother’s hands). Gradually after many days, and by practice he started walking around in the house and familiar places. Mukhya Prana, who activates all actions of all the creatures of the world did all this to pretend that he was only a normal baby.

Baby Vasudeva’s trip with the Ox

Once, he held in his hands the clean tail of their ox (vRuShabha) which was dear to him and going out early in the morning for grazing and quickly went out with it towards the forest unseen by his parents and relatives. He held on to its tail, when it wandered over several forest areas in search for grass.

The ox had a big bright body, long horns and well-shaped orifices like the mouth etc. It stood covering a large area under its four feet. Holding a small part of its body (tail), the boy shone like the rising sun becoming visible over the Udaya Mountains.

His kith and kin who were anxious as they had not seen the baby for some time started searching for him. “The boy is playful and independent minded” – They thought – “has he had hidden himself inside the house some where or fallen into the well?” After searching repeatedly and not finding him they started getting worried and sad.

Though they were informed by some cow herds that they saw the boy holding on to the tail of the Ox grazing in the forest they did not believe it at first. But when they saw the one year old boy coming back along with the Ox when the cows came home in the evening, they accepted the words as true.

The kith and kin were immensely happy with the recovery of the child in the same manner as a poverty stricken person would be when he gets Chinthamani (Wish-jewel which gives all desires instantly) or one who aspires for Salvation (Moksha) gets the special knowledge leading towards Vishnu (giver of Moksha). But they understood it as the grace of Lord Ananteshwara that their child was back home safe with them.

Vasudeva settles his father’s debt

Once Vasudeva came back after playing outside the house and wanted to take food (as he was hungry) along with his father. He called his father for food, but the father gently answered looking at Vasudeva’s moon like face – This seller of the Ox is preventing me from taking food (along with himself) until I pay him his dues. (which I am not in a position to do immediately)

Vasudeva gathered in his tender playful hands some (Tamarind) seeds, whose number was equal to the number of Nishkas – (coins in use at the time) agreed by the parties as the price of the Ox and smilingly offered them to the seller. These were received by the rich seller with great care like receiving a valuable gift. (The rich man released Bhatta from his obligation immediately).

When the great Brahmin Bhatta wanted to pay him later, he said that he had received the price of the Ox from the son. It is wonderful that this man received the great gift of Moksha itself (purushartha) directly from the great god, Mukhya Prana, incarnating in the form of the young child through the medium of the seeds.

Vasudeva makes people happy

People were happy with the different sporting acts of the child known by the good name Vasudeva, who was born as a faultless incarnation of Mukhya Prana (Asudeva), who gives life to all creatures, in the same manner as people (contemporary to him) were happy with the other Vaasudeva Krishna, son of Vasudeva (incarnation of the Lord).

When Mukhya Prana, the servant of Lord Vishnu sported as a baby thus in this world concealing his true capacity, the minds of the good people were filled with happiness. When the sun rises in the sky, even when it is concealed by clouds, the lotuses bloom. Similarly the eyes of the good people widened with pleasure.

The Second chapter of Shrimadhvavijaya Mahakavya written by Sri Narayana Panditacharya, son of SriTrivikrama Panditacharya concludes here.

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